Accounting statements and ratios Essay

Accounting statements and ratios provide a great deal of information about a company’s financial stability. Some of the concepts to be discussed in further detail include horizontal analysis, current ratio, quick ratio, and cash to current liabilities ratio. A horizontal analysis is used to compare data from two or more periods side by side. The current ratio reveals the relative amount of working capital by dividing current assets by current liabilities. A quick ratio is calculated by dividing the assets by the current liabilities. This paper will examine the financial standing of Apple, INC and provide recommendations on how to better improve their financial gains in the future. Apple was founded in April of 1976 to develop and sell personal computers. It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977, and was renamed as Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007 to reflect its shifted focus towards consumer electronics. Apple Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California and designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, online services, and personal computers. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod media player, the iPhone, and the iPad. Its online services include iCloud, iTunes Store, and App Store. Its consumer software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and productivity suites. Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics, and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia. Below is the horizontal analysis and balance sheet of Apple, INC for 2011 through 2013. This analysis shows that while Apple has consistently seen an increase in revenue, they have also seen an increase in administrative and operating expenses each year. Also, there has been a steady increase in the cost of goods sold. Minimizing these costs could drive the revenues for Apple, INC even higher. Below are the liquidity ratios for Apple, INC. These ratios can be used as a tool to determine a company’s ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. The current ratio is computed as follows: Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities. The quick ratio: Quick Ratio = (Cash + Accounts Receivable) / Current Liabilities. The liquidity ratios as they apply to Apple, INC suggest that the company is becoming more liquid the longer they are operational. â€Å"Liquidity is the ability to meet near-term obligations as they mature,† (Bridgepoint Education, INC, 2012, p. 229). Based on the information provided, Apple, INC is doing very well and are overly-capable of meeting their near-term financial obligations. Reference Apple, INC company financials. (2014). Retrieved, AUG, 2014, Retrieved from http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/aapl/financials Principles of Accounting: Volume I. (2012). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc

Tennis Ball Drop

Tennis Ball Inquiry Goal Purpose When received this lab we had to come up with an experiment that would have to involve testing two tennis balls but one of the tennis ball had to be altered in one way. The way we tested the tennis ball was by dropping them from a certain height and seeing how high they bounce back up. We then would make a graph and then see the relationship between the data.Once finding the relationship we can then linearity the data. This was initial practice for our next ELSE. Variables Our independent variable for this experiment was the height we had dropped tooth of the tennis balls from. The dependent variable was the tennis balls. One of them we left untouched and the other one was soaked In water before each drop. Procedure To setup the experiment we had to use three meter sticks and two standard tennis balls.We took all three of the meter sticks aligning them vertically up against the wall. Taping them into place we were then able to use them to measure the height of the dropping point. Using our eye sight we had to determine how far up the ball bounced up on the meter stick. We then proceeded to find three appropriate heights to drop then tennis ball at. Dropping it three times at each height and then averaging the data. On the soaked tennis ball we would soak the ball for two seconds before each drop.We also measured the weight of each ball before dropping them. After doing this 3 times each and receiving our averages we were able to create our data and see the relationship between the two. Data The ball that wasn't soaked weighed and average of 5. 4 grams. The soaked ball averaged the weight of 5. 9 grams.

Business Strategy of Emirates Airline

Business Strategy of Emirates Airline In 1974, three years after the independence, the rules of the EAU decided to establish to a joint carrier of flag: Air of Gulf. Nevertheless, a tense relation between the air line and the government of Dubai existed after his beginning, as this one re fading to yield before the demands of the Air of Gulf to leave his politics of open skies. In the reaction, the Air of Gulf reduced frequencies and capacities to and of Dubai for more than two thirds between 1984 and 1985 without the notice previous(Wilson 2005). Since the foreign carriers demonstrated incapable or desinclinados to fill the hollow, Dubai then the rule, recepiente of Sheikh Mohammed Rashid To – Maktoum, summoned a team of experts – headline Maurice Flanagan and later affiliated by Tim Clark and the son then 26-year-old of the rule, Sheikh’s Recepiente Ahmed Saeed Al – Maktoum – to design an emergency plan. The recommendation of the group to establish to a carrier of house for Dubai was rapidly accepted by the rule, but heimposed two conditions: the new air line should find the standards of the highest quality and there would be no additional injections of capital of the government in addition to the financing of starter of 10 millions of reconciled USD. On October 25, 1985, the first flight of the Emirates left to Karachi, using an A300 wet – leasehold of Pakistan International air Line. The air Line of Emirates is the carrier of flag of United Arab Emirates and a principal air line of the Middle East. His key bucket is the International Dubai Airport, which joins it with an extensive network of international routes.The air line is a branch of the group of Emirates, an international public corporation that also supports the honor of making work four of the commercial flights the longest continues – from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Paulo, Houston, and San Francisco. This offers extensive trips of air in the EAU and Middle East. The air line also suppor ts a division of separated load, for the name of Emirates SkyCargo. It is between the most rapid air lines of growth of the world, which gained enormous income for 500 million dollars in 1993. HISTORY OF EMIRATES AIRLINE Air Lines of Emirates support 127 aircraft quickly, consisting of Airbus A330-200, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A340-500, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777 -300 and Boeing 777-300ER. The airline investigating its fleet frequently, in accordance with its policy to support a young fleet. In 2008 the Emirates for the second air line to demolish the Airbus 380-800, after Air Lines of Singapore. This has also asked for 58 Airbus A380-800, making it the biggest customer of this Airbus. The use of air line of his plane is the highest in the industry, climbing to 13.7 hours in a day. aviation, value U.S. $ 19 billion, adding 71 new planes. This is now the client as principal cast of two ultra-modern new aircraft – A340-600 HGW and double-decker A380 super-jumbos. DESTINATION COVERED Emirates Airline covers 101 destinations, in 60 countries of the world. It flies to Canada, U.S, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, it serves France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russia, England, Switzerland, Turkey and Malta. The airline carries passengers to destinations like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Philippines in Asia and Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Libya, Angola, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana in Africa.

Company law (hong kong) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Company law (hong kong) - Essay Example They are the mainspring of the company. Speaking about the importance of directors, Neville J. observed in Bath v. Standard Land Co. (1910) 2 chapter 408 that "Board of directors are the brain and the only brain of the company which is the body, and the company can and does act only through them". It is only "When the brain functions that the corporation is said to function2". They (Directors) must account for all the company's money and property over which they exercise control. They have to refund to the company any of its money or property which they have improperly paid away or transferred. However, directors are not trustees in the real sense of the word because they are not vested with the ownership of the company's property. It is only as regards some of their obligations to the company and certain powers that they are regarded as trustees of the company. Alexander v. Automatic Telephone Co. (1900). The directors of a company paid up nothing on their own shares. They however, made all the other shareholders pay 39.6d on each share. They did a breach of trust, and the directors were bound to pay to the company 35.6d on each of their shares. In Pi In Piercy v .S Mills & Co. Ltd (1920). The directors of the company had the power to issue the uninsured shares of the company. The company was in no need of further capital but the directors made a fresh issue to themselves and their supporters with a view to maintain control of the company. Held the allotment was invalid and void. In Peraval V. Wright, (1902). The directors of a company bought shares from a shareholder, while they were negotiating for the sale of the company to another of a very high price and they did not disclose this fact to the shareholder. The shareholder sued to have the sale set a side. Held the sale was binding as the directors were under no obligation to disclose negotiations to the shareholder. The law imposes these directors' duties upon them so that they are not allowed to "capitalise their strategic position in the company to serve their own interest 3". The Australian Uniform companies act has incorporated statutory provisions containing an explicit reference to the judiciary obligation of directors towards their companies. Section 24 of the Australian Companies Act states: i. A director shall at all times act honestly and use reasonable

Identify industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Identify industry - Essay Example Despite of number of economic and social benefits of education, spending on education is experiencing increased pressure these days. As economies are finding ways to recover from global financial crisis, they are shrinking budgets, resulting in scarcer funds left for education sector. Economic complications are also resulting in tightening of enrolment levels in large numbers of institutions, as students proceed for less expensive educational programs or opt out for any educational program altogether. The aim of this paper is to identify top challenges that are facing the educational sector nowadays; however identifying challenges is merely a first step in fundamental transformation of educational sector. Issues in Education Sector The first issue in education sector pertains to over budgeting and underfunding. The impact was global financial crisis was detrimental on education sector. Private and public schools saw their endowments declining. It affected private donors as well who l ost their capability of investing significant sum of money within the industry. Another issue is related to intensification of rivalry. As competition intensifies, higher education looks for ways to differentiate themselves by attracting students and top faculty. Some schools are enhancing their curricula to attract students in fields of engineering or science. Others schools are gearing programs to target specific groups such as high-school dropouts or adult learners (Deloitte., 2001). Technological upgrade is another emerging challenge for education sector. Schools that have invested in latest technology are not utilizing its full capacity. Office systems, used to manage information of students, human resource and finances, are woefully outdated. Many schools have homegrown IT departments that make it complicated to centralize or upgrade the parallel system that causes inefficiency or redundancy (Deloitte., 2001). Education sector need to reconsider infrastructure. In order to red uce the cost of infrastructure, institutions are heading for partnerships with private sector to develop share facilities that can be utilized by citizens and students. A strategic approach is essential if schools intend to keep costs aligned in the upcoming years (Deloitte., 2001). Reporting and regulatory requirement oblige the education sector to invest strategically. Cost containment and funding constraints are not the only byproducts of financial crisis. Due to international economic meltdown, governments globally have been speeding up oversight in educational industry by flexing the muscles of regulatory authority. In numerous other cases, antagonism has caught educational sector. In order to differentiate themselves from crowded marketplace, educational institutions need to invest in information systems that are more sophisticated (Deloitte., 2001). Leadership Process: A Catalyst for Change in Educational Sector These critical issues call for assistance from the side of leade rs in educational sector. According to Heifetz, (1994), leadership is a process â€Å"to address conflicts in the values people hold, or to diminish the gap between the values people stand for and the reality they face† (p. 22). Noonan (2003) in ‘The Elements of Leadership’, states that, â€Å"Leadership is developing potential and building community† (p. 3). Conventional views referred school leadership as operational or

