African Americans health disparities Essay

In 2011, the diagnosis rate for HIV cases in the United States was 15. 8 per 100,000 population and 60. 4 among Blacks. Of 197,090 diagnoses of HIV-infection from 2008- 2011, Blacks/African Americans accounted for: ?47% OF THE TOTAL ?64% OF WOMEN ?66% OF INFECTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO HETEROSEXUAL CONTACT ?67% OF CHILDREN, AGES < 13 In 2010, the death rate for blacks was higher (25. 0 per 100,000) compared with any other racial ethnicity group (3. 0 whites). Blacks represented 49% of all deaths with HIV in 2010. A recent study showed that blacks diagnosed with HIV are less likely than other groups to be linked to care, retained in care, receive antiretroviral treatment and achieve adequate viral suppression. African American Males African American men accounted for 42% of HIV cases diagnosed among men in 2011. A majority (72%) of African American men with HIV contracted the disease by male to male contact while 19% contracted HIV through heterosexual exposure. African American Females Among African American women, high risk heterosexual contact was the most frequently cited mode of transmission, accounting for 89% of cases diagnosed in 2011. More Information: ?HIV/AIDS TOPIC SITE ?HIV/AIDS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS ?HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND SURVEILLANCE Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Gonorrhea In 2010, 69% of all reported cases of gonorrhea occurred among blacks. The rate of gonorrhea among blacks in 2010 was 432. 5 cases per 100,000 population, which was 18. 7 times the rate among whites (23. 1). This disparity has changed little in recent years. This disparity was larger for black men (22.2 times) than for black women (16. 2 times). Chlamydia In 2010, the overall rate among blacks in the United States was 1,167. 5 cases per 100,000, a 4. 0% increase from the 2009 rate of 1,122. 2 cases per 100,000. The rate of chlamydia among black women was over seven times the rate among white women (1,536. 5 and 205. 1 per 100,000 women, respectively). The chlamydia rate among black men was almost 11 times the rate among white men (761. 8 and 69. 9 cases per 100,000 men, respectively). Syphilis.

How to Face Resistance to Change

Resistance to change can be difficult to overcome even when it is not detrimental to those concerned. But the attempt must be made. The first step is to analyze the potential impact of change by considering how it will affect people in their jobs. The analysis should indicate which aspects of the proposed change may be supported generally or by specified individuals and which aspects may be resisted. So far as possible, the potentially hostile or negative reactions of people should be identified, taking into account all the possible reasons for resisting change listed above. It is necessary to try to understand the likely feelings and fears of those affected so that unnecessary worries can be relieved and, as far as possible, ambiguities can be resolved. In making this analysis, the individual introducing the change, who is sometimes called the ‘change agent’, should recognize that new ideas are likely to be suspect and should make ample provision for the discussion of reactions to proposals to ensure complete understanding of them. Involvement in the change process gives people the chance to raise and resolve their concerns and make suggestions about the form of the change and how it should be introduced. The aim is to get ‘ownership’ – a feeling amongst people that the change is something that they are happy to live with because they have been involved in its planning and introduction – it has become their change. Communications about the proposed change should be carefully prepared and worded so that unnecessary fears are allayed. All the available can be used, but face-to-face communications direct from managers to individuals or through a team briefing system are best.

Is Organic Food Better? Essay

There have been many different food trends over the years. We have been told about eating low fat diets, zero carb diets, and now organic. If you are like many others, there is a good chance that you have heard that organic foods are healthier to eat. They contain more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and taste than engineered produce do. Organic foods are also free from insecticides, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, fertilizers and a whole host of other toxic artificial additives, flavorings, colorings and preservatives. Organic foods are better tasting, more nutritional, better on the environment, and ethically more appealing. What does it mean for food to be organic? When food is grown naturally, it is considered organic; that is, without the use of synthetic pesticides, irradiation, artificial fertilizers, or biotechnology. The growing and tending process is what really defines a food as organic. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the soil is thoroughly tested and must be free of chemical exposure for at least three years. The food farmers produce must be free of any chemical or genetically engineered ingredients and must not have been raised or produced with any drugs or hormones. Organic certification procedures require that the food producer and/or distributor keep detailed written records (of where, when, and how the food was produced) and keep the organic food segregated from non-organic food if working with both foods (United). The term â€Å"organic food† is not a new concept. It has been around for as long as agriculture has been on the earth. Food was organic until someone decided to change the way that food was produced. Within the last century a large supply of synthetic chemicals were introduced into the food supply. Farmers, in fear of insects, started using pesticides to kill the insects. They also used synthetic fertilizers (especially nitrogen) to make plants grow fast. Nitrogen-driven growth produces weak, watery, and overly leafy plants which are more vulnerable to insects causing farmers to use more pesticides. Pesticide spraying has contributed to serious health problems for workers on these farms. In the article â€Å"The Truth About Organic Foods,† Jessica. DeCostole writes â€Å"Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. † Most of the pesticides and fertilizers run off, polluting streams, rivers, oceans, fisheries, and drinking water. Organic farming does not use as harsh of chemicals as conventional farming. This makes it better on the soil and the water supply. People who oppose organic farming argue that organic farming requires twice as much land to grow the same amount of food as conventional farming does. Organic farming may require more land, but it is not double as what conventional farming uses. While organic farming usually requires more land, it is not double. Since the soil is not being depleted, organic farmers can use their land for longer periods of time. Organic farming can also produce higher yields and profits when it is done correctly. According to Jane Goodall in Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating, the top 25 percent of sustainable farmers who farm without the use of chemicals have higher yields than industrial farmers in the United States (161). There’s no question that organic foods are frequently more expensive than comparable conventional foods. Some of this can be attributed to the reduced production costs that can be achieved through commercial fertilizer and chemicals. Some of the price difference can also be attributed to the economies of scale enjoyed by the large multinational food companies, but these food systems are not on a level playing field. U. S. farm policy infuses billions of dollars into the conventional food system and keeps commodity prices artificially low. In the article â€Å"Seriously, Now – Why Aren’t Organics Getting Affordable,† Christy Harrison states â€Å"Conventional crops are heavily subsidized by the federal government in the United States, making them artificially inexpensive. Couple those subsidies — which have been in place since the New Deal — with the cost of cleaning up pollution and treating health problems created by conventional farming, and we’re paying a lot in taxes in order to pay a pittance at the grocery store. † Furthermore, conventional crops have been aided by decades of public and private research and development. Organic food systems receive only a tiny fraction of the agricultural research funds. The problem is not so much that organic foods are expensive; it’s that government policy has made conventional foods too cheap and that hurts farmers, rural communities and the environment. Effectively reducing the price discrepancy requires changes in public policy and strengthened food regulations. As consumers, the best thing we can do to reduce the costs of local and organic is to purchase local and organic. As more consumers choose organic, and a larger network of organic farmers develop innovative practices, prices will inevitably narrow between conventional and organic products. The growing organic market will also induce more public and private investment. Some argue that organic food doesn’t necessarily taste better than conventional food. Taste is subjective though. It is one of the five senses able to detect the flavor of substances. The flavor of food in the mouth is partially contributed to taste. Smell is also a factor. â€Å"The aroma of food contributes up to 80% of what we perceive as taste† (Benefits). The difference between conventional food and organic food is that conventional food contains preservatives to make it last longer. Organic food does not. It is often produced on farms near where it is sold, so it tends to be fresher when eaten. Consumers need to be careful though when buying organic. Multi-national corporations have started to buy some of the organic lines on the market, creating organic factory farms. These farms â€Å"produce monocrops and ship the product cross-country† (Goodall 164). Shipping the food from these monocrops across the country is a bad thing for the environment. Those against organic foods argue that it is not any more nutritious than conventionally grown food. In an interview with Dan Childs of ABC News, Robyn Flipse states â€Å"There is no good evidence that organically grown plants or animals are nutritionally superior to conventionally grown. † Many studies have been attempted to determine if organic food is more nutritious to conventional food, but the problem is variability in how these studies have been conducted. It is difficult to compare findings when there is so much variability (Prosser). It is possible for organically grown fruits and vegetables to contain slightly higher levels of Vitamin C, trace minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients. It all depends on how it is grown. Foods depend on soil and water for their nourishment, and cleaner soil and water means cleaner food. It is that simple. It is important for us to make a commitment to living a healthier life, and eating healthy is one way to do that. It isn’t just about eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and good fats. We also need to consider food safety, nutrition, and sustainability. How our foods are grown and raised affects the environment as well as our health. According to Samuel Fromartz in Organic, Inc., â€Å"Buying and consuming organic food has come to be viewed not only as a means of avoiding harm, but as a benefit in itself, a personal way of aligning nutrition, health, and social and environmental well-being† (16). Clearly, more research on the possible health benefits of organic foods is needed. That is not the only reason why people are buying them, but it is an important one, and we need more data. Still, it is fair to say that critics are clearly wrong when they try to argue that there is â€Å"no evidence whatsoever† that organics are better than conventional foods. More evidence is needed, but there are some early signs that organic supporters may have been right all along. Works Cited â€Å"The Benefits of Organic Food: Why Organic Food is Better. † Natural Health Guide. Natural Health Guide, 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Childs, Dan. â€Å"Are Organic Foods Better for You? † ABC News. ABC News, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. DeCostole, Jessica. â€Å"The Truth About Organic Foods. † Redbook. Redbook. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Fromartz, Samuel. Organic, Inc. Orlando: Harcourt Books, 2006. Print. Goodall, Jane, Gary McAvoy, and Gail Hudson. Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating. New York: Time Warner Book Group, 2005. Print. Harrison, Christy. â€Å"Seriously, Now – Why Aren‘t Organics Getting Affordable? † Grist. Grist, 25 Aug. 2005. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Prosser, Erin. â€Å"Nutritional Differences in Organic versus Conventional Foods: And the Winner Is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Scientific American. Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. United States Dept. of Agriculture. National Organic Program. US Dept. of Agriculture, April 2008. PDF file. Self Evaluation I was not aware of using any of the rhetorical strategies while writing this piece. When I write, I research my topic and just write what comes to mind. It is not something that I think about when writing. As I look back at what I have written, I see that I have used a combination of these strategies. I would say that I have used ethos by using proper grammar. I am always watching my spelling and punctuation while writing. It is something that I cannot ignore. I am not like some people that just write and go back and edit afterward. I do most of my editing as I write. I have shown pathos by trying to appeal to the reader’s emotions about our health and environment. I have shown logos by the credible sources I have used, like Jane Goodall. In this piece, I mention a few of the arguments against organic food and counter them with why they are wrong. There are many who are against organic food, but their reasons for being against it do not hold up well. I was able to show sources that backed up why the reasons against organic food are wrong. I really cannot say that any of the techniques (reading responses, writerly practices, or peer reviews) helped me. The peer review for my rough draft was available for me to review for this paper. It was nice to have some feedback on my paper, though I do not feel it made a difference.

