Book Analysis: Heidi Essay

The book in reference is Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The story tells of a little girl named Heidi who was brought to her grandfather in the mountains. Heidi’s guardian Dete has decided to leave Heidi to her grandfather after both of her parents died. Many of the villagers are aware of the bad tempered Alp-Uncle who lives in the mountains. At first, Alp-Uncle was not really into taking care of Heidi but eventually, he has learned to love her. Heidi’s charisma taught Alp-Uncle loving and caring feelings towards life. Everyday, Heidi would tour the mountains with his friend Peter who is a shepherd. One day, Dete cam back to bring Heidi to Frankfurt and accompany a rich but wheelchair-ridden young girl Klara where Heidi could live in luxury. It was a bad experience for Heidi for she missed Alp-Uncle and the mountains a lot. When the people in the mansion noticed Heidi’s homesickness, she was returned to her grandfather. After a couple of days, Klara has decided to visit Heidi. It was a wonderful experience for Klara which became her healing experience and made her walk. In the end, Klara and her family thanked Heidi and Alp-Uncle for their kindness. There are four main characters in the story; Heidi who is the main character is a simple but very charming little girl. She loves the mountains and nature. She is also caring and loving. Alp-Uncle is Heidi’s grandfather. At the beginning of the story, he was described as a grumpy old man but eventually, Heidi was able to change his outlook in life and was seen with great kindness. Klara is Heidi’s friend in Frankfurt. She is an ill little girl but was inspired to be positive in life with Heidi’s help. Lastly, Peter is Heidi’s friend in the mountains. He is a shepherd. When Klara visited Heidi in the mountains, he was jealous to have Klara as a competition for Heidi’s attention. Eventually, they made three good friends. The book immediately injects a notion that most of the time; females have weaker dispositions in the society. They are represented to be weaker but with superior feelings of emotional understanding. On the other hand, the male characters are presented as leaders and seen as having any uncaring emotions towards others. The book reinforces the social expectations for both genders. One example is the manifestation of Peter’s character who is tasked to do laborious work like herding the goats and sheep. Also, Alp-Uncle was perceived to have more knowledge in carpentry which is basically perceived as a work designed for men. On the other hand, females’ characters are presented in a passive aspect by making them helpless like Peter’s grandmother who is weak and blind and Klara who is also sick. Personally, my favorite children’s book was Peter Pan. Basically, the notion of gender dispositions can also be seen in the story as with Heidi. Peter Pan, as a boy, is projected to have powers and has a quality of leadership. Although he usually gets into troubles, he is able to solve them in the end. Wendy also has the same characteristics as Heidi’s who is caring and loving but dignified. Probably, Peter Pan is marketed towards children who are interested in fantasy. The magical scenarios presented in the story are evident of stirring the imagination of children who are still not yet exploited with notions of gender dilemmas. This gave me a lesson that it is sometimes a matter of initial projection of ideas to younger children that will eventually shape our societies. Works Cited Spyri, Johanna. 1993. Van Gool’s Heidi. London: Magna Books

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LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY CAPSTONE PROJECT REPORT TOPIC- ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF HONEY. PROJECT GUIDE- SUBMITTED BY- DR. AKSHAY GARG MOHIT KUMAR DEPT. OF BIOTECHNOLOGY REG. NO. – 10800037 ROLL NO- RB1R07B02 B. TECH BIOTECH. (8th sem. ) DATED- . 17-05-2012 CERTIFICATECertified that this project entitled â€Å"anti microbial activity of different types of honey † submitted by MOHIT KUMAR , students of biotechnology Department, Lovely Professioal University, Phagwara Punjab in the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Bachelors of Technology (biotechnology) Degree of LPU, is a record of student’s own study carried under my supervision & guidance. This report has not been submitted to any other university or institution for the award of any degree.Date: 17/5/2012 Name of Project Guide Dr. Akshay Garg DECLARATION I, MOHIT KUMAR, student of B. Tech Biotechnology under Department of Biotechnology of Lovely Professional Unive rersity, Punjab, hereby declare that all the information furnished in this dissertation / capstone project report is based on my own intensive research and is genuine. This dissertation / report does not, to the best of my knowledge, contain part of my work which has been submitted for the award of my degree either of this niversity or any other university without proper citation. Date – 17/5/2012 Investigator- MOHIT KUMAR Regd. No. 10800037 Acknowledgement Any attempt at any level can't be satisfactorily completed without the support and guidance of learned people in my capstone projectâ€Å"Antimicrobial activity of different types of honey†.I would like to express my immense gratitude to my guide Dr. Akshay Garg for his constant support and motivation that has encouraged me to come up with this project. I also would like to thanks my group member who