interent personals :: essays research papers

Romance is not Gone - I Promise!!! Click here for more Ads Like This One. I live in Decatur and I am divorced - after 22 years of marriage since June of last year. There was something missing and we just grew apart. A friend told me about this internet thingie and I tried it. Lets just say the jury is still out - have meet some very very strange people. My monk application is next to the computer LOL - I have come to the conclusion that the computer is an escape from reality for some - so please be very careful. This technology is great but there is nothing better that the spoken word - just two people talking and listening to each other. Guess I am a little old fashion :) I have two children - both not living at home - my daughter is 20 is currently in school at UA and is a Chemical Eng major. My son Chris, is 17 and lives with his mother and is still in high school - he will probably be there till he is 30 based on his grades. He is a typical boy - loves sports and girls and high school is where to socialize not study. I am very lucky - I have two great children and they are my life. I teach high school at a small school. This is my second career - I am retired from the military after 21 years. The Clinton drawdown was going on and it was time to leave. Didn't want to but was afraid that I would get a "pink slip" and didn't want to leave under those circumstances. So I had to decide what to do now that I was all grown up and had to find a real job. Teaching fit the bill. I teach both Special Ed and ROTC. I love my school kids to death - they keep me young -- to have got to stay one step ahead of them - but it is a pleasure to go to work each day. I am presently working on a certificate in administration and my EDS.degree. After that I am considering transferring to UA and finish my PhD there - would like a asst. principal or principal position. I enjoy anything outdoors - I am a very casual person - blue jeans and t-shirt.kinda of guy but I also like getting all dressed up (in my best coveralls :) - and going to a nice restaurant.

A Civil Action/ Irac Style Format

A Civil Action FACTS: This movie, A Civil Action, is about a lawsuit that began with the death of twelve people, and eight of those twelve people were children. This all takes place in the little city of Woburn Wells, Massachusetts. This is a small city that has two companies that are located really close to the cities river. One company is called W. R. Grace Company and the other is Beatrice Foods. Jan Schlitnmann is the main attorney for the plaintiff’s side along with his partners; Conway, Gordon, and Crowley. The attorney for W. R. Grace was William Cheeseman, and the attorney for Beatrice foods was Jerome Fatcher. Anne Anderson initially told one of Jan’s partners her story and put many calls into their office. However, she never a response from them! So Anne put a call into Jan Schlitchmann while he was on a radio show. Jan and his partners discussed the case and Jan agreed to go and meet with Anne and the family member’s of the children who died from Leukemia. So he went to the city of Woburn Wells. Jan saw the companies W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods and thought it would be a goldmine for the law office to take on the case. Anderson told Jan that she and the other families were not looking for money in this lawsuit. The families only wanted an apology from the companies and for someone to clean up the area and make sure it would not ever happen again. The drinking water that the town had been drinking was the problem. The water had somehow been contaminated with trichloroethylene and silicon (used to water proof leather). Jan was going to prove in court that W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods knowingly contaminated the river that was located in Woburn Wells and by contaminating the river it caused twelve people to die from leukemia. ISSUES: Did the drinking water that was contaminated with Trichloroethylene and silicon, by W. R. Grace Company and Beatrice Foods, cause the leukemia deaths and other health problems in Woburn, Massachusetts? LAW: Negligence:   is a  legal  concept in the  common law  legal systems mostly applied in tort cases to achieve monetary compensation (damages) for physical and mental injuries Wrongful Death: is a claim in common law jurisdictions against a person who can be held liable for a death DISCUSSION: Big corporations generally only see things with dollar signs. The goal of any corporation is to make the maximum profit that they can while providing a good or service to the community. W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods show this statement to be true throughout this whole movie. They are continuously trying to make this â€Å"issue† go away by throwing money at the family members, trying to make the suit go away and not fix the real problem. W. R. Grace Company decided that the best place to dump the T. C. E. was in the river behind the plant. This had major effects on everyone that was in close proximity to the river. It got into the drinking water, which was said to have caused 12 deaths, the reason of some miscarriages, and seizures among other health conditions, from what the claims are that is. The company tried to cover up this kind of thing as much as possible by buying people off. They think that if they give people money for their losses than everything will be alright. For huge corporations dealing with billions of dollars these payoffs are only a drop in the bucket for them. Even a million dollars to any family is an incredible amount of money and often the money becomes more important than the real issues behind the problem and can't be passed up by a family struggling to get by. The benefits of paying these people for their trouble are much cheaper than doing things the right way in the beginning and protecting their safety. Well, the families of Woburn Wells wanted no part of the money. They just wanted the problem fixed and an apology from the ones who caused this tragedy. Jan Schlichtmann initially didn't want to take the case because he doesn't think that there will be any money in it for him and his firm. Even though he goes and sees how much pain this company has caused to the people in Woburn Wells, he still doesn't care because of the money. Not until he realizes how big the companies are does he take the case. The firm took the case and went to work. The first hearing ruled that Beatrice Foods wasn’t to be held accountable, just W. R. Grace Company, There were many