Corporate Governance Within Privately Held Firms Research Paper

Corporate Governance Within Privately Held Firms - Research Paper Example According to Durand and Vargas (2003), four distinctive characteristics make private held companies receive less attention in comparison to public companies (p. 667). The first amongst these characteristics is the isolation of private firms from the pressures of capital markets. Secondly, private firms have a less efficient labor market from that of public companies, which is a result of the frequently observed disconnect between the expected performance of an individual and their employment contract. The third distinct characteristic of private held companies is that, they do not offer a similar palette in terms of incentives to their employees in comparison to public companies. Finally, private held companies have a different definition of performance usually shaped by the missions and goals of the firm (Durand and Vargas, 2003, p. 668). As a result, these distinct characteristics make private companies receive less attention from the media and government agencies. Nevertheless, it is essential for private held companies to institute reforms aimed at corporate governance. ... According to Keasey and Wright, accountability involves â€Å"monitoring, evaluation and control of organizational agents to ensure they behave in the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders† (as cited in Uhlaner et al., 2007, p. 226). In effect, private held firms should also implement corporate governance reforms within their operations in order to ensure accountability and avoid conflicts between the management, the owners, and any other stakeholder in the firm. Keasey, Thompson, and Wright (2005) noted â€Å"that the problem of diffuse ownership are absent as there is typically still a major ownership interest of the founders or their families† (p. 213). In this regard, corporate governance in private held firms failed to drive the need of change in such firms. On the other hand, management’s failure in private held firms to adopt corporate governance arises from the owners’ fears that some change amount to a usurpation of powers. In this case , accountability involves delegating and decentralizing operations and responsibilities, which some owners might interpret as a usurpation of powers and oppose any means to implement adoption of such routines. However, firms need external financing in order to expand their operations in the global economy. Therefore, the augmented need for external finances and funding make private held companies become more accountable to their financiers. In effect, since corporate reforms have a basis on accountability, private held firms implement corporate governance to ensure effective use of resources and more so the externally sourced finances. According to Uhlaner et al. (2007), ownership characteristics within private held firms â€Å"influence the quality of the two functions of governance – i.e., the monitoring and

What are the rules that apply for collecting unemployment compensation Research Paper

What are the rules that apply for collecting unemployment compensation in Rhode Island - Research Paper Example The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states "Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment."However, every right enjoyed must fulfil responsibilities that go with it. Hence labor laws the world over have been laid down to protect both the employer as well as the employee, so that neither can take undue advantage of the other. In the US, the Department of Labor has laid down statutes and regulations that govern wages, benefits, safety, health and non discrimination policies. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs clearly states in its executive order, â€Å"The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.† (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lays down standards for minimum wages and overtime pay that can be claimed by worke rs under various categories. FLSA covers over 130 million workers employed in public and private sector enterprises. Under this Act basic hourly wages are defined under various categories wherein age, skills and other considerations of the employee are taken into account and exemptions are given to certain categories of student workers who can be employed below standard minimum wages. However it is mandatory for the employer to post a notice explaining the minimum wage act in places where it can be easily accessed by employees. The Department of Labor strictly enforces the requirements of the Act and when violations are discovered, the employer is requested to pay back wages wherever applicable. Employees also have the right to file a suit in case of violation of the Act and can be reimbursed up to two years back wages, in addition to damages, attorney’s fees and court charges. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) ensures that employees work in a safe and healthful e nvironment that is free from hazards to their health. The employer must ensure that adequate training has been given to employees in the use of safety equipment. However, the employee’s conduct and actions too must comply with safety rules set down by the employer, like use of protective equipment where necessary. The general duty clause of the OSHA clearly states that the employer "shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees" (Basic Provisions of OSHA). Although OSHA has separated its safety standards into different categories, some provisions that address issues like personal protective equipment and hazard communication are similar for all employees. OSHA also offers information in various formats as well as training and consultation services to educate people about safety and health hazards, as well as precautions t o be taken to ensure safe work environments. This act is geared to prevent injury and work environment related illness or disease and strives to maximize the safety and health of every employee. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is responsible for administering the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. (ERISA) EBSA has the authority to ensure that employees receive these benefits promised by the employer. ERISA includes welfare plans that benefit employees while they are in active service as well as at the time of retirement or termination of employment. Such welfare plans include health benefits, disability or death benefits as well as scholarship benefits, daycare benefits, training and apprenticeship and a host of other such benefits. Unemployment Insurance is a program funded by taxes paid by the employer. This program ensures that economic stability is maintained among the unemployed. It provides temporary and often partial wages to those who have lost the ir jobs through no fault of their own. The Unemployment

Research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 5

Research methods - Essay Example It establishes the role played by advertising in influencing mobile phone preferences by customers. Results showed that gender and age groups were influenced at an equal scale by advertising and distribution of their mobile phone brands. 58% of respondents preferred I-phone brand. Many respondents preferred the functionality and performance aspects when choosing the brand. Information of mobile phones is obtained from the internet but bought from brand stores. Surprisingly many customers do not pay attention to advertising. There is need to place high preference on performance, operation and functionality when selecting mobile phone companies. This is also a clarion call for mobile phone companies to retain their market share by taking positive steps in increasing market share. The relevance of presence and continuity in business by any outfit is to generate sales and profits. Remaining in business is pegged on the ability to produce sufficient sales of products that cover operational costs and post rational profits. To many companies, sales estimate becomes the beginning of profit planning and budgeting (Cannon, 1999). Costs must be determined prior to running production and influencing material purchases. On the customers’ perspective, the optimal choice covers purchasing a product with average costs but maximizes on functionality, operational level and reliability. The regeneration of assorted mobile phone brands in the information and communication industry has created a cut-throat competition among key players, keen on increasing their market share (Dunn, & Barban 1987). With increasing competition, consumers face though choices in identifying their best brand. It becomes necessary that mobile phone manufacturers comprehend the principal issues that can lure the prospective buyers to their brand. By doing so, they can conduct marketing action and planning (Etzel, Walker & Stanton 1997). Nevertheless, in making decisions on

Business Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Biography - Essay Example At the tender age of 14, he focused and concentrated his efforts towards the development and growth of his first entrepreneurship venture, which was a web design company in the name of Flyte Design. The SME venture by this young first time entrepreneur went forward to win some of the reputed design awards of Canada. Besides Flyte Design, Tom Szaky also diverted his focus towards the establishment of three dot com companies, which ranged from an online home improvement site to an online fund raising school as well as online grade tracking software. In the year 2001, the serial entrepreneur moved to USA for the purpose of acquiring a degree from the reputed Princeton University. However, in 2002, he shifted his focus from academia to the development of TerraCycle Inc. It can be increasingly said that by the process of early venturing into social entrepreneurship through the formation of TerraCycle in the year 2002, he made it evident that he is an agent of change, who is focused on exp loiting opportunities that keeps on emerging in the social environment from time to time. However, besides being an entrepreneur, he was active member when it comes to community service. He took initiatives in the participation and organizing of various social activities, while increasingly raising and generating values for the stakeholders (CNBC, 2007). About the Business The main objective of TerraCycle is to focus on waste elimination through the process of application of evolutionary economics. Guided by this particular objective, the company focused on national level recycling chain for waste products that were difficult to reuse and recycle. The company focused on setting up a new principle of generating products of innovative nature as well as of high value from already disposed and utilized products by using organic means. The company recycles the waste for the purpose of product creation which focuses on fulfilling the needs of the clients and consumers, while increasingly enabling them to tackle their demand and subsequent elimination of relative and existing pain points (TerraCycle, n.d). The competitive advantage for this business was the fact that the business was started as an innovative venture and in an almost virgin market, in regards to its product portfolio, that Is being offered to the consumers. Hence it can be said that the business had the first movers’ advantage. As of today’s date, the company is focused on the process of value creation through the process of developing a variety of recycled product. The product variety comprises of a wide range of categories ranging from bags, garden accessories and fertilizers, gift accessories, home accessories, office accessories, school accessories. The product category also comprises of items of daily uses likes toys, pet bottles and even winter based essential products (TerraCycle, n.d ). On an overall note, TerraCycle produces over 250 different kinds of products, from a wide rang e of waste streams (Forbes, 2011). Industry Overview The United States, due to its focus on high level of consumption by the government as well as the consumers has become the largest market with the urgent need for waste management services. The waste management industry in the United States is a highly fragmented industry. The sector has grown tremendously over the last few years, till the year 2008. The slowdown all over the

