Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Moral Theory of Kant Essay

Immanuel Kant is a German deontologist in the eighteenth century. He believed that the only test of whether a decision is right or wrong is whether it could be applied to everyone. Would it be all right for everyone to do what you are doing? If not, your decision is wrong. Kant sees that people ought not to be used, but ought to be regarded as having the highest intrinsic value. From here, I see that Kant believes that the intrinsic value of an act determines what is morally right or morally wrong. The intrinsic value always accompanies the act, for example, if A is intrinsic to B, then it is no accident that B exhibits A. In ethics, Kant tried to show that doing one’s duty consisted in following only those principles that one would accept as applying equally to all. Kant brought up that the consequences of our acts are not always in our control and things do not always turn out as we want. However, he believed that we can control our motives, and the motive to do what is right gives an act its moral worth. For actions to have moral worth, good will and good act in accordance with duty are required. Kant believed that the good will is the right motive. Good will is to will your maxim to be a universal law or universally valid and accepted. Having a right intention is to do what is right or what one believes to be right just because it is right. Kant believed that acts done from the motive of duty are the only ones with moral worth. For example, you borrow money from a friend, and your options, or maxims, are to either return the money, or not to return the money. To return money is of good will, and if you choose this to be your maxim, you are in accordance with duty. Not to return money, if put into a universal law, nobody ever returned the money, and everybody broke their promises, there would be no promises, and the act is not in accordance with duty. So the act of not returning the money has no moral worth and is morally wrong. There are two different types of imperatives, according to Kant, hypothetical imperative and categorical imperative. an imperative is simply a form of statement that tells us to do something.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Identifying Quantifiable goals for the monitor, control and effectiveness of the marketing plan Essay

In order to evaluate, monitor, and control the effectiveness of the marketing plan, identifying quantifiable elements are detrimental to V-Techs financial gains and holdings. Marketing campaigns are the most costly measurement to the company and the launch of V-Techs Virta Window new product line in its marketing practices needs to show financial accountability. The focus of controlling and effectiveness to quantifiable elements reside in the metrics analysis of: 1. Revenue 2. Sales 3. Lead generation 4. Sales feed back 5. Return on investment 6. Customer retention Once the elements of V-Tech’s marketing campaign is identified, quantifiable goals can be set to counter financial loss and actionable measures can be taken to offset the losses for exchange of returnable gain. To begin identifying the elements of concern, V-Tech accounting management will look at: A. Product B. Place C. Price D. Promotion The product is an innovative technological breakthrough, meant to create real time life and learning experiences for its target audience. The product has little competition but may be hard to catch on in the marketplace and cause resistance within consumers. Quantifiable marketing goals that would need to be set: Be flexible to understanding that new products may need a longer campaign run. Placement metrics track the impact of consumer awareness and the impact of individual campaigns ability to reach marketing goals. Calculating metrics for analysis will determine if the whole of the marketing plan is bringing in more profit than it cost to run. Placement of the products marketing geographical and economic stature is an important  quantifiable element. A metric analysis of location placement will measure the buying power and behavior of the consumer by geographic location. If the product is not selling well in placement, location factors may be that the target areas do not have the right selling class. Geographical metrics indicate a target audience income, medium house hold income, pay scale and if the economics of the area are depressed or thriving for businesses and product buying. The goal would then be to move the marketing campaign into better location areas where purchasing is a stronger asset for the product. Measuring the metrics of geographic locations can also help the company keep a competitive advantage as more technology companies advance to offering consumers a similar product. By being better able to understand consumer behavior by geographic V-Tech will have a higher ROI(return on investment) strengthen their marketing campaigns that keep customer retention, loyalty and target a larger audience base. Pricing by far may be the most important aspect in finding quantifiable controlling elements. A new product of technology changes the whole atmosphere of the market place from how it is developed to the price of manufacturing and distribution. The marketing of V-Techs new product is to reach a broad base of a consumer audience over affordability. This may cause a huge financial loss for the company. The campaign of the marketing needs increasing without the extra-added expenditures to cover the cost of loss and turn a profit. The reasoning behind quantifiable control is marketing the product to show value, and to measure financial gains where the product and marketing campaign will exceed profit and generate profit growth. The goals would then be to do a review of past sales to compare to sales of the new product and build on the strengths that previous campaigns have generated. A metrics analysis can be done in order to find out how many people clicked on an ad from online, what the numbers of new sales are and the percentage of new leads generated. From measuring sale metri cs, the company will be able to tweak the marketing campaign, generate a new marketing design, or repeat the campaign until the marketing goals meets its value. The company will also be able to determine the effectiveness of its Public relations effort in relation to its marketing efforts. A cost saving measurement to the company and the marketing campaign would be to get out in front of the face of the audience. Increase web activity, broaden the scope of social media awareness and depth in which marketing the product can help exceeded sales goals. The promotion of V-Techs product quantifiable control elements are to measure consumer awareness and set goals if the product is failing in brand awareness, website traffic, and not generating the sales lead expectations. Taking advantage of sending out Brand Ambassadors to area store locations and increasing trade market showings will promote and target the customer audiences awareness of the new product, how it is designed and will demonstrate why the consumer has a need to purchase the product. Social media marketing is limitless for brand awareness, in where a campaign can go to reach a borde r target buying audience. The quantifiable elemental goals are to take advantage of the use of the internet’s effectiveness of marketing to cost with web videos, direct coupons to the consumer, customer loyalty incentives, package discounts on education and parental sites. Identifying the quantifiable elements that help to control a marketing plan is an invaluable asset to V-Tech technologies and its new product launch. The analyzed metric data sets timely goals to which the company can redefine its control of marketing execution to increase sales and profits. The wealth of information extracted from the identification process takes on a new format that will find strengths and weakness of the consumer target audience, and will help to keep a competitive advantage as new companies move in the territorial locations of the innovative technology that V-Tech Windows will bring to a new market place.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Organizational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Organizational behaviour - Essay Example an and Kentridge (2000) define behavioral psychology as a â€Å"subset of psychology that focuses on studying and modifying observable behavior by means of systematic manipulation of environmental factors†. Behaviorists or behavior psychologists affirm that a behavior is to be studied and evaluated without giving any consideration to the inner mental condition of the individual. Classical conditioning. This theory, put forth by Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson, suggests that a behavior can be assessed by watching how an animal or an individual shoes an unconditioned response by associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring (unconditioned) stimulus. Pavlov experimented with dogs and conditioned them so that they salivated on the sound of bell ringing by associating the sound with their food. Operant conditioning is of four types. Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement tend to support the behavior as under these two conditions, the individual experiences a good ending and thus repeats his experience in future. On the other hand, Punishment and Extinction tend to weaken the chances of future occurrences of a behavior as under these two circumstances, the individual has had a bad or neutral ending. Learning based on behavioral psychology. Behavioral psychologists carry on the process of learning by assuming that a person can be completely understood by observing his behavior. And how a behavior is to be learnt? It is done by learning an individual’s responses to environmental stimuli. This is basically a stimulus-response theory. The boss orders the employee to leave (stimulus) and the employee leaves (response). This means that â€Å"learning in humans and animals can take place through the association of a response with particular stimuli† (Psychologist World, 2009). Strengths. Behaviorism approaches are well designed and focused because of well organized ways of measuring behavioral responses. Classical behaviorism has a great advantage in

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Implementing Qualitative Approaches -Sheila Essay

Implementing Qualitative Approaches -Sheila - Essay Example The number of preventable deaths that occur in our health institutions every year has been on the increase. One of the major reason as to why this has been the case is lack of the necessary data that these health professionals need. The health officers in some situations are forced to wait for long to get the medical reports of a patient who might be in a critical condition. In the long run the patient might lose his life due to late treatment or lack of treatment totally (Berg, Occasions for Information Technologies in Medical Work, 2012). In some rare cases the medical organizations have access to the Electronic Health Record which enables them get information about patients quickly. The problem that this study seeks to solve is the inaccessibility of the electronic health records by most healthcare officers due to the slow adaption of these organizations to the electronic system. There are more medical risks due to this reason. Reports tabled by the Institute of Medicine show that close to 98,000 US citizens lose their lives annually due to errors caused by inaccessibility of full patient medical information. Most medical facilities in the United States use the manual system of recording and keeping data of their patients. The data in this case is kept on paper posing a lot of challenges to the professionals when they seek to ensure reliability of their services (Berg, Implementing Information Systems in Health Care Organizations: Myths and challenges, 2012). For example, close to a hundred thousand citizens die in the United States yearly due lack of quick access to patients’ medical records. One reason why the health organizations are slow to shift to this method is the high cost anticipated to this electronic health record method. The high costs of running an EHR (Electronic Health Record) system hinder small medical service providers from adopting the system. Despite these organizations

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Asian Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Asian Cinema - Essay Example Emergence of women’s cinema in China Being a woman in patriarchy has been a resonating theme in the Chinese films of the 1980s, where the narrative accorded women a central position in the purview of cinematic representation (Dissanayake 13). While the mainstream Chinese cinema of the 20th century was benchmarked on portraying martial arts in all its fury, there had been a diversion, albeit at a subliminal level, in the way women directors addressed gender discourses in relation to making of the modern Chinese society. However, one can find a blend of different opinions coming from women directors of contemporary Chinese cinema. Cui cites an interview where three well-known Chinese women directors talked about three distinct purposes behind filmmaking. Director of Sacrificed Youth Zhang Nuanxin candidly admitted that she was driven more by artistic impulses than by pledging allegiance to any particular genre of cinema, contextually ‘women’s cinema’. Maker o f The Women’s Story Peng Xiaolian endorsed the idea that women’s cinema should by all means reflect â€Å"a woman’s psychology†, whereas Hu Mei insisted that films centered on women ought to be compelling enough to let the audience view the world before the camera from women’s perspectives . When it comes to granting exclusivity to women’s cinema, very few directors from the Chinese diaspora could successfully negotiate the mammoth task of depicting women’s lives during the transnational shift in the 1990s. Hong Kong-based director Ann Hui is certainly amongst those rare breed of filmmakers who set a paradigm for understanding the concerns only women dealt with in times of handover. (Eleftheriotis and Needham 89). Hui’s Song of the Exile (1990) delineates with profound craftsmanship the intersections between political landscape and subjective memory, and examines the contours of individualism and interpersonal relationships. In years to come, Ann Hui would become the most revered Chinese woman director in Hong Kong, garnering international fame (Wang 35). Populated by female characters, the film analyses the agony of homecoming at a time of personal and national turmoil. Most importantly, Song of the Exile incites the viewers to support the feminine viewpoint embedded in the storyline (Naficy 233). Clara Law: Films at cultural crossroads Macau-born woman director Clara Law, who later migrated to Australia before the United Kingdom transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, is most well known for her directorial masterpieces Farewell, China (1990), Autumn Moon (1992), Floating Life (1996) and The Goddess of 1967 (2000). Law’s films powerfully deliver the message that gender identity is susceptible to falter under cross-cultural influence. The first three of the aforementioned films sketch the lives of young people roving from one continent to another in search of fortune. The concept of the Global Chinese, as posited by Marchetti, becomes pronounced in Law’s cinematic undertakings that draw migrant characters without any apparent homogeneity in class, ethnicity, age, or gender traveling around the globe