scientific and complex tests that had to be run in order to prove that the water was contaminated by W. R. Grace. This was all at the cost of Schlichtmann’s firm. As the case goes on he isn't able to achieve what he ultimately wanted to do because the Grace Company has so much money that they will almost always win. Schlichtmann’s firm goes into debt trying to win this case but ultimately has to settle because they can't go on. Schlichtmann ended up settling with W. R. Grace for 8 million dollars. After all debts are paid (all of the equipment that was rented, the Dr. ’s that ran the tests, the scientist’s, etc. and the fee for Schlichtmann’s firm, the families were awarded $357,000 per family! This made the families very upset. Not because of the amount of the money, but because when Anne Anderson initially spoke with Schlichtmann, she had told him that the families weren’t interested in the money. All the families ultimately wanted was were apologies, someone to take the blame for the cause of their loved ones deaths, and for the contaminated water and area to be cleaned up so this type of thing were to never happen again. After that final meeting with the families, Jan Schlichtmann and his partners all ended up all going their separate ways. Schlichtmann had a â€Å"come to† one day. He ended up questioning one of the workers of W. R. Grace once again, who told him the whole story regarding the disposal of the chemical waste. He told Schlichtmann how and where they got rid of everything, which was in the river behind the plant. This was negligent on the companies’ part. Schlichtmann didn’t have the money for the appeal process, so he sent everything he had to another lawyer. This case went on for years. In the end, the EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) filed a lawsuit against W. R. Grace and the companies agreed to share 69. 4 million for cleanup of the area. CONCLUSION: Did the drinking water that was contaminated with Trichloroethylene and silicon, by W. R. Grace Company and Beatrice Foods, cause the leukemia deaths and other health issues in Woburn, Massachusetts? Yes An employee of W. R. Grace was confronted by Jan after the trial was over with, who came clean about the whole cover up. He was told to â€Å"get rid† of the barrels that were filled with the toxins, which he did along with several others. They dumped the hundreds of barrels into the river which was one of the main sources of water in the city. There was an autopsy on one of the children’s bodies. The Dr. onfirmed that the child died from leukemia which was caused by Trichloroethylene. After many scientific tests and many years in the courtroom, both W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods were found guilty for the contamination of the river in Woburn Wells, which was linked to the drinking water and the cause of the leukemia deaths. This toxin, T. C. E. , was found to be in the drinking water of the city, and was digested by the children on a regular basis. The wrongful deaths of the 12 individuals in the city lay in the hands of both W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods. It was their duty of care to dispose of the chemicals in an appropriate manner.

Anorexia Nervos The Long Term Aims Of Psychological Treatment

Anorexia - Anorexia nervosa is an extremely serious, life-threatening eating disorder characterised by self-starvation and excessive weight loss, effecting 0.3% of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (male and female). Signs of this disorder can include Inadequate food intake, Self-esteem overly related to body image, frequent comments about feeling overweight despite being thin, consistent excuses to avoid situations involving food, development of food routines (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate), and the obvious dramatic weight loss in a short period of time due to very minimal food intake. Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women, although there are the few†¦show more content†¦People with bulimia place an extreme emphasis on body shape or weight in their self-evaluation. This can lead to the person’s sense of self-esteem and self worth to be defined by the way one looks. In the whole population 0.9% adolescence have bulimia nervosa (males 0.5%; females 0.9%). Signs of Bulimia include: Evidence of purging behaviours, including frequent trips to the bathroom after meals, signs and/or smells of vomiting, presence of wrappers or packages of laxatives or diuretics, Excessive exercise regimen despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, Unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area, Calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting,staining of the teeth and Withdrawal from usual friends and activities. Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment. Only 35% of people that receive treatment for eating disorders get treatment at a

A Brief Note On Medical Assisting And Math - 1665 Words

Ashley Mendez Michael Storper College Math August 24, 2014 Medical Assisting and Math As I begin my studies in pursuit of a degree in Medical Assisting I never stopped to think of the use of math in my field. I just figured the basics of my day to day activities as taking a patients height, weight, blood pressure, and obtaining a patients history. Never did I link the two concepts together until it was brought to my attention. Math is used in multiples tasks and aspects of my future job. Every measurement recorded is used in some mathematical equation to determine either a healthy size, height, weight, even blood pressure. My course project will discuss the mathematical aspects Medical Assistants use on a day to day basis, primarily†¦show more content†¦Using the â€Å"Find the name of ratio used† aids in keeping track of the amount of prescription a patient may obtain, this helps regulate the intake and avoids the issue of prescription abuse. Although a medical assistant cannot prescribe medication due to it being out of their scope of practice, with the aid of the physician the dispersment of medication can be regulated. Even though medical assistants cannot prescribe medicine it may be in their scope of practice to administered antibiotics, vaccinations, and medications. Therefore the use of proportions and ratios is heavily prevalent in this area of medical assisting as well. The amount of medication and vaccinations are of the utmost importance to properly administer to reduce to risk of over dosing, wasting high cost product, and avoiding patient-physician law suits. Although medical assistants are not the ones you perform the tests and compute the results, another way math is widely used in the medical field is through the use of percentages when discussing the rate of survival, the risk of disease, and the probability of your chance of contracting such as disease or genetic trait. They also used percentages when performing tests for certain viruses and diseases such as tuberculosis, strep throat, and other infections. For example, physicians utilize mathematics when determining the risk of genetic mutations and the probability of a patient contraction a genetic disease such as Huntington’s disease. Another task