Confucius and Plato Essay Example for Free

Confucius and Plato Essay Editor Ken Wolf, at the beginning of the essay Confucius and Plato: A Few Really Good People, poses the question: â€Å"What is the best way to create a strong society? † (Wolf 25) It was surprising to a novice student of philosophy how similar the ideas of the ancient Chinese sage Confucius and famous Greek philosopher Plato were. Although, Confucius and Plato both made major contributions to the development of society, they showed both similarities and differences in these three subjects: ruling class, education, and faith in humanity. Confucius and Plato both believed virtue and intelligence were key components to creating a strong society. Confucius thought anyone who has been educated had the capability to develop into a ruler. Whereas Plato assumed anyone could be educated, but only a few, those in the ruling class had the ability to reason and thus were qualified to rule. In addition, Plato gave credence to the idea of being born into the ruling class, that the quality to reason was an inherited quality. Confucius and Plato were both strong believers that order was another main factor in a strong society. Although they both had laws to maintain the order, Plato had less faith in people in general to behave in a civilized manner. Both Confucius and Plato were in favor of education and were teachers themselves. Confucius’s followers were the ones who wrote the Analects, which talked about how civilization depends on â€Å"humanity† and â€Å"propriety†. Plato actually wrote The Republic which talked about his ideal â€Å"philosopher-king†. Plato established the Academy, which taught principles of ethics and government, for 900 years. Confucius attempted to teach the ruler to become a better person, but failed. The concepts put forth by Confucius and Plato begin to differ more when faith in humanity comes into play. Confucius and Plato both wanted to think there was good in everyone, but Confucius believed more in a â€Å"†¦society in which human relationships—especially those within the family—were more important than laws. † (Wolf 27) Plato concluded that the people needed to be controlled for there to be order. That control was maintained through the law. They both sought out peace and harmony, although Confucius focused more on the behavior of individuals and Plato was interested in universal truth even though it probably would not be accepted,. Plato felt that if a person tried to bring enlightenment to the masses â€Å"†¦they would probably try to kill to him for telling such tall tales, disrupting their lives and challenging their accustomed beliefs. † (Wolf 31) Even today, most people would agree with Confucius and Plato about the importance of educating people in the development of a strong society. The idea of relationships as the basis of society may be summed up in: â€Å"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. † This Golden Rule seems to be as important to Western society as it was to Chinese society. However, the idea of a better quality of citizen that is better suited to lead society smacks of elitism and would definitely not be accepted in modern democracies. However, that does not mean that the elite educated class from Harvard and Yale has not been overrepresented in American leadership. So perhaps we have a ruling elite, but not as overt as Plato would like. A final thought from the essay would be: a harmonious and orderly existence is important to all societies.

Entrepreneur identifies opportunities for business

Entrepreneur identifies opportunities for business Introduction â€Å"Entrepreneur identifies of opportunities, takes risks and garners resources with an explicit focus on the creation of new products, services, knowledge or ideas ( Shane 2003)†. This article will introduce one of greatest entrepreneurs in China—Ma Yun, the English name is Jack Ma who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alibaba Group at present, he was a Forbes magazine was founded more than 50 years to become the front cover of the first entrepreneurs in mainland China, as well as won the named Global Leader of Tomorrow. In addition, Jack Ma also served as director of Softbank Group, China Yahoo, Chairman of the Board, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Committee under (ABAC) members, Alibaba, Hangzhou Normal University, Business School Dean, director of Huayi Brothers Media Group(http://baike.baidu.com). Background of Jack Ma and his Alibaba.com Jack Ma was born in 15th October in 1964, he hometownisHangzhouZhejiangprovince of China. Hegraduated from Hangzhou Teachers College in 1988, his major is English. After he was becamean English teacher at the HangzhouElectronicEngineeringCollege. In 1995, he has had an opportunity that visited the United States for the first time access to the Internet, which was made a huge shock to him, after returning home, he established â€Å"Chinese Yellow Pages† in Internet. In 1997, he joined the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade, the main responsible for the development of Chinese products on its official site and the online trading market (http://baike.baidu.com). In 1999, he seriously considered that he resign from the government offical work. He is one of thefounders of Alibaba.com, to develop e-business applications, particularly in Business to Business (B2B). At present,Alibaba.com is a global inter-enterprise (B2B) e-commerce well-known brands, is the worlds area of international trade within the largest and most active online trading market and the business community (http://tech.sina.com.cn).On the one hand, in order to the success of Alibaba, so that Jack Ma was invited several times to lecture the worlds leading institution of higher learning, including the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Shool, MIT, Harvard and so on. On the other hand, he was invited to Dawos AnnualMeeting have eight timessince 2002. In addition, good location, solid structure, excellent service to make Alibaba the worlds first network has more than 8 million business e-commerce website, over 220 countries and regions around the world every day to businesses and merchants to provide 8.1 million commercial supply and demand information become a global business network to promote the preferred site has been business people as the most popular B2B website (http://tech.sina.com). Outstanding performance by all walks of life to make Alibabas attention. WTO Director-General of Sutherland as the first Alibaba consultants, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Japanese economy, Trade and Industry, Federation of European SMEs and other government and private agencies to local businesses recommended Alibaba (http://tech.sina.com). Jack Ma founded Alibaba media at home and abroad, and foreign venture capitalists in Silicon Valley hailed with Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, AOL par with the top five business schools on behalf of one of the Internet. It was established to promote the establishment of Chinas business credit, in the fierce international competition for small and medium enterprises has created unlimited opportunities, Let the world is not difficult to do business (Ma 2010). Jack Ma set up the personal auction site Taobao, successfully blazed a unique path localization in China, from the first quarter of 2005 started to become Asias largest personal auction site (http://tech.sina.com.cn). The end of 2009, Alibaba Group Chairman of the Board Jack Ma appeared Xinhua News Agency, and young editors and reporters to conduct a open communication. This allows us to feel close to this young entrepreneur has been hailed as pioneering Godfather charm. His passion, wisdom, humor, as well as signature-style insolent and the Xinhua News Agency, the exciting young editors and reporters asked for the exchange of one climax after another, the applause continued, laughing (Ma 2010). How could do such successful E-business as Jack Ma who do not understand programming, do not understand finance, people do not understand the design, and how to come to an Internet company today, Jakc Ma joked and said that the company someone asked him things, he was 95 percent did not know, he absolutely did not know, but he knows who knows who should know. He said, CEOs ability that they will use someone elses head (Ma 2010). There are two approches to analysishow Jack Mapersonality characteristics make him become a great entrepreneur in the high competitive inforamtion age, including OCEAN and PEST. OCEAN (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) According to Baron and Harringtons the OCEAN diagram shows that the successful entrepreneur have the positive aspects involves Openness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism. However, the negative aspectswhich are disadvantages to the entrepreneur includes conscientiousness and agreeableness (Baron 1981). Firstly, Jack Ma is an openness and Extraversion,because he is open to new experiences, intellectually curious, and asethetically sensitive to did his business— Alibaba, for example, since he first time seen Internet in American, after he back home he already made decision to do business related with Internet, even though during that time he did not have any knowledge about Internet. Secondly, through Jack Mas presentations, magazines, and blogs. It can be clearly that Jack Ma who is a Creative management, which means that â€Å"being more creative yourself or managing others so that they can be more creative or ensuring that the system that is being managed operates more creatively (Henry 2001)†.For example, in 1999 when he leading his team started the E-business, he did not know the professional knowledge about Internet and computer, he just got idea, but he believe that Internet will become the main business method during in the 21st century. Although Jack Ma believe that himself is an idealistic,self-confident and ambition person, he is an openness, extraversion, and neuroticism.Jack Matends to take risks, challenges assumptions, and abrasive person. Namely, when he determined do Alibaba.com, his team group have 24 people, only one agreed with his idea, the other 23 people disagreed his purpose.Howeverthese problems did not stopped his planning, he still persisted him way to did Alibaba.com and gained great successful(http://tech.sina.com.cn). Thirdly, Jack Ma is a convergent thinking which is the process of converting all of the general ideas—the goals and non-specific solutions—into the specific solutions that form an application.For example, in Alibaba.com people have word right, they can argue with the manager, they can creative new way to do business, and the com he has the idea how to do the business, while he did not understood how to do the specific and specilist job. Lastly, JackMa, he described himself that he is an idealist, his romantic idealism of this complex has also brought into Alibaba, Jack Ma said that Alibaba and other companies in addition to its assessment of the difference is outside the employees performance, but also the staff appraisal mission and values. In the future, but also add an index: Social welfare (http://yunma.blog.china ). As well as Jack Mas motto is that â€Å"Today is very cruel, more brutal tomorrow, the day after tomorrow is very beautiful, but most of the people who died in tomorrow night, only those who can see the real heroes of the day after tomorrow the sun (Ma 2010)†. This is reflected that although his mind is idealization, his action is more powerful, realistic and as firm as a rock. He has strong persist in his Internet dream on the road. Alibabas values which is not only the companys value, but also is Jack Mas and his team groups value. Such as the company take policies First: focus on the customers concern, to provide customers with advice and information to help customers grow. Teamwork: Shared-sharing in order to complete the big or small, Embrace Change: Breaking through the self, to meet the changing.Integrity: honesty, integrity, keep its promises.Passion: Never give up, optimism up. Dedicated: a professional attitude and the usual state of mind to do extraordinary things (http://page.china.alibaba.com). PEST (Political, Economic and Environment, Social, Technology) factors According to Belbins acknowledges that â€Å"the preferred role is linked to reasoning ability, personality charateristics, personal values, learned behaviours, and the priorities and processes of the managers job (Belbin 1993)†.For example the Alibaba.com catched the best opportunities to set up E-business on Internet. The Value perspect= permission, ideas and realistic connected together Social responsibility Charity, environment Political Customer, employees, stakeholders Secondly, The entrepreneurs organization Team group, trust, loyalty, goal, adhere to for example in 1999, 18 people organiza Alibaba. No money, no Lastly, The external environment: economic problem, social problem, Creaitve new way to management the future, open, share, responsble, globlization. Conclusion Alibaba the next one tenth anniversary of the three objectives: First, they want to the worlds 10 million small businesses to provide equal platform; second, to create a million jobs; Taobao online last year, the direct creation of employment opportunities At 1.7 million, 180 million per year, an increase of 2.5 million logistics industry, many employees because Taobao; third, one billion people worldwide consumer platforms. The world is needed is a more open, more sharing, more the responsibility of the social needs of a community-oriented enterprises, and from the community and serve the society for the future of social responsibility of business is full of responsibility, the world needs is a kind of spiritual , a culture, a belief, a dream.