Sun catcher marketing plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sun catcher marketing plan - Term Paper Example We at Sun Catcher aim to address marketing, and its organization as other vital company functions, say human resources and finance. It was thus imperative that we studied our competitors and their organizations in order to find the challenges they faced in marketing. The challenges included; performance of transactional and tactical tasks by marketing managers rather than their main activities, lack of clear responsibilities and roles within the marketing departments when compared to other functions, selection of external marketing agencies due to relationships rather than tangible performance, repetitive and data intensive marketing activities performed due to lack of information and resource sharing mechanisms, and finally constrainment and stretching of internal marketing talent pool due to minimal specialized professional marketing strategies and training (Wittemen 2). To avoid these pitfalls, Sun Catcher aims to give marketing its executive role by aligning its cost structures to the business model and strategy (Wittemen 2). We aim to do this via allowing the marketing executives to strategize internally and come up with opportunities for economies of scale. This will align market potential with resources. We also aim to apply lean principles by aligning and integrating marketing processes with an aim of increasing efficiency. Investment in technology is also a must if we are to figure out where to make investments in marketing sensibly. This includes use of customer resource management (Wittemen 2). The establishment of effective and flexible structures that segment the marketing department into transactional, strategic, external and internal functions which clarify the activities of each member is vital for sun Catcher’s survival (Wittemen 2). Sun Catcher has several contingency plans in case an emergency, event, or new information becomes available to us. While Sun Catcher would wish not to be befallen by an

MMPI-A (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Adolescent) Essay

MMPI-A (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Adolescent) - Essay Example that used obsolete language or seemed awkward, ambiguous, or sexist were rewritten to improve face validity and to decrease perceived offensiveness (Butcher et al.,1992, n.p.). The test item pool was shortened, including 20 items which performed the same or better psychometrically as the original version (Williams, Ben-Porath, & Hevern, 1994). The result was an instrument containing 567 True or False items, and includes the same 13 scales of the MMPI and MMPI-2, as well as a few additional validity and content scales. Sample items include, â€Å"My teachers have it in for me,† â€Å"My feelings are not easily hurt,† and â€Å"My parents often object to the kind of people I go around with† The items are spread over a variety of scales measuring different aspects of adolescent behavior and potential problem areas including family issues, eating disorders and chemical dependency. At the psychologists’ discretion, the clinical scales and three of the validity scales can be scored from the first 350 items. Its norms are adolescent-specific. The MMPI-A is used by schools, clinical and counseling psychologists to help support the diagnosis and treatment planning of problematic adolescents in a variety of settings. It helps identify the root causes of potential problems at its onset. Aside from providing crucial information easily understood by parents, teachers and others in the adolescent’s support network, it likewise guides professionals in making appropriate referrals. Clinicians administering the MMPI-A with 12-13 year olds who have sixth grade reading level and seems to be mature enough for the test should do it with caution especially in the interpretation of the results. Likewise, the clinician should be discerning when dealing with 18 year old respondents, as they are qualified for both the MMPI-2 and the MMPI-A versions. A suggested guideline would be to use the MMPI-A instrument with 18-year-olds who are still in high school and the MMPI-2 instrument

Should Starbucks expand to Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Should Starbucks expand to Africa - Essay Example Traditional cafes did not understand the changes in consumer needs hence this gave room for Starbucks to expand quickly by opening more stores. Starbucks Corporation has opened stores and coffee outlets in North America, Europe and Asia. The objective of Starbucks opening coffee outlets in Africa is to meet its business strategy of global expansion. The increase in profitability can be attributed mainly to its aggressive expansion strategy. For the long term objective to be achieved, more than half of the stores will have to be located outside the United States. Starbucks has achieved market leadership by ensuring high quality products and services together with excellent customer service. The company can increase market share by expanding to Africa. The company will have to maintain its global business strategy of differentiation and added services.Introduction Starbuck is the largest coffeehouse in the world with operations in all the continents. The company operates more than twenty thousand coffee stores in more than one hundred countries in the world. From a single coffee store which was opened in 1971, the company has achieved a market leader position in the beverage industry by establishing operations in the US and beyond (Hill and Jones 165). Starbucks licenses and franchises operate more than seven thousand coffee outlets worldwide with many of the operations being based in shopping centers and global airports. The company has diversified product portfolio offering which include coffee, tea, soda, juices and pastries (Boone and Kurtz 56). The company has also venture inn entertainment segment where it markets music, videos and books. The company products are localized to the specific market (Ungson and Wong 145). The company has also maintained its original culture which has not being diluted by the global culture hence the common goal of the company is to offer distinctive experience to its customers (Boone and Kurtz 69). The company has been able to provide great working environment to its employees by embracing diversity and treating all the employees with dignity and respect (Ungson and Wong 160). The operations of the company are centered on excellence in purchasing inputs, roasting and delivery of the final coffee product to the customer. The company business strategy is to maximize sales by creating relaxing and attractive atmosphere with guarantees excellent customer service (Hill and Jones 177). The company also uses both retail and online music sales to widen the target market share. The company also maximizes market penetration partnering with global

Marketing strategy of a mobile industry Assignment

Marketing strategy of a mobile industry - Assignment Example Samsung Electronics is a South Korean based multinational electronic products manufacturing and marketing company (Casali, 2008). It is the flagship subsidiary of Samsung Group and has been the world’s larges technology company in terms of revenue since the year 2009. The Samsung group was incorporated in the year 1969 and Samsung Electronics was founded in the year 1988. However the history of the company dates back to 1938, when it was founded by Lee Byung-chull as a trading company. It is presently headquartered at Suwon, South Korea and is headed by Gee-Sung Choi. The company has presence all over the world and employs around 221,726 people. Some of the major products of the company include LCD and LED panels, mobile phones, semiconductors, televisions, digital cameras, tablet PCs, and home appliances among others (Samsung, 2013a). According to reports, the net revenue of the company is â‚ ©201.103 trillion and the net profit was â‚ ©23.845 trillion in the year 2012. Some of the key competitors of the company are Apple Inc., Nokia, HTC, Research in Motion (Blackberry), and Motorola among others (Yahoo Finance, 2013). The USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the company lie in its service quality, quality products at affordable pricing. The company is also the world’s largest vendor of smart phones since the year 2011. In the context of its mobile phone division, the company has been witnessing colossal growths since the mid of 2000. According to industry experts, the major reasons behind the growth is the introduction of low and mid ranged phones and providing Android operating system with the high range phones. Another driving factor was the introduction of several phones at the same which allowed the company to make the availability of wide range of options for the customers. In addition, promotional technique, strong distribution network, and superior after

1.Patient autonomy may indeed be one of the most central ethical Essay Research Paper

Patient Autonomy As One of the Most Central Ethical Principles in Medical Law - Research Paper Example From a moral perspective, Christman posits that â€Å"individual autonomy is an idea that is generally understood to refer to the capacity to be one’s own person, to live one’s life according to reasons and motives that are taken as one’s own and not the product of manipulative or distorting external forces.2† Christman further extrapolates that â€Å"in the western tradition, the view that individual autonomy is a basic and political value is a very much modern development†. Additionally, in terms of the moral rationale for autonomy, Buss claims that â€Å"to be autonomous is to be a law to oneself†3. However, Buss further comments that directly correlated to the concept of autonomy is the scope for lack of accountability if we are not autonomous, which is clearly pertinent to medical consent and liability. In terms of UK law, the notion of consent, therefore, mirrors the ethical concept that individuals have an implied right to self-determination and autonomy. If we consider by analogy the classic statement of Justice Cardozo in the US case of Schloendorff v Society of New York Hospital4 â€Å"every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body; and a surgeon who performs an operation without his patient’s consent commits an assault, for which he is liable in damages†5. Accordingly, the general legal position is that a competent adult will be entitled to reject treatment even if this risks serious injury or death and is not in their best interests. In UK law, the general position is that lack of consent will give rise to liability in the tort of battery and trespass, where a defendant will be liable for all damages resulting from the invasion even if no injury has been caused by the lack of consent6. Academic reasoning propounds that the fundamental purpose of obtaining patient consent to a specified treatment is to protect doctors against committing an actionable tort of battery.