Persuasive Essay On Civil Disobedience - 819 Words

Have you ever heard of civil disobedience? It is a way of peaceful protest that has been used successfully in the past and in the present. Walkouts, boycotts, and marches are all forms of civil disobedience that have been used and are currently being used. During past four years, there have been womens rights marches, pro-choice marches, and kneeling during the national anthem. These are people that are actively trying to create a fair society themselves and for the people around them. As the real world awaits, civil disobedience is a way to live in a fair society, preserve independence, and refine your moral compass. Every day people around the country wake up without the same opportunities as their peers. These people are in search†¦show more content†¦In this occasion, large groups of people would congregate and march with the demand of legalized gay marriage. All the people marching had one objective which was to have the freedom to make their own choice when it comes t o who they marry. Instead of being the followers in society it is time for you to become leaders, thus you must preserve your own freedoms. Many of you may disagree with gay marriage, but these people have fought for their freedom to make a decision based on who they are and you must respect that. In the case of people fighting for legalized gay marriage, they are trying to preserve their own individual freedoms of marrying who they are sexually attracted to. Furthermore, you have to determine what is acceptable in your eyes. There is no longer someone telling you what is unacceptable. You are now that person. Refine what morals are important to you. As an up and coming leader, your values can help shape how others form theirs. To illustrate this theme, women and men have assembled to oppose laws restricting a womans right to an abortion. Women of all ages attended these rallies to express resentment toward these laws. This population is standing up for what they believe is right following the principles that make them an individual. Making it loud and clear that anti-abortion laws violate their morals. Consequently, these restrictive laws have violated the beliefs of thisShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Civil Disobedience992 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr., the most important Civil Rights leader, once said â€Å"One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.† Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influ ential individuals in United States history, and is still recognized today for his peaceful approach on change. He believed that it was the peoples’ job to point out the flaws of society, and hold the government accountable for them. Many say that it is not the peoples’ responsibility to take this kind of action; howeverRead More Evaluation of Dworkins and Habermass Approach to Civil Disobedience1624 Words   |  7 PagesEvaluation of Dworkins and Habermass Approach to Civil Disobedience The following essay will attempt to evaluate the approach taken by Dworkin and Habermas on their views of civil disobedience. The two main pieces of literature referred to will be Dworkin?s paper on Civil Disobedience and Nuclear Protest? and Habermass paper on Civil Disobedience: Litmus Test for the Democratic Constitutional State. An outline of both Dworkins and Habermass approach will be given , further discussionRead More Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. King contends that injustice anywhere is a threatRead More Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail820 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He consideratelyRead MoreComparative Essay on Henry David Thoreau in Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther King in Letter from Birmingham Jail820 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in Civil Disobedience and Letter from Birmingham Jail, respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He considerately evokes the notion that the majority of people are restrained by the government and societyRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their differentRead MoreCompare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Thoreau Civil Disobedience1497 Words   |  6 PagesThoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† collectively persuade their audiences to disobey authority when it concerns social injustice. King takes a more assertive yet respectful approa ch, and makes it a point to explicate the intolerable treatment that the black community had to endure under the encroachment of segregation laws. In addition, Thoreau expounds why it is so important for citizens to object and take action upon the corrupt laws that the government had imposed on the blacks, insisting that civil disobedienceRead MoreThoreau And King s Ideas On Civil Disobedience1267 Words   |  6 PagesComparing and Contrasting: Thoreau and King’s Ideas on Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817, a time where slavery was legal. In 1849 Thoreau published an essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† which explains his idea that the government is much more harmful than helpful and that man has the right to disobey the government when he feels it is being unjust, in his case it was slavery, American Imperialism, and the Mexican-American War. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, 64 years afterRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience†1570 Words   |  7 PagesThoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Directions: Read â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† As you read, underline examples of Thoreau using rhetorical devices and identify and explain the devices via annotation. Answer questions 1-4 to prepare for further work with a small group. The group will work together on questions 5 through 8. Be ready to explain your answers to the whole class. Even when you’re working as a group you should be writing the answers. 1. Based on your reading of â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† whatRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 Pages In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, and they use a similar rhetorical appeal of ethos. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Thoreau claims