helped me in my project. MOHIT KUMAR ABSTRACT Honey is a traditional topical treatment for infected wounds. It can be effective on antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Several local brands of honey(Dabur) collected from different sources is used in this study. Also the honey is collected from various apiaries from Pathankot(Punjab) and Saharanpur (Up).The bacterial culture were taken from the laboratory of the Lovely professional University and was revived in nutrient broth media and then sub-cultured in nutrient agar media. The method used to test this antibiotic sensitivity of honey was done with the help of Kirby Bauer method . Marked variations were observed in the antibacterial activity of these honey samples. Bacterial species used were Bacillus subtilis ,E. coli. , S. aureus and Burkholderia spp. The zone of inhibition produced against different bacteria using honey of different concentration are as follows: E. oli (pathankot sample): 100% = 2. 6cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 7cm,and 25%= 1. 2cm; E. coli (dabur sample): 100% = 2. 2cm, 75%= 1. 6cm, 50%= 1. 3cm, and 25%= 1. 1cm; E. coli (sahar anpur sample): 100% = 2. 8cm, 75%= 2. 4cm, 50%= 2. 2cm, and 25%= 1. 7cm; B. subtilis (pathankot): 100% = 3. 0cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 7cm, and 25%= 2. 5cm; B. subtilis (dabur): 100% = 2. 7cm, 75%= 2. 5cm, 50%= 2. 4cm, and 25%= 2. 2cm; B. subtilis (saharanpur):100% = 3. 2cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 3cm, and 25%= 1. 5cm; Burkholderia spp. (pathankot): 100% = 2. 1cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 6cm, and 25%= 1. 4cm; Burkholderia spp. dabur): 100% = 2. 4cm, 75%= 1. 7cm, 50%= 1. 5cm, and 25%=1. 2cm; Burkholderia spp. (saharanpur):100% = 2. 5cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 7cm, and 25%=1. 4cm; S. aureus (pathankot):100%=2. 1cm, 75%= 1. 7cm, 50%= 1. 4cm, and 25%=1. 2cm; S. aureus (dabur):100% =3. 0cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 2cm, and 25%=1. 8cm; S. aureus (saharanpur): 100% = 2. 9cm, 75%= 2. 5cm, 50%= 2. 0cm, and 25%=1. 6cm; Zones of inhibition of different treatment groups were measured by agar-well-diffusion assay and compared with control. The comparison of honey sample with distilled water control had pro ved it significant.CONTENTS PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 7 1. 1) Honey as antibacterial agent 7 1. OBJECTIVE 9 2. LITERATURE REVIEWS 10 3. 1 TYPES OF HONEY 10 3. 2 COMPONENTS OF HONEY 11 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS 15 4. MATERIAL 15 4. 2 METHOD 16 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 19 5. REFERENCES 32 1. ) INTRODUCTION Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The Honey is a sweet, viscous fluid produced by bees from the collection of nectar, primarily from flowers. It is considered to be a natural syrup. The Nectar is gathered by the bees and is slowly transformed into honey, through a long rocess involving the addition of enzymes and the gradual reduction of moisture. Honey is a rich source of carbohydrates mainly Fructose and Glucose. The chemical composition of honey varies depending on the plant source, season and production methods. Therefore the Colour, Concentration and Compounds vary depending on the floral sources. Other compounds which can be found in Honey include Pr oteins and acids such as Gluconic Acid (C6H11O7, also known as 2,3,4,5,6- pentahydroxyhexanoic Acid), Minerals and Anti-Oxidants such as Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) and Vitamins (B6 and B12), (BD.Yates et. al. 1996). Honey has a low pH and a low moisture content, which is usually on average about 17 percent. The Gluconic Acid in honey is produced when bees secrete Glucose Oxidase, while processing the nectar, this give honey a low pH. There are many varieties of honey from around the world which come in three main types which are liquid, whipped and comb. Several local brands of honey(Dabur) collected from different sources is used in this study. Also the honey is collected from various apiaries from Pathankot(Punjab) and Saharanpur (Up) .Each of these honey’s were chosen because they are organic and readily available in health food stores 1. 1) The Antibacterial Effects of Honey The honeys are shown to have antibacterial properties, in particular Manuka honey. Manuka Honey has had extensive research done on it. It has been shown in many studies that Manuka Honey has antimicrobial effects (Barret J. , et. al, 2005; Coumbes A. L. , et. al. 2004; Mundo, M A. 2004). The Mechanism of Antibacterial Properties Honey has many natural properties which enable it to inhibit bacteria.These properties include, a low pH which is in the range of pH 3. 2 to 4. 5, approximately 3. 9 which is due to its content of acidic compounds mainly Gluconic acid as stated above. A low pH is inhibitory to most bacteria. Since most bacteria live in environments around pH 7, the pH of honey could inhibit the bacteria (Barrett, J et. al. al 2005). This is because pH affects the way large proteins such as enzymes work. Which causes the shape of enzymes to change, which then alters the overall charge, this causes the protein to denature.Honey contains small amounts of Hydrogen peroxide (H202) this varies depending on the honey, it is produced as a result of the enzyme glucose oxidase activ ity in producing Gluconic acid (Mundo, MA. et. al. 2004). C6H12O6 + H2O + O2 > C6H12O7 + H2O2 (glucose oxidase reaction) When honey is used topically (as, for example, a wound dressing), hydrogen peroxide is produced by dilution of the honey with body fluids. As a result, hydrogen peroxide is released slowly and acts as an antiseptic. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidising agent (Free Radical) which has the ability to damage cells.In an aqueous solution hydrogen peroxide acts like an acid and can oxidise a variety of compounds, by accepting free unpaired electrons. This allows the formation of other free radicals, which then causes a cascade effect. Therefore altering biological structures and therefore damaging cells. Honey is primarily a saturated mixture of two monosaccharide, with a low water activity; most of the water molecules are associated with the sugars and few remain available for microorganisms, so it is a poor environment for their growth.If water is mixed with hone y, it loses its low water activity, and therefore no longer possesses this antimicrobial property. Honey consists of various constituents such as water, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, amino acid, energy and minerals. Besides the major ones, there must also be several minor constituents in honey, which may be playing a key role in determining the antimicrobial behaviour of honey. In the past, antimicrobial activity of honey had been reported only by using aqueous solution of honey.It is said that honey possesses antibacterial property but it is not clear whether it is the bulk honey or some fraction of it. The antibacterial properties of honey speed up the growth of new tissue to heal the wound. The bactericidal effect of honey is reported to be dependent on concentration of honey used and the nature of the bacteria Considering the fact that their might be some specific constituents which may be contributing to the antimicrobial behaviour, it was decided to carryout the studies u sing different solvents.The present study therefore deals with the constituents in the different solvents followed by evaluation of extract for their antimicrobial behaviour against certain species of bacteria. 2) OBJECTIVE Based on the above facts, the present study was defined with following objective: 1) To check the antibacterial effect of different honeys on. a. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, b. Gram-negative Escherichia coli, c. Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, and d. Gram- negative Burkholderia capicium 2) To check the effect of honey on bacterial strains using different-different dilutions. . 100% honey sample b. 75% honey sample c. 50% honey sample d. 25% honey sample 3) To compare the effect of honey and control (Distilled water) on a. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, b. Gram-negative Escherichia coli, c. Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, and d. Gram- negative Burkholderia capicium 3) LITERATURE REVIEWS Honey has been used with medicinal purposes since ancient tim es and there are reports of its topic use by Ayurvedic medicine, dating back to 2500 b. c. Hippocrates prescribed the use of honey for several indications, including treatment of wounds and gastritis.Its healing properties are mentioned in the Koran and in Bible. Honey is a part of traditional medicine for centuries. The antimicrobial activity of honey is due primarily to hydrogen peroxide produced enzymatically. However, in undiluted honey the acidity is also a significant antimicrobial factor. The pH, ranging from 3. 2 to 4. 5, is low enough to inhibit the development of pathogens, whose optimal pH range situates between 7. 2 and 7. 4. When applied to affected areas of tissue, acidity, osmotic effect and phytochemical factors decrease with dilution; however, the activity of hydrogen peroxide increases from 2. to 50 times. On these values, peroxide acts as an antiseptic, without causing cell damage. The composition of sugars in honeys, from different floral origins, inhibits the de velopment of various intestinal bacteria. All chemical and physical factors make the therapeutic properties of honey unique: fast decline of infections and healing of wounds, quick inflammation recovery, minimizing of wounds, stimulation of angiogenesis, as well as the development of epithelial and granular tissues. Honey to be used with topical medicinal purpose, certain requirements are needed, like being free f herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and radioactive elements and sterilized to prevent secondary infections. 3. 1) TYPES OF HONEY – ON BASIS OF FLORAL SOURCE- Blended- Most commercially available honey is blended, meaning it is a mixture of two or more honeys differing in floral source, color, flavor, density or geographic origin. Polyfloral – Polyfloral honey, also known as wildflower honey, is derived from the nectar of many types of flowers. The taste may vary from year to year, and the aroma and the flavor can be more or less intense, depending on which bloomings are prevalent.Monofloral- Monofloral honey is made primarily from the nectar of one type of flower. Different monofloral honeys have a distinctive flavor and color because of differences between their principal nectar sources. To produce monofloral honey, beekeepers keep beehives in an area where the bees have access to only one type of flower. Honeydew honey- Instead of taking nectar, bees can take honeydew, the sweet secretions of aphids or other plant sap-sucking insects. Honeydew honey is very dark brown in color, with a rich fragrance of stewed fruit or fig jam, and is not sweet like nectar honeys. . 