Research Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Research Portfolio - Essay Example This signifies that for a similar product or service, if a firm contracts with the vendor for a specific volume because of rate fluctuations, then they will be paying extra. The customs duty structure is openly related to such rates that will have more impact (Taylor, 2004). Cash loss also enhances thereby damaging the working capital needs. In essence, this openly plunges the productivity of a business. Research Questions/Topics Some of the research questions that this paper seeks to answer include the causes, as well as effects of the global financial crisis (Evans & Lyons, 2003). Such a topic is extremely important as the global financial crisis are considered to have been brought about by miscalculations in the foreign exchange market. Another research topic is the assessment of changing patterns of global comparative advantage along with its policy implications. The third question includes how major world exporters and importers are dealing with the issues affecting foreign exch ange market. It would be interesting to know how major economies in the world are trying to deal with these issues affecting foreign exchange (Evans & Lyons, 2003). Fourthly, another question includes factors leading to the exchange rate volatility in major world economies. Finally, the fifth question would be how the issues affecting the foreign exchange market affect trade, productivity and employment. Data Required This study will incorporate nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Brazil and other key world traders. The paper selected these nations because they are the ones who are always on the media discussing the issues in the foreign exchange market. Also, major companies will also be incorporated in this study, such as car exporting firms and food importing firms among others and the sample size will be nearly 50 respondents. The study will take place over two months, and some of the variables that will be studied in the survey include causes, as well as effects of the issues in the foreign exchange market, who are being affected and what is being done to deal with these issues. Proposed Methodology The study on foreign-exchange intervention is all about empirical research. The paper includes a wide range of experimental techniques and strategies. The various methodologies presented diverse types of problems about which anybody evaluating this paper’s results should be mindful. It is vital to include both primary and secondary sources effectively to come up with the information of the topic (Lothian & Dijk, 2006). Primary information could be gathered from business managers or owners of the business while secondary data could be gathered from already published sources of this topic. The overarching issue, which confronted this empirical survey, was the simultaneous determination of bureaucrat intervention, as well as exchange-rate changes. Since the study lacked an adequate amount of high frequency sources, I generall y did not apply standard numerical techniques to this issue. Question 2 Overview Market structure indicators like the number of banks, as well as banking concentration, usually have been regarded as the main determinants of business rivalry in the banking sector. However, critics argue that these variables have no important impact on market power (Angelini & Cetorelli, 2003). Firm rivalry in the ba

Technological developments Essay Example for Free

Technological developments Essay Football boots are light weight and are made of such materials as kangaroo leather. Most top level players have sock-liners which fit with the contours of foot to provide extra comfort and strategically-placed traction blades provide maximum grip. Football boots help with a player grip, acceleration and turning ability. Footballs have had technological advancements such as having air retention system, being high density and having a high abrasion surface which provides extra durability. The match balls played with in the premiership is precision engineered to exact standards to ensure that it is produced to within 3g of its ideal weight and to an exact circumference of 68. 5cm. The benefits of the newer footballs are the increased swerve that the ball offers and a better accuracy of passing. Gloves The latest pair of reusch goalie gloves helps to prevent injury to the goalies hands through reusch Ortho-Tec glove which provides protection for vulnerable areas of the hand. The gloves upper hand is reinforced in a way that the fingers including the thumb are braced against forces occurring during a balls impact. The system not only prevents injuries, it is also suitable to disburden and protect an injury already sustained. Gloves have also been adapted to different weather conditions as well; gloves are made from soft latex foam with excellent properties for use in various weather conditions. Goalie gloves benefit the goalie by mainly by providing extra grip and power. Shirts The material design of footballs shirts have improved to provide better comfort. The new Manchester United kit incorporates Nikes new dri-fit technology. Dri wit wicks sweat away so that the player stays dry and comfortable. It also has strategically placed mesh panels that promote air cooling where heat is most generated. Facility design features and benefits Retractable roof The millennium stadium in Cardiff has a retractable roof which means that the roof can be closed if the weather forecast predicts heavy rain. This benefits the game itself and the fans. It saves the fans from getting soaked and it saves the players having to slosh around in mud. Mostly cup finals are played at the Millennium stadium and the fans wish the game to be viewed on a nice good to firm ground not a wet one. Undersoil heating Is valuable asset and a must for all big football clubs. It can allow a team to play or train on a pitch that the weather would otherwise have made unusable or it can generally soften up the ground for training purposes. Astroturf pitches For training purposes Astroturf is of benefit to players because Astroturf is all weather, meaning that when the players unable to play on their training pitch die to water logging they can go and train on the Astroturf pitch instead. Video Analysis Andy Gray is probably the most renowned broadcast analyst in the football industry. He has a 30 minute slot after most live sky matches in which he practically dissects the game explaining the reasons goals were score and analysing player performance. Racquets Tennis has changed drastically since the huge investment in technological advancements the main one being the racquets. They now look completely different to those of 20 years ago, they are now lighter, and have larger faces and shorter shafts. This has created a larger sweet spot and has encouraged players to increase their power. By increasing power to a phenomenal level the game is often much shorter as the serve can kill a game off. This is mainly because the way in which the rackets have been made. This has made tennis players adjust everything about their game, from positioning, this is now further back for the serve, to two-handed return to try and increase power. The player now trains more on power based activity service technique. Trainers Tennis shoes have changed greatly over the years. Reebok have recently developed the DMX technology. This is a sole that claims to reduce the stress on the legs and heels when running; it does this by shifting the force of the impact across a wider area on the foot. This material is also light and so is easy to run in and can help to improve performance. Another company big among tennis players is New Balance who also have their own suspension system. This consists of various different parts of a sole that all work together to reduce the impact on the foot as well as stability in the way that it reduces rolling of the foot as well as over pronation. New Balance also have a brand, called Abzorb SBS, it has been developed so that when impact with the ground has been made the technology displaces the energy over the whole foot. Asics developed gel technology in their trainers nearly 20 years ago and it is still in their trainers today, the silicon gel attenuates the shock made on impact and works in conjunction with the lateral rear foot flex grooves within the sole to improve comfort. Tennis Balls There are different types of tennis balls depending on what surface the game is played on. Some balls are designed for hardcourt and grass, while others are designed for clay courts. The ball can vary by about 1/8 of an inch in size and 1/16th of an ounce in weight. Its rebound height can vary almost 10%. The stiffness, defined by the deformation under pressure, can vary over 5%. The benefits of the different types of tennis balls are that a player can choose a set of tennis balls depending on his style of play or the type of court he is playing on. Shirts Top players such as Raphael Nadal are sponsored to wear Nikes dri-fit range of shirts. This shirt has all the benefits that I described earlier regarding those in football who dri-fit. Other benefits of the shirts are that they have the seams sewn flat to eliminate chafing. Facility design features and benefits Fast Dry Courts Whats new is that todays courts are being watered from underneath. This changes a lot of things, not the least of which is the way fast dry courts play. The benefit of the fast dry court is that it allows players to play when they would otherwise not be able to. These types of dry court surfaces dont get saturated with water and water is not allowed to seep into the base material. Cyclops Cyclops technology helps tennis umpires by emitting a loud beep when a ball lands outside the service area. This helps the umpire with important decisions that could decide big matches such as Wimbledon or the Davis cup. Hawkeye Hawkeye is being tested at the moment before being used in all 4 majors. It has been used in the Australian open where it helps the umpire to make line calls. The benefits to tennis is that if accurate hawkeye will give us a fair tennis result there will be no more John McEnroes I dont believe it just a fair accurate result. PRM PRM has been developed by IBM to help the players and coaches plan their tactics for the tournament. Vital match data is gathered by courtside experts and fed instantly via powerful IBM servers to coaches and players in formats suited to their specific needs. With this data to hand, they can iron out their game, or use it to find weaknesses in their next opponents, which makes for better games. Compare the benefits of technological developments on equipment and facility design in two contrasting sports