What is ATM? Essay -- ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode Research Essays

What is ATM? Before the discussion of wireless ATM can begin, the concept of ATM in general needs to be discussed. ATM, or by its more formal name Asynchronous Transfer Mode, is a basic packet-based networking system designed for the simultaneous transmissions of voice, video, and data. In the mid 1980s, the major telecommunication companies decided that they needed a new network to handle the surge of video and data, along with voice, traffic being sent over their existing networks. From this, the concept of ATM was born. From an increasing need to handle data traffic, which is inherently packet-based, as well as voice traffic, ATM was designed to work as a packet-switched network. In a packet-switched network, all traffic is broken into small pieces, which are easier to transmit than one large chunk of data. The problem with using this type of network design for ATM is that the old telephone network is circuit-switched, or in other words creates a physical direct connection between the so urce and destination during the transmission. ATM, therefore, is designed so that it can handle circuit-switched traffic on its packet-switched backbone. To accomplish this, ATM creates virtual circuit connections over the packet-based network between the source and the destination. These virtual circuit connections provision a set number of network resources dedicated to the connection between a specific source and destination, making it appear to the old telephone network that a circuit connection is established. This allows an ATM network to guarantee the same or greater quality of service for voice traffic as the old telephone network does, while at the same time providing a much greater level of service for data and video tra... ... shifted to wireless IP-based systems. This shift is mostly due to IP’s built-in ability to handle transmission errors in the realm of wireless communications. Works Cited 1) Ayanoglu, E., K.Y. Eng, M.J. Karol, â€Å"Wireless ATM: Limits, Challenges, and Proposals†, http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/cache/papers2/cs/1647/http:zSzzSzwww.exit109.comzSz~enderzSzwatm.pdf/wireless-atm-limits-challenges.pdf, 1996. 2) Black, U. â€Å"ATM: Foundation for Broadband Networks†, Prentice Hall, 1995. 3) Peterson, L. and B. Davie. Computer Networks: A Systems Approach. 2nd edition, Morgan Kaufman, 2000. 4) Wasi, Atif S., â€Å"Wireless ATM†, ftp.netlab.ohio-stat,edu/pub/es/cis788-95/wireless_atm/index.htm, 1995. 5) â€Å"Wand Overview†, www.tik.ee.ethz.ch/~wand/SUMMARY/WAND_97.htm, 1996, 1997, 1998.

Library Essay -- Library Science

Recently, school library journals have been fraught with tales of gloom and despair – the libraries are closing. But dig a little deeper, scratch more than the surface, and perhaps we will find that not all school libraries are closing. In fact, the trend suggests that only libraries that are not meeting the updated needs of their students find themselves on the chopping block. Why? The traditional services offered by the traditional school library can no longer be supported under the weight of enormous financial constraints. Although traditional school libraries continue to service students’ basic needs, if libraries are not willing to diversify their services, budget cuts will force school libraries to close because they do not meet the needs of today’s student. Simply put, no one can afford to spend more and get less. According to a recent American Library Association report (2010), even as school enrollments are increasing, funding for information resources are decreasing, with fewer libraries serving more students. So how do some school libraries continue to flourish and gain importance? By creating progressive hubs for student engagement, ingenuity, diversity, and teamwork and transitioning into media centers, learning commons, information resource centers. But what is really in a name? What is at the heart of the school library? Books? Periodicals? Videos? Yes, yes, and yes. All these resources are housed in the school library, but the library is so much more than that. Alfaro (2009) defines the school library as â€Å"†¦a wealth of information in print and non-print formats categorized to support the knowledge the children will learn in their classrooms, at home, and through first-hand experiences† (p. 30). So how will the libr... ...effective results. They must utilize available technology, but provide depth and breadth, not just surface-level services. Abrams (2003) asserts that librarians can â€Å"†¦make a difference over the next five years by understanding what’s coming, learning how it works, seeking key benefits for our students, and becoming the resource in our schools that lifts our learners up to their full potential† (p. 6). It’s actually been almost 10 years since that article was written, and still, a new and challenging development is looming over the library: diversification. This diversity of the library’s workforce, collections, and services offered is beginning to travel outside its current comfortable boundaries and seek to balance actions and obstacles in order to change the way the library does business. The library should â€Å"look like† the multicultural world it’s representing.

Atlas Shrugged - Iser and Bakhtin on the Closed Text Essay -- Atlas Sh

Atlas Shrugged - Iser and Bakhtin on the Closed Text The process of reading places the author, text, and reader into a dynamic relationship in which, through a fusion of the author's literary vision and the reader's creativity, the text is transformed into an informative and enjoyable experience. This process is especially apparent in the novel form. As the theorist Wolfgang Iser states, a novel must be "conceived in such a way that it will engage the readers imagination in the task of working things out for himself, for reading is only a pleasure when it is active and creative" (Iser 51). Similarly, another theorist and philosopher, Mikhail Bakhtin, argues that within a novel an author creates numerous different voices and languages, each of which contributes to the dynamic reading process; every word and sentence has a context both inside and outside of the novel. Though there are many other theories regarding reader-response, these two form a cohesive definition of the process: Iser's theory broadly explains the interaction-or inter section-of the three components in the process, while Bakhtin's theory explains the specific subjectivity of the novel language. Both of these theories, however, rely on the basic assumption that all texts are intended to be interpretable; that is, in the words of Umberto Eco, that all texts are 'open'. Eco describes an 'open' text as one that attempts to force the reader "into an interplay of stimulus and response which depends on his unique capacity for sensitive reception of the piece" (Eco 49). In essence, an open text invites the reader to fuse his own unique experiences with that of the text to form an interpretation that is his own. Conversely, Eco also describes an antithesis to the... ...tes reader anticipation. Thus, one must conclude that while Eco's theory is fascinating and may very well have a solid basis outside of the novel form, it is impossible for a novel to be closed; though the author's intentions bay be set in stone, the reader's intentions certainly never will be. A novel, by virtue of being a novel, will always be more open than closed. Works Cited Bakhtin, Mikhail. The Diologic Imagination. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1981. Eco, Umberto. The Role of the Reader: Explorations in the Semiotics of Texts. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979. Iser, Wolfgang. "The Reading Process: A Phenomenological Approach." Published in Tompkins, Jane P. ed., Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism. Maryland: John Hopkins UP, 1980. Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc., 1957. Â  

Complicating Conditions of Pregnancy and Childbirth

Maternal stays with complications were about fifty percent more costly $4,100 for non-delivery stays and $3,900 for delivery stays) than delivery stays without complications ($2,600). delivery-related complications accounted for $17. 4 billion, or nearly 5 percent of total hospital costs in the United States. Among non-delivery maternal stays, the following conditions occurred at a rate of 100 or more for every 1,000 hospital stays: early or threatened labor, infections of the genitourinary tract, and hypertension, including eclampsia and pre-eclampsia.Among maternal stays with delivery, rate of 50 99 for every 1 ,OOO eliveries: umbilical cord complications, 1st and 2nd degree perineal lacerations, previous Csection, and abnormal fetal heart rate or rhythm. Patients 35 to 44 years accounted for 15 percent of maternal stays with complicating conditions (with or without delivery), but comprised only 1 percent of delivery stays without complicating conditions. Anne Elixhauser, Ph.D. and Lauren M. Wier, M. P. H. Introduction Complications during pregnancy can pose a serious risk to both maternal and infant health, and are associated with various adverse outcomes, including miscarriage, emorrhage, preterm labor, and low birth weight. An objective of the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services' Healthy People 2020 is to reduce maternal illness and complications related for labor and delivery.This Statistical Brief presents data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (N'S) on pregnancy and childbirth hospitalizations with complicating conditions in 2008. All data are reported from the maternal perspective (i. e. , reflecting the experience of the mother, not the newborn). For the purpose of his Brief, †complicating conditions] include all ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes that are in the section entitled †Complications of 3 Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium. This Brief presents information on hospital utiliza tion and patient characteristics for the following types of hospital stays for: complicated pregnancy during which no delivery occurred (†non-delivery with complicating conditions]), delivery with complicated pregnancy or delivery (†delivery with complicating conditions]), and delivery without any mention of complicated regnancy or delivery (†delivery without complicating conditions]). In addition, this report provides information on specific types of complicating conditions of pregnancy and delivery.