2) COMPOSITION OF HONEY Carbohydrates Unsurprisingly, these comprise the major portion of honey – about 82%. The carbohydrates present are the monosaccharide fructose (38. 2%) and glucose (31%); and disaccharides (~9%) sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltulose, turanose and kojibiose. There are also some oligosaccharides present (4. 2%), including erlose, theanderose and panose, formed from incomplete breakdown of the higher saccharides present in nectar and honeydew. Proteins and Amino Acids.Honey contains a number of enzymes, including invertase, which converts sucrose to glucose and fructose; amylase, which breaks starch down into smaller units; glucose oxidase, which converts glucose to gluconolactone, which in turn yields gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide; catalase, which breaks down the peroxide formed by glucose oxidase to water and oxygen; and acid phosphorylase, which removes inorganic phosphate from organic phosphates. Honey also contains eighteen free amino acids, of which the most abundant is proline. Vitamins, Minerals and AntioxidantsHoney contains trace amounts of the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. It also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and the minerals calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, selenium, chromium and manganese. The main group of antioxidants in hon ey are the flavonoids, of which one, pinocembrin, is unique to honey and bee propolis. Ascorbic acid, catalase and selenium are also antioxidants. Generally speaking, the darker the honey, the greater its antioxidising properties. Other compoundsHoney also contains organic acids such as acetic, butanoic, formic, citric, succinic, lactic, malic, pyroglutamic and gluconic acids, and a number of aromatic acids. The main acid present is gluconic acid, formed in the breakdown of glucose by glucose oxidase. Honey also contains hydroxymethylfurfural, a natural product of the breakdown of simple sugars below pH 5. According to studies done by Patricia E. Lusby et al Twelve of the 13 bacteria were inhibited by all honeys used in this study with only Serratia marcescens and the yeast Candida albicans not inhibited by the honeys.Little or no antibacterial activity was seen at honey concentrations 1%, with minimal inhibition at 5%. No honey was able to produce complete inhibition of bacterial g rowth. Although Medi honey and manuka had the overall best activity, the locally produced honeys had equivalent inhibitory activity for some, but not all, bacteria. He then postulated that honeys other than those commercially available as antibacterial honeys can have equivalent antibacterial activity. These newly identified antibacterial honeys may prove to be a valuable source of future therapeutic honeys. According to Peter C.Molan (2001), honey may be the â€Å"natural cure† for most bacterial infections that could replace man-made antibiotics. Researchers say that an enzyme in the honey turns into a tiny  amount hydrogen peroxide when combined with bodily fluids killing nearby bacteria. Honey also causes an increase in lymphocyte and  phagocyte activity (Cooper et al. , 2011). The honeys are shown to have antibacterial properties, in particular Manuka honey. Manuka Honey has had extensive research done on it. It has been shown in many studies that Manuka Honey has an timicrobial effects (Barret J. , et. al, 2005; Coumbes A. L. , et. al. 2004; Mundo, MA. 2004).In this study the antibacterial activity of the five honeys were compared, the Manuka honey was used as a positive control. The nonperoxide antibiotic activity is due to methylglyoxal (MGO) and an unidentified synergistic component. Most honeys contain very low levels of MGO, but manuka honey contains very high levels. The presence of the synergist in manuka honey more than doubles MGO antibacterial activity. In vitro antibacterial activity of raw and commercially available honey was tested against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella spp. nd Salmonella spp. ). Both types of honey showed antibacterial activity against test organisms with the zone of inhibition ranging from 8. 13 to 30. 85 mm, while E. coli, S. aureus, and Shigella spp. showed sensibility towards both types of Honey. Both types of honey showed no effects on Salmonella spp. The potency of honey at 100%concentration was found to be higher than all other concentrations tested. However, no effect was observed at concentration of 6. 25% v/v honey in the case of both samples(Patricia E. Lusby 2004).To study the antimicrobial activity of honey, 60 samples of various botanical origin were evaluated antimicrobial activities against 16 clinical pathogens and their respective reference strains. The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effect employs the well-agar diffusion method and the estimation of minimum active dilution which produces a 1 mm diameter inhibition zone. Streptococcus pyogenes,Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis were proven to be up to 60% more resistant than their equal reference strains thus emphasizing the variability in the antibacterial effect of honey and the need for further research (C.Voidarou 2010). Natural products, either as pure compounds or as standardized plant extracts, provid e unlimited opportunities for new drugs because of the ready availability of chemical diversity (Cos et al. , 