Calamity Recuperation System

Calamity Recuperation System 1.Overview SanGrafix (party B) will give XXXX (party A) with the XXXX calamity recuperation system arranging and usage extend. The administration arrangement gave by party B contains the accompanying: IT the present state of affairs review Feasibility investigation of the calamity recuperation system design Technology investigation and arrangement definition Testing arranging and coordination of key advancements Implementation administration and support of the fiasco recuperation system Training and information exchange Following the Contract Law of State, party A and party B achieve a concurrence on the announcement of work (SOW) in view of the guideline of intentional shared balance and advantage. The SOW characterizes the administrations gave by party B to party A, deliverables, and obligations of both sides. Moreover, the SOW additionally ensures the smooth execution of the venture and records the limitations that must be centered on during the venture execution prepare. Unless generally expressed, terms in the SOW are characterized as takes after: Party A: Indicates XXXX. Party B: Indicates SanGrafix Co., Ltd. Both sides: Indicate XXXX and SanGrafix Co., Ltd. Principle contract: Indicates the interview benefit contract marked by both sides. SOW: Indicates the discussion benefit SOW marked by both sides. Administrations: Indicate the administrations that must be given by party B to finish the venture in light of the terms in the primary contract. 1.1Â  Purpose In light of the hazard examination and BIA, party B might break down disaster recovery prerequisites of party As data systems and detail appropriate and powerful disaster recovery approaches to direct the subsequent disaster recovery system development. The BIA is composed of the following steps: Arrangements for disaster recovery association development of information systems: As indicated by the advancement procedures and genuine states of party A, proposes an association design for reaction to crises of information systems, comprehends the position levels of proprietors, and gives rules to future arrangement improvement and crisis administration. Policies for disaster recovery ability development of information systems: By considering the BIA result and real states of party A, characterizes disaster recovery development levels of information systems in the generation focus and the range and asset pointers for building the intra-city disaster recovery focus and in addition gives rules to creating specialized arrangements. Policies for the disaster recovery procedures of information systems: As indicated by the aftereffects of BIA and hazard examination and in addition advancement procedures and genuine states of party A, decides the recovery needs, RTO, and RPO of information systems in case of a startling disaster or crisis and gives rules to future arrangement improvement and crisis administration. Policies for keeping up and dealing with the disaster recovery focus: By breaking down the improvement procedures and genuine states of party An and arrangements for disaster recovery system development, proposes an OM structure of the disaster recovery focus and gives rules to future OM system development in the disaster recovery focus. 1.2Â  Service Scope In this stage, the work substance incorporate definition of strategies for developing a disaster reinforcement system in the intra-city disaster recovery focus of party An, arrangements for crisis taking care of and disaster recovery procedures, and approaches for disaster recovery OM. 1.3 Responsibilities of Party A Provides proposals on disaster recovery strategies. Arranges and facilitates significant work force and gives records, methodology, and applicable documentation to party B. Provides comfort to party B to direct examinations and meetings. Facilitates and orchestrates the calendar of respondents and applicable faculty. Confirms the disaster recovery targets including the recovery scope, succession, RTO, and RPO of IT systems. Confirms the suggested disaster recovery development mode. Confirms the suggested advancements. Confirms the arrangement related issues that should be settled. 1.4 Responsibilities of Party B Understands the business conditions, future advancement arranging, disaster recovery arranging, and strategies of party A. Provides recommendations on the disaster recovery strategies to party A in light of the BIA result and national and mechanical controls. Outputs a disaster recovery arrangement report of information systems inside a predetermined period in light of the administrations in the agreement. Communicates with party A and affirms the proposals on disaster recovery arrangements. Modifies and enhances the arrangement archives in view of the survey remarks of party A. 2.System Description The main purpose of the BIA is to prepare sanGrafix for any kind of threat Business continuity policy is just another term for backup. Running a company without backup is not a smart move in business industry. Our business continuity plan should contain a comprehensive roadmap to restore any information during any disaster. Copies of the plan will be sent out to all important personals so that the services are never threatened. Complete analysis of all the possible threats to the company. Company response to the threat will because of both type of threat and extent of the threat. All SanGrafix sites and online storages are expected to implement preventive measures to minimize network failure. 2.1 Assignment of Service Responsibilities Service Content Service Description Responsibility of Party A Responsibility of Party B Discussion on disaster recovery policies Discusses the business status quo, future development planning, disaster recovery planning, and policies with party A. Providing assistance Taking the main responsibility Suggestions on disaster recovery policies Provides suggestions on the disaster recovery policies to party A based on the BIA result and national and industrial regulations. Providing assistance Taking the main responsibility Disaster recovery policy report output Outputs a disaster recovery policy report. Taking all responsibilities Report review Reviews and confirms the disaster recovery policy report. Taking all responsibilities 3Definition of a Disaster Recovery System Architecture and Technical Solution 3.1 Service Objectives To guarantee smooth development of the disaster reinforcement system of party A, specialists of party B might join necessity investigation result, disaster recovery strategies, and development wanting to help party An arrangement the design of the intra-city disaster recovery system and technical courses. In light of the technical courses affirmed by both sides and general engineering configuration, party B should refine the intra-city disaster recovery arrangement, give item designs, and compute harsh costs. 3.2Service Content Disaster recovery engineering outline and technical course detailing: By considering disaster recovery strategies, pointers, (for example, the RTO and RPO) in the development arranging, and current system states of party A, specialists of party B should outline an intra-city disaster recovery system engineering and examine, assess, and test standard advancements to plan itemized technical courses and approaches. The technical courses cover the information replication innovation, organize engineering, standby preparing system, and handling capacities. In the wake of talking about and affirming the general arranging and general technical course with party An, experts of party B might refine the intra-city disaster recovery arrangement. Technical arrangement refining: In light of the former arranging and technical courses, experts of party B might build up a propelled, proficient, and appropriate intra-city disaster recovery arrangement. The arrangement covers the IT system investigation, information replication system arrangement, reinforcement handling system arrangement, and reinforcement organize system arrangement. Requirements for reinforcement system preparing abilities: Involve classifications of administrations that can procedure exchanges, number of exchanges that are finished inside unit time, outer applications and their transmission capacity, branches and their transfer speed, exchange strategies and abilities of reproductions, effect on the exchange abilities of the generation system, and different capacities, for example, testing and information inquiry. Requirements for reinforcement system recovery capacities: Involve impromptu occasions that can be taken care of and their sorts, recovery benefit sorts, recovery strategies, honesty of recouped information, and time required for administration recovery. Requirements for reinforcement system security: Involve physical security, information security, and staff security. Requirements for routine administration of the reinforcement system: Involve checking modes, change operation modes, recovery operation modes, technical bolster modes, and abilities. Suggestions on basic items and designs: Involve brands of basic items, models, and nitty gritty setups of system gadgets, hosts, and capacity gadgets (that meet marker prerequisites in the technical arrangement arranging). 3.3 Service Scope The work substance of detailing an intra-city disaster recovery arrangement cover IT foundation getting ready for the disaster recovery focus and plan of the information replication and reinforcement system, standby handling system, standby system, and system security. 3.4 Responsibilities of Party A Specifies a venture supervisor and approves the venture chief with adequate human asset allotment rights. The venture director is in charge of affirming the execution of each undertaking and passing on messages in the venture usage handle. Arranges engineers who know about big business IT information system designs to take an interest in the discussion extend. The members must be proficient faculty in various fields, including system engineers, arrange engineers, application designers, and database heads of party A. Participates (technical work force of party A) in adequate exercises in the conference extend so that the arrangement can better meet client prerequisites and information can be exchanged. These exercises incorporate different trainings, dialogs, and gatherings. Attaches (pioneers of party A) significance to conference work and completely bolsters the meeting members. Reviews and affirms the arrangement of party B. 3.5 Responsibilities of Party B Designs a disaster recovery system engineering by examining necessities, strategies, and qualities of mechanical disaster recovery models. Formulates technical courses for disaster recovery by examining prerequisites for disaster recovery levels of use systems, disaster recovery pointers, and standard disaster recovery advances. Designs an asset setup answer for the disaster recovery focus in light of the technical courses and current IT asset arrangements of party A. Outputs the underlying draft of the disaster recovery arrangement, submits it to party A for audit, and updates it in light of survey remarks of party A. Business Continuity Sprint Business. (2017). Sprint Business. Retrieved 14 March 2017, from https://business.sprint.com/solutions/business-continuity/?ECID=sem%3Aggl%3A20170303%3ADWASearch%3ANB%3AB2B%3APhrase%3ABusinessContinuity Business Continuity Plan. Ready.Gov. Retrieved 14 March 2017, from https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/BusinessContinuityPlan.pdf Shinder, D. (2017). 10 Things You Should Cover In Your Business Continuity Plan. TechRepublic. Retrieved from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-things-you-should-cover-in-your-business-continuity-plan/