Personal Learning

FAFM :Personal Learning Paper FAFM :Personal Learning Paper: SESSIONS : 28 DATE : 15. 11. 12- 01. 02. 13 Learning’s From FAFM: * 1st Class starts with ice breaking and course plan for upcoming session * Infosys annual report – How to read the annual report * Compare with previous year annual report – percentage change year by year. * Auditor report – is the annual report is as per AS and rules followed as per standards * Corporate governance – meetings attended by directors and maintenance of records * Notes on accounts – brief about the content in the balance sheet * Market share – value of a company in the market CXO Duties – which includes CEO, CFO, CMO * How to compare with other companies and to relate with market * And also saw the annual report of RIL , ITC , TATA Motors * Introduction to Financial analysis * How to do financial analysis * Tools and Techniques * Case Discussion * Gemini Electronics * Cash Flow Statement à ¢â‚¬â€œ will show the liquidity of the flow of cash in a company * Operating Activities – what are all the expenses will come under this, for selling , distributing etc. , * Investing Activities – what are all the expenses will come under this, investment in other companies or shares etc. * Financing Activities – what are all the expenses will come under this, dividends etc * Cash inflow and out flow * How an Income statement and Balance sheet differs from Cash Flow Statement * Lehman Brother Company * Movie about the company * About Lehman Brother company * Bankruptcy Identification * Ratios – solvency ratio, liquidity ratio, efficiency ratio, profitability ratio * Horizontal & vertical Analysis of Balance sheet and Income statement – how to compare and contrast the given numbers * Z – score calculation and analysis Cariboo Industrial ltd * Corporate Fraud * Z- score – to predict the value of the company in future as it will sustain in the market financially or not. * Liquidation and valuation * Financial Statement audit * Thaifoon Restaurant * Projected Income statement – assumption of future income or revenue * Projected Balance sheet – it consist of all except the net profit as it is full of assumptions * Seating arrangements – slightly operations related * Decision making – critical thinking of mind to go with or to drop it * Sales projection Financial Mathematics * EMI Calculation – monthly interest and principle payment. Principle rate will increase & interest will get decreased. * EPS calculation * Intrinsic Value – Future value of market price of a company * Bond Valuation * Simple Interest & Compound Interest Calculation * Financial Markets * Indian Financial System – full chart with sector wise divided. * Stock Markets * Case: Motilal Oswal IPO Case * Learn about IPO- what will be the companies value to enter into ipo.How the decision is taken * private equity shares, IPO basics & need, fixed price offer & basics of book building process * Book building process: Cut off price, method of Dutch auction, RII, NII, QII, over subscription, case – Midfield Industries Ltd, ASBA, prospectus, offer and private placement * Primary Market – New issue of shares in the market * Secondary Market – Buying & selling of shares * Under & over subscription – where the subscription of share is high or low * Stock Markets – functions of SEBI , RBI , BSE , NSE.Also learn about various stock markets in other countries * Sensex , Nifty , Otci – orgin , sustain , end of otci * Demat account * Difference between equity share and preference share * 24hrs market – ends in one country and the market starts in other country * Commercial papers * Treasury bills – pledged for money * Money Market: Harshad Mehta scam, various scams in Indian financial history, organized & unorganized money markets and treasu ry bills & its types * Case: Harshad Mehta Scam * Learn about there will not be any scam in share market. What are the tactics played to hike the price * How a person can be countered by his competitors * How big shots help them to play in market and earn money * Money Market: Commercial papers, call money market, certificate of deposits, derivatives – financial & commodities, players, forward & future contract, premium, strike price, strike data and call & put option * Forex Market: Indian forex market, features, settlement of transaction, quotations, types of transactions, factors determining exchange rate * Finally the course has been completed with how to present in the examAdditional Learning’s * Daily Business Quiz * News paper reading – make me to know some new departments process and valuation * Mini Projects for marketing * Know about DBF * IRDA * BAT

Change Management †the One Right Way Essay

However the offer is often illusory, for particular change approaches usually apply to particular situations, and simple solutions sometimes ignore the complexities of real life. (Stace and Dunphy, 2001, p 5) To utilise a single change approach is to assume that all organisations, all situations and all internal and external variables and influences remain constant. It applies the same logic to all changes without consideration of the many and varied influencing factors. I generally agree with the statement presented by Stace and Dunphy but am interested in the reasons underlying the requirement for simple, easy and fast change interventions. Are managers and change agents lazy and only looking for simple solutions? Does management consider change unimportant? Do management really believe that a single solution is going to work in every case? What is behind this trend? Bold (2011) suggests that change itself is becoming the only constant or ‘business as usual’ in the modern business environment. With technological advancements over the past 10 years, organisation now have the ability to access, collect and process enormous amounts of business data very quickly. This has provided management with the ability to understand the current health of their organisational processes and track against set goals and targets quickly and accurately. Previously, managers may have waited for end of month or end of quarter reporting from all business units to be collated and presented to gain an accurate understanding of the current business position and gauge the results from previous decisions made. Now, when a manager wants to make a change, they want it implemented as soon as possible so they can assess the impact of the change. Due to the high amount of change occurring in modern organisations and management’s requirement for immediate solutions, I believe that pressure is placed onto the change agents to provide solutions, often without the resources or time to perform adequate analysis to plan and implement the best change approach. As Bold (2011) suggested, change is becoming ‘business as usual’ and management may expect change managers to be able to develop a change process (i. e. the one right way), in the way that other parts of the organisation develops other repeatable ‘business as usual’ processes. Corporate competencies for change management constitute the critical capacity that is needed to create a learning organisation which is flexible, dynamic and adaptable in a rapidly changing and volatile environment. (Turner and Crawford 1998) As recent as the 1990’s, research was being undertaken by Romanelli & Tushman (1994) that proposed an alternate viewpoint. Their punctuated equilibrium paradigm argues that relatively long periods of stability (equilibrium) are punctuated by short periods of more radical, revolutionary change. I believe that most organisational change researchers would now agree that this is no longer the case and further progression into the information age has meant that very few industries operate within a long term, stable business operating environment. Although many different change models and approaches have been developed by academics, consultants and practitioners, none has yet to be accepted as a standard that can be used for all change interventions. Bold (2011) argues that there is no right or wrong theory for change management. It is not an exact science. However, through the ongoing research and studies by the industry’s leading experts, a clearer picture of what it takes to lead a change effort effectively will continue to emerge. Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) agree that in the case of organisational change, there remains considerable debate over the speed, direction and effects of change and on the most appropriate methods and concepts for understanding and explaining change. Kanter, Stein & Jick (1992) found that it would be very difficult for a single solution or approach to meet all the types of changes required and to take into account all of the required aspects as organisations are fluid entities. In an attempt to provide a more broad solution, Stace & Dunphy (2001) proposed a situational approach or framework for change. They argued that there is no single path to successful change implementation that holds true in all situations. This framework however has been criticised by Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) for neglecting the role of organisational politics and the internal power relationships within organisations as shapers of the organisational change process. Pettigrew (1985) presented a holistic, contextual analysis approach providing a multi-level approach to encapsulate the complexities of change management. Pettigrew argued that strategic change is a continuous process with no clear beginning or end point. However, Buchanan and Boddy (1992) argued that the richness and complexity of the multi-level analysis presented by Pettigrew, while comprehensive, it did little to simplify or clarify the processes of change and thereby rendered the research as largely impenetrable for the organisational practitioner. Change within an organisation is ongoing and involves many variables which are covered by different change models, processes and frameworks. Variables include the type of industry, the geographical location, the organisations size, the style of management leadership, the capability of the people involved, the organisational culture, the local and global economic environment, timing in regard to other events, the organisational structure and many more. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but demonstrates the length and breadth of variables to be taken into account when assessing and managing change. Senior (2002) argues that the trigger for internal change is often in response to external influences which then links the internal and external drivers for change. Often, the change strategy or mechanism used by an organisation is chosen by the change manager and may not necessarily meet the needs of the organisation. This can lead to the change manager selecting an approach that may have worked before, that they feel comfortable with, or that suits their personality. This may not be however, what the organisation really requires. For example, a change manager may have had previous success utilising a consultative and collaborative approach which would take time to fully consult with all impacted parties while the organisation may actually require a fast, dictatorial type approach due to it losing market share which is putting the very existence of the organisation at risk. Kanter (1983) notes that managers sometimes make strategic choices based on their own area of competence and career payoff. A model of change strategies that seeks to develop our understanding of change processes is unfortunately restricted if it excludes considerations of anything other than management as some sort of ‘black box’ wherein environmental fit is sought. Stace and Dunphy argue that change managers need to develop a varied behaviour repertoire rather than remain fixed on a particular approach to change. They argue the compelling need for in our modern economies to create and build more dynamic and innovative corporations which can compete successfully in global terms. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – â€⠀œ – – – – – – – – – – – – – Remember that change involves people, is instigated by people and controlled by people. There are many internal and external influences and forces that affect change but the interests of the change agents themselves and their political interests must also be considered. You cannot expect a change manager to ignore their own self-interest when making rational decisions. (Dunford 1990) Stace and Dunphy argue that the critical requirement for longer term viability and success in the corporation of the future is the ongoing development of what is increasingly being referred to as organisational capabilities or corporate competencies. These are capabilities for the flexible initiation of new strategies and environmental responsiveness that reside in the corporation itself rather than only in the capabilities and skills of the individual members. This will allow organisations to respond quicker to changes and effectively make change management part of the organisational culture. Change would then be regarded as ‘business as usual’. Many of the change approach methods, tools and techniques proposed by researchers and practitioners have overlapping ideas and cover a lot of the same ground. Rather than working independently towards defining improvements to existing ideas or new ideas, it may be more beneficial to take a collaborative approach and create an international standard for change or a recognised body of shared knowledge that could be used as a guide for organisational change.