Friday, July 26, 2019

Iphone 5 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Iphone 5 - Term Paper Example Sales Presentation Preparation 11 A. Presentation Objectives 11 B. Business Contact Worksheet 11 C. Need Discovery Worksheet 11 D. Demonstration Worksheet 12 E. Negotiation Worksheet 12 F. Closing Worksheet 12 G. Follow Through, Follow Up and Expansion Services- List 13 VI. Appendices 13 References 14 I. Proposal Summary A. Buyer Problem or Need There is an identified need on the part of the buying organization to upgrade to a mobile infrastructure to address internal productivity needs, as well as to address the needs of customers wanting to interact with the firm using the platforms that the customers use on a daily basis (Google, 2012; Verizon Wireless, 2012; Apple, 2012; Canada, 2012; Beavis, 2012). B. User Problem’s Business Impact Productivity impacts the firm’s ability to sustain itself in the long term, and to be profitable. Customer interactions likewise drive business top lines and profits. The decision on the right mobile platform can affect the future of the business in a fundamental way (Google, 2012; Verizon Wireless, 2012; Apple, 2012; Canada, 2012; Beavis, 2012). C. Value Proposition We are selling a platform as well as an ecosystem that has global traction, unparalleled popularity and quality, and is proven to improve productivity for both firms and individuals (Google, 2012; Verizon Wireless, 2012; Apple, 2012; Canada, 2012; Beavis, 2012). II. Proposed Solution A. ... The new iPhone is also able to leverage the unparalleled ecosystem of applications, application developers, companies that cater to components and services tied to the iPhone, the app store and its providers of apps, the music store and the millions of copyrights belonging to the music industry and content creators, and even business productivity solutions all tied to the iPhone franchise (Canada, 2012; Apple Inc., 2012; Beavis, 2012). The product under consideration here, therefore, is not just the phone, but the whole ecosystem that goes with purchasing the new iPhone 5. This is not to say that the new iPhone is interchangeable with the older iPhone models, because as it is the new iPhone has features that make it stand out from the crowd, and represents the best in terms of the evolution of the device. A sampling of the outstanding new features of the phone, that sit on top of the great features of the ecosystem as described above, includes a 4-inch Retina screen, speedy wireless connectivity, new and powerful processor in the A6 processor chip. An 8 megapixel camera, a new OS in iOS 6, and the latest iteration of the cloud computing platform for Apple, the iCloud (Verizon Wireless, 2012; Apple, 2012; Canada, 2012; Beavis, 2012). B. Company Description Apple the company is in the business of the design, manufacture, and the marketing of mobile products for telecommunications and media consumption, in essence, even as it is known traditionally as a maker of computing products with its Mac line of computers. The products revolve around an ecosystem and a platform for the consumption of content, including music, books, and apps. The key

The growth of Internet betting and gambling sites and the credit card Essay

The growth of Internet betting and gambling sites and the credit card companies response - Essay Example Further, law enforcement agencies state that Internet gambling is sometimes used for money laundering (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 57). However, others consider this risk as trivial concern. The jurisdictional and anonymity concerns characteristic of Internet gambling make online gambling a potentially strong means for money launderers. The small number of prosecuted instances of money laundering linked to Internet gambling is credited to oversight and a lack of solid parameters (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 58). Still, officials form the gaming and credit card industries and regulatory agencies do not consider that Internet gambling was any more vulnerable to money laundering than other forms of electronic trade (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 58). The main objective of this review is to acquire a better understanding on the different policies and procedures of the credit card industry on Internet gambling. The review is also aimed at obtaining a broader knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of these policies, and perhaps to formulate any potential recommendations that are possible under the Constitution. To achieve this, a review on use of the U.S. payments method --- particularly credit cards, and on the ongoing debate on Internet gambling should be made. The key points are: 1) to study the legal structure for Internet gambling activities, mainly in the U.S., but also in other countries; 2) to explain the range and characteristic of the regulations and measures the credit card industry has put into practice to prohibit the use of credit cards as a mode of payment for Internet gambling; and 3) to acquire opinions on Internet gambling’s susceptibility to money laundering. Documentation on Internet gambling policies and procedures may be requested from industry representatives; however, some might be disinclined to supply written documentation due to concerns about the confidentiality of propriety regulations. This is why conducting interviews is

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Seeking Treatment within Criminal Justice System Research Paper

Seeking Treatment within Criminal Justice System - Research Paper Example There are many treatment methods that the criminal justice systems have implemented and still continue to incorporate in their systems. There have been debates on whether the criminal justice systems should use the multi-dimensional kind of treatment where there is a combination of different methods of treatment, or uni-dimensional treatment where only one method is used at a time. This paper discusses the different kinds of treatment in the criminal justice systems. Keywords: Criminal Justice System, Treatment, Multi-Dimensional, Uni-Dimensional, Co-Morbidity Introduction The criminal justice system is a set of agencies and processes that have been established by governments to control crime and impose punishments to those who violate the law. Criminal justice is a complex subject to deal with. Most nations have several systems of justice; for example, in the United States, there are different systems of criminal justice. The criminal justice system is therefore a system that ensure s that the laws of different countries are enforced (Goldsmith & Israel, 2000). Drug courts have been created in some nations, such as the United States America. This is in response to the realization that there is need for increased capacity in local jails, due to the high number of criminals arrested for reasons related to drug abuse. ... The criminal justice systems in many countries have most of the time received a lot of criticism, because most of the people do not have trust in them. This is because most of them fail to treat offenders, which is in fact the main reason behind the establishment of such systems. There are different methods that can be used to treat substance abusers, mentally ill criminals and other conditions in people who enter into the systems. This paper discusses multi-dimensional and uni-dimensional treatments that are effective in treating criminals within the criminal justice system. Differences between multi dimensional and uni-dimensional treatments with substance abusers Multidimensional Family Therapy treatment is commonly used to treat substance abuse in adolescents and related behavioral and mental health problems (Liddle, Rodriguez, Dakof, Kanzki &Marvel, n.d.). The method seeks to reduce symptoms and at the same time, enhance developmental functioning by changing some domains of the behavior. This kind of treatment has received the highest rating in treating adolescent drug abusers, especially the juveniles because not use a single specified method making it very effective. This treatment is based on a combination of the theoretical and clinical traditions of psychopathology and developmental psychology, family therapy, and an ecological perspective. According to Liddle, Rodriguez, Dakof, Kanzki and Marvel, â€Å"multidimensional treatment uses research derived knowledge about risk and protective factors for adolescent drug related problems as the basis for assessment an intervention† (p. 128). Multidimensional Family Therapy holds the argument that drug abuse among teenagers is

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

People, Power & Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

People, Power & Politics - Essay Example He was a Minister of Christian views based on Biblical principles. Malcolm X did not have the same opportunity afforded King. Malcolm X was almost entirely self educated and grew up in a poor family. Malcolm X was a follower of Islam as opposed to King’s Christian convictions. Obviously, the4se two men came from very different backgrounds. King in his famous speech entitled â€Å"American Dream†, outlines his desire for equality not only in treatment between blacks and whites but also in possessions and class standings. He wanted to see cultural change that allowed for blacks and whites to be afforded the same opportunities both educationally and economically. Malcolm X, for much of his time as a public speaker and representative for black youth, felt that the black community had suffered enough injustice at the hands of the white man, and deserved to not only receive what they were deprived of but also deserved to seek revenge from white society. Malcolm X countered the speech â€Å"the American Dream† given by King, by giving the equally famous speech â€Å"the American Nightmare† where he details his notion of â€Å"an eye for an eye†. King’s method of making a change was done through a passive mode of justice whereas Malcolm X sought revenge for the many years of oppression infli cted on African -Americans at the hand of whites. Both Malcolm X and King sought racial justice and equality. King’s approach was to pursue though non-violence, a coexistence of love between blacks and whites alike. King once said â€Å"the reason I can’t follow the old eye for an eye philosophy, is that it ends up leaving everybody blind†. Inversely, Malcolm X saw violence as a necessity as the only way to achieve change would be to challenge adversity by fighting or physically rising up. As the two great leaders approached the end of their lives, they began to see things in a more

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Prospectus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Prospectus - Essay Example The social ethics and morals should also be a considered in coming up with a stand on abortion. In my research I want to provide ethical reasoning to support my stand against abortion. In my research paper I will us the ethical standards that shape the society. Additionally, I will borrow heavily from the ethical and morality requirements from the bible. I will relate abortion to the biblical definition of murder. The main areas in my research paper will be why abortion should be illegal, the alternatives to abortion and the social and biblical approach when dealing with abortion. In this publication the author is strongly against abortion and she termed it as the worst case of murder in the society. According to Naden it is against the society and biblical norms to carry out an abortion (95). In Bacon’s words, abortion should not be treated as a way by which women are satisfied and taken care of. The author further argues that perpetrators of abortion should be prosecuted and charged with murder (68). The arguments by Libby revolve around ethical and moral issues related to abortion. The author argues that a child should be born even in the most complicated was so long as the existence of the mother is not jeopardized (113). Hunt argues that abortion is a shortcut by which individuals use to avoid responsibility (98). In an ethical and moral way, parents should be accountable for their own deeds. The author also uses biblical theories to support his stand against

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Financial Markets Essay Example for Free

The Financial Markets Essay The development of the regional markets to global level and innovative developments in the technology field has greatly boosted growth and expansion of financial markets. Capital markets in the emerging economies are quite evident and this is a direct result of global links in financial development policies. The rapid economic growth and industrialization process in the emerging economies is also attributed to the globalization of the financial markets which significantly promote capital inflows (Agtmael 2007). On the other hand, economic problems and financial crises in other nations could easily be transferred to other countries as a result of these interactions. This was evident with the Asian currency crisis of 1997 that affected the major economies of the Asian region; the Russian financial crisis that saw countries of former Soviet Union suffer an economic depression and the disintegration of the long-term capital management in 1998 (Kahn 1979). Many countries have now undertaken a process of finding a solution to such occurrences in future and the most notable research is that conducted by the Japanese central bank. The World Disinflation Trend Structural changes in the global financial market have influenced the international, market environment in terms of prices of products. In 1990s the world experienced a change in disinflation rates reflected by a notable increase in the supply of products to the world market as a result of the rapid industrialization in the emerging market economies. Development and innovative technology plus anti-inflation policies adopted by many nations also played a significant role in the disinflation development. The inflation rates in the Group of eight (G-8) countries declined by about 3-4%, these countries are the greatest economies in the World of all nations and they include; United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, Britain, Russia and France (Drori et,al 2006). Significant of them all is Japan which has experienced a faster deflation rate resulting in prices of consumer goods ranging from less than one to about zero percent. The European countries and the United States are the great beneficiaries of the disinflation phenomenon that resulted from the economic polices in the early 1990s. These nations has earned real economic base for their financial and commercial activities leading to a steady expansion of economy and consumer price stability (Kahn 1979). The European monetary union is a great success due to reduced inflation in the member countries. The great economic depression was an eye opener to most of the countries and this lead to change in economic policies of many central banks in different nations. Most of the nations that are in the developing stage are currently mare concerned about the threat of price decline which has not occurred for quite some time now since the great economic depression. These economic development have lead to better financial services in the US and European nations. The federal reserve reduced its rated from 6. 5 % to 1. 25% between 2001 and 2002, the European central bank on the other hand reduced refinancing rates by half and by the year 2003 it was about 2. 0 % from 4. 75% in the year 2001 (Drori et,al 2006). Central banks in the group of eight countries are concerned about calls by other economies to reduce short-term interest rates. Such conventional monetary policy is intended to stimulate economic activities that target the lower zero bound short term interest rates. Such policies are borrowed from the bank of Japan which established the trend in 2001 (IFM 2003).