Analysis Of The Financial Statements Of Coca Cola Finance Essay

Analysis Of The Financial Statements Of Coca Cola Finance Essay The firm and the outside providers of the capital that is the investors and the creditors will all take the financial statements into considerations .The Investor in the companys will be interested in the present and future expected earning of the company . As a result the investoes will be interested in the profitability of the company usually this will be their focus of their analysis. They are also concerned with the firm ability of the firm to pay dividends Internal management will also employ financial analysis for the following reasons: Better purpose of internal control Management need to undertake financial analysis in order to plan and control effectively The financial manager is particularly concerned with the return on investment provided by various assets of the company. Financial statements Financial analysis is the art of transforming data from financial statement into information that is useful for decision making. Balance sheet: A summary of a firm financial position on a given data that shows total assets =total liabilities + owners equity INCOME STATEMENT:- A summary of a firms revenues and expenses over a specified period ending net income or loss for a period. Cash flow statements:- Is a financial Statements that shows how changes in the balance sheet accounts and income affects cash and cash equivalents and break the analysis down to operating investing and finance activities. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Balance sheet Cash Flow Statement INCOME STATEMENT COCA COLA BACKGROUND INFORMATION The coca cola company is the worlds largest produces of non alcoholic beverages concentrates and syrups.This company is based in atalnta, gerogia which makes concentrated form of beverages and sells them to the retailers. The company has its operation in more that 200 countries and sells nearly up to 100 different brands .Coca cola is now one of the worlds largest co-operation with a global workforcw of 90000. Over the years the brand equity of Coca cola trade mark,the produces brands ,has established the company a prominent figure in the non alcoholic industry and allowed comapnay to maintain high revenue and profits . The Coca-Cola Companys major offerings include such as coca -cola, sprite ,Fanta ,coke zero etc. EVALUATION Liquidity (Appendix A) Current Ratio: The current ration from the years 2007 to 2009(Appendix A) has been increasing but when compared to the standard ration 2:1 these ratios are much lower which shows short term liquidity effencicy and inefficient use of resources.Some corrective measures should be taken by the management to maintain the resources. Acid test ratio:This show the ability of the firm to pay its current obligation more quickly without considering the inventory and per-paid expenses . From the ratios (Appendix A) the firm has no trouble in meeting its current obligation ;there is an incline in the ratio and the company has the ability to meet the current obligation. working capital: The working capital of the company (Appendix A) when seen from 2007 to 2008 the net working capital was negative and the situation was alarming.The ablity of the firm to meet its current expenses for day to day operation shows a constraint. But in 009 the working capital shows a positive impact. Receivables Turnover:In Coca cola the number of times receivables are converted into cash has showed continuous varation from 2007 to 2009. In 2007 the accounts receivables turnover showed incline but again in 2008 due to the financial crisis it has showed a decline. So improvement has been made in 2009 in collection of accounts receivables. So overall situation is quite satisfactory. AVERAGE COLLECTION PERIOD: In coca cola the number of days requires to collect receivables have increased over the time; it shows the ineffective management of the credit department. So this ratio shows the negetive trend as efficiency has not improved Days sales in inventory: In coca cola the number of days requires to collect receivables have increased over the time; it shows the ineffective management of the credit department. So this ratio shows the negetive trend as efficiency has not improved. Inventory turnover: In coca cola cash were increased in 2007 and 2009. This was indication of negative trend. However improvement has been made in 2008. Leverage (Appendix A) Leverage ratios measure the degree of protection of suppliers of long term funds. The level of leverage depends on a lot of factors such as availability of collateral, strength of operating cash flow and tax treatments. Thus, investors should be careful about comparing financial leverage between companies from different industries. In Coco cola The amount of funds provided by creditors in relation to total assets has been the same from 2007 to 2009. Debt- to total -asset ratio it is obvious that amount of funds provided by creditors to purchase total assets are continuously remaining the same. As in last 3 years the more than 25% of the total assts are being financed by creditors, so the current situation is quite alarming. Operating cash flow that show a great percentage increase which the suppliers and the investors should see . Profitability(Appendix A) It is this ratio analysis which would give an insight into the prfotability of the firm , as it would help the investors analysi the combined effect of the liquidity of the firm , its dividend yield Earning pershare , revenue growth and the are all important for the survival of the firm. This would tell how the company has been utilizing its resources in generating profits and shareholders value. GROSS PROFIT MARGIN: In coca cola the gross profit margin of the organization has showed a continuous increased from 2007 to 2009. But the above time serious analysis clearly implicit, that the ability of the organization to generate profit is improving. The management has taken reasonable as well as tremendous efforts to improve profitability. Net Profit Margin: In coca cola although there was slight decline in 2007 from 2008 due to the financial crisis net profit margin , but in 2009 serious analysis clearly implicit, that the ability of the organization to generate profit is improving. This showed that the management is managing it selling and admin expenses efficiently and effectively with increasing sales profit to add more to net profits. Profit generation capability is showing positive trend over the years. Operating Income margin: In coca cola operating profit was increased in 2009 from 2008 . It was decreased in 2008 as compared to previous year. However in 2009 a considerable increased has occurred. Operating profit has increased considerably. So the overall situation is quite satisfactory. Return on Equity: The Return on Equity was maximum in 2008 but decreased in 2009 and went down more in 2007 . This again may have happened due to the issue of more long-term debt recession. Return on investment: The overall trend is positive over the timeperiod. The return on investment has increased considerably from 2007 to 2009, which indicates that funds are being utilized effectively to generate revenue. INVESTOR ANALYSIS(Appendix A) DEGREE OF FINANCIAL LEVERAGE: The degree of financial leverage is fluctuating over the time period. It was improved in year 2009 and 2007 but, in 2008 once again it indicate a negative trend. The loan is not being utilized efficiently to made more earnings available toshareholders. So the above trend needs corrective action. Earning Per Share: Earning per share has been increased continuously. It is obvious, that earning capacity of the organization is improving continuously with the time. Earning made on each share of the stockholders equity is increasing. This showed that the shareholders fund is being used efficiently and effectively to maximize the shareholders wealth. Price / Earning Ratio: Price/earning ratio has been decreasing continuously over the three years. It has decreased considerably in 2008. It reflects a very bad indication on the price of the share. It is quite alarming for the marker price of the stock. Corrective action should be taken immediately. Dividend Yield: Dividend yield which shows dividend per share in relation to market price per share. It was decreasing from 2008 to 2009. Dividend yield showed improvement in 2008 as compared to previous 3 years. So the above analysis shows that some improvement has been made. Book Value per Share: It relates the stockholders equity to the number of shares outstanding, giving the shares a raw value. Comparing the market value to the book value can indicate whether or not the stock in overvalued or undervalued. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: (Appendix A) The fizz is back in Coca-Colas stock. As we can see in the envaluation the company is generating a huge amount of cash flow of 44.70 billion and about $2.93 per share.It has made a net prfit margin of 20.55% in 2009 and a return on equity of about 26.92% . Any one would tell that this is a fabulous company. The company last year saw profit and sales rise following a strong performance in the developing markets. Coca-Cola remains financially awesome and its drinks will be sold even if the economy cools off. The company has moved into the an emerging consumer market such as China , as now China is taking is firt sip of Coca cola.If the history is any guide, the people of that country will get hookied to Coca cola nad will become their loyal customers. Coca cola has a strong Earning per share and this would continue growing for the next 2 to 5 years. The stock would hit $62 within this year. Coca-Cola shares were trading at a price-earnings ratio of 19.45 Coca-Colas stock has gained about 20% more than the Standard Poors 500 Index ($INX) over the past five years Earnings growth in the past year has moved up moderately compared to earnings growth in the past years. Positive. Coca-Colas stock actually looks like a good investment now that it is starting to benefit from a renewed focus on aggressively retooling its product mix. The coca cola stock where fluctuating from $45-69, the price of Coca cola stock now is $53.61which is actually down. The company is now willing to take risks on new brands to capture the strength of hip soft-drink trends such as energy drinks and flavored waters. From now on I can see that Coca-Cola is gaining market share through out the globe. Its safe for investors to assume that the growth in the most recent years is not a fake, but the beginning of a trend the shares will grow steadily higher. As of now I guess that the company has a drop in business in Europe and latin America Developing markets such as China, Africa and India posted double-digit growth in unit volume led in part by carbonated beverages such as Coke and Sprite. The analysi of coca cola would not be complete without taking intpo the consideration the brand recogination because it is one of the billion companies in the world that people recognize. Its hard to tell the worth of coke brand but you can be sure that its an essential ingredient contributing to the companys ongoing success SELECTED COMPITETOR PepsiCo Pepsico is the compitetos for coca cola in the non alcoholic beverge industry. It has 31% of the total maket shar as when comapered to coke which has 42.8%. U.S. non-alcoholic beverage market share, by volume PEP has many brands some very well known Mountain Dew Aquafina Tropicana and Lipton Both the companies are working hard to grab a larger share in the market and for the title of the best soda producer in the world ,both the companies have a similar taste in the investment portfolio.both the companies share equal powerful brand names and global franchises , but when it comes to profit, revenue EPS dididend yield and othe terms realeted to investment in their stock both different in different ways. But during the period of recession both the companies had problems making the stock prices and the revenue incomes , the management of pepsico was far better as we get to see in the critical analysi of the assignment , Pepsico has a larger revenue , due to diversifation of its product lines. Liquidity In the receivables area ,PepsiCo is ahead of coca cola. Coca-cola is better off with the days sales in receivables, but substantially behind either per year and account receivable turnover, days. In the inventory area, Coco cola appears to be ahead of PepsiCo. They do have some what different Inventory methods, which could account for the difference. Coca-Cola has a slightly higher operating cycle ,Which favors PepsiCo Working capital cannot be compared .PepsiCo is materially better that Coca cola PepsiCo current ratio is materially higher than Coca colas. This is necessarily bood because the Coca-cola current ratio is very good and PepsiCo possibly has to many inventory. Coca cola and PepsiCo acid test ratio are both quite the same, which is good. Coca-Cola cash on hand is much better than PepsiCo. Leverages: PepsiCo did better in debt ratio ,debt/equity ratio, and tangible net worth ,Cocacola has good ration in these areas. Coca cola has a materially better operating cash flow/total debt .PepsiCo debt indicator appears to be materially better than Coca cola. The Coca-Cola indicators are good. Profitability Coca-Cola has a number of profitability indicators that are materially better than PepsiCo. Included here are net profit margin, return on investment, return on equity. PepsiCo has a number of profitability indicators that are better than coca cola.In general, PepsiCo s profitability appears to be materially better than coca cola. Investors Analysis Neither company has a high degree of financial leverage ,but Coca-Cola is lower. price/earning ratio is slightly higher for coca cola . Take a note liquidity is better for PepsiCo ,long tern debt paying ability was materially better for PepsiCo and the profitability was materially better for PepsiCo . The Investors Analysis appears to be better for PepsiCo that that of Coca-Cola .Considering the liquidity , long-term debt paying ability and the profitability we would expect PepsiCo price/earning ratio to be higher than Coca-Cola . Getting technical (Appendix B) The stock to see them how they have been performed I took a look at the chart of 4 years price of the stock , in the chart for the coca cola share we see that Coke has done remarkably very well in 2007 but in December 2008 we see that the stock proce has come dwn . even because of this , the stock boasts a total return, including dividends, of about 23% for the past year. But PepsiCo has held its ground better In terms of fundamentals, Pepsi seems to have the slight advantage. While Coca-Cola does have the higher figures, Pepsi has the better margins in terms of operating margins, revenue, and profit which is more important for growing companies. During the 2009 pepsi had a better EPS in their statements. The past year Coca-Cola has only remain in a five dollar range, showing little fluctuation patterns for speculators or investors. While this seems to be bad in coca cola ,the value seems to have increased to its maximum, but we can also see a drop in the prices of shre of Coca cola when compared to 2007 and 2009.While pepsico has seen continued growth throughout its tenure in a nice steady growth pattern. The company is in its prime of its careerand this should be able to carry the stock to high numbers for at least a decade.By investing now in pepsi, the investos have an opportunity to see pepsi rise to near 80-100 points by 2010.and possibility of more by 2015. Such as a process is also favorable with its dividend payoff which allows for reinvestments to increase gains. Likewise, I give PepsiCo an edge on the product side. Both companies have done very well navigating a beverage market that is always evolving. PepsiCo owns the Gatorade brand, which is popular with the athletic set; Coca-Cola purchased the trendy Vitamin Water line in 2007. Depending on the market situation in tha klast two years coke stock trades at 10.8 times the analyst earning while pepsico 11.3 times , which indicates that pepsico is doing better. My expectation is that coke profits would grow to 9 percent over the next five years ,but pepsico would grow at 11 percent ,which is behind the forcast. To me, thats an edge for PepsiCo, because the company has more room for overseas growth. This sort of competition keeps both companies innovative, aggressive and eager to please consumers and shareholders. Pepsi has the edge over Coke in price performance, with a total return, including dividends, Looking at longer-term patterns, PepsiCo has a decided edge. Over 10 years, PepsiCo has an even bigger advantage. EVALUATION OF FINANCIAL MARKETS 2008 financial crisis: Coca-Cola Coca cola is selling its products all over the world and it would be a safe investment for the people if they are buying the shares people as I realize that due to the economice crisis investors think twice before they actually buy the stock , the prices of the shaers are increasing and this indicates that the growth will be more as the days pass by. 2009 results. Despite the economic downturn, the company increased its sales by 2 percent in the United States and by 3 percent worldwide. In India, Coca-Colas business grew by 31 percent between January and March 2009. In 2008, sales revenue increased by 7 percent in Brazil In the 2008 due to this crisi profit fell 3 percent to $5.81 billion, or $2.49 per share, from $5.98 billion, or $2.57 per share, in 2007. Commodity Cost Fluctuations Affect Margins:. The varaiation in the prices of the raw materials would directly and indirectly affect the production coas which in turn would affect the profitability of Coca cola. Here Coca cola itself would be directly purchasing the raw materials which are used to make the concertes nad syrups.varation in the prices of these would affect the cost of production of as wellas the profit margins Here also the change in the production cost os the bottlers can also impact the coca cola profitability in and indirect way though. If the raw material becomes more that is necessary for bottling then ,the bottlers would be forced to increase the prices to compensate. Such a nature would hurt the profitabitity of the company , in such an competitive nature of the non alcoholic beverage company.and would be possible incentive for the consumers to switch over to other companies beverages. The prices of these commodities rose in 2007 and dramatically pressured margins. significant rise in Commodities represents a constant threat to profits. Dollar Affects International Performance : The another factor for the decrease in the profit and revenue was the affect in the dollar performance. Although the company was based in north America more that 76% of its revenues was derived from outside north America.Because of this the company is very sensitive to the strength in Dollar price.As the prices of the other currencies weaken relative to dollar , goods that are sold outside the US are worth back in the US, lowering earmning. Thus, if the dollar strengthens (as it did in the second half of 2008 and 2009), it has a negative effect on Coca cola earnings. Coca-Cola expect currency fluctuations to adversely operating income by 10-12% . The Global Economic Recession Threatens Overall Demand http://cdn.wikinvest.com/i/px.gif: In the 2008 -2009 the global economic recession , the credit crunch had a major impact on the sales and revenues of the COCA COLA company as because the consumers where not able to afford the price of coca cola during that period , the company had also increased the prices of their product because of the increase in the price of their commodity. Conclusion and recommendations