Liberal and Conservative View About the Role of Government

As long as there have been politics in the United States, there has been a productive tension between liberal views and conservative views. These differences are most clearly demonstrated by the disparate views on subjects such as education, taxes and public health care. Liberals and conservatives have different views about the role of government. While liberals; currently represented by the Democratic Party; and conservatives; currently represented by the Republican Party; both believe that education, tax policy, and public health are important issues for the United States; they have different beliefs about the best approach for these policies. Liberals tend towards policies that empower the central government through large all encompassing programs. On the other hand, conservatives prefer locally run programs that are not the same in all communities but may produce results more consistent with community preferences. Currently, no topic provides a better example of the difference between conservatives and liberals than education policy. The liberal belief is that education policy is best when dictated from Washington D. C. with federal education subsidies contingent upon state and local government compliance with federal mandates. Conservatives believe that federal money should not be based on specific agendas developed in Washington D. C. but instead should be granted to state and local governments in the form of grants. These grants do not have strings attached and can be used for state and local education priorities. Conservatives and Liberals also disagree about where education dollars should be spent. The liberal view is that children should go to public schools regardless of quality, they believe that public education efforts and money should be directed towards public schools. Conversely, conservatives believe that children in non-performing schools should have the option to go to private school at public expense. Their view is that competition between public and private schools will improve both. Nobody likes tax time. Liberals and Conservatives both agree that taxes are unavoidable. Their beliefs about the use of taxes and tax policy are very different, though. Liberals seem to believe that taxes are a federal entitlement. They believe that tax money should be spent by the government on large government programs that provide services to people instead of by the taxpayer themselves. Furthermore, liberals believe that tax policy should be used to provide wealth distribution from the rich to the poor. This is most clearly demonstrated by the Earned Income Credit (EIC); the EIC is a tax provision that allows people to receive more in tax refunds than were paid in actual taxes. Conservatives on the other hand truly view taxes as a tool to provide for the common good; they differ from liberals in their approach. They believe that free market forces can more efficiently run large programs than the government can. They believe that large government programs are not inherently productive and taxpayers should be given wide latitude about the use of their money for services that directly affect them. Healthcare is another area where conservatives and liberals find very little common ground. Both sides agree that everyone needs health care, but they disagree what the government†s responsibility should be. Liberals believe that it is the government†s responsibility to provide cradle to grave health care. They believe this should be provided by government regulated quasi-HMO organizations funded by tax dollars. Conservatives think that the government has limited health care responsibility. They believe that the government should provide tax incentives to people so they can buy their health insurance; additionally, they believe that the government should provide limited health care to the poor and the aged. Two statements can best sum up the differences between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives believe in limited government and that government†s responsibility is to create an economy and environment where people can earn decent wages thereby making them self-sufficient. Liberals believe government†s responsibility is to provide for the people and conversely, the people should provide for the government. The truly interesting thing is that the extreme conservatism or fascism and extreme liberalism or communism, have both fallen into disfavor in the last few decades. I believe that this country was founded on conservative principles. Conservatives and liberals have very different views about the way this country should be run and the role of government, which everyone should listen to carefully.

See word Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See word - Assignment Example It is also important to note that the ideas came naturally to him and like other extroverts he tends to think while speaking. This quality made Steve Jobs as one of the important persons in information technology field to communicate ideas easily with others. A key aspect of Steve Jobs personality was the combination of rationality with that of the designs and aesthetics. He was probably the key source behind the fact that Apple was able to manufacture and develop products which were combination of the rationality as well as the imagination and rationale. His idea of work was relatively consistent with that rationality as he was not considered as a narrow minded and have a clear vision of the future. It was also natural for him to actually conceive long term plans and act on them easily. Rationalists are considered as visionary as well as practical in nature and both these qualities were present in Steve Jobs. He was able to visualize the future and made products and services which changed the future of computing and entertainment. However, he was also practical in the sense that he was able to successfully market those ideas and convert them into successful products. He was not considered as a judgmental in nature as over the period of time, he was able to develop the ability to present both views about any argument. He was able to clearly advocate different and opposite ideas therefore may not be considered as judgmental in nature. According to Myers-Briggs, perceivers actually show the world their preferred perceiving function i.e. their intuition side therefore they tend to be more visionary in nature and have entrepreneurial abilities. The above discussion suggests that Steve Jobs was one of the ENTJ and have all the qualities which can be found in a person who is open, easy to communicate rich and have a vision for

Climate, geography, income per capita and growth Literature review

Climate, geography, income per capita and growth - Literature review Example Geography and environment has a closer impact on socio-economic development of a region. Historical data has revealed that geography has some effect on shaping the economic history. However, the amount of variance is an important consideration. Tropics are varied by braod climatic zones and economies as well (Torres & Mendez, 2000; 2002, Inter-American Development Bank, 2000). As a result, the research would identify the key geographical and climatic factors from the national database and analyze its relationship with income per person longitudinal data for a time period of 1950 to 2014. This paper will analyze this variance to test and interpret the condition of multicollinearity using a regression analysis, as some geographical factors might be highly correlated impacting the ultimate results. Analyzing the relationship between the major geographical features, such as altitude, climate, topography on the economic growth and prosperity with individual municipal incomes and their inequalities. Previous research has established a close relationship between economic development and geographical characteristics, such as topography, altitude, precipitation, temperature and rainfall etc., of a region. In this pretext, the tropical economies have lower income levels and growth rates than rest of the world. Temperate regions are more prosperous in this respect. The impact of geography on economic performance was considered exogenous for a very long time by economists (Rodrik & Trebbi, 2004). In fact there are direct channels influencing the effect of geography on productivity (Fujita, Krugman & Venables, 1999; Gallup, Sachs & Mellinger, 1999), in terms of productivity of primary activities, such as agriculture, farming, mining, fishing and forestry (Safford & Palacios, 2002). The classical Malthusian theory has stressed on how extremes of climate and temperature might diminish the productivity of labor as a consequence of spillovers and positive

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors Assignment

The Impact of Key External Environmental Factors - Assignment Example This paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of the interaction of the Morrison’s Supermarkets with its environment and its implication on the performance of the firm. In addition, the stakeholders of the firm are analyzed in terms of the potential conflict of interest. Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc Morrison’s Supermarket is a grocery retailer in the United Kingdom and is one of the largest retail business which has a large share of the food market. The supermarkets supply food ingredients to its customer base and it aims at providing fresh supplies as its selling point. This has greatly has contributed to its immense success. The supermarket has skilled and experienced food specialists who have enabled fresh food ingredients are provided to the customers. The interaction of the firm with its environment gives it a competitive edge over its competitors. Supply chain The Morison’s has its own supply chain which has enabled it to have a competitive advantage over businesses which supply the same products. In addition, Morrison’s has its own production plants for its food products which means they manufacture, pack and grade their own products before they are supplied to the customers. ... The Political and Social Environment Needle The consciousness of the society on healthy living has increased tremendously and this has impacted on the strategies used by retailers in promotion and marketing of their products. There is an increased prevalence of obesity in the United Kingdom which has led to the involvement of the government in attempting to reduce the obese cases in the country. According to Wm. Morrison’s Supermarkets Plc (2009), 23% of adults within the United Kingdom are classified as being obese. Pressure groups in the UK have attacked the retail market arguing that misleading labeling on foodstuffs by supermarkets are to blame for the unhealthy lifestyles in the country. Many families have therefore found it hard to balance their diet through proper food lifestyles. The regulation of the government on the food products of the Morrison’s include the determination of the sugar, salt and fat content of the food which is produced and sold to the public . This is due to the increased campaigns on the benefits of a balanced diet that have caused the public to be conscious of the number of nutrients in the foods sold in supermarkets. Because supermarkets act as the major source of food supply to the public, they are blamed for the poor health among the majority of the UK citizens. Some segments of the UK food market are unable to access and supply healthy food to the public. As a result, the Morrisson’s have utilized this opportunity by providing the healthy and fresh ingredients at a reasonable cost to its customer which has made the firm to be among the top suppliers of food ingredients in the United Kingdom.  

Physician Assisted Suicide Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Physician Assisted Suicide - Term Paper Example Utilitarianism, which is one of most well-known ethical theories under the umbrella of consequentialism or teleological ethics, is a school of thought, which believes that right and ethical actions are those, which could create maximum good for the maximum number of people. In other words, it focuses on the minimizing the pain and maximizing the pleasure (Devettere, pp. 106-107, 2009). If the issue of physician-assisted suicide is put forward in front of a utilitarianist then he would engage in a hedonic calculus for calculating the pleasure and pain inflicted by the situation of the patient. If the total pleasure is greater than the total pain than the utilitarianist would argue that, the person should live and vice versa. Furthermore, despite the fact that how much pain the person is suffering with, if the life of the person is causing pleasure and benefit for a greater number of people then the utilitarianist would argue that it is better for the person to live for as long as poss ible despite his condition (Donnellan, pp. 61, 2005). More importantly, even if the person pleads death, an utilitarianist in that particular condition would refrain from letting it happen because according to Millian principles of utilitarianism, if ever there is a clash between the two basic principles or values of this ethical theory which are â€Å"Utility† and â€Å"Liberty†, then utility must prevail over liberty (Keown, pp. 201, 2002). Relativism refers to the school of thought who believes that absolute truth, knowledge of reality is inaccessible to the humans because of that every bit and a piece of information or truth that comes to us is highly subjective.  Ã‚  

PTLLS- Preparing to teach in the lifelong sector Essay

PTLLS- Preparing to teach in the lifelong sector - Essay Example Educational bodies and institutions have greatly increased these standards to ensure the growth of education standards in different markets. Apart from the growth in provision of education, the growth in this particular field has been visible in the training activities for teachers. Tutor training programs have been made more effective and simpler but with greater efficiency. In the words of Gearon (2002) training tutors has been made more of a social relation feature than a professional educational duty. As an English teacher there is specific training and teaching cycles that I need to adhere to. The paper will highlight the roles, responsibilities and boundaries of a teacher in an institution setting. The paper will also focus on the changes on these fields and their effect on the fields and their impact either negative or positive (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). Additionally, the paper will provide an insight to the roles of the LSIS, BIS and IFL in terms of professional development in education. The general of a teacher is provision of education to scholars depending on the guidelines provided. This role is specified by the specific subject is interested in Giddens & Griffiths (2006). As an English teacher my roles would be to equip my students with the appropriate skills of communicating in this particular language. This particular role is divided in sections depending on the level of teaching. This differs as per the stipulations provided in the curriculum. In different classes and grades the complexity of the curriculum elevates. These guidelines provide teachers with the required and appropriate mode of teaching languages. According to Giddens & Griffiths (2006), in teaching of languages tutors are trained to provide education depending on the maturity of their audience. With a lower grade, my main role would be to equip the students with the basic skills of writing and communicating in English.