International Business Unconventional Business Approach

Question: Discuss about the International Business for Unconventional Business Approach. Answer: What is fair trade? Who benefits from it? Claar Haight (2015) explains fair trade to be an unconventional approach under which an agreement between producers and consumers regarding superior terms of trade is created to have better deal amongst them. The beneficiaries of fair trade are the parties involved where they are able to improve their lives and can structure improved policies for the future. Under this process, a minimum price for the producers is determined as per directions offered by Fairtrade Standards and Pricing Unit (Fairtarde Labelling Organizations International, 2011). Price fixed by the parties ensures that it covers producers average costs of sustainable production. Moreover, producers and consumers can negotiate prices of the items based on quality of items and value prevailing in markets (Fairtarde Labelling Organizations International, 2011). On the other hand, consumers or companies buying items through fair trade can create positive impact on people that they have used sustainable way to have busine ss. Since 1992 Indonesia has imposed high export taxes on export of raw wood sawn timber. Why would it do this? (Hint; what is the impact of these export tariffs on domestic market for wood timber?) Which domestic industries will benefit from this impact?) Who is hurt by these high export taxes? When GATT/WTO came into existence it reduced trade barriers on items belonging to various segments to a great extent that is negotiated among members (Brann, 2002). However, the impact of these barriers was found to be high forest produce which gave rise to varied conflicts in international negotiations and environment. Complications of these issues were apparent in Indonesia which is biologically and geographically diverse and controls different natural resources like oil, gas and timber (Brann, 2002).The political factors or regulations in order to protect its natural resources were weak that resulted in exploitation. During Asian financial crisis the country faced complexities in improving its economic growth where the government in order to have financial stability raise the export taxes (Fyfe, 2012). During 1989-1999 the Indonesian international transactions increased 2.5% greater than GDP (Brann, 2002). It was also noticed that forest items exports before occurrence of economic crisis was nearly $9 billion per year which increased to $200 million in 1980s (Brann, 2002). Timber trade (raw wood and sawn) is extremely significant for Indonesian economy where its contribution to countrys GDP is nearly 10% where in mid 1980s it contributed to70% of globe plywood export segment (Fyfe, 2012). Imposition of higher export restriction on raw wood and timber results in reduction in local price of taxed items as domestic players can supply timber and wood at smaller quantity which decrease producer surplus (Fyfe, 2012). U.S, Japan, Singapore and ASEAN countries are significant importers of these items where high export restrictions will impact their trade treaties (Fyfe, 2012). Should we worry foreigners sell us goods cheaply? When foreigners sell their good cheaply in countries it can be reason for worry as it can have adverse impact importing nations economy (Gao, 2005). Specifically, there are two reasons behind why these foreigners sell their good inferiorly to other nations; the producing country is trying to promote their domestic industry which is also termed as dumping goods (Gao, 2005). When items are available cheaply through imports the demand for local producers reduces and there is a possibility that due to decreased competition future prices may increase (Czako, Human Miranda, 2003). Secondly, higher interdependence on foreign items impacts the balance of payments occurring between varied nations and affects currency exchange that can increase inflation rate further and harm the economy (Czako, Human Miranda, 2003). Under what condition can WTO members not use MFN when dealing with one another? Under Most Favored Nation policies, a country cannot discriminate the imported items as compared to domestic items and members are instructed to behave with compliance to commitments made by them on tariffs (WTO, n.d). However, WTO members may not use MFN while dealing with nations under following conditions (WTO, 2016): General Exceptions: When it is essential to safeguard human, animal or natural resources WTO can restrict members not to use the policies given under MFN. Security Exceptions: Countries in order to protect essential national security welfares can restrict WT members from utilizing MFN policies. These security exceptions are also permitted under GATS and TRIPS agreement. Exceptions for Regional Trade Agreements: Countries when in order to have preferential treatment of goods or services from the transacting partners agrees to depart from MFN policies. Balance-of-payments: A country in order to protect its economy from adverse impacts of deficit can restrict the MFN policies. What strategies can North American and Asian firms adopt to ensure access to the enormous EU market? With globalisation countries are entering different nations to take advantage of opportunities available in varied markets (European Commission, 2011). Several developing countries have entered European Union market with low cost strategies. For instance, Chinas Haier Group in electronic and Indias Infosys in IT is performing very well in Europe (Khannd, Palepu Sinha, 2005). Western companies that want to create counter strategies to compete with local players can implement innovative ideas to serve the requirements of people. Specifically North American and Asian firms can make two choices: Where they can adapt their business model as per the countries environment keeping their core value proposition unchanged Entities can change their contexts (framework) of working to be economical and practical. For instance, Metro Cash Carry while entering the European and Asian nations changed its context by creating links among farmers and small-scale producers and by