Death And The Kings Horseman: Giving Up The Battle Essay -- essays res

From the Western perspective, it is hard to understand ritual suicide as anything positive or helpful to the living. There almost seems to be no Western equivalent to the "duty" of Elesin in Death and the King's Horseman. However, Wole Soyinka gives us a comparable situation in Jane's description of a captain blowing up a ship to save the people on the shore. It's a moment of hypocrisy on Britain's part, both trying to prevent Elesin's suicide and lauding a Western suicide which purports to do the exact same thing - save the living from destruction. It's also clear that Olunde sees this ridiculous parallel, but he does not make Jane see the connection. Instead, he lets the matter drop, which, in the Western perspective is puzzling. We want everyone to see the truth and explain it, and think worse of Olunde because of his inability to show Jane what's really going on. But it is really his own unique viewpoint and actions that show that what he does is much smarter than our want of brute force.Olunde's intelligence stems from thinking before acting. Yes, Jane gives perfect ammunition to explain why his father saving his people from destruction and going to a much better place, but that doesn't mean the best solution is for him to point this out. Changing people's opinions in discussion might be a Western virtue, but opening one's trap is not always the best strategic option. Olunde's education and background combined give him a unique vantagepoint on action, and he...

The Ethics Of The Media Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of the media has become an ongoing question since the large amount of conflicts between the consumer and media. Why is the original purpose of the media so damn hard to figure out? It is time to confront this issue instead of blowing it off by saying, "We can never change the media, so why bother?" What kind of chickenshit statement is that?! If there are so many people with so much power, surely one of them realizes the downward spiral of the ethics of the media. I feel my sole purpose of this paper is to tell everyone my ideas and viewpoints on censoring the media.Ooooooo, censor. What a bad word that is when used in the same sentence with media. So many people believe censorship is a bad thing, but there is no other solution in stopping the "bad press." When I sit back and look at the stories about stories that are bad and offending to someone, I realize something needs to be done. The media is out of control. True, there are many informing and needed stories, but, my god, how many times a day to we need to hear and read about how much money O.J. Simpson has to pay the family of Ronald Goldman? We, as consumers, need to sit back and ask ourselves, "What was the point of hearing or reading that story?" Back to the censor issue. I, as an aspiring journalist, do not believe in total and complete censorship of the media, but also, as an aspiring journalist, I am embarrassed of some of the stories that are run, for instance, when t...

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin-Response Paper

Running head: PATH TO AUTO-IMPROVEMENT 1 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: The Path to the Auto-improvement Luis A. Cruz Prof. Jerry Wallace HIST 1301 University of Texas at El Paso PATH TO AUTO-IMPROVEMENT 2 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: The Path to the Auto-improvement The main reason that Franklin had to write his autobiography was to show how to live the life in a better way, at least in Franklin? experience. Franklin added two letters that eventually convinced him to finish his project of writing his autobiography. The letters (one from Mr. Able James and the other from Mr. Benjamin Vaughan) said to Franklin about the importance that had others would know about his life. Actually this book was not destined to talk about his role during the American Revolution. In fact, this book is about a way to get a life of excellence. During his autobiography Franklin remarked the facts that he thought more relevant for the auto-betterment.The main factors that I like were: the importance of reading, the education that Franklin? s father gave him and the accepting mistakes. During four parts of the autobiography, Franklin talked about how the books make him better. Franklin? s love for the books during his childhood was very important for his success. It is easier to acquire knowledge from books if you like reading than if it is just done as a task. His abilities for reading grew enough to develop his writing. At the time Franklin had developed reading (to gain knowledge) and writing (to transmit it) he is converted in a respectable man.In the most part of his life, due his knowledge, Franklin was very helpful in the development of the town where he lived. Also, with reading, Franklin reshaped his life style. For example, just consuming vegetables (sometimes ate fish), or just drinking water and nothing of beer although others laughed of it. Maybe getting a healthy life helped to the long life of Franklin. PATH TO AUTO-IMPROVEMENT 3 Next, Franklin? s father was too important in his development as person.I think the most important fact was when Franklin stole some quarry stones for a wharf. But when his father took notice of this, he taught to Franklin that when something bad is done to accomplish anything, then this does not worth it. Also, Franklin during his childhood and youth notice the importance of knowledge. Franklin saw his father as a respected man due his impartiality and capacity to solve problems. This example became a model to live in society for Franklin. Finally, Franklin showed the significance of accepting mistakes.Franklin said that he committed a very big mistake when he loses contact with Miss Read. At the time he returned from England, he married with Miss Read. Franklin believed that left her in the past was a big mistake because when they are married, they became happier. Also, accepting mistakes meant for Franklin the happiness. When he took notice that he could not be perfect, then just does not live mo re under pressure to reach perfection. This did not mean leave his life style. In conclusion, I think this is a very helpful book.Actually I believed that it would be more engaged with American history, but eventually, the lessons were very interesting like the importance of reading, the thirteen virtues, or working for the community. On the other hand, I think that the book is very hard to read due the differences and useless of some words, it is necessary a dictionary. Also, the way to write an autobiography is not the better. I remembered had read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and this had a better sequence. Although this book was not made as a history resource, it helps to know the way of life in this era.