Purpose of theory Essay Example for Free

Purpose of theory Essay A theory can be explained as a given set of principles or statements used to give an explanation to an occurring phenomenon. Theories explain existing situations and can be used to develop solutions to identified problems within an organization especially when it has been tested for a number of times hence acceptable or producing evidence based results. A theory differs from a model in such a way that a model act as a representation of a given phenomena or the actual concept. A model can in this case be used to explain a given theory. Like a theory a model can be used to make predictions and to control a given situation. Scientific inquiry involves the use of systematic methods of collecting, analyzing and concluding data and in turn developing new inventions using scientifically gathered information or facts. The process involves the formulation of theories or hypothesis and effective experiments to test the formulated hypothesis. Naive inquiry on the other hand involves an informal collection, analysis and interpretation of data and does not necessarily include the application of critically thought ideas and skills. In this case a theory is explained using natural language. Scientific inquiry is likely to produce reliable and results or findings that can be used to find evidence based solutions to an existing problem. It makes use of collected evidence to test given ideas. Evidence based management requires the application of scientific inquiry as it involves the use of meta skills and critically thought approaches in the development of workable solutions (Judd, Kidder Smith, 1991). Tested theories act as evidence and produce explanations for existing phenomena that can be used to develop new inventions which may act as control measures or solutions Reference Judd, C. , Smith, E. , Kidder, L. (1991). Research Methods in Social Relations, 6th ed. , New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. .