Animal Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Rights - Research Paper Example In many ways, elements of this group wish that animal rights would be even further reduced due to the fact that animal rights are antithetical to their personal and/or political vantage point. Similarly, on the opposing side, there are those individuals that are deeply troubled by the way our current society disregards the worth and dignity of other life forms. In fairness, among this group as well exists zealots that would advocate for an extreme solution to such an issue such as all individuals becoming vegetarians to affect a positive change on animal rights worldwide. As such, as rationally and scientifically as possible, this analysis will work to lay out a moderate framework from which the author will attempt to explain and understand the relevant arguments that exist on both sides of this debate. The following provides a brief summary of some of the arguments that each side of this debate put forward: The individuals who campaign for a greater degree of protection and animal rights argue the following: - Due to the fact that eating meat necessarily entails the slaughter of an animal, it also entails grief, anxiety, and a high degree of suffering on the part of the animal - Raising animals for slaughter is an inherently callous practice due to the fact that those individuals that are involved in the process begin to become hardened to the hardships and suffering that these animals undergo during this process. - Evidence from a number of physicians and studies have concluded that a meat-eating is not necessarily beneficial to the health of those who eat it. It is verifiable that if the entire planet became vegetarian, the amount of food that would be saved from feeding cattle stock and chickens plus swine and all the other meat that a great deal of our food supply goes towards would be more than sufficient to feed all of those that go without food. The other side of the debate urges multiple levels of justification and rationalization for the killing of animals for many reason: Animals are by nature stupid and incapable of understanding what their role in life is therefore it is not necessary to respect their rights to the same extent that we respect human rights. It is moral and acceptable to use the animal for the needs of the human being if such a use helps the human being(s) to continue to live and thrive

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart Dissertation

Market entry strategy of retailer in China - The case of Walmart - Dissertation Example This area of research was of immense interest because global chain had achieved success and failures in different markets. To evaluate the entry mode choice Wal-Mart was selected for this study, being the largest global retailer. China was selected as the location because of the phenomenal economic growth in recent decades and the high consumer base, both of which have been attracting foreign retailers. Thus, three objectives were set at the beginning of the study. All the three objectives have been achieved based on a study with qualitative data and qualitative analysis. The study finds that both push and pull factors motivated Wal-Mart to entre China. Its home market was saturated and Wal-Mart was driven by the sheer size of China’s consumer base. Since the outcome of any foreign venture depends upon the initial entry mode, Wal-Mart’s entry mode has been evaluated. The study finds that during the time that Wal-Mart entered China it had no alternative but to enter into joint venture but it appears that Wal-Mart did not assess several factors before entering the market. For instance, it did not conduct a proper research on the partner characteristics and the expected synergies; it did not take into account the local business environment, the consumer characteristics and the government regulations. ... While the timing of the entry was perfect (weak retail sector and high potential in China), Wal-Mart tried to impose its home market strategies which did not work in the Chinese business environment. Wal-Mart attempted standardizing operations across countries but this is not feasible in a retail environment. The entry choice of Wal-Mart into China does not conform to the theories governing entry mode choice. This suggests that no single entry mode can be generalized to be the right entry mode. Literature on the subject amply suggests that different factors influence the entry mode choice. This study confirms that different factors have to be taken into account when evaluating the entry mode, without which the expected synergies may not be achieved. The outcome of this study is expected to benefit the retailers that plan expansion into emerging economies. Based on the limitations, the study recommends other areas of research on the subject. Contents Chapter I Introduction 1 1.1 Backg round – Globalization and Retail Sector 1 1.2 China’s Retail Sector 2 1.3 International Retailers’ Presence in China 3 1.4 Wal-Mart in China 4 1.5 International Market Entry Strategy 5 1.6 Rationale for Research 5 1.7 Research Aims and Objectives 7 1.8 Structure of the Study 8 Chapter II Literature Review 10 2.1 Chapter Overview 10 2.2 Motives for Internationalization 10 2.3 Policy Framework in China 12 2.4 Internationalization Theories 13 2.4.1 International Market Selection 13 2.4.2 Market Challenges faced by International Retailers 14 2.4.3 Foreign Market Entry Modes 16 2.4.4 Theories Governing Market Entry Mode Decision 19 2.4.5 The Uppsala Stage Theory of Internationalization 21

Infrastructure system Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Infrastructure system - Article Example The importance of the development of infrastructure systems in Sweden can be understood through the principles applied on the state regarding the protection of the interests of population. In this context, in accordance with a report related with the aims/ characteristics of social strategy in Sweden 'social policy of Sweden is based on the assumption that all citizens regardless of the origin and the status of property should have equal access to education, health, cultural, etc. characteristic for Sweden is to finance health care and pensions from taxation, and additional social security' (Sweden, Social System, December 4, 2008). At a next level, the projects that have been already developed but also those which are pended and which are related with the infrastructure systems of Sweden - see also the studies/ reports presented throughout this study - prove that the improvement of infrastructure systems in Sweden is one of the priorities of the country's government. Existing infras tructure (as analyzed in the paper) can lead to the assumption that the relevant projects are carefully reviewed and closely monitored by their administrators ensuring the quality of work but also the limitation of time/ cost in accordance with the relevant contractual terms. 2. Infrastructure systems - characteristics and effects on economy Infrastructure systems can refer to a series of sectors, including roads, bridges, communications, energy, railway network and energy. All these sectors are important for the quality of life of population within a specific country. It is for this reason that all of these sectors are administered primarily by the state - firms operating in the private sector can also intervene in the development of relevant projects however their work will be based on a relevant contractual agreement with the governmental authorities. In other words, these systems cannot be administered by the private sector - if such a case occurs then a relevant agreement has to exist between the state and the firms involved. From a different point of view, it is noticed by Fox (2001) that 'infrastructure is best envisioned as services that come from a set of public works, not as physical facilities; infrastructure can expand rural economies by raising productivity levels, allowing expansion in the use of other reso urces, and attracting resources' (Fox, 2001, 103). It should be noticed that infrastructure systems are quite important for many aspects of human life - including social life, health and personal/ professional development. Indeed, the presence and activation of people within a society requires the existence of specific facilities that will guarantee the

Persuasive Speech Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Speech Essay Do you have a dog? Does anyone have a pit bull? Well I happy to say that I am a proud owner of 2 blue pits. Their names are Diamond and Jack, and I never been more in love with dog. They are just like my babies. At the end of the summer Diamond had her first litter. I was in awe’s because I was like I’m a grandmother now. They are more than a dog, they are family. II. Pit bulls are just like any other dog. It depends on how a pit bull or any other breed of dog is nurtured to determine the characteristics of the dog. Don’t get me wrong I have always been terrified of pit bulls because of all the negative press about pit bulls. I would always hear about a pit bull attacking someone or something. I would watch a show called â€Å"Good dogs gone bad.† I never heard anything positive. If wasn’t for my dad getting Jack 2 years ago I would still have a negative perspective. IV. My rival makes numerous definite opinions about pit bulls. Today I will address the myths about pit bulls and how loving and caring they are. Many rivals will often argue that pit bulls have the highest attacks on people than any other breed of dog. a. This is the biggest reason why there are so many people scared of pit bulls. You rarely read or hear about any other dog attacking someone. When you hear about a pit bull attacking someone the media feed off more about this because pit bulls are considered to be an aggressive dog. b. â€Å"Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,† according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, â€Å"The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her familys Pomeranian dog.† a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. â€Å"American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,† according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever â€Å"family dog† by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they should. My rivalry will argue that pit bulls can’t be loving and caring towards people. a. There are no facts about a pit bull being dangerous or even vicious because of their bloodline. You can’t portray a negative image about a pit bull base upon one incident. b. In the article Pitbulls: Vicious or Victims states, â€Å"Our dogs obviously have a bad name,† she says. But â€Å"they’re just like any other dog; it’s just them being in the wrong hands. †¦ What we think is crucial to changing the image is educating owners on how to be responsible pit bull owners.† Do you think pit bull can save someone life? †Pit bulls get a bad rap sometimes,† Sorrells said. â€Å"But it’s all in how you train them and raise them. He’s a very loving dog,† in the article Pet Pit Bull Drags Women to Safety. I identify my rival’s claim, but I disagree with the idea that pit bulls can’t be caring or loving toward people. c. You can see again how my rival made another error of portraying pit bulls base up on only one side of the factor. Conclusion I. I have addressed the myth about pit bulls and how loving and affectionate they are. II. To determine the characteristics of the dog it depends on how a pit bull or any other breed of dog is nurtured. Honestly there isn’t a difference between a pit bull and any other dog. III. The responsibility of positive or negative actions are in the training not the breed. IV. Blaming the breed is comical.