2006). Honey and lemon-honey are traditional remedies in the Middle East and China and for many centuries and have been used in the treatment and prevention of the common cold and various upper respiratory tract infections (Molan, 1992; Zulma ; Lulat, 1989). Antibacterial activity of the honeys was assayed using standard well diffusion methods. oncluded that the sandal wood from different sources and mixture of of – and -santanols were highly effective against gram negative bacteria including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae and as well as yeast Candida albicans. The present work gives strong evidence of antibacterial activities of honey, sandal oil and black pepper (Sheikh Ahmad 2002). In general, all types of honey have high sugar content as well as low water content and acidity, which prevent microbial growth.Osmotic effect, effect of pH and hydrogen peroxide are represented as an â€Å"inhibition† factor in honey (Postmes et al. , 1993). Most types of honey generate hydrogen peroxide when diluted because of the activation of the enzyme glucose oxidase, which oxidizes glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide (Schepartz and Subers, 1964). Hydrogen peroxide is the major contributor to the antimicrobial activity of honey,and the different concentrations of this compound indifferent honeys result in their variable antimicrobial effects (Molan, 1992).Moreover, non peroxide factors also play critical role. The content of non peroxide factors are related to the floral source and sometimes account for the major part of the antibacterial activity in honey(Molan and Russell, 1988). Forty samples of different honey types (Acacia, Ziziphus , Brassica and Citrus) were collected from different areas of Pakistan and analyzed for moisture, pH, total acidity, ash, electrical conductivity, hydroxyl methyl furfural (HMF), sucrose, total sugars, invert sugar, protein, proline contents as well as macro and micro elements.The variation in composition of honey samples was observed due to different types of flora. Likewise, a significant level (P ; 0. 05) of ash, electric conductivity, sucrose, total sugar as well as macro and micro elements was also found in these honey types. Different formulations of honey has significantly inhibited growth of pathogenic microorganisms, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger when compared to control group, which is an evidence that honey is a therapeutic agent being used since ancient time throughout the world. Feng et. al. 1994) The discrepancy in the observed antibacterial activity can be due to several reasons. One possibility might be related to the differences in susceptibility of each species of microorganism to the antibacterial activity of honey used. Similar observations are reported by others (Nzeako and Hamdi 2000; Ceyhan and Ugur 2001; Taormina et al. 2001). As reported by others (Melissa et al. 2004) dilution of honey enhances hydrogen peroxide mediated antibacterial activity may explain some of the discrepancies of observed with the antibacterial activity of these honey.The presence of unstable putative agents and/or thermolabile antibacterial agent(s) could also be inactivated during the experimental procedure and thus may be considered as possible explanation of the observed insensitivity of some honey samples found in the preliminary study. 4. ) MATERIALS AND METHOD 4. 1) Materials Several local brands of honey and Dabur honey collected from different sources is used in this study. Also the honey is collected from various apiaries from- Pathankot(Punjab) and Saharanpur (Up). In the antibacterial study, several bacterial species known to be pathogenic to human such as E. oli. , S. aureus and Burkholderia capicium and Bacillus subtilis was used. These strains were obtained from biote chnology lab. in accordance to given requirement. Glass wares used:- Conical flask (500 milliliter), Conical flask (100 milliliter), Petri plates, glass rod, test tubes spreader, glass beakers, Glass slides and cover slip, Plastic wares used:- Beakers, Conical flask (500 milliliter), Conical flask (100 milliliter), dropper, appendrof tubes (2ml), auto pipette tips (10? l, 100? l, and 1000? l) Instruments used:- Hot air oven, Autoclave machine, Laminar air flow hood, Incubator, Microwave ovenOther material used:- Sprit lamp, cork borer,test tube stand, auto pipette (10? l, 100? l, and 1000? l), parafilm wax,,filter paper Chemicals used:- Nutrient agar, nutrient broth, Mueller Hinton agar, 70% Methanol, 100% methanol, ethyl alcohol ,sodium chloride. 4. 2) Methods Physicochemical study: Appearance of different honeys was observed. pH is determined using conventional procedure like using ph scale. Antibacterial study: Antibacterial study was carried out in steps. In the first step, an i n vitro screening will be carried out using either disc diffusion or well diffusion method.Well diffusion was carried out using plate diffusion, which I preferred. Preparation of test materials: Test materials will be prepared by diluting each honey at different dilutions, 25 ? l/100 ? l, 50 ? l/100 ? l, 75 ? l/100 ? l and one with no dilution. Moreover, net honey was also used as test material. All dilutions were carried out with double distilled and deionised sterilized water. 3. 2. 