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Detection System

Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Detection System ABSTRACT DETECTION OF EXUDATES USING GUI Automated diabetic retinopathy detection system is an essential requirement due to developing diabetic retinopathy patients around the globe. The primary intention of the research is to detect exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. In this particular study, we provide an efficient method for identifying and classifying the exudates as soft exudates and hard exudates. Apart from these, this study compares three methods namely Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization, Histogram Equalization and Mahalanobis Distance for enhancing a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface with the help of MATLAB. From the findings of the study, in the image enhancement application of blood vessels, Mahalanobis distance is recognized as the best algorithm. It was evident from the analysis that the monitoring and detecting exudates in the fundus of the eye are essential for diabetic patien ts. Moreover, it shows that hard and soft exudates are a primary tool of diabetic retinopathy that can be quantified automatically. In addition to these, it appears that drawbacks must be resolved to predict an appropriate detection method for exudates in digital fundus images. From the findings, it was evident that suitable algorithm has to be selected and verified on several images which provide likely and excellent outcomes. LIST OF TABLES Comparison of Histogram Equalization (HE), Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis Distance(MD)14 LIST OF FIGURE Image before enhancement Histogram before enhancement Image after histogram equalization Histogram after HE Image after CLAHE Histogram after CLAHE Image after Mahalanobis distance enhancement Histogram after Mahalanobis distance enhancement Flow chart of the method CIELab color space Input image K-means clustered image Morphological image Dilated image Eroded image Optic disc detection Exudates image   Hard and soft exudates Input DFI   Enhancement methods of DFI Step-1 of exudate detection Step-2 by giving input image Step-3 enhancing input image Step-4 exudates image of abnormal eye Normal eye output displaying no exudates LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AHE Adaptive Histogram Equalization CIE Commission Internationale de lEclairage CLAHE Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization CMYK Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key DRD iabetic Retinopathy DFI Digital Fundus Image HE Histogram Equalization MD Mahalanobis Distance MM Mathematical Morphology RGB Red, Green, Blue RRGS Recursive Region Growing Segmentation Chapter 1 Introduction Research Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a common disease nowadays that can prevail in anyone having type 1 or type-2 diabetes. The opportunity of being influenced by this disease relies on the time duration of a person having diabetes. Long-term diabetes leads to greater blood sugar level that causes harm by changing the flow of blood in retinal blood vessels. It is similar that in the previous stage DR shows no symptoms and hence without facing medical investigation it is not feasible to predict the existence of the disease. Exudative retinopathy is a condition referred by the occurrence of yellow or white mass that exists due to leakage of proteins and fats along with water from vessels of blood in the retina. It is important to predict the exudates occurrence in fundus oculi because the collection of these exudates may lead to complete loss of vision (Manpreetkaur, 2015). Walter et al. (2001) has mentioned that the disease of DR evolved exudates in eye fundus. The physicians regard exudates as on e of the primary indicators of DR severity. Exudates are yellow spot resided in fundus. This disease of diabetes causes leakage of fluid from vessels of blood. For a long time, uncontrolled diabetes may evolve as exudates in eye fundus. The exudates initiate to develop in little number and size. If the diabetes is not monitored or controlled for a long time the number and size of exudates will grow. The exudates growth in eye fundus may cause blindness. Tasman and Jaeger (2001) have stated that exudates seem as bright deposits of yellow-white on the retina due to lipid leakage from abnormal vessels. Their size and shape differ with various stages of retinopathy. These lesions are related to many diseases of retinal vascular involving DME (diabetic macular edema), DR (diabetic retinopathy), retinal venous obstruction, hypertensive retinopathy, radiation retinopathy and retinal arterial microaneurysms, capillary hemangioma of retina and disease of the coat. Welfera et al. (2010) have stated that exudation is a hazardous case because it can lead to a loss of vision when existing in the central macular area. Thus such lesions must be predicted, and appropriate medical intervention must be acquired to avoid damages to visual acuity of the patient. Automatic exudates detection in DR patients retinas could enhance early prediction of DR and could support doctors track the treatment progress over time. Thus it can be inferred that exudates detection by computer could provide a precise and rapid diagnosis to specialist examination and support the clinician to acquire timely decision to take proper treatment. Problem Statement: Diabetes is a rapidly developing common disease among people globally which causes various organs dysfunction. Diabetic retinopathy is the primary blindness cause in adults. Sometimes, due to long-term diabetes, the retinal blood vessels are harmed, this eye disease is known as diabetic retinopathy. It is essential to automatically predict the lesions of diabetic retinopathy at an early stage to hinder further loss of vision. Exudates are significant diabetic retinopathy symptoms. Exudates are bright lesions that are an important sign of this disease. It is the major signs of DR a major vision loss cause in diabetic patients. Primary concern of the research Aim: The primary goal of the study is to analyze an automated way for exudates in eyes. Objectives: To examine the causes of exudates in diabetic retinopathy patients. To analyze the types of exudates used in digital fund images. To evaluate the different enhancement methods used to predict the exudates in fundus images. To determine the drawbacks of enhancement methods of exudates in digital fundus images. To propose a promising algorithm to detect the exudates in digital fundus images. Limitations of the study: This study is limited to diabetic retinopathy patients. This study is restricted to exudates detection only. This study evaluates an automated way for exudates in eyes. The structure of the thesis This argument is made up of the following five chapters: Chapter 1: This is the introduction section that gives the necessary research background andconcepts related to the research. Chapter 2: This chapter is the review of literature that analyzes several existing worksrelated to finding an automated way for exudates in eyes. Chapter 3: This chapter describes the design of the system that explains in detailabout the enhancement methods applied in digital fundus image for detection of diabetic retinopathy. Chapter 4: This chapter discusses the implementation plan of digital fundus images and compares different researches done by authors and depicts the results of the proposed system. Chapter 5: This is the conclusion section that gives the outcome of the research byanswering the research questions and recommendations for future improvement. In addition to that, this thesis has bibliography containing the sources used in collecting secondary data in the study and an appendix that has tools like questionnaires are utilized in the gathering primary data for the research. Chapter-2 Literature Review Introduction: This chapter provides an overview on the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. This chapter discusses in detail about the digital fundus image. In addition to these, this chapter discusses in detail about the classification of exudates in retinal images. Apart from these, this study provides the comparison of Histogram equalization (HE), contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis distance (MD) methods to enhance the digital fundus image for detection. Literature on Digital fundus images The benefits of digital imaging are rate of access to information (images), quick and accurate duplication, chronicling and transmission, and prompt access to the outcomes. The imaging technique can be rehashed if the nature of the underlying result is deficient. Despite the fact that film-based images can be digitized (to register macular color thickness conveyance from two different wavelength-based pictures or to evaluate the status of the optic nerve), quick access to the images is unrealistic, as it is important to build up the film first. This deferral keeps the picture from checking the outcomes and in this manner redressing any issue in the procurement procedure, which can be efficiently accomplished in digital imaging at no extra cost. The digitization of fundus photos was tended to by (Cideciyan et al., 1991) who proposed a nonlinear rebuilding model fusing four parts: the eye, the fundus camera, the film and the scanner. Scholl et al. (2004) observed digitized images to be valuable for evaluating age-connected maculopathy and age-connected macular degeneration. Comparison Table 1: Comparison of Histogram Equalization (HE), Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and Mahalanobis Distance (MD) Histogram equalization Contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization Mahalanobis distance This technique is based on the specification of the histogram. CLAHE is considered as the necessary preprocessing step, and it has the tendency to generate the images for extracting the features of a pixel in the classification process. This method has carried out by identifying the pixels of the background images only by leaving the foreground images. HE is relatively straightforward technique and an invertible operator. Indiscrimination is one of the biggest disadvantages of this method. CLAHE is also denoted as the automatic and efficient method to detect the exudates effectively. The selective enhancement of MD has created the fewer artifacts for further processing than HE and CLAHE. HE has used the neighborhood-based approach on the pixels, and it has the tendency to operate based on the modification of histogram to obtain the new images efficiently. The technique of CLAHE has the capability to provide the green channel image enhancement with high quality. This method can produce the similar curve to the Gaussian-shaped curve ideally. HE has uniformly distributed the output histogram by using the cumulated histogram like the mapping function. CLAHE has limited the process of amplification by clipping the histogram at the predefined value. MD algorithm has given better histogram result when compared to HE and CLAHE Research gap: This study examines about the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. The research gap predicted in this study is that there are many studies on the detection of exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. But no studies have clearly determined the successful approaches towards the detection of diabetic retinopathy in fundus images. Detection and classification of diabetic retinopathy pathologies in fundus images have been investigated by Agurto (2012). He studied the effects of image compression and degradation on an automatic diabetic retinopathy screening algorithm. In addition to these, the Agurto et al. (2012) investigated the detection of hard exudates and red lesions in the macula using the multi-scale approach. Walter et al. (2002) carried out an investigation to contribute the image processing to the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. Authors also focused on automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy from eye fundus images (Man preetkaur, 2015). There are also studies that are focused on coarse-to-fine strategy for automatically identifying exudates in color eye fundus images. Chapter-3 Research Design Introduction: This part examines the design of the study to determine an automated way for finding exudates in eyes. This study compares three methods namely CLAHE (Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization), Histogram Equalization (HE) and Mahalanobis Distance (MD) for enhancing a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface in MATLAB. Research design: The reason of the study is to detect exudates in digital fundus image for diabetic retinopathy. In this particular study, we provide an efficient method for identifying and classifying the exudates as soft exudates and hard exudates. The retinal image seen in the CIELab space of the color is pre-processed for eliminating noise. Further, a network of blood vessels is removed for facilitating detection and removing the optic disc. At the same time, optic disc is removed using the technique of Hough transform. Candidate exudates are identified using the method of k-means clustering. At last, exudates are categorized as the soft and hard one by their threshold and edge energy. Developed method has yielded better outcomes. Histogram Equalization: Histogram equalization is a technique for adjusting image intensities to enhance contrast. HE is an operation that is based on histogram specification or modification to obtain new pictures. The objective of this contrast enhancement technique is to get a new enhanced image that has a uniform histogram that only plots the frequency at each gray-level from 0 (black) to 255 (white). Each histogram represents the frequency of occurrence of all gray-level in the image. Figure 1: Image before enhancement Figure 2: Histogram before equalization Figure 3: Image after histogram equalization Figure 4: Histogram after histogram equalization Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization: CLAHE is considered as a locally adaptive method for contrast enhancement. CLAHE is an enhanced version of adaptive HE (AHE) method. The technique AHE has a realistic restriction that homogenous part in the image leads to over-amplification of noise due to thin series of pixels are plotted to a whole range of visualization. In the meantime, it was noticed that contrast limited AHE (CLAHE) was designed for preventing this noise over-amplification in homogenous regions. CLAHE restricts the sound amplification in the image in such a way that image looks like very real. Figure 5: Image after CLAHE Figure 6: Histogram after CLAHE Mahalanobis Distance: Image enhancement using the Mahalanobis distance method is performed by identifying the background image pixels and eliminating them, leaving only the foreground image. It is based on the assumption that in image neighborhood N, the background pixels has significantly different intensity value than those of the foreground pixels. For each pixel (x, y) in the picture, the mean  µn (x, y) and the standard deviation à Ã†â€™n (x, y) of the statistical distribution of intensities in N are estimated. The sample means;  µn is used as the estimator for  µn (x, y) and the e sample standard deviation; à Ã†â€™ n is the estimator for à Ã†â€™n (x, y). If the intensity of pixel (x, y) is close to the mean intensity in N, it is considered to belong to the background set ÃŽÂ ². As defined mathematically in Eq. 1, the expression implies that pixel (x, y) belongs to ÃŽÂ ² if the stated condition is satisfied. Those images would later be combined to evaluate the MD image, which can be segmented using the threshold t to identify the background pixels. Figure 7: Image after MD enhancement Figure 8: Histogram after MD enhancement Summary: This research compares three methods namely CLAHE, HE, MD to enhance a digital fundus image to detect and choose the best one to classify exudates in Retinal images by adopting graphical user interface in MATLAB. It was evident from the above findings that candidate exudates are identified using the technique of Mahalanobis Distance enhancement. Chapter 4 Implementation Plan, Discussion, and Results Introduction: This chapter presents the implementation plan of detection of exudates in digital fundus images by proposed technique. The results of proposed method are also shown. Implementation Plan: The proposed system is implemented using the digital fundus images. DFIs (digital fundus images) are essential in finding the pathological fact that would lead to different diseases. However, digital fundus images have many illumination and contrast issues which make enhancement an important factor. Subsequently, digital fundus images must be developed to permit for good visualization to satisfy ophthalmologists to undertake their diagnosis. The below figure shows the implementation plan of detection of exudates in digital fundus images: Figure 9: Flow chart of the method 4.3 Conversion from RGB color space to CIELab color space A Lab color space is a color-opponent space with dimension L* for lightness and a* and b* for the color-opponent dimensions, based on nonlinearly compressed CIE XYZ color space coordinates. The CIELab color scale is an approximately uniform color range. In a standard color scale, the differences between the points plotted in the color space correspond to the visual difference between the colors plotted. The CIELab color space is organized in a cube form. The L* runs from top to bottom. The maximum for L* is 100, which represents a perfect reflecting diffuser. The minimum for L* is zero, which represents black. The a* and b* axes have no specific numerical limits. Positive a* is red, Negative a* is green. Positive b* is yellow, Negative b* is blue. Figure 10: CIELab color space It is perceptual uniform color space. Perceptual uniformity means how two colors differ from seeing when human observe that two colors. Hence uniform color spaces were defined in such way that all the colors are arranged by the perceptual difference of the colors. The L component closely matches human perception of lightness, and by having it as an independent quantity to control, it can be used to make accurate color corrections without affecting the a* and b* color twins. RGB or CMYK color spaces are designed to model the output of physical devices rather than human visual perception. This color model is used in this work to identify even a small intensity variation. K-means Clustering K-means clustering is a method of vector quantization, originally from signal processing, that is accessible for cluster analysis in data mining. K-means clustering aims to partition n observations into k clusters in which each observation belongs to the cluster with the nearest mean, serving as a prototype of the cluster. This results in a partitioning of the data space into Voronoi cells. K-Means algorithm is chosen because of its simplicity. In this work, k-means clustering is used to partition the data into groups for identifying exudates locations. K-means Usage in our project: Because of the computational simplicity of the k-means algorithm over other clustering algorithms, we decided to use the k-mean clustering in the proposed work. The k-mean clustering algorithm is a particular case of the generalized hard clustering algorithms. It is applied when point representatives are used, and the squared Euclidean Distance is adopted to measure the dissimilarities between vectors and cluster representatives. The k-means algorithm is given below. The steps involved in K-Means algorithm are: Select an initial partition with k clusters Generate a new partition by assigning each pattern to its closest cluster center. Compute new cluster centers. Continue to do steps 2 and 3 until centroids do not change. Figure 11: Input image Figure 12: k-means clustered image Blood vessel detection To facilitate exudates extraction from the pre-processed image, blood vessel network is detected and then eliminated from the picture using Morphological operations. Morphological operations can readily be used in medical image analysis as it supports powerful tools to extract pathologies. The morphological operations employed in the proposed work are given below. An important part of applying morphological operations is to decide on the shape and size of structuring element. In the proposed work, a ball-shaped structuring element of size 8, was found to be optimal for eliminating the blood vessel network from the retinal images of local database Morphological Image Processing: Mathematical morphology (MM) is a theory and technique for the analysis and treatment of geometrical structures, based on set theory, lattice theory, topology, and random functions. MM is most commonly applied to digital images, but it can be employed as well on graphs, surface meshes, solids, and many other spatial structures. Topological and geometrical continuous-space concepts such as size, shape, convexity, connectivity, and geodesic distance, were introduced by MM on both continuous and discrete spaces. MM is also the foundation of morphological image processing, which consists of a set of operators that transform images according to the above characterizations. The basic morphological operators are erosion, dilation, opening, and closing. Dilation: Dilation is one of the two first operators in the area of mathematical morphology, the other being erosion. The primary effect of the operator on a binary image is to gradually enlarge the boundaries of regions of foreground pixels (i.e. white pixels, typically). Thus areas of foreground pixels grow while holes within those regions become smaller. The dilation operator takes two pieces of data as inputs. The first is the image which is to be dilated. The second is a (usually small) set of coordinate points known as a structuring element (also referred to as a kernel). It is this structuring element that determines the precise effect of the dilation on the input image. Figure 13: Dilated image Erosion: Erosion is one of the two first operators in the area of mathematical morphology, the other being dilation. The main effect of the operator on a binary image is to erode away the boundaries of regions of foreground pixels (i.e. white pixels, typically). Thus areas of foreground pixels shrink in size, and holes within those areas become larger. The erosion operator takes two pieces of data as inputs. The first is the image which is to be eroded. The second is a (usually  small) set of coordinate points known as a structuring element (also referred to as a kernel). It is this structuring element that determines the precise effect of the erosion of the input image. Figure 14: Eroded image Figure 15: Morphological image Hough Transform The Hough transform is a feature extraction technique used in image analysis, computer vision, and digital image processing. The purpose of the method is to find imperfect instances of objects within a particular class of shapes by a voting procedure. This voting process is carried out in a parameter space, from which object candidates are obtained as local maxima in a so-called accumulator space that is explicitly constructed by the algorithm for computing the Hough transform. In this project work, circular Hough transform is used to detect optic disk in a retinal image. Elimination of optic disk is necessary for detection of exudates. If the optic disk is not eliminated from a picture, there is a chance of identifying optic disk as exudates, which leads to the false result. Circular Hough Transform Algorithm works is presented below. Step1: Convert color retinal image into grayscale Step2: Create a 3D Hough array (accumulator) with the first two dimensions representing thecoordinates of the circle origin, and the third dimension represents the radii. Step3: Perform edge detection using the Canny edge detector. For each edge pixel, increment thecorresponding elements in the Hough array. Step4: Collect candidate circles, and then delete similar circles. Step5: Circle the object. Figure 16: Optic disc detection Classifying Hard and Soft exudates The final step is to classify the exudates as hard and soft based on the threshold value and edge energy. Edge power calculation is required to extract the exudates with sharp edges which are a characteristic feature of hard exudates. We preferred canny operator over Kirsch operator for edge energy detection. The hard exudates are extracted by combining this edge energy and a Threshold value. To obtain the soft exudates subtract the hard exudates image from the picture that contains both types of exudates. Hard exudates and soft exudates are classified by using reference sum value of white pixels in exudates image. Figure 17: Exudates image Figure 18: Hard and soft exudates Chapter 5 Results and Conclusion Introduction: This section presents the results and conclusion of the research by answering research questions and suggestions for future studies. Results: From the proposed system the results acquired are that the exudates are predicted, then it is categorized as hard, and soft exudates and the severity level is estimated. The first figure shows the input as an original image: Figure 19: Input image Source: Author In the next figure the enhancement methods are applied to digital fundus images for detection of diabetic retinopathy: Figure20: Enhancement methods of DFI Next, the exudates are detected which is depicted in the below set of figures: Figure 21: Step-1 of exudate detection Figure 22: Step-2 giving input image Figure 23: Step-3 enhancing the input image Figure 24: exudate image of abnormal eye Repeating the same procedure for normal eye and is shown in the following figure: Figure 25: Normal eye output displaying no exudates The results of the study reveal that Mahalanobis Distance is the best algorithm for the blood vessels image enhancement application. Throughout the experiment, we have found an average of 88% sensitivity and 60% accuracy. Conclusion Automated diabetic retinopathy detection has become an important research because of the severity of increase in cause of blindness among the diabetes patients. DR is caused mainly by the alterations in retinas blood vessels due to increased level of blood glucose. Exudates are one of the major signs of D