shifting its transaction from roadside markets to computerised storeroom. What are the steps in international strategy formulation? Strategy formulation can be explained as process of selecting the most appropriate options available to entities in order to attain its specified goals and vision (Bhalla, 2013). An enterprise must involve various steps essential for effective strategic formulation before entering a new market which are as follows (The Sailor Foundation, 2013): Clarifying and determining the organisational objectives: An enterprise while entering new territories must clarifies the motive and varied means through which desired outcomes can be achieved. Evaluating the Organisational and External Environment: Proper scanning of ones own strength and weakness helps an entity to formulate effective strategies that can help them to create competitive edge among consumer segments. In order to have better internal analysis a company can implement various techniques like SWOT through which major opportunities and threat can also be identified. PESTEL and Porter five forces are other techniques through which the impact of policies on companies activities and competitive or industry analysis could be done. Setting Quantitative Targets: Under this, entity must fix quantitative target values to as per the desired outcomes. Through this a comparison based on time taken and contribution made by personnel in achieving the desired goals can be evaluated. Choosing Strategies: Based on objectives determined by companies and what outcomes in quantitative terms a firm wants to attain from international areas, selection of appropriate strategies must be done. These include selecting strategies of location, technology and pricing. How can a poor SWOT analysis affect strategic planning? SWOT analysis guides entities to identify the positive and negative aspects or factors present in the internal and external environment of company (Harrison, 2010). If organisations fail to analyse significant factors present in the environment it can result in failure of businesses as strategic formulation and selection of entry mode are done on the basis of environmental scanning (U.S. Department of Health Human Services, 2015). Under strategic planning an entity plans regarding its objectives, results and means to obtain desired performance (strategies) and when the initial steps of conducing activities are inefficient it can result in losses and increased cost that ultimately makes business a failure. How are the components international strategy (scope of operations, resource deployment, distinctive competence, and synergy) likely to vary across different types of corporate strategy (single business, related diversification, and unrelated diversification)? Global environment of enterprises may differ depending on the type of strategies that a company implements in order to take advantage present in new areas (Lymbersky, 2008). For having proper balance and profitability a company can implement different strategies like global (single), related and unrelated diversification. The distinctive elements of international policy like scope of operation vary depending on corporate strategies selected by the firm. For instance, the scope of growth that a company wants to have are different depending on geographical region or market conditions (low or high cost) and how capable a company is able to create distinctive competence (Lymbersky, 2008). Under distinctive competence an entity determines means to create competitive edge over other players while under resource deployment looks after different options (FDI or alliances) through which it can serve the requirements of consumers (Lymbersky, 2008). On the other hand, synergy is to analyze whet her the total of company part is larger than its part. While developing and implementing strategies an enterprise tries to develop necessary tactics through which it can attain its desired goals which can be determined efficiently only when different components of international strategy are analyzed properly. What are the three specialized entry modes of international business, and how do they work? The three mode entry modes of international business are single business, related diversification and unrelated diversification (Lymbersky, 2008; Tang Liu, 2011). Single-Business Strategy: Under this a firm depends on single business, items or services for earning revenues. Through this strategy an entity can have advantage of concentrating on single product through which it can serve the changing requirements of people efficiently (Lymbersky, 2008). However, changes in external environment can have vulnerable impact on the performance of enterprises following single-business strategy. Dell, McDonalds and Singapore Airlines are some of the enterprise following this strategy. Related Diversification: In this, firms are operating its activities in different areas with related (similar) business and sector at a time (Lymbersky, 2008). An enterprise that implements this strategy can have benefit of developing a creative edge in one segment in order to strengthen its performance in other business. Moreover, fluctuation occurring in the market does not result in poor performance as it can focus on other items. Unrelated Diversification: An enterprise implementing this strategy is having its activities in unrelated segments and different areas. Raising capital is easier under this mode as units are performing independently from each other and overall risk is diversified. However, the major drawback of this mode is its complexity as wider businesses are involved (Lymbersky, 2008). What factors could cause you to reject an offer from a potential licensee to make and market your firms products in foreign market? Factors that can result in rejection of potential licensee to make or market firm items in global areas are (Aswathappa, 2008): When entrance of the particular enterprise could restrain the scope of market opportunities and will lead in formulation of mutual dependency like cartel. The enterprise earlier has been involved in violation of requirements or policies mentioned in the licensing agreements. If the firm can have complexities linked with the agreement that can have adverse impact on its speed on entrance in the foreign economy. Unit 4 What are the basic differences between a joint venture and other types of strategic alliances? A joint venture involves investment of fund, resources like technology and facilities on long-term basis by the combing parties (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2015). Under