The Process Of Hematopoiesis And How Its Controlled Biology Essay

The Process Of Hematopoiesis And How Its Controlled Biology Essay In humoral mediated response of the immune system, the clonal proliferation results into antibody secreting plasma cells and memory B-cells. The primary response has a lag of about 5-7 days during which the B-cells becomes activated by the antigen and T-helper cells. During the lag period, differentiation and proliferation of B-cells takes place into plasma cells. Antibody level begins to increase and reaches its peak at about day 14 and the drop begins once the plasma cells die. In the secondary response, clonal expansion of memory B-cells takes place and the antibody levels are much higher. These memory cells respond more rapidly to the antigen. Moreover, since many memory cells are present for the primary response, the number of plasma cells generated are more in the secondary response and the antibody levels are higher [2].   3.Briefly describe the functions of the following cells of the immune system; dendritic cells; macrophages; neutrophils; T helper cells. Ans) Dendritic Cell These cells resemble the dendrites of the nerve cells and have a long membrane extensions. They can be either present on the epidermis (skin) and mucous membranes (langehans cell) ; heart , lungs, kidney, GI tract (interstital dendritic cell) ; T-cell are of secondary lymphoid and thymic medulla ( Interdigitating dendritic cell) and in blood and lymph (circulating dendritic cell). They represent high levels of class II MHC molecules. Dendritic cells are APCs. They engulf the antigen by phagocytosis/endocytosis and carry it to the various lymphoid organs where they represent the antigen to T lymphocytes [2].    Macrophages They arise from monocytes. It functions as a scavenger that ingest debris, damaged and dying cells as well as foreign organism. They either contain class II MHC molecules or the co-stimulatory B7 membrane molecules. Once the foreign organism is inside the macrophage, they are either killed by lysosomal enzymes or by O2 free radicals which is released by phagosomes[1].   Neutrophils They are active phagocytic cells and always reach the site of inflammation. The foreign body is killed by the various lytic and bactericidal substances which are present within the primary and secondary granules. They employ both O2 dependent and O2 independent pathway to generate antimicrobial substances. It is better than macrophage since they exhibit larger respiratory burst and express higher level of defensins [2].   T-helper cells-   T-cells are formed in the bone marrow but mature in the thymus. There are two types of T-cells- TH and TC .TH cells have CD4 whereas TC has CD8. The TH cells gets activated when the cell recognizes and interacts with an antigen. After it is activated, it forms into an effector cell and secretes growth factors known as cytokines. These cytokines play an important role in activating B cells, Tc cells, macrophages and elicits an immune response. Different types of immune response occurs due to different types of cytokines[2].   4) What are the two fundamental approaches to drug discovery? Ans) The two approaches to drug discovery are rational drug design and molecular diversity. Rational drug design The drugs work in the body by interacting with the receptor and they alter the activities in such a way that it brings about a betterment of the body. This method uses the information about structure of the drug receptor or create a candidate drug. The 3-D structure of the protein can be determined using methods such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The researchers in the pharmaceutical industry can use whatever information is available on the databases and find a chemical compound which can react with the receptor and can be tested in the labs. If the interacting compound cannot be found then other programmes can be used to find the compounds with similar properties to known ligands. This method is done to avoid the expenses. The first drug produced by this method is Relenza which is used to treat influenza. The other drugs developed to treat HIV infections are Ritonivir and Indinavir [3]. Molecular diversity The strategy applied in molecular diversity is the isolation of bioactive molecules molecular libraries such as nucleic acids, amino acids and small organic molecules. The main goal is to isolate molecules from libraries of chemical compounds or proteins and study the structure or shape of their target with the binding with affinity and specificity. The anti-inflammatory mAb Humira is a biolgic isolated from molecular diversity.   5. How does the flu virus infect cells? Give a brief overview of how the flu drug relenza was discovered. (Note :   Relenza is not as biologic but a small molecule drug). Ans) Influenza viral particles are surrounded by an outer envelope a lipid bilayer which they acquire from the plasma membrane of the infected host cell during the process by budding. In the envelope the two glycoproteins which are present are Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA is responsible for attaching the virus to the host cell. HA is a trimer and it binds to the sialic acid groups on host cell glycoproteins and glycolipids by conserving the amino acid sequence to form a small groove in the HA molecule. Neuraminidase cleaves N-acetylneuraminic (sialic) acid from the viral glycoproteins and the host cell membrane glycoproteins. This facilitates viral budding from the infected host cell. Once the virus is inside the host cell, the HA binds to the walls of the endosome (acidic nature) because of which the viral coating collapses. Within the envelope, matrix protein surrounds the nucleocapsid   which consist of 8 different strands of single stranded (ssRNA) and are ass ociated with protein and RNA polymerase. Once inside the cell, the RNA strand encodes one or more different influenza proteins. Many copies of the virus are made in the nucleus and then it moves to the cytoplasm to form viral proteins including HA and NA. The new viruses which are formed move out of the cell by forming buds and moving out against the plasma membrane[2].   Relenza This drug is created by using rational design. The discovery was funded by the Australian biotech company Biota. The structure of neuraminidase was known by X-ray crystallography. A competitive inhibitor which is a sialic acid analogue, is an inhibitor of neuraminidase. The general function of neuraminidase is that it cleaves sialic acid from the virus and the cell surface and prevent clumping and allows the virus to spread to other cells. Relenza induces clumping and reduces viral spreading. 6.What is meant by pharmacogenomics and how might pharmacogenomics be applied to drug development in the future? What is an example of a biologic where patient genetic profiling is used to evaluate the suitability of the patient for therapy? Ans) Pharmacogenomic is the study of the roles of genetic variation in the response to drugs. It includes information from genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and other disciplines such as biochemistry and toxicology in order to synthesize newer and safer drugs. As the sequences of all our genes and the protein they encode for are determined, this will reveal many new targets for drug actions. It also reveals polymorphism of enzymes and proteins related to drug metabolism, action and toxicity DNA probes which are capable of detecting them will be synthesized, permitting screening of individuals for potentially harmful polymorphism prior to the start of the therapy. As the structures of relevant proteins and their polymorphism are revealed, model building and other technique will permit the design of drugs that take into account both the normal protein targets and their polymorphism. In simple words, the drugs will be tailor-made for individuals based on their genetic profiles[4]. Th is is the application of pharmacogenomics in drug development. The example where genetic profiling is used to evaluate the suitability of the patient is ERBB2 is a 185 kDa tyrosine kinase receptor over expressed in approximately 25-30% of human breast cancer .   7. Give an example where over expression of a cytokine results in a disease state. What biologics, if any, have been developed to treat this disease state? Ans)   Rheumatoid arthritis is a an inflammatory disease. The major symptom is chronic inflammation of the joints including shoulders, ankles, elbows and knees. It is characterized by the inflammation of the synovium along with the the destruction of the joint cartilage and bone. The over expression of cytokines such as TNF, IL-1, IL-8, IFN ÃŽ ³ have been detected in the synovial fluid. Cytokines such as TNF activate the synovial cells which produce proteolytic enzyme such as collagenase which leads to the destruction of tendons, ligaments and cartilage. The cytokines are produced due to the activity of T cell and macrophage activation.   A number of biologics have been approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis[5]. They are cimzia, enbrel, humira, kineret, orencia, remicade, rituxan and simponi[6].    Rituxan Rituximab is sold under the trade name Rituxan. Rituxan is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20 which is found on the surface of B cells. Rituxan when given in combination with methotrexate is given to adult patients with minor to acute conditions who had an inadequate response to one or more TNF antagonist therapies. The side effect of rituxan is that patients show hypertension, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, pyrexia etc.[7] .   8. Interferons are used as biologics to treat viral infections. How does interferon induce the anti-viral state in cells? Ans) Interferons are antiviral and show their effect in a signaling pathway. There are two types of interferons, type I and type II. IFN-I is produced by cells under appropriate conditions including IFN-ÃŽ ±/ÃŽ ². IFN-II are produced by a few number of cells such as NK cells, T-helper cells and dendritic cells. IFN-II includes IFN-ÃŽ ³. IFN-I plays an important role in the innate antiviral response. IFN-ÃŽ ±/ÃŽ ²is responsible for inducing the anti-viral activity by binding to IFN receptor on the cell surface, which leads to activation of receptor-associated JAKs (Janus Kinase) such as JAK-1 and TYK-2. This activates the STATs (signal transducer and activator of transcription) due to phosphorylation which leads to the formation of ISG factor (ISGF)-3 complex which consists of STAT-1 and -2 and p48. After phosphorylation at Tyr701 and 692 of IFN receptors by IFN-1, STAT-1, and -2, there is formation of a heterodimer which translocates to the nucleus and forms an association with p48(I RF-9).   The complex (STAT-1 and -2 and IRF-9) is called as ISGF-3 and it associates with ISREs to activate ISGs. The 3 antiviral proteins involved in IFN-mediated inhibition of virus infection are : 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Rnase L pathway which degrades viral RNAs and then activates dsRNA. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PKR inhibits mRNA translation by phosphorylating translation initiation factor 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mx proteins possessing GTPase activity which restricts virus infection at many stages such as primary transcription, transcription and intracellular trafficking of viral proteins or genomes. Thus, interferons induce the anti-viral state in cells[8].