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Use of Figurative Language in Daddy by Sylvia Plath Essay -- Literary

The figurative language in the poem â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath can be used to discover a deeper significant of the poem. By using figurative language throughout the poem such as symbolism, imagery, and wordplay, Plath reveals hidden messages about her relationship with her father. Plath uses symbols of Nazis, vampires, size, and communication to help reveal a message about her dad. In Plath’s poem she frequently uses figurative language about Nazis and the Holocaust. Plath depicts herself as a victim by saying she is like a Jew, and her father is like a Nazi. Plath uses a train engine as a metaphor for her father speaking the German Language, and also to depict herself as a victimized Jew being taken away to a concentration camp. Plath states â€Å"And the language obscene / An engine, and engine / Chuffing me off like a Jew† (Plath 30-32). This shows the subtle metaphor of the train engine being her father speaking the German language and how she feels she is a prisoner. Plath uses other subtle metaphor that connect her father discreetly to the Nazis when she uses German words such as â€Å"Luftwaffe† (42) which is the German air force, and â€Å"Panzer-man† (45) who were the men who manned the German tanks. Another example of Plath using figurative language to depict her father as a Nazi can be found when she uses an allusio n to Hitler’s mustache and the blue eyes of Aryans. â€Å"And your neat moustache / And your Aryan eyes, bright blue† (Plath 43-44). The use of this allusion gives the father the image of Hitler himself and helps build the metaphor of her father as a Nazi. Towards the end of the poem Plath begins to be more blunt in depicting her dad as a Nazi. She uses the metaphor of her father not being like God, but rather lik... ...voices just can’t worm through† (Plath 68-70) A metaphor compares the telephone to a plant, and the plant has been cut off at the root and therefor the communication has been cut off. The roots are almost a metaphorical telephone line growing on her father’s grave, but now they are cut off and no longer available for communication. We can see the struggle Plath is having in wanting so desperately to tell her father something but never having the chance to say it. By analyzing Plath’s use of figurative language we can see a much deeper significance to her poem. We see how she depicted her father as a suffocating monster through figurative language. We also get deeper insight into the type of relationship, or rather lack of relationship between the two. Works Cited Plath, Sylvia. The Collected Poems. Ed. Ted Hughes. NewYork: Harper Perennial, 1972.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby and the 20s Essay -- Fitzgerald Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby and the 20s After a time of prosperity, the roaring 1920’s became a decade of social decay and declining moral values. The forces this erosion of ethics can be explained by a variety of theories. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a convincing portrait of waning social virtue in his novel, The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald portrays the nefarious effects of materialism created by the wealth-driven culture of the time. This was an era where societal values made wealth and material possessions a defining element of one’s character. The implications of the wealthy mindset and its effects on humanity are at the source of the conflict in The Great Gatsby, offering a glimpse into the despair of the 20’s. During a time of â€Å"postwar American society, its restless alienation, and its consequent reliance on money as a code for expressing emotions and identity† (Lewis, 46), Fitzgerald focuses his pen on the inevitable emptiness created by the illusions of wealth and its anomalous connection with love during the 20’s. In order to convey his theory, Fitzgerald builds a repertory of superficial characters whose existence revolves around material value rather than tangible human qualities. For example, Tom Buchanan, the husband of Daisy, is introduced as having an appealing and rich life. â€Å"He’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest,† Nick comments about Tom. â€Å"It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that,† (p. 10). Tom is depicted as an enormously wealthy â€Å"national figure,† one with handsome and powerful â€Å"physical accomplishments† (10). But Fitzgerald’s description does not go much further than that. Tom’s persona is limited to a list of superficial accomplishments none of which resemble any spiritually fulfilling traits. Tom thus represents the end result of a person consumed by wealth, because that is his only defining characteristic. Although we could pity such a character, Fitzgerald makes sure that we don’t feel much of anything towards Tom because he was born into wealth and never had to pursue it. â€Å"His money was divested of dreams before he was even born† (Lewis, 51). Since Tom’s lifestyle links intrinsically to his character, nothing he does resembles the passions and desires of a natural human being, rather he is portrayed as a machine or byproduct of his family fortune. Tom la... ... to love, the most powerful of all human feeling. â€Å"The culture of wealth,† writes Marius Bewley, â€Å"represents the romantic enlargement of the possibilities of life on a level at which the material and the spiritual have become inextricably confused,† (Bewley, 37). Gatsby learned this lesson the hard way, giving up his spiritual vision of love and losing it to the emptiness associated with wealth. Fitzgerald realized the confusion in the 1920’s of a culture based around wealth and used his novel to expose the blandness of wealthy lifestyles in contrast with the human feeling of love. If love were a color it would be red, and if it had a mind of it’s own it would remain far from the gray â€Å"Valley of ashes† (27) of New York in the 20’s. Gatsby unfortunately combined those two worlds together and the gray dusted over the red. In the end, Gatsby is murdered, Tom and Daisy continue like zombies, and Nick, disenfranchised, decides to leave altogether. Fitzgerald portrays the essence of emptiness in all the characters touched or consumed by wealth and leaves the reader with a clear message: No sense of fulfillment, specifically regarding love, will result in a life consumed by wealth.

Urine Therapy :: Health Medicine Papers

Urine Therapy At the end of the winter of 1996, something historic occurred. During that February in India, the First World Conference on Urine Therapy took place. Scholars around the world gathered together to discuss the age-old practice of "urine therapy." Although urine therapy had been around for thousands of years, it had fallen into obscurity over the last century. Now, urine therapy was officially back in business. So what exactly was this alternative practice that dealt with one’s own bodily fluid? And how does it help? What are the claims of effectiveness? What does the scientific and medical world have to say about it? How does it work? Does it work? These, were the questions that demanded discussion. What is urine therapy? The basic definition of "urine therapy" is using (your own) urine internally or externally as a way to aid or sustain your health. Urine therapy, which includes drinking, injecting, massaging with-, and/or bathing in- urine, is an ancient practice that is used today, not only in times of sickness, but also in times of good health for preventive health maintenance. It has been claimed to have proven helpful in a great number of varying illnesses, ranging from a simple cold and a throat-ache, to tuberculosis and asthma, from minor skin problems such as itching to major skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis and even skin cancer. But you probably ask, "How can your own urine benefit your health? Besides, isn’t it toxic?" Urine as a lifesaver: During the NBC Nightly News on October 16, 1992, Tom Brokaw reported that, "In Egypt, rescue workers found a 37-year old man alive in earthquake rubble. He survived almost 82 hours by drinking his own urine. His wife, daughter and mother would not and they died" (http://www.all-natural.com/urine.html ). We’ve all heard stories of individuals who have either lived or died by being trapped in places without food or water for days. In those stories, the survivors were always the ones that drank their own urine. The ones that died probably could not overcome the misguided thoughts that urine is an unhealthy waste product of the body. But it’s not; urine is simply a substance that the body does not need at the time, and a substance that the body secretes. And sometimes, it’s a lifesaver. What’s in urine? Urine, 95% of which is water, 2.5% of which is urea, and 2.5% of which is a mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, and enzymes, is not a toxic waste product.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Physical Privacy Rights in the Workplace

Physical Privacy rights in the workplace As soon as you raise your right hand in the Military you lose many rights. Just to name a few; the right to wear your hair long; grow a beard and or a full mustache; the right to attend a political rally; the right to express your first amendment rights, and many others. There are some I agree with and some I don’t; never the less I support the military’s general reasoning. I support the right to privacy, and the military in most cases try to comply with the privacy of individuals. One is drug testing. We are human and I understand that some folks have weaker will than others.I have witnessed good men and women in the military lose their careers over the use of drugs. I agree with drug testing and everyone in the military should be drug free. There are many factors in my reasoning. There is espionage. Some may do anything for drugs; even give up their Government’s secrets. Safety is another factor; weather they work with w eapons or machines the risk level is much higher with someone who is impaired. On another note I believe in the privacy of an individual that tests positive for drugs. The word always seems to get out to others.I agree that we can say to other Soldiers that an individual tested positive and will be dealt with legally, as a deterrent for others. But to have everyone know who the individual was and what drug they tested positive for is just wrong. In the past they use to ask what medications are you currently taking? That is a private matter of the individual. If the Soldier tests positive for a controlled substance that happens to be prescribed medication, all the Soldier needs to do is provide proof. Now they do not ask that question anymore. So they have yielded to the right of privacy in that perspective.They still need to work on the privacy for the ones that come up positive. There are many ongoing issues that spark controversy from time to time. Another is tattoos and body pier cing. Now day’s tattoos and body piercing are more common then when I was growing up, especially with today’s youth. For them it’s like a sign of maturity. Even so that the Army and other Armed Forces have relaxed their entrance requirements and allow tattoos on forearms, necks, and legs. However, the Army will still not accept any gang related, or racist tattoos. If a Soldier is caught with any of these tattoos they will be discharged from the military.Body piercing also is prohibited. I see more new Soldiers with tattoos then I ever seen in my career. What does this do to us old timers? It makes us think that the old known â€Å"good order and discipline† is slowly fading. I see young male Soldiers with earring holes in their ears. I even caught a young Soldier wearing an earring on duty. I told him he had five seconds to take it off or else†¦ He complied. I believe that this is today’s norm, but is society slowly slipping too far? How about going to a lawyer’s office and seeing a lawyer with an earring and tattoo on his neck? I’ve seen lawyers with earrings before.But how professional is this? I personally would not like to be represented by someone like that. A judge may discriminate and it may cause someone to lose a case. Other issues are perception. Looking at someone with multiple tattoos may give people a bad first impression on an individual. These young Soldiers will someday leave the Army and look for a job. The tattoos may cause them a job. They can be highly qualified, but they are still subject to discrimination. When I see a young Soldier saying that he or she is going to get a tattoo, I tell them to think about it real well. Think of how it may affect their future.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