this form the benefit are segregated among all the parties involved and they have equal contribution in new venture formed after the joint venture. On the other hand, strategic alliance is categorised as collaboration among parties (companies) to have mutual shared outcomes. Partners involved in these agreements retain their independence and derives competitive edge by using other parties competency (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2015). Some of the forms under strategic collaborations are technology transfer, purchasing settlements and joint product creation. Why would a firm decide to enter a new market on its own rather than using a strategic alliance? Though under strategic alliances enterprises can reduce their overall investment there can be integration complexities like cultural or corporate difference among entities (Carpenter Dunung, 2012). A firm in spite of using strategic alliances can directly utilise exporting as a means of undertaking transactions. The overall risk involved in the process is low and it creates an opportunity for the traders to enter new areas rapidly where they serve the requirements of people based on their framework. However, the mode can also be disadvantageous under these firms have little control over the areas with low knowledge of changing preferences of people (Carpenter Dunung, 2012). What is global matrix design? What are its strength and weaknesses? Global matrix design can be explained as a conceptual framework of conducting business in varied parts of globe that several reporting lines are developed (Aswathappa, 2008). Figure 1 illustrates a global matrix design where different managers related with departments of marketing, finance, operations and HR are involved. Matrix structure are commonly utilised by entities operating in technology segment, for instance WIPRO has segregated itself in three segments Wipro Technology, Wipro Infotech and Wipro consumer care and lighting (Aswathappa, 2008). Figure 1: Global Matrix Design (Source: Aswathappa, 2008) The major strength of this structure is that flow of interaction among the departments is two-way which assists the enterprise to get useful insights before strategy implementation. Secondly, the structure ensures flexibility which allows firms to have advantage of its key functional areas (Aswathappa, 2008). However, the structure is not advantageous for enterprise with few product lines and whose operations are in stable markets. The structure is complex where several meetings must be undertaken in order to come up with decisions and hence faster strategy formulation is not possible (Aswathappa, 2008). Do managers of international firms need to approach organization design differently from their counterparts in domestic firms? Why or why not? Past studies mentions that size of enterprise, level of competition, technology, wages, productivity factor and export propensity affect the performance of enterprises (Bellak, 2004). Yes, it is essential for managers to approach the organizational design differently from their counterparts in domestic firms. The reason behind it is that the complexities in dealing with different factors vary significantly between international and domestic entities. While going international new techniques of organizing activities are required for managing the differences in operating environmental factors like political and cultural elements. In order to have organizational control an entity must design its processes differently to serve consumers requirements efficiently (Bellak, 2004). How do legal, cultural, and economic factors influence product policy? External environment of enterprises differs greatly due to varied, legal, cultural and economic factors prevailing in countries (Aswathappa, 2008). Economic factors like changing rate of GDP, recession and depressions impacts the requirements and supply of items and can generate superior or poor performance. For instance, in Indonesia higher export restrictions are charged by government on timber (raw material) as it is being imported by various nations like U.S (Aswathappa, 2008). Entities operating in furniture segment largely depend on supply on timber and raw woods and higher legal restrictions Moreover, it is not necessary that same level of legal restrictions is prevailing in every parts of the globe. Cultural difference among ASEAN countries and European countries is different and therefore impacts the requirements of items (Aswathappa, 2008). What are some of the fundamental issues that must be addressed in international advertising? Some of the key issues that require to be addressed in international advertising are language barriers, improper design and symbols and varying perception of people (Okazaki, 2012). An enterprise cannot use a single language for an international marketing campaign, for instance, in India 22 different languages are spoken that could greatly impact the names and signs of brand choices (Okazaki, 2012). Similarly, cultural difference among countries like China, Mexico and U.S are different where different customs for personal and business transactions are followed (Okazaki, 2012). What are the pros and cons of trying to use single brand name in different markets, as opposed to creating unique brand names for various markets? Under single brand name, each item is named differently and sometimes there is no link among the ranges of products that the same company offers to people (Aswathappa, 2008). This branding avails the marketers to benefit from easy diversification to other field with brand diffusion. However, it can be disadvantageous for the enterprise in international marketing as they have to spend heavily on creating awareness for the items in the area going to be served (Aswathappa, 2008). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each pricing policy? Why do most international firms use market pricing? Pricing policies are of three types, competitive based, skimming and penetration pricing (Aswathappa, 2008). Under competitive (market) pricing policies an entity fixes the value of its items based on its competitive value. Skimming prices are used by firms when it wants to serve the requirements of high end consumers while under penetration pricing the cost of the item are kept low in the beginning and is raised after the product create demand among people (Aswathappa, 2008). By implementing market based pricing a company is able to compete with its different other players strongly in the area served. It can create competitive edge among the consumers by offering additional benefits within similar price of competitor (Aswathappa, 2008). Unit5-1 What basic set of factors must a firm consider when selecting a location for a production facility? While selecting a location for production facilities in different areas, an enterprise must look after various factors like (MacCarthy Atthirawong, 2001): Nature of operation: The nature of business a firm is in determines the location of production facility. For instance, construction or mining firms must always be located away from civilization to reduce pollution impacts on people while for retail stores a well-known or easily accessible area must be chosen. Transport: In order to transfer the items within desired period it is essential for the firm to choose a place for production unit from which transportation is available. Labour: Entities heavily dependent on labours for production requires setting up with their units to a place that can be easily accessible by the personnel else their non-availability can hamper the overall process. What basic factors must be addressed when managing international service operations? Factors like intangibility and perishability of services must be addressed by enterprises to while operating their activities internationally (World Bank, n.d; Ricks, 2006). Intangibility of services can crate complexities in assessing the service quality while perishability factors can make capacity planning critical (World Bank, n.d). In order to have better service operations customer participation is significantly essential as sometimes they sometimes people prefer customization of amenities based on their personal preferences. Why are services most closely associated with developed, industrialized economies? As per research, the share of service segment in U.S has increased significantly from 60% to 80% from 1950-2000 (World Bank, n.d). Currently the developed and industrialised economy is highly dominated by rising requirements of service segments like finance, hospitality, health, education and education (World Bank, n.d). With globalisation numerous entities are entering the developed or industrialised economy to have higher market share and profitability which has increased the intensity of competition to a great extent. With products or offering being similar, it has become important for enterprises to offer superior services to its consumers that are not provided by its competitors that can derive competitive edge among different players. What is translation exposure? What effect does balance sheet hedge have on translation exposure? Translation exposure is the changes that take place in the companys equities, income, assets and liabilities of enterprises as per the fluctuating exchange rate (Aswathappa, 2008). On financial statements like balance sheet this transaction exposure appears as financial increase or loss incurred by the entity as per change in value of assets. For instance, a company having a facility in Germany valued 1 million is currently 1:1 (dollar-to-Euro). However, due to variations in exchange rate the ratio changed to 1:2 as per which assets value become $500,000 which will be illustrated as a loss in balance sheet of company (Aswathappa, 2008). What capital budgeting techniques are available to international businesses? Pay Back Period Method: A process which proposes a period within which an enterprise will be able to recover its initial investment and there is no concept of time and value (Aswathappa, 2008). Accounting rate of return (ARR): Under this rate of return rate is determined in order to have percentage of earning as compared to investment made in a particular project (Aswathappa, 2008). As entire economic life of project is involved it provides the entity an option to compare better means that are available. Net present value: Expected cash flow at different time period can be determined with the help of discounted rate from which comparison between present value of cash inflow and investment initially made can be evaluated (Aswathappa, 2008). The government of Colefax and Fowlers home country, the United Kingdom, has chosen not to be a participant in European Unions (EUs) single currency scheme. Will this put Colefax and Fowler at a disadvantage in competing for business in other EU countries? If so, is there anything the company can do to reduce its disadvantages? Researchers expects that in short-term the impact of U.K exit from EU will result in currency volatility while its long-term impacts will be dependent on how the country unravels its involvement from the EU (PwC, 2016). Companies having their business in UK or EU markets can be disadvantageous as enterprises who conduct their business through financial mechanisms are going to experience adverse impacts like political instability and low US interest rate (PwC, 2016). In order to reduce its adverse implications companies must have better accessibility to financial reporting options like treasury, hedging and intercompany transactions (PwC, 2016). References Aswathappa. (2008). International Business. New-Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Bellak, C. (2004). How domestic and foreign firms differs and why does it matter? Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11007065.pdf Bhalla, V.K. (2013). International Business. New Delhi: S. Chand Publishing. Brann, J,. (2002). Trade Policies in Indonesia. Retrieved from:https://www.saisjournal.org/posts/trade-policy-in-indonesia Carpenter, M. Dunung, S.P. (2012). International-Expansion Entry Modes. Retrieved from https://www.peoi.org/Courses/Coursessp/intlbus/ch/ch8c.html Claar, V.V. Haight, C.E. (2015). Is Fair Trade Worth Its Cost? Retrieved from: https://www.gordon.edu/ace/pdf/2015%20Spring%20-%20Claar%20and%20Haight.pdf Czako, J., Human, J. Miranda, J. (2003). A Handbook on Anti-Dumping Investigation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. European Commission. (2011). Implementation of the Market Access Strategy. Retrieved from https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2011/may/tradoc_147927.pdf Fairtarde Labelling Organizations International.(2011). Benefits of Fairtrade. Retrieved from: https://www.fairtrade.net/about-fairtrade/benefits-of-fairtrade.html Fyfe, A. (2012). Export Restrictions on Natural Resources: The Case of Indonesia and Vietnam. Retrieved from: https://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6900e/x6900e0d.htm Gao. (2005). International trade issues and effects of implementing the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset. Collingdale: Diane Publishing. Harrison, J.P. (2010). Essentials of Strategic Planning in Healthcare. Retrieved from https://www.ache.org/pdf/secure/gifts/Harrison_Chapter5.pdf Khannd, T., Palepu, K.G. Sinha, J. (2005). Strategies that fits emerging markets. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2005/06/strategies-that-fit-emerging-markets Lymbersky, C. (2008). Market Entry Strategies: Text, Cases and Readings in Market Entry Management. Germany: Management Laboratory. MacCarthy, B Atthirawong, W. (2001). Critical Factors in International Location Decisions: A Delphi Study. Retrieved from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.563.3550rep=rep1type=pdf Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. (2015). Strategic alliances and Joint Venture. Retrieved from https://www.business.govt.nz/support-and-advice/advice-mentoring/for-exporters/strategic-alliances-and-joint-ventures Okazaki,S. (2012). Handbook of Research on International Advertising. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. PwC. (2016). What you need to know about the potential financial impacts of Brexit. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/us/en/cfodirect/publications/in-the-loop/brexit-financial-volatility-us-companies.html Ricks, D.A. (2006). Blunders in International Business. London: John Wiley Sons. Tang, J. Liu, B.S. (2011). A Network Based Theory Of Foreign Market Entry Mode And Post-Entry Performance. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2 (23), 50-59. The Sailor Foundation. (2013). Strategy Formulation. Retrieved from https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Saylor.orgs-Strategy-Formulation.pdf U.S. Department of Health Human Services. (2015). SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Retrieved from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/operations/mang-sys/planning/2SWOTAnalysisS.htm World Bank. (no date). Growth of the Service Sector. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/depweb/beyond/beyondco/beg_09.pdf WTO, (2016). Principles of the trading system. Retrieved from https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/fact2_e.htm WTO. (no date). Exceptions to WTO Rules: General Exceptions, Security Exceptions, Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), Balanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Payments (BOPs) Waivers. Retrieved from https://ecampus.wto.org/admin/files/Course_382/Module_537/ModuleDocuments/eWTO-M8-R1-E.pdf

Prosthetics Essays - Medical Equipment, Biological Engineering

Prosthetics Introduction Prosthetics is the branch of surgery dealing with mechanical devices used to reproduce the form and function of missing body parts. Prosthetics is the replacement of faulty or amputated body parts with artificial body parts. Artificial limbs have been in use since at least 300 BC. In AD 1509 German knight, Gtz von Berlichingen, called Gtz of the Iron Hand, wore an artificial hand with jointed fingers. Early in the 19th century a German prosthesist built a hand with fingers that could be flexed or extended and that could hold light objects, such as a pen or a hat. Before World War I (1914-1918), wood was considered the best substance for making artificial legs, but later an aluminum alloy called Duraluminum, and more recently fiber materials, have made artificial limbs both lightweight and strong. In recent years, the manufacture of prosthetic devices has developed into a science. Artificial limbs with functioning joints can simulate natural motion. Hip joint prostheses can provide vi rtually normal mobility for people with damaged hip joints. History Artificial limbs, in one form or other, have been in use from ancient times. In 1885, a specimen was discovered in a tomb at Capua, Italy, along with other relics dating from 300BC. The celebrated artificial hand built in 1509 for the German knight Gotz von Berlichingen, who was called Gotz of the Iron Hand, weighed about 1.4 kg (3 lb.) and had articulated fingers so constructed as to be able to grasp a sword or lance. The hand is in the Nrnberg Museum and is still in working order. Early in the 19th century a German prosthesist built a hand with fingers that could be flexed or extended without assistance and yet could still close to hold light objects, such as a pen, a handkerchief, or a hat. In 1851, a French prosthesist invented an artificial arm fitted with a wooden hand and attached to a leather socket that fitted the stump firmly. The fingers were half-closed, the thumb pivoted on a pin and could press firmly against the fingertips by a concealed, strong rubber band; the grasp of the thumb could be operated by a mechanism attached to the opposite shoulder. The same inventor devised a leg that reproduced a natural gait and lengthened the stride. Technology Before World War I, wood was universally considered the best substance for making artificial legs. Prosthetic devices made of leather reinforced with metal bands tended to lose their shape and were therefore unsatisfactory. Finally, the use of an aluminum alloy called Duraluminum, and later of fiber materials, made possible the manufacture of an artificial limb that was both lightweight and strong. Synthetic polymers now being introduced provide a skin-like covering for some forms of prosthesis. To ensure maximum comfort for the wearer some prosthetic devices are now fitted immediately following amputation of the natural limb. A rigid plaster dressing is applied to the site, serving as a socket for the attachment of a temporary prosthetic device. More recently, use of a removable plaster dressing has reduced pain and infections while the prosthesis is being fitted. In certain severe cases, permanent artificial arms are equipped with small battery-powered motors, which facilitate move ment at the joints. The Committee on Prosthetics Research and Development of the National Research Council coordinates the design and development of prosthetic devices. Special prosthetic training schools have been set up at several universities for the teaching of modern prosthetic concepts to physicians, surgeons, prosthesists, and physical and rehabilitation counselors. Prosthetics are used for more than just amputated body parts, it can be used for special effects such as special costumes and contact lenses. Prosthetics is one of the oldest and most important new technologies in the science world today. Much of the attention in this field is focused on cloning right now due to the fact that prosthetics have not had any extremely new or amazing finds after cloning.