Jake The Jaw

An example off dir etc action could be the savior's dashing Into a blazing structure and saving a trapped Infant fro the impending fire or the act of putting himself in debt to feed and clothe an ill fortuned family. An indirect action, though, often occurs when the savior pits himself against a devious a ND corrupt force in either a forceful or peaceful fashion, yet almost always with the foreknowledge e that only imprisonment or death can result.The ultimate return of this action would not so m such lead to the relinquishing of former corrupt ways, but It would give faith to those for whom the e savior was fighting so they could continue in their struggle against oppression. In both America n and English literature, this savior Is a common character who often sets the moral tone of r a work. Even though the savior comes in many different forms, the life surrounding literature' s most renowned savior, Jesus Christ, provides a common structure that many books utilize.One such story s oaked in Christian symbolism is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in which taut horror Ken Keyes often compares and models the mall character Randall McCarthy after Christ Although McCarthy doctrine and social mores are not quite as fundamental as Chrism's, some e similar messages break through as he plays savior for the patients of the mental ward of a h spiral.Through both direct and indirect acts of servitude on behalf of the fearful patients an corrupt Nurse Ratchet, McCarthy leads the way to salvation by way of a number of events that parallel Chrism's entering of the sinful world, his recruitment and teaching of the disc piles, the Pharisees' persecution of him, and his ultimate destruction at the hands of a corrupt and evil opponent. For there to be a savior somewhat resembling Christ, two things are needed: those needing to be saved and a setting where evil is the dominating force.Upon the entrant once of the favor, a sense of selflessness must be acquired as it is his duty to serve the needy an d oppressed. McCarthy assimilates himself into the role off Christ figure quite quickly, working to heal the patients and present to them the first steps to salvation. The appearance of Christ in the sinful world and of McCarthy in the manipulating ward was the beginning of their Jobs as messiahs.Before Christ assumed this tedious Job, he came to the prophet John the Baptist who, prior to the arrival of Christ, people had often qua questioned on the issue of whether or not he was the messiah; he had always dutifully replied that e was not the messiah but was indeed a precursor of him. 3 In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the 1 C. I. Subfield, deed. , The Holy Bible, King James Version (Newark: Oxford University Pres s, 1909), The New Testament, Matt. 1 . 2 Ken Keyes, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (New York: Signet, 1962), p. 25. 3 Subfield, pop. It. , John 3: 28. Patient Ellis performs a similar role. Ellis is a product of electrotherapist which is a me decal procedure Just short of lobotomy. As a result, he now adorns the walls with his arms outspread as if the hospital has nailed or crucified him there,4 ND he serves as a warning to the rest of the patients not to resist the therapeutic power of the hospital. More importantly, though h, Keyes uses Ellis as the precursor of McCarthy, foreshadowing the future use of the torture treatment on McCarthy, the result of which is his ‘crucifixion. 5 During the Biblical event in which Christ asked to have John the Baptist baptize him, John replied, bewildered, that he had moor e of a need to have Christ baptize him than the other way around, but, in response, Christ said to do it he baptismal waters. 6 Keyes also alludes to this event, a bit more wittingly, when McCarthy enters he ward shaking hands and making greetings, only to come across the crucified Ellis standing in a puddle of urine. McCarthy then states, in his own version of ‘suffer it,' ‘My name e is R. P. McCarthy an d I don't like to see a full grown man sloshing' around in his own water. 7 After Chrism's cleansing, he went about and healed the people in need, especially those afflicted with physical ailments, for example a dying leper, a centurion's servant, and a feverish mother. 8 McCarthy, too, is described as a healer. Broaden, one of the patients on the ward who is receptive to Musher's teachings, describes a ruin with a Disturbed art patient who asks for his attention: I couldn't sleep much the rest of the night and I kept seeing those yellow teeth†¦ Asks Eng to Look me! Look me!†¦ That face, Just a yellow, starved need, come looming out of the dark in front of me, wanting things†¦ Skiing things. I wondered how McCarthy slept, plagued by a hundred faces like that, or two hundred, or a thousand. 9 Broaden also witnesses the entrance of McCarthy onto the ward and senses the pop were emanating from his hand as he greets the patients and shakes their hands. When the e two fina lly get around to shaking hands, Broaden says that his ‘hand commenced to feel peculiar r and went to swelling up†¦ Like [McCarthy] was transmitting his own blood into it. '10 Perhaps one of Chrism's most renowned cases of miracle healing was the one in which he raised the recently deceased Lazarus from his grave. 1 Sticking to the mold, McCarthy, too, ‘raises the flesh' of Broaden. 12 Broaden is not dead, but his sexuality is, and the messiah of masculinity, McCarthy, equating 4 Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 20 Ibid. , p. 237. 6 Subfield, pop. Cit. , Matt. 3: 1315. 7 Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 25 8 , Matt. 8. 9 Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 234 Ibid. , p. 27. 11 Subfield, pop. Cit. , John 11: 112: 11. 12 Margaret Church and William T. Stafford, deeds. , Modern Fiction Studies (New Jersey: P Urdu Research Foundation, 1975), Volvo. 2, No. 2, â€Å"Ken Keys Psychopathic Savior: A Rejoinder,† by Rob ret Former, p. 27. 5 the sexual organ to the soul,13 induces Broaden to have an erec tion by telling titillating tales of women and rekindled manhood. 15 Christ, following his doctrine stating that ‘he that is greatest among you shall be your servant,'16 also acted on behalf of all of his followers and their need at once, rather than Just one at a time, and subjected himself to the tortures of crucifixion n in order to pay for their sin. McCarthy, too, acts in an indirect fashion submitting himself to pap n on behalf of the patients. 7 He breaks Nurse Ratchet's office window, cutting his hand,18 and he later attacks her and rips off her uniform, exposing her femininity, and ultimately sacrificing g himself since the response to the attack is his lobotomy. According to Broaden, We couldn't stop him because we were the ones making him do it. It wasn't the nurse that was forcing him , it was our need. '19 The first stages of Musher's presence in the fearful domain of the hospital, based the entrance of Christ into the world, is productive and beneficial to the pa tients who he is first introducing to the path of salvation.To lead mankind to salvation, Christ needed a little more than Just miracles, he needed d an (almost) unfaltering backing and a receptive audience. With that he recruited the twelve disciples and sent them to cleanse evil spirits and spread the word of the Lord. MGM ropy, following suit, does the same by ‘recruiting' the patients in the ward as his own disciple less whom he then reattaches the arts of their manhood. Even with the miracles, though, Christ and McCarthy both have a hard time convincing everybody of their plausibility, and, eve tally, other's doubts lead to their downfalls.The relation between Chrism's disciples and Musher's patients is an important one in ages, some bearing little or no importance and others forming the basis for the rest of the story. One of the first events to transpire between the Christ and the disciples was when he ACTA ally recruited them. He taught them his lessons, led them on a trek to salvation, gave the m the power to cleanse men,20 and made them ‘fishers of men'21 so that they could help him lead the rest of mankind to salvation. One locale, for example, where Christ took the disciples o teach them was on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. 2 Keyes makes a direct connection with this when McCarthy takes eleven patients and the doctor (thus his twelve ‘disciples') on a fish Eng expedition on the open seas to teach them about manly life and how to reclaim it. 23 Prior to the leaving of the ward, the patient Ellis, who is not going, bids farewell and tells another patient to ‘be a fisher of men,'24 directly alluding to Chrism's expedition. The trip is a success with the 13 Ibid. , p. 226. Keyes, pop. Cit. , up. 189190. 15 Bruce Scares, Ken Keyes (Caldwell, Texas: The Cotton Printers, Ltd. , 1974), p. 4. 16 Subfield, pop. It. , Matt. 23: 11. 17 Scares, loc. Cit. 18 Keyes, pop. Cit. , up. 172173. 19 Ibid. , p. 267. 20 Subfield, pop. Cit. , Matt. 10: 1. 21 Ibid. , Matt. 4: 1819. Ibid. , Matt. 8: 23. 24 Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 198. 14 25 As a messiah of masculinity,26 McCarthy teaches about a manly life consisting of, among other things, whoring, drinking, fishing, and swearing. 27 Another very important thing that McCarthy emphasizes is the ability to laugh uninhibitedly. His gospel of laughter reaches out to the patients and their senses of humor that an overbearing fear has all but annihilated. 9 Through his win observance of the events that take place, Broaden sees how McCarthy watches for the humor in the behavior of the hospital personnel, ‘and when he sees how funny it is h e goes to laughing, as this aggravates them to no end. He's safe as long as he can laugh†¦ And it works pretty fair. '30 This revives Bromide's memory of his Native American father who also used this tactic when dealing with white businessmen and government men who wanted their land; by laughing uninhibitedly, his father had aggravated and humiliated the greedy white m en. 1 This memory further reinforces Musher's teachings and Broaden, even though he still goes not have his ability to laugh back yet, realizes that man cannot really be strong until he c an finally see the funny side of things. 32 From all of this, Broaden, still learning from McCarthy, finally starts to near salvation. This occurs when the McCarthy takes a vote (that wins) on whether t o allow the patients to watch the World Series, but Nurse Ratchet denies them the privilege.In r espouse, McCarthy leads a strike and assembles the men in front of the blank TV and Nurse Ratchet loses her composure and yells at them in a screechy manner that Broaden finds so funny that he almost laughs. 34 Broaden is finally on the road to recuperation, though, when an orderly finds his stash of hidden gum and McCarthy makes a Joke, at which Broaden chuckles for the first time in years. 35 Having gone through his battle against fear and finally regaining his ability to laugh, Broaden remembers what laughter can do, 36 all because of Musher's help which opens Bromide's eyes to some of the good around him. 7 With the advent of Bromide's awareness, McCarthy has already succeeded in following up in some of Chrism's foot steps. Perhaps the most difficult part of Chrism's career was his trying to convince others that hat he was saying was the truth and getting them to recognize him for who he truly McCarthy shares the same sentiment, although, it is more a product of apathy. In lit ratter, one symbol used often to represent Christ is the fish. In fact, in the Greek language the w rod for fish is stitch's which is an acrostic that stands for lessons Christofis Thou House Shooter, or J sees Christ Son of God Savior. 8 This symbol is also seen in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on 25 Ibid. , p. 212. Church, pop. Cit. , p. 226. 27 Keyes, pop. Cit. , up. 198199. 28 Margaret L. Hartley, deed. , Southwest Review (Dallas: Southern Methodist University Pr ss, 19 73), Volvo. LIVID, No. 2, â€Å"Salvation Through Laughter: Ken Keyes and the Cuckoo's Nest,† by Steppe n L. Tanner, p. 125. 29 Ibid. Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 104. 31 Ibid. , p. 86. 32 Ibid. , p. 203. 33 Ibid. , p. 128. Hartley, pop. Cit. , p. 131 . 35 Keyes, pop. Cit. , up. 184185. 37 Ibid. , p. 216. 38 Philip Babcock Gave, Ph.D. , deed. , Webster Third New International Dictionary (Spring field, Mass. : 26 Musher's underwear, which has white whales on it. 39 This symbol may identify McCarthy as a Christ figure to the knowledgeable reader, but the patients in the ward need a little more he Ip. Some of the doubt among Chrism's own disciples was shown when, while on a fishing boat, an already unproductive, uneventful day, Peter doubted this carpenter's knowledge about fishing g, but threw the nets out anyway. A boat load offish was the result, yet Peter still doubted. 0 Peter was finally won over, though, during a terrible sea storm in which he and his fishing crew was caught. He aring their cries for help, Christ walked out on the water and bid that Peter come o UT on the water with him. Peter did so and stood on the water, yet as he neared Christ, the turn bullet eaters frightened him and he began to sink. Christ then reached out and grasped hi s hand and stated, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 41 Broaden, too, doubted and stayed in the ‘fog' which enshrouded him, rather than take part in the events that were taking place in the ward. 2 Broaden is compared to the doubtful Peter and the fog is somewhat compared to t he water into which he was sinking. When McCarthy comes around looking for support in a vote, Broaden reports that ‘that big red hand of Musher's is reaching down into the fog dropping down and dragging the men up by their hands†¦ Ragging them out of the f go. '43 After Christ saved him, Peter finally believed in his powers and recognized him for who he was; Christ asked Peter, Whom say ye that I am? à ¢â‚¬Ëœ and Peter responded, ‘Thou art the Christ, the s on of the living God'. 4 With that and Chrism's resurrection, according to the Bible, Peter and the other follower's faith was strengthened; Christ then commanded them to ‘teach all nations. To observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. '45 Broaden also conceded his belief in McCarthy when he stated that he believed McCarthy was a ‘giant come out of the s KY to save us,'46 ND, at the end, he proceeded to spread the gospel in the corrupt land after he sees peed from the hospital. 47 He spreads the gospel by being the narrator for this book and telling of the story of McCarthy the savior. 8 Christ and McCarthy once again both succeed in helping the needy, resulting in the recognition of them as messengers in the employ of the Lord. Keyes finally draws this chapter of Musher's mission to a close with his Last Fling a ND capture which are quite parallel to Chrism's Last Supper and capture. Before Christ w as to die for his cause, as he had prophesied, he and the disciples had time to eat the Last Supper After that, he and the disciples went to Statement to pray, and he confided in them, saying, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, Merriment's, Inc. , 1986), â€Å"Stitch's,† p. 1121. 39 Keyes, pop. It. , up. 7677. Subfield, pop. Cit. , Luke 5: 45. 41 Ibid. , Matt. 14: 2431. 42 Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 126. 43 Ibid. , p. 124. Subfield, pop. Cit. , Matt. 16: 1516. 45 Ibid. , Matt. 28: 1920. Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 224. 47 Scares, pop. Cit. , p. 8. Keyes, pop. Cit. , p. 13. 49 Subfield, pop. Cit. , Matt. 26. Even unto death. '50 Christ then went off to pray by himself, leaving the disciples standing guard. After Christ had returned and found them asleep a number of times, he had tried to wake them, but, meanwhile, the Chief Priests had been able to encroach upon their position in or deer to arrest Christ. 1 With them was Judas Chariot, one of the less faithful disciples, who betra yed Christ f or thirty pieces of silver by leading the priests to him. 52 Afterwards, Judas became very sorrowful over his deeds and went and hanged himself. 53 In a much similar fashion, McCarthy is given burial rite after Nurse Ratchet has sent him to the Disturbed ward for attacking the o orderlies. While awaiting Nurse Ratchet's next move which ends up being electrotherapist for McCarthy the Disturbed ward nurse salves, or puts an ointment on, his knuckles which are bruin seed from the fight earlier. 4 his demise is also shown in McCarthy when, on the way back from the fishing trip, B roomed describes him as appearing ‘dreadfully tired and strained and frantic, like there was ‘t enough time left for something he had to do. 55 Musher's ‘Last Supper' was much more like a wild Last Fling than a reserved Passover dinner with the addition of beer, drugs, and prostitute s. As the night goes on, McCarthy, Orderly Turtle, and some other patients drink beer, smoke Arizo na, and raid the medicine closet while the patient Billy Bit goes to a secluded room WI the a prostitute that McCarthy has provided.With a plan in place that will allow Mumps why to escape and the patients to have an alibi for the mess in ward, McCarthy goes to sleep leave Eng Orderly Turtle standing guard; Turtle is supposed to wake McCarthy before the day shift arrives, but, much like what happened to Chrism's disciples, the day shift finds him asleep amid the wreckage of the previous night's party, allowing for the capture of the entire guilty party. 56 A parallel is drawn between Judas and Billy Bit when Nurse Ratchet finds Bit with the pros tithe. 7 He immediately blames McCarthy and the other patients for his doings the night before e, betraying them, and then cuts his neck after Nurse Ratchet has left him into the doctor's office unattended. 58 As a result, Musher's influence as a physical force ends there since the hospital finally subjects him to a lobotomy, but the liberat ion he has provided gives t he patients the will to go on under their own free will rather than under the control of the hospital al. The main part of Chrism's mission was to inform and educate the people.Amid the so Cilia injustices that the Pharisees and Chief Priests forced upon them daily, the people of I Israel merely followed along in quiet subservience. When Christ came, though, they listen d to his attacks on the Pharisees and their hypocrisy and false statements and, in response, t Pharisees began to plot the extermination of him. McCarthy, too, comes into the fee reinvested ward where Nurse Ratchet and her unjust rules are based on the Pharisees' hypocrisy sees, as were made plain by Christ, and her servile patients are compared to Chrism's follower