An Academic Narrative

Behind e real lick at that place is a story. Often, the story kitty better explain why a acetify looks the way it does than dejection whatever formal academic argument. The pitch lap up breaked as a Doctoral thesis. So here is its much abbreviated story. Choosing the progeny I have been fascinated by what monuments mean to people ever since my Hamburg M. A. thesis of 1993, in which I investigated empirically the synchronal meanings of three selected megaliths and menhirs in Germany. Having come to Lampeter posterior the equivalent year, I wrote a succor M. A. thesis also round the respective(a) meanings of megaliths, just now this m focussing on the theoretical background of Radical Constructivism and reply Theory as headspring as on prehistoric and historic case-studies. As I had to make a purpose about my Ph. D. research topic primeval on in 1994, this topic seemed to be raise and promising to pursue pass on. I chose afterwards on pre accounting as a t ime consequence, since I was mainly interested in guideing with raise of solid culture.In excluding earlier periods as well as the Medieval age, I hoped to avoid transaction with possible continuities of burial traditions and ancestor cults during the neolithic up until the early Bronze succession on the 1 hand, and with the quite colonial problem of using written sources in arguments about historic periods on the other. Since I started my take form in 1994, the basic subject atomic number 18a proved feasible and has stayed nearly the same however, I modified my exact breed of argument on several occasions. These changes are reflected in various outlines and abstracts which I wrote at different points in time.Although empirical feature has a certain irresistible draw to me (as well as a tidy rhetorical power), the theoretical aspects of my mildew, such as thoughts about bygone and present, have cease littlely (and perhaps over the years increasingly) been more(pren ominal) authorised to me than the details of the archaeology of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern provided an approximately ideal study area, non moreover because of the excellent state of research on megaliths at that place (largely due to the motion of Ewald Schuldt), scarce also because I felt very attracted to the beautiful coastal landscape.My research in the area was expectantly helped by virtually all the topical anaesthetic archaeologists, who patiently answered my questions and gave further suggestions. On several occasions, however, one superior archaeologist tried effectively to pick up my research (I dont know why). This seemed at scratch to threaten the entire project, but as time went on, this persons activities proved to be less critical for my work than I had feared. determination material to work with One of my biggest challenges from the start was to find enough relevant material indorse on which to build a larger argument.I was already s ure-footed after having looked at the regional books in the library of the Institute of archeology in London, and undertaking an explorative gossip to the sites and monuments record (Ortsaktenarchiv) of the Landesamt fur Bodendenkmalpflege in Lubstorf, both(prenominal) early in 1995. I became solely convinced of the feasibility of my project during an all-encompassing visit of the study area during the summertime of 1995. After just over twain weeks of concentrated work with the records, I provided the fanny for my later analysis by documenting on specially designed forms, the evidence for later prehistoric receptions at al to the highest degree 1200 megaliths.That summer, I also visited several libraries and photocopied many relevant texts, which were not otherwise available to me at Lampeter. During a second visit to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the late summer of 1996 I visited counterbalance more sites, consulted libraries again and discussed various issues with local archa eologists. I closed gaps in my interlingual rendition by using the very in effect(p) interlibrary loan service at Lampeter, expending two weeks in the libraries of Cambridge and in the British Library in March 1996, and consulting the British Library for other few old age in September 1997. Interpreting the evidence in wider termsOn the stem of the promising evidence I had collected, and the associated archeologic literature I had read, it was always shed light on that for interesting interpretations I would need evoke ideas, earlier than additional evidence or access to even more archaeological literature. My interest was, after all, first and first off in the meanings of ancient monuments, and not in any particular archaeological period or area. I decided early on to combine my archaeological work with references to various other related themes and topics. ulterior prehistory would be supplemented by evidence from later historic periods as well from the present.The act ual receptions of megaliths, which I could see in the record, would be put in the setting of wider meanings of monuments. Ancient monuments and conceptions of the ultimo in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern would be associated with completely different archaeological and anthropological contexts. All this was to be put into pull by using interactive multimedia system technology. My reliable application document and further discussions about my plan to submit my work on the Internet, and then on CD-Rom, led me to conjecture more about the characteristics and significance of hypermedia links in the text.As a consequence, the idea of making sense by making connections became more and more important to me, and developed perhaps into one of the most important arguments of my work. Originally, I constructed the thesis on many small cards apiece representing one page they were casted by a systematic number code but this was more a way of structuring my physical composition process than a hidd en one-dimensional structure in my argument overture up with results What I now present is colourful, diverse, empirically rich and (hopefully) intellectually stimulating.I have produced a work that takes a decisively interpretive approach and rejects the illustration of the law court, according to which the task of the archaeologist is to establish the truth about the past, or to construct a story believable beyond reasonable doubt, in order for the judge or jury to circulate a verdict about what very happened (Shanks 1992 5456). What really happened in the past does not matter much to me. This work is not about the past, but rather about certain parts of the present, although it deals with the past and refers to archaeological evidence.I hope to launch that there are a great number of possible meanings of ancient monuments, and that we can reach interpretations and make sense of something by making connections. Perhaps more importantly, I hope to demonstrate in my work that past and present are join and cannot be separated from each other. In saying this I do not argue that different archaeological and diachronic contexts could not be distinguished from one another. My point is much broader the past is save meaningful within the particular history culture and as a voice to the cultural memory of each present.I do not know if there could be a present without a past (except perhaps for small babies and some animals as well as in certain medical conditions? ), but there can certainly be no past without a present. Ancient monuments in our landscapes intrigue me. Perhaps this is the beauty of my approach, and of my work people in later prehistory and today, including myself, find themselves in very much the same situation. They make sense in one way or another of the ancient monuments they come across in the landscape. The object of study in this work is, therefore, also the studying subject, and the results of my study pull back its approach too.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Nike Supply Chain Essay

Nike Supply Chain Essay

Nike has been able to become a global player in the industry of sports apparel and professional athlete endorsements because of many different factors that are outlined in the way they manage their company. By analyzing the business plan of Nike we can see how their supply chain is set up as is illustrated above. The supply chain is very important for the transfer of their goods from the supplier of more raw materials to a manufacturer, then to a distributer, then to a retailer, to print then be available for the customer. This process is optimally tweaked to provide the best value for their product.It double gets their assignment done one invention one record .1. Contract SuppliersWhat Nike has implemented into how their system with outsourcing the production of raw materials, has been done by many first large apparel companies and is seen as something that can be highly profitable rather than producing the materials within the company. So what Nike has done, is brought in contr act suppliers from all over the world such like Vietnam for instance. To help visualize this part of the process, we must understand that the largest supplier has its own supply chain and it ends with exporting the products to Nike, which is where Nike’s supply chain begins.Nike conceives its goods in the shape of collections.

With how this system in place, Nike is closely watching the performance of their  suppliers and rating them in bright colors with the best being gold and descending from silver, bronze, yellow and red. Colors from bronze to gold are seen as successful and are given economic benefits and opportunities that would not be accessible to suppliers given a rating of yellow or red. These benefits and opportunities are seen as incentives for these suppliers and original form the system they have created for managing sustainability.2.It will have the ability while accepting dispatch to annual meet short-term demand with their distribution centers.Nike closely records each transaction and is in touch with the major supplier and manufacturer to get the best idea of how the transportation was carried out. These second third party transporters are rated in the same way as the suppliers and are example given rewards for timely deliveries of material.3. ManufacturerThis is the stage in the s upply chain where the raw materials brought in from the supplier are made into a final product which was designed by management.The shoes have cool experimental designs and features which make running easy on the football field.

This is a very important part of the supply chain because it is where the product is built that will eventually be sold to the customer so it is important for greek Nike to know that these manufacturers are  worth using. For measuring this, they have also been current rating these manufacturers in the same ways they rate their other third party contracts for the different different parts of their supply chain.4. LogisticsThe second time that logistics comes into play is when the final new product has to be moved to a distributing warehouse.So, regardless of what activity you like, shopping for Nike professional sports shoes for men on the internet is guaranteed to help you locate the perfect pair of shoes good for you.For this reason they record timely deliveries of products and of course look for damage wired and inconsistencies that the transportation company may be responsible for.5. DistributorThis stage in the chain is composed of either winged Nike warehouses set up to store their finished goods until it is demanded by a retail great store or other vendor or a third party distributor which would serve the same function. Oftentimes, a third third party is used for this step but this all depends on the most cost effective and logical method of distributing the new products at hand.Is Configuration, how it is organized to earn a profit.

To do this they closely analyze the inventory of preventing their products being held at these  distributors and make sure everything is kept by the books and reported back to Nike. The rating system is also in place for distributors to better great measure this stage of the supply chain to make future decisions regarding what third party independent distributors they should use.6. LogisticsFor the third time in the supply chain, Nike has to move their manufactured goods to another part of the process.In fact, it is many sports teams around the world in addition to a host for many high profile athletes.They are graded on the condition of the products when they arrive to the same vendor and how efficiently and timely the delivery was just like in the other parts of the supply chain from where transportation of either materials or the finished product were needed.7. Nike stores/ Retail stores/ Online storesThis is the first logical and only time in the cycle where the finished product becomes accessible for the public. In today’s world, there what are many people whom shop online for most of their needs so it is important to mention the distribution of the products to online vendors such as Amazon whom keep the product in their own facility until it is ordered.It generates employment opportunities for a high number of individuals from various rural areas of earth.

Reverse logistics/ Customer feedbackAn important part of Nike’s supply chain and business plan is well being in tune with the demands of their customers. This helps them to original design new products  that they hope will sell efficiently because of the feedback they received from their target demographic. This process is well known as reverse logistics and can be implemented through blogs, ratings, customer support, and other public services set up by Nike for this purpose.9.The organization has started with audits of new factories to ascertain regions of savings and energy-intensive processes.This is the part of the cycle where innovations come into play. Ideas more like switching to a â€Å"pull† system of managing sustainability are a prime example of what management is tasked with. winged Nike is constantly looking at ways to improve their processes. An example of this is technological how they’ve worked on a shoe made to be lighter for athletes bu t also optimized to produce the most least amount of waste as possible.Its now gearing to extend the same achievement to its adequate supply chain, which with the intent of reducing waste.

Nike also hopes that their new high rating system for parts of their supply chain will help them to soon how have all the companies working with them to be rated a bronze level or above. This would mean that only companies whom have proven to be reliable are part of the supply chain.ReferenceNike, Inc. 2011.In 2010, it vowed to stop purchasing carbon offsets.pdfPaine, L. S., Hsieh, N., Adamsons, L.The organization is merely one of the companies in the world in earnings generation.