1) Source of bacterial strains The E. coli. , S. aureus, Burkholderia capicium and Bacillus subtilis were revived from the stock available in the various Biotechnology laboratories of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara (Punjab), India.Sub-culturing of bacterial strains in nutrient broth:- 100ml nutrient broth was prepared and ten test tubes were taken, autoclaved, and after this the Bacterial strains was inoculated in the nutrient broth in different test tubes and then incubated for 24 hours in i ncubator . Sub-culturing of the bacterial strains on solid media:- For All Bacterial strains:- 5. 6g of Nutrient agar was added to the 200ml of purified water. Then solution was heated and boiled for 1 minute to completely dissolve the powder. Then media was autoclaved.Then media(10-15 ml) was poured in Petri plates. Then Bacterial strains were added to media. Then Petri plate were kept in incubator for 18-48 hours at 37 degree C. Saline preparation : Take . 58g of Nacl and dissolve it to 10ml of distled water and make saline before 15 min of spreading and take the colonies from the nutrient agar plates and mix properly in the saline. Nutrient agar medium for antimicrobial testing: 7g of nutrient agar medium was added to the 250 ml of distilled water and heated for 1 minute to complete dissolve medium then autoclaved .After that pouring the petriplates and left it 20 minute for solidify medium and make wells , after solidify put the different Honeys in the wells and kept it to incub ate for 18-48 hours at 37C. Testing of antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method: The bacterial strains were inoculated into 10 ml of sterile nutrient broth, and incubated at 37  °C for 18 h. Each culture was then spreaded on the surface of sterile nutrient agar plate and also pour-plated in nutrient agar media to perform the test in triplet, one with the control and the other two ith the test sample. Making the wells With the help of a cork borer make wells in the agar carefully without tearing the gel. In two agar plate of all four sets, four wells were prepared with the help of sterilized cork borer. Then with the hep of micropipette put 100 micro litre of honey sample into the wellIn the wells of two plates of each set, samples of following concentrations: (1) 100% sterile Honey(2) 75% sterile Honey(3) 50% sterile Honey and (4) 25% sterile Honey; were added by using micropipette. Also in the a well water was added as negative control.Then with the help of micropi pette put 100 micro litre of honey sample into the well Replace the lid of the plate between putting sample into wells to minimize exposure to air-borne contaminants. Cover the lid tightly with paraffin tape to avoid contamination. Incubation of the plates . A temperature range of 35 °C  ± 2 °C is required for 24-48 hours. Do not incubate plates in carbon dioxide  as this will decrease the pH of the agar and result in errors due to incorrect pH of the media. Measuring zone of inhibition 1.Following incubation, measure the zone sizes  to the nearest millimeter  using a ruler or caliper; include the diameter of the well in the measurement . 2. All measurements were made with the unaided eye while viewing the back of the petri dish. Hold the plate a few inches above a black, nonreflecting surface illuminated with reflected light . 3. Record the zone size on the recording sheet. Figure1: Testing of antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method 4. )RESULTS Sub-cultu ring of bacterial strains in nutrient broth:- Figure2: Culture E. coli. , S. ureus and Burkholderia capicium and Bacillus subtilis in Nutrient broth media. Sub-culturing of the bacterial strains on solid media:- Fig. –3 E. coli subcultured on nutrient agar Fig. – 4 B. Subtilis subcultured on nutrient agar Testing of antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method: Fig 5 : No antibacterial activity seen as no honey is poured (taken as negative control) in which E. coli is grown Fig 6 : No antibacterial activity seen as no honey is poured (taken as negative control) in which Bacillus subtilis is grown ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS HONEY’S AGAINST E. coliFIG. 7 – ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY(pathankot sample) IN E. coli: 100% = 2. 6cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 7cm,and 25%= 1. 2cm FIG. 8– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY (dabur sample) IN E. coli : 100% = 2. 2cm, 75%= 1. 6cm, 50%= 1. 3cm, and 25%= 1. 1cm FI G. 9– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY (saharanpur sample) IN E. coli: 100% = 2. 8cm, 75%= 2. 4cm, 50%= 2. 2cm, and 25%= 1. 7cm; ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS HONEY’S AGAINST B. subtilis FIG. 10– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY IN B. subtilis (pathankot sample): 100% = 3. cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 7cm, and 25%= 2. 5cm FIG. 11– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY in B. subtilis (dabur sample): 100% = 2. 7cm, 75%= 2. 5cm, 50%= 2. 4cm, and 25%= 2. 2cm; FIG. 12– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY in B. subtilis (saharanpur):100% = 3. 2cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 3cm, and 25%= 1. 5cm ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS HONEY’S AGAINST Burkholderia capacium FIG. 13– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY in Burkholderia capacium (pathankot sample): 100% = 2. 1cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 6cm, and 25%= 1. 4cm; FIG. 4– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY Burkholderia capacium (dabur): 100% = 2. 4cm, 75%= 1. 7cm, 50%= 1. 5cm, and 25%=1. 2cm FIG. 15– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY Burkholderia capacium (saharanpur):100% = 2. 5cm, 75%= 1. 9cm, 50%= 1. 7cm, and 25%=1. 4cm; ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS HONEY’S AGAINST S. Aureus FIG. 16– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY S. aureus (pathankot):100%=2. 1cm, 75%= 1. 7cm, 50%= 1. 4cm, and 25%=1. 2cm FIG. 17– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY S. aureus (dabur):100% =3. 0cm, 75%= 2. 7cm, 50%= 2. 2cm, and 25%=1. cm FIG. 18– ZONES OF INHIBITION BY VARIOUS DILUTIONS OF HONEY IN S. aureus (saharanpur): 100% = 2. 9cm, 75%= 2. 5cm, 50%= 2. 0cm, and 25%=1. 6cm Appearance Appearance of each of honey brand was examined and it was observed that honey were brown to dark brown in color, whereas other honey were golden yellow in color. Dabur honey- golden colour,transparent Pathankot sample – golden colour wit h sufficient transparency Saharanpur sample – dark yellow colour with zero transparency The transparency is due to processing of honey,while less transparent samples are unprocessed and taken directly from bee hive.Table 1- Diameter of the Zone of Inhibition by different concentration of Pathankot honey sample on different Bacterial strains. Bacterial strains| Zone of Inhibition (in cm)| | Control(sterile DistilledWater)| 100%Honey sample| 75%Honey sample| 50%Honey sample| 25%Honey sample| E. coli. | 0. 0| 2. 6| 1. 9| 1. 7| 1. 2| Bacillus subtilis| 0. 0| 3. 0| 2. 7| 2. 7| 2. 5| S. aureus| 0. 0| 2. 1| 1. 7| 1. 4| 1. 2| Burkholderia capicium| 0. 0| 2. 1| 1. 9| 1. 5| 1. 4| Table2- Diameter of the Zone of Inhibition by different concentration of dabur honey sample on different Bacterial strains.Bacterial strains| Zone of Inhibition (in cm) | | Control(sterile DistilledWater)| 100%Honey sample| 75%Honey sample| 50%Honey sample| 25%Honey sample| E. coli. | 0. 0| 2. 2| 1. 6| 1. 3| 1 . 1| Bacillus subtilis| 0. 0| 2. 7| 2. 5| 2. 4| 2. 2| S. aureus| 0. 0| 3. 0| 2. 7| 2. 2| 1. 8| Burkholderia capicium| 0. 0| 2. 4| 1. 7| 1. 5| 1. 2| Table 1- Diameter of the Zone of Inhibition by different concentration of Saharanpur honey sample on different Bacterial strains. Bacterial strains| Zone of Inhibition (in cm)| | Control(sterile DistilledWater)| 100%Honey sample| 75%Honey sample| 50%Honey sample| 25%Honey sample| E. oli. | 0. 0| 2. 8| 2. 4| 2. 3| 1. 7| Bacillus subtilis| 0. 0| 3. 2| 2. 7| 2. 3| 1. 5| S. aureus| 0. 0| 2. 9| 2. 5| 2. 0| 1. 6| Burkholderia capicium| 0. 0| 2. 5| 1. 9| 1. 7| 1. 4| In the preliminary screening process was observed that some honey brands have more while some other have less antibacterial activity. Some honey showed antibacterial effect against E. Coli and some showed strongest activity against Bacillus subtilis ,S. aureus and Burkholderia capicium. Clear zones of inhibition were produced by concentrated without dilution.Through the analysis of average values of the diameters of each honey, it is possible to infer a possible pattern in which commercial honeys, such as DABUR honey, have a greater average diameter while the homemade honeys from different regions, have a lower average diameter even at less concentrations, but the best antimicrobial activity was shown by Saharanpur honey sample with was collected directly from the apiary without any processing and it showed clear and large inhibition zones for all bacterial strains which were used for this test.Though after the dilutions were made, the low concentrated samples of Saharanpur honey resulted in rather poor antimicrobial activity. The wells in which water was loaded shoed absolutely no antimicrobial activity which was used as negative control. The results also showed that lower concentration of honey made through dilution shows less antimicrobial activity than concentrated ones. Thus honey are definitely effective against the bacterial strains at all concentration s. 6) REFERENCES Bibi S, Husain SZ, Malik RN (2008). Pollen analysis and heavy metals detection in honey samples from seven selected countries. Pak. J. Bot. 40(2): 507-516 * Cooper R. A. , Molan P. C. , Harding K. G. (1999) Antibacterial activity of honey against strains of Staphylococcus aureus from infected wounds, J. R. Soc. Med. 92, 283–285. * Cooper R. How does honey heal wounds? In: Munn P, Jones R,editors. Honey and Healing. UK: International Bee Research Association; 2001. * de Jong H. J. 1999) The Land of Corn and Honey:The keeping of stingless bees (meliponiculture) in the ethno-ecological environment of Yucatan (Mexico) and El Salvador, Utrecht UniversityPress, Netherlands, 423 p. * Kamal A, Raza A, Rashid N, Hammed TG, Lami M, Gureshin MA,Nasim K (2002). Comparative study of Honey collected from flora of Pakistan. On Line J. Biol. Sci. 23(9): 626-627. * Khalil MI, Shahjahan M, Absar N (2006). Glycemic Response and Lycemic Index of Bangladeshi Honey in Type 2 Diabe tic Patients. Malaysian. J. Pharm. Sci. 4(1): 13–19. * Lusby PE, Coombes AL, Wilkinson JM.Bactericidal activity of different honeys against pathogenic bacteria. Arch Med Res 2005; 36: 464-467 * Molan P. C. (1997) The antibacterial activity of honey. The nature of the antibacterial activity,Bee World 73, 5–28. * Mundo MA, Padilla-Zakour OI, Worobo RW. Growth inhibition of foodborne pathogens and food spoilage organisms by select raw honeys. Int J Food Microbiol 2004; 97: 1-8. * Tumin N, Halim NA, Shahjahan M, Noor Izani NJ, Sattar MA,Khan AH, et al. Antibacterial activity of local Malaysian honey. Malaysian J Pharma Sci 2005; 3: 1-10.

Global Warming: The Government’s Little White Lie

Devin Good Persuasive Essay Period 7 10-10-12 Global Warming: The Government’s Little White Lie â€Å"Would you bet your paycheck on a weather forecast for tomorrow? If not, then why should this country bet billions on global warming predictions that have even less foundation? † (Thomas Sowell) The truth is that it’s hard to know whether or not our planet is heating or cooling. Global warming happens all the time and it’s not because of carbon dioxide or human interaction and is more of a political issue than reality.Even though temperatures are rising, it happens all the time. Global climate change is nothing new to our planet. According to Edmund Contoski global climate changes have occurred â€Å"63 times in the past 1. 6 million years,† (Contoski. n. p). So since our Earth is always rebounding from one change to another we have no need to worry. There is proof it’s warming but there has been evidence that the planet was once cooling. In t he early 1970s scientist thought the Earth was cooling but there predictions were proven wrong too.As famed writer Michael Crichton points out, â€Å"If scientist can’t accurately predict what next weekend’s weather will be like, how can they predict what the next centuries climate will be like? † (Crichton. n. p. ) Scientist do have proof that in the last few years the earth has warmed minisculely. However when compared to the entire 20th century, the earth’s temperature has only risen by 0. 6 ° C. This is barely a notable change and was wiped out by a drop of 0. 63 ° C in 2007. Scientist are trying to justify their idea of global warming by making many claims that are not scientifically backed up.They are claiming that animal migration patterns are changing as well. They also say that some species are migrating farther and sooner northern. When in reality migration pattern changes happen naturally and change year to year. Another common claim is tha t we are accelerating certain species extinction, but extinction occurs in nature without human interaction due to predation and lack of resources. The polar ice caps are another object that scientist like to grab ahold of to push their idea of global warming. The ice shelf fluctuates from year to year, causing it to appear to be shrinking ne year but the next year it may regain the ice it lost or gain more. The media however only likes to report on the loss of ice caps. Sadly it makes a better story about how polar bears are being killed by corrupt companies than how we regained 3% of the ice caps. Carbon dioxide is not causing global warming. Carbon Dioxide (CO() only makes up 0. 035% of our Earth’s atmosphere and is not even a powerful greenhouse gas. Human production of carbon dioxide has increased in recent years but humans are still not the biggest producers of CO(.Nature is ironically the largest producer, making up for 97% of all the CO( on Earth. Volcano eruptions an d swamps make up a large portion of this. A large part of this blame is just the use of a scapegoat. If an answer can not be easily identified and put to blame then the most infamous one is chosen. Many large and widely known companies choose to go along with this proposed ideas to appeal to the common people who then also choose to believe that the companies know best. An example of this is the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, when many well known companies wasted millions on fruitless research projects.It was originally wrote to reduce fossil fuels consumption but was proven to just be a stunt to gain image as wanting to save the planet. Consumers would much rather buy a drink from the company that claims it saves the planet than buy one from the company that a random scientist says kill baby seals. Global Warming is based on political ideology rather than reality. The media and elite groups control what the public knows and does not know in today’s world. If they want you to believ e in global warming just so they can con you out of $25 a month, they will.When in reality scientist who report to these companies with their findings are corrupt themselves. They will follow the money flow, even if it means lying and destroying evidence. When it was proven that Earth was not cooling and in fact heating, a large sum of carbon dioxide reports were deliberately ignored when filing a report about global warming being caused by CO(. If the paper does not support the present idea then the paper and research must be false. The miss-use of computer programs is common too. Humans program the simulations after all, so they can not be exact.Then with the falsified proof scientist can influence the population to anything they want. Now you have proof that global warming is more political and is not caused by humans or CO(. It is not a global crisis but rather natural phenomenon that the â€Å"man† wants to use to control us. So do you believe what the government wants y ou to believe or will you stand up for truth? Works Cited Bova, Ben. â€Å"Global Warming Is Real. † Global Warming. Ed. Cynthia A. Bily. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"Facts Show Global Warming Is Real. † NaplesNews. om. 2008. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. Contoski, Edmund. â€Å"Global Warming Is a Myth. † Global Warming. Ed. Cynthia A. Bily. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"Global Warming, Global Myth. † Liberty 22 (Sept. 2008). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. Cooper, M. (2001, January 26). Global warming treaty. CQ Researcher, 41-64. 2 Oct. 2012. Retrieved from http://library. cqpress. com/cqresearcher/ Global Warming 101. National Geographic, 18 May 2007. Youtube. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. .

Mechanism of Locating the Client's DaTa in the Clouds Research Paper

Mechanism of Locating the Client's DaTa in the Clouds - Research Paper Example Owing to the current rapid prevalence of Cloud computing many clients are increasingly using the clouds to store sensitive information and this necessitates encrypting the data so as to protect the stored data against unsolicited access (Lasica, 76). A major challenge of data encryption in the clouds is that it makes it difficult for the Clients to locate their data. This is particularly with regard to the fact that the encryption of data in cloud computing significantly limits the ability of clients to use the traditional keyword searches in locating their data. Additionally data in the clouds usually require protection of their key word privacy to enhance the security of the stored data. This paper explores the potential use of string matching algorithms as a mechanism to enable clients using cloud computing effectively locates their stored data within the cloud. String matching (Fuzzy keyword) algorithms Generally cloud data systems usually consist of the client, data service prov ider and the cloud server. Advances in computing technology have enabled the use of networks and data identifier algorithms to build a mechanism that