Competitive Advantage Report of Brazil

In this report, I’m going to develop the competitive advantage of Brazil with Michael Porter’s theory. 1. Factor Conditions: Brazil has a great number of natural resources, especially at Amazon Planitia and the south of Brazil. There has fertile soil and enough facilities. In Brazil, labors don’t cost too much, it’s good for a country to prosper in its agriculture, industry and tertiary sector. The skills and average education level of people in Brazil is not so good but not so bad.There are many people with skills and good education in some big cities in Brazil, but the conditions in those small cities are not so good. There is a gap between big cities and small cities. 2. Demand Conditions: Brazil has a large market in its large land. People in big cities like St. Paulo and Rio de Janeiro would prefer sophisticated products, but the degree of consumer sophistication may not be so high in small cities. 3. Suppliers: The major industry of Brazil is agricul ture.Brazil is also good in automobile industry, iron and steel industry, petrochemical industry, computer industry, aviation industry and durable consumer goods manufacture. The supporting companies of these industries are easy to be located in the same area. Brazil used to need a lot of oil to be imported, but the percentage of the oil needed to be imported has reduced from 70% to 33%. That is what the government wants. 4. The firm’s strategy and structure as well as rivalry among competitors: Brazil is the most industrial developed country in Latin America.Brazil also has various mature manufactures. It has already gotten plenty of investment from America. Now in Brazil, some privatization issues are faced by department of insurance. The economy of Brazil is growing and there are strong competitions between businesses. Conclusion: Brazil does have some competitive advantage. It bases on the well development of some main cities like St. Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. But if Braz il want to get more competitive advantage, the government must solve the problem of the imbalance between big cities and small cities.

Research Summary and Ethical Considerations Essay

â€Å"According to statistics presented by the National Interview Survey (2010) there are approximately 7.1 million children in the United States who have asthma.† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics [CDCNCHS], 2010). â€Å"Asthma is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by airway obstruction and may cause episodes of wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing.† (Walker, 2012). â€Å"Studies have shown that these symptoms are difficult to manage in obese asthmatic children as the medications used to treat asthma are less effective on them due to the added weight. This paper summarizes a quantitative study showing that enhanced physical activity and asthma management education can reduce asthmatic symptoms in children.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). It includes introduction, background, methods, results, ethical considerations and conclusion summary of the study. Introduction â€Å"Children with asthma are at risk for obesity and resultant severity of the disease due to their reluctance towards physical activity. In order to prevent this risk an educational and activity program was developed for elementary schoolchildren with moderate persistent asthma utilizing a quantitative study design. The introduction of this program resulted in significant improvement in lung conditions and reduction of the number of emergency room visits while potentially reducing the risk of obesity later in life.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). Background of Study â€Å"Reports show that seventy five percent of all children in the United States who need emergent care due to their asthma are overweight. Children with  moderate to severe persistent asthma have a higher incidence of also being obese. Obese asthmatics are less responsive to medications used to treat asthma. The reluctance to physical activity is due to the fear of asthma attack with exercise. This leads to obesity and obesity leads to more severe asthma symptoms. In order to break this cycle effective intervention is necessary. The most effective intervention is increased physical activity. Developing and evaluating understanding the mechanisms of asthma control and promoting physical activity in participating asthmatic elementary school-aged children was a pilot program resulting in reduced severity of asthma symptoms which was also the purpose of the study.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). This study is significant for nurses as they take care of children with asthma in clinics a nd hospitals effectively intervening to improve their health. Methods of Study â€Å"A quantitative, non-experimental, longitudinal design was used to evaluate a pilot asthma program with emphasis on physical activity in order to improve asthma control among children with moderate persistent asthma. Asthma symptoms, lung condition, and willingness to participate in physical exercise were compared before and one month after the six week asthma program. As a pilot study, this program was an intervention-only program without a control group. The sample was collected from participants of Breathe LA’s Lung Power program with moderate persistent asthma. Ten children between the ages of seven to twelve years old both males and females who volunteered for the study were selected for a six week asthma program. Barriers to proper asthma management were identified and treated by parental interviews. Introductory and concluding spirometry tests were done to assess the actual improvement in lung volume post program. Physical activity was closely monitored and performed only after sufficient management skills were taught to and reinforced by the participants and parents. Six lessons were prepared and delivered over two hours weekly sessions.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). Results of Study â€Å"Throughout the six week program the participants’ asthmatic attack rates dropped significantly. Weekly and monthly asthmatic incidences also decreased significantly. Although not statistically significant, emergency  room visits dropped after the six week program and the participants also engaged in significantly more physical activities in a given week and month compared to pre-program activities. The spirometry test post-program results showed a slight, but significant increase in lung volume.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). The implications of this study to nursing are very significant. Being the caregiver to children with asthma in clinics and hospitals nurses can make a huge difference in their lives by sharing the significant findings of the study and incorporating it in their daily care regimen. Teaching proper symptom management and physical activity to parents and children will significantly improve their health. Ethical Considerations of Study The authors are affiliated with California State University Fullerton and the study was reviewed by editorial board, blind peer, and expert peer. The study sample was a sub-group of pre-existing participants of the Breathe LA’s Lung Power program. In adherence to the code of ethics for the research study patient privacy was protected through the initial program. Only patients who volunteered were included in the study and the program was held in the Breathe LA facility located in Los Angeles. â€Å"Facilitators present throughout the program included a respiratory therapist and volunteer respiratory therapy students.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). Parents were to observe at all times and intervene as appropriate to the study. The article fails to mention approval acquired from an institutional review board. There is a possibility that there may be a blanket consent that covers the research study via the initial Lung Power program which was in accordance to laws in Los Angeles. Conclusion â€Å"Children with asthma represent a population group more prone to becoming obese than their non-asthmatic counterparts. Understanding the mechanism of what causes asthma and being able to control asthma enough to engage in physical activity is significant. Therefore, future asthma management programs should incorporate more supervised physical exercises. Educators, therapists, nurses, parents and coaches need to understand that moderate physical exercise is a remedy for asthma symptoms, not the cause and should take an active role in providing asthma education for children with moderate persistent asthma. Increasing supervised, moderate physical exercise for  these children can reduce asthmatic symptoms and risk for obesity later in life.† (Haines & Kim, 2013). References U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics. (2010). Summary health statistics for U.S. children: National Health Interview Survey, 2009. (DHHS Publication No. (PHS)-2011-1575). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr10/sr10247.pdf Walker, V. (2012). Factors Related to Emotional Responses in School-aged Children Who Have Asthma. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 33(7), 406-429. doi:10.3109/01612840.2012.682327 Haines, M. S., & Kim, D. H. (2013). A Study of the Effects of Physical Activity on Asthmatic Symptoms and Obesity Risk in Elementary School-Aged Children. American Journal Of Health Education, 44(3), 156-161. doi:10.1080/19325037.2013.779905