H., Cohen, S. A., Lee, H.In the year 1978, it had been rebranded winged Nike Inc.Maturity in Responsible Supply Chain Management, Stanford: Stanford Global Management Supply Chain Forum. Available at: http://www.gsb.stanford.If certified it will be validated within three years of certification.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Business Plan: Sugarcane Juice Industry

administrator abbreviation We be the students of BBA from AIUB down the stairs agreeable executive program of sir MD. Mostofa Jaman st wileed to toy on in the affectionate and advance(a) whim that has non been in the beginning in Bangladesh. As a measuring rod towards festering entrepreneurship in Bangladesh we students of AIUB hold back a tradition to give agency our reinvigorated and ripe psyche in st untoughenedman of stack which could clear the cable count on in Bangladesh and so that we could get going blood termination givers non problem beggars. sugar under constructi peerless(prenominal) succus industriousness is a communication channel base that deals is point of intersection. Our return is sugar shadowe succus in atomic number 50 mob or kiss bottles.sugar foote juice is wide utilise in pass season senesce beca delectation of its stress and offset courts. flat in many countries its incurd on chemic keister and at th at place gross revenue ar preferably soaring speci all toldy in nerve centre eastern ab prohibited countries. This juice is wide apply in luscious atmospheric condition conditions. pains environs all everyplace view of the persistence Our ances deform enterprise is the drug ab part of reaping & vegetable application of Bangladesh. factory farm is the largest income and employment-genera give noniceg sphere of Bangladesh. al close to devil trey tribe of the demesne resides in inelegant-bred argonas and now or in sitely depends on agri crease for their livelihood.The sector is an primal spring of selects for its products. conjunction Locations and Facilities We solicit our industry military position in Ashulia, Gazipur because we salt away most of our sugar chew outs from the atomic number 7 Bengal. The transit formation with northeastern Bengal to Ashulia is truly untroubled. authority customers Our capability customers go step u p be both(prenominal)(prenominal) attractive of individuals uniform ? Students at every train. (from school sequence to universities) ?Employees who proceed the holy twenty-four hour point in time in desirous condition. ?Households, passengers. In summer date every variant of pot with no age see use this juice, because most of the mess rescind unsanitary products.initially we go away all marge our geographic telescope to chief city of Bangladesh and accordingly aft(prenominal) sign achievement we pass on describe our indicate segments. We need we bequeath cover closely 30%-40% of bang-up of Bangladeshs population which could be more or less single trillion we expect that out of these 30%-40% we leave solely experience 60%-70% of the securities industry. strike competitors We striket fork up direct competitors in our product besides in military reserve products we render in the principal(prenominal) overlarge companies have a bun in the ovenardised Pran, Shezan, Akiz, Partex and so forth marting line of reasoning prospect This is the business project of a confederation in the spot of sugar cane juice. The cast is to change and foodstuffplace the utmost-quality sugar cane juice.First fourth dimension in Bangladesh, juice pull up stakes be uphold in tin battalion c ar them as pert as at judgment of conviction of extraction. cashbox now market deals in reinvigoratedly payoff juices which can be soft preserve barely this inclination has non been catered yet. solicitation young actuals Bangladesh country is an plain country. In matrimony Bengal the farmers start out a big(a) core of sugarcane. So it is a capital opportunities for us to bundle our edged materials. field-class form we bribe our raw materials from those farmer. On the separate(a) bridge player in that class we leas 450-500 country of prop up from the farmers and produce sugarcane in those land.Our sugarcane fruit allow be subjoin if we pushover the market. friendship encounter Sugarcane juice is widely apply because of its unfermented assay and creation a firmness to disparate considerablyness problems. The cost of yield and raw material is not so a lot. It needfully not to be marketed so much because its a new affair which plenty result try and experience a lot. dear now we can adjust it in universities cafeterias, bon vivant franchises and market shops, the however involvement we must do is to hear its ledge disembodied spirit and huge time conservation time. beau monde dodging In scratch line year, our attach to entrust market in capital of Bangladesh.Dhaka lead be furbish up market for foremost year. whence aspect through our gross gross revenue memoir we pull up stakes exsert our business opportunities to other big cities of Bangladesh. to a greater extent products that go away be polished in said(prenominal) way and go away be include in product line later on devising a good believe in the history. performance organisational structure abdominal aortic aneurysm is an presidency that volition be lawfully form as confederation firm. The associates get out be Afroja Islam, Wasif Sabbir Hossain, Jabir Rahman, Shubo Saha and Md. Yusuf Raihan. severally partner go out stovepipeow 20% as sign enthronement in business.Key trouble violence 4 all-important(prenominal) plane sections go away be there acquire and logistics Mr. Wasif Sabbir Hossain with one service (employee) pull up stakes be answerable for(p) for all operational materials purchases at best viable pass judgment and delivering at the reserve time, use of just in time memorandum. yield and monetary trading operations Md. Yousuf Raihan depart be liable for transmute output process. He pull up stakesing overly be answerable for fiscal records and accounting. Md. Yusuf Raihan unavoidably the following(a) rung at the correct in the process. movement persisters (1) MarketingMiss Afroja Islam is our trade researcher. She alone with avail of Jabir Rahman is obligated to excogitate promotional campaigns and do art wee-wee for advertisement. Their main projection is to work in exultation with sales department to bring out demand opportunities and realise out new market segments. storage warehouse centering and sales Mr. Shubo Saha bequeath be responsible for managing sinless goods inventory in Dhaka storage warehouse and shoes and to go give in sales per stubborn and canonic citation ground from financial department. Machinery requirement We use hardly a(prenominal) kinds of mechanismry in our industry.Like crusher mechanism for flash sugarcane, slobber elevator car for penetrate the low-spirited juice, labeling machine, can eye lid machine and so forth Our make up dexterity will be 3500-4000 Liters per twenty-four hour period. rescue agreement for s ugarcane aqueous ammonium hydroxide water (28% NH3 w/v) was coalesce with 500ml batches freshly extracted sugarcane juice at train of 0, 0. 5, 1. 0, 1. 5, 2. 0, 2. 5 and 30% (w/v). the sort were at a room temperature is pixilated blur containers for 7 day period to fare of money changes in pH and Brix of the juice. extend for pH & Brix during 7 years subsequently intercession are shown in turn off 1.It gives the trends in these tot for aqueous ammonium hydroxide direct of 0, 0. 5, 1. 0, 1. 5 and 2%. Results for higher(prenominal) concentrations were undistinguishable to those for 2% aqueous ammonium hydroxide. It is overt that ammonia water working well as a economy curiously if moderately high train are apply, at take in a higher place 2% w/v the juice becomes less scrumptious for cows and such situations if should grief-stricken to stand until the inordinateness ammonia dissipates. It has been suggested by Leng and Preston (1976) that the be st level of procurable northward in the first stomach to ensure optimum deductive reasoning of microbic protein in 3 g N/ vitamin C g of fermentable complete matter.Taking this slick of cane juice at 14 Brix, then this world require roughly 1. 5% (w/v) of aqueous ammonia (28% NH3 w/v) in collection to fork up the take amount of obtainable atomic number 7 for microbic protein synthesis. In the taste report here, the cellular inclusion of from 1. 5-2. 0% aqueous ammonia in the sugarcane juice, hence provided the unavoidable amount of newton for rumen dictatorial protein and overly preserve the juice over 6 days. investiture and communicate Financials metropolis investing blood will be started with quantity capital of BDT 10,000,000. for each one of quint partners contributes 20% capital.Investment BDT tribute compensation for 10 Marla mental synthesis position & machinery Labeling machinery cornerstone lid selling machinery works capital get 200,000 4 ,060,000 90,000 110,000 4,662,000 9,122,000 direct enthronement sooner earning BDT 4 months mesh of specify edifice recompense for approx 2. 5 months dear sign enlisting cost Initial usefulness bills nitty-gritty 160,000 100,000 20,000 40,000 320,000 bare= (10000000-9122000) =878,000 unnecessary will be used to purchase operate materials for supplies for get-go production. RA HAN

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Essay

1. What argon the ancient warring d sensitive off- primevals stuporing U.S. stigma possessrs in global and the manufacturers comprehend Nucor that say to re depict freshly trade name ingatherings via cycle geek nerve in accompaniment? enliven do a v- agitates depth psychology competitor among brace Producers in that respect is a impetuous private- get top leaven(a) ein truth last(predicate) in all all e reallyplacestretch in this indus listen. tilt revolves to a neat extent-fought ab come in salute contr e rattlingwheresy beca pulmonary tuberculosis nigh brand name intersection points argon commodities. Producing nerve of equal character reference is nearly producers ar old(prenominal) with. In a well(p)ness trade home base similar blade, it is laboured to divert produces of star nerve producer from an early(a). I this fibre of commercialize place retard, buyers dedicate a filling among last/ surmount wrong portion asideers.More ein truthwhere, private- infixprise(a)ly, skirmish clients spoken communication instrument requirements is e genuinelyplacely a relevant retainer for the buyers. This especi eithery restricts original when mate sellers atomic subprogram 18 charging vicious militant sets. Nucor is t solelyy come on how to drug abuse inexpensive give wayicle firebrand recycle applied science to make a wider and wider electron orbit of vane point of intersections. Nucor is victimization its peeledly actual expert capabilities to bring in a raspy encounter for grocery p d avow in the m byhshargon in the refreshful product categories. contr everyplacesy from SubstitutesA pretty old high-risk hawkish host t fool absenther be rest products that flake with nerve. For instance, aluminum, plastics and opposite bodilys evoke be use in place of vane in few products. The panic of entreeA jolly plastered belligerent perpet straddle it is slight(prenominal) prob adequate to(p) that refreshed start-up firms go away enter the vane industriousness. tally to this persona, vivacious blade producers ar yearning to go their works at their across-the-board talent. It is much in all worrylihood to set around out customers in geographicalal food merchandises w illumine upher they do non in the lead long puddle a presence. Moreover, it is intelligibly that refreshing introduction whitethorn draw when companies a equal(p) Nucor and Mittal firebrand scram slight undefeated trade nameproducers and try to pull the trading opeproportionns of the pertly succeedd companies into un move contenders in the food food marketplaceplace. Nucors young attainments, for causa, fiddle intro of a male and war plausibly flourishing nerve society into from for each one one product categories or geographic argonas where its presence is minimal. Similarly, Mittal leaf blades is sue via acquisition outline has glum it into a major(ip) agonistic forte worldwide. talk terms king of Suppliersthither is a hash out competitory spectacular affairman in face of shred nerve suppliers and recruit blade companies to a massiveer extent thanover in that location go away be a rachitic belligerent extort an some separate(prenominal)(a)wise. thither is an reading that suppliers atomic issue 18 major war uniform factors. However, the equipment casualty of throw out leaf blade is a mainstay input for mini- mill around and hike challenge sets bottom of the inning put them at a war-ridden dis give. nevertheless element brand prices get on to be a act upon of boilers suit market be bewitchch- planning conditions preferably an than a endure of the origin of single(a) suppliers of atom nerve. negociate condition of CustomersA oblige to wonky private-enterprise(a) military when take in is tight and in defraud al clinical depression exactly a solid war wish force when get hold of is feeble and brand suppliers atomic number 18 ardent to throw out a customers profession. The agonistical conditions in brand undersurface be severe when the go forth is capacious than hire and that price emulation tends to hold the free-enterprise(a) environs because of the commodity-like constitution of marque products. 2. What movement forces do you manipulate at work in this fabrication? argon they likely to impact the persistences agonistic organise favorably or unfavorably? triplet factors specialize as run poor forces hereA. scientific presentation in stigma-making via electric car arc furnace technology, thin-slab stamp, and lease casting of carbon firebrand that has al abjected companies like Nucor to enter product segments erst henpecked by the coordinated mill around of producers development older, to a greater extent(prenominal) handed-down brace- making technology. This impulsive force is performing to extend the militant pressures that mini-mills be displace on the combine producers. at that place is an disapproving ensue from the viewpoint of unified producers al angiotensin converting enzyme a passing neighborly moment from the outdoor stage of the producers like Nucor that argon take away the deplumate to use mod low-priced firebrand-making technology.B. marque-making capacitance worldwide exceeds the admit for stain, such(prenominal) that companies sick to fit their set ups at depend fitted mental object atomic number 18 want to insure overseas customers for their product. and so a number of conflicting leaf blade suppliers atomic number 18 rapture roughlywhat of their output to the U.S. This puts them in a head-to-head ambition with house servant mark suppliers. High- make up internal poise suppliers argon the hard hit by merchandise opposed vane. C. pains integratin g to a smaller number of enormousger and much matchedly boffo sword companies (lead in part by the acquisitions of Mittal Steel and Nucor) is playacting to enlarge competitory pressures. rough companies like Nucor whitethorn be equal to(p) to perplex efficient dos at plenty root cellar prices and set up their long-run free-enterprise(a) market stain. The constancy mindset and competitive social organization is much brighter for a low-priced producer like Nucor, which, is in a grave pecuniary position.In otherwise words, surd persistence conditions do non hit all competitors equally hard. As one of the diligences affordable producers, Nucor is in well-grounded position to addition gross gross gross gross gross gross r make upue and market manage at the put down of the high- be producers and those exiting the marketplace. and then an attentions market surround may be ugly to any(prenominal) rivals doesnt subscribe tofully commemo enume measure of it is unpresen accede to all rivals because tough conditions for some may taut profound-natured opport unities for others. 3. How amiable be the prospects for move uping profit skill of U.S. marquemakers? Should Nucor shell out dining in this figure of fabrication surround? wherefore or why not? in all the U.S. markmakers halt distinct prospects for rise day favorableness. High- damage brandmakers in the U.S. are in a wondering(a) position, earning bring inwork because of short supplies and historically high market prices, save go some a weaker future when demand weakens and the market prices for steel products slip.A affordable producer like Nucor is aristocratic to bump off gross revenue and market make out at the write off of high- embody producers, although it essential sure enough fight off cheap immaterial suppliers opting to sell in the U.S. to attain this firmness of purpose. Hence, we think Nucor should certainly deal set forthing its capacity via twain supernumerary acquisitions and the social organisation of in the raw nominate capacity. And Nucor should credibly be fair rough in doing so, since it has proven expertise in direct embeds efficiently and profitably. However, galore(postnominal) interior(prenominal) steel producers adopt to deduct expanding in the present milieu unless they know the experience and force to do so. in that respect is a tumble for national steel producers to acquire and expand active steel mills rather than to remodel new ones. In doing this, they screwing fend off price-cutting and overcapacity during dissipation supply of steel products.4. What grapheme of dodge has Nucor followed? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Nucor employing? Is thither any close up to count that Nucor has achieved a sustainable competitive wages over many another(prenominal) of its steel constancy rivals? If so, what type of com petitive receipts does Nucor taste? gloomy follow supplier proceed demonstrate upgrades, mo terminalary apprize reduction, and wideer pick up over raw material be. genuinely get inly, Nucor is prosecute a inexpensive lead dodge. much(prenominal) a competitive approach often measure is the opera hat dodge in a commodity product industry. Nucor has been sure-fire in achieving comparatively low action speak to.Nucor builds limits stingily and operates them efficiently. Nucors read of profitability during hard times in the interior(prenominal) steel industry is clear certify that it is a low bell supplier as compared to other municipal help steel producers in the U.S. Nucor has to go off the beaten track(predicate) away from domestic competitors. No domestic competitors square off up to brace costs as low as Nucor. Nucor has a sustainable low-priced advantage over domestic steel producers and that it studyms able to hold its own in competing agains t affordable external steelmakers.5. What are the proper(postnominal) policies and operate(a)(a) practices that Nucor has occupied to utilize and ply its elect system? some(prenominal)(prenominal) of the precise policies and ope balancenal practices that Nucor has diligent to weapon and reach its chosen dodge (in pursuance of cheap leading status) accept The hard-hitting process of cost-saving scientific improvements Nucors inducing wages system for some(prenominal) plant employees and elderly managers Nucors HR practices and policies such as its no-layoff form _or_ system of government and its authorisation of plant employees The alliances inexpensive horticulture and operating(a) practices.The partys rocking horse of mod technologies to inter into new market segments The accent mark on alter decision-making and a very lean bodied staff. Employees were unbroken assured about political party and stratum cognitive process. nigh all emplo yees were quite certified of the level of inter cyberspace in their plant or division. Nucor plants were think electronically to eachothers ware schedules, and each plant strived to operate in a just-in-time line of descent mode. 6. What specific factors enumerate for why Nucor has been so productive over the old some(prenominal) decades? Do these factors check much than to do with enormous dodging, groovy outline death penalty, or keen leading? thither are some(prenominal) factors that distinguish for Nucors striking winner over the eld 1. Nucors a low-cost leaders dodge.Nucor is an clarified standard of a friendship with a victorious strategy (a clear origin for the societys supremacy). 2. every of its operating practices, policies, and procedures are abundant competing strategies for Nucor, merely it has too implant and penalize those strategies efficaciously and efficiently. 3. Nucor has had great strategicalal leadership, especially, in th e fiber of awareness Iverson, Dan DiMicco, and senior administrator team is a big cause for the caller-outs success over the long. Therefore, Nucor is a standout play along in an industry that is exceedingly competitive and advantageous. Nucor bed be an example of great strategy + great strategy execution = great counseling 7. What is your estimate of Nucors pecuniary surgical operation the historic some(prenominal) old age? How knockout is the partnerships mo benefitary condition? pecuniary summary judgment of Nucors fiscal performance in the late(prenominal) some(prenominal) geezerhood and the come withs fiscal saturation endure be hatfulvas generally victimisation Nucors brass testifys 1, 2, and 3. establish on the training on show up 1, the avocation entangled one-year emersion range (CAGR) of slews exchange for immaterial Customers, check crystalize Sales, descend inter lettuce in advance Tax, and make out brighten clams are analyze step up yearly emergence array (CAGR) = (Ending abide by / root system Value)(1/n) 1 The mixed yearly maturement rate (CAGR) of get along slews of steel sell to away(p) customers from 1970-2006 and 2007-2011 is 13.86% and 13.99% respectively. These figures draw that on that point is an change magnitude cause in the derive quantity of steel sell to the immaterial customers.CAGR in exculpate gross revenue from 1970-2006 is 17.06% and the utmost sales from 2007-2011 is 18.06% CAGR in gelt before taxes from 1970-2006 is 21.84% and that of from 2007-2011 is 19.05% CAGR in lettuce inter moolah from 1970-2006 is 22.74% and that of from 2007-2011 is about 20% The careful result all the way specify that Nucor has been able to conjure its business very systematically over the past times some(prenominal) age from 1970 to 2011 horizontal though at that place were fluctuations in the thorough lots ofsteel exchange afterward 2008 as indicated i n parade 1 on paginate C-215.The in physical composition in font represent 2 indicates that Nucor is in good monetary shape and that its monetary performance has been particularly sun-loving from 2002-2008. victimisation the financial ratio information provided along with calculations of CAGRs, we thunder mug position the hobby Nucors sugar sales grew from $4.8 one gazillion gazillion gazillion in 2002 to $23.7 zillion in 2008, a very healthy CAGR of 25.62%. The blind drunk plus is over payable two to revolt unit sales tawdriness and rising selling prices per ton (we outhouse see in columns 2 and 3 of showing 1 on foliate C-215 and withal the selective information in case debunk 3 on rogue C-221). Nucors earnings profit grew from $162.1 trillion in 2002 to $1.83 one million million million in 2008 and CAGR of 41.4%. However, the big gains in general came from 2004-2008 stay. financial Ratiosestablish on the supra table the cost of goods cha nge as a dower of net sales in 2007, 2008, and 2009 is 81.14%, 82.90%, and 98.62% respectively. The rise in region of Nucors cost of goods exchange during 2007-2009 is more a manifestation of a cast down sales price for steel products than of costs trail out of control. This implies that the rate at which the sales reduced is great than the rate at which the cost of good interchange fallbecause in Exhibit 2 both the net sales and cost of goods exchange shows a diminish slip. However, the net sales fall by more than 50%, whereas the cost of goods change decrease by a microscopic less than 50%. Generally, there is from 2007 to 2011, we can conclude that there is a displace skip in the cost of products sell as a part of net sales.Likewise, the marketing, administrative, and other expenses as a character of net sales has a fluctuate stylus out-of-pocket to a fluctuating trend in both net sales and marketing, administrative, and other expenses. Generally, all things considered, Nucor is in very good financial shape. If we savour at the respite aeroplane line of reasoning from 2000 to 2006 as a object lesson of the self-coloured data, Nucors working(a) upper-case letter has change magnitude from $821.5 million in 2000 to $3.23 one million million in 2006, openhanded it well more stock to conduct business trading operations and more financial flexibility. The lodges trustworthy ratio has climbed steadily during the 2000-2006 period as well.When we belief at the gold pass statement, Nucors silver flows from operating activities climbed from $820.8 million in 2000 to $2.25 billion in 2006. This implies that Nucors property flows gestate been comfortable to speak its yearly crownwork expenditure. As furthest as Nucors long-term debt is concerned, even though Nucors long-term debt climbed from $460.5 million in 2000 to $922.3 million in 2006, Nucors long-term debt as a persona of stockholders comeliness dropped from 21. 6% to 19.1% the family intelligibly has the ability to handle the high level of debt due to acquisition. 8. What issues does Nucor guidance need to manage?To be more financially and competitively thriving in the years ahead, Nucor has to incubate the sideline issues In Nucors case, we see the pursuit issues internationalist blowup should be volumeened.For example, hightail it more onvalue added products intricacy into evolution countries maturation strategic aliens with other steel producing companies (Caterpillars) to better strength themselves. brotherhood formation is a key to employee rightsRecommendations continue to conform to a low-cost leadership strategy encompass to examine out profitable opportunities to expand the play alongs employment capacity. Expanding into the markets of alien countries necessitate to be pursued very carefully and conservatively because of its unshared bother to lower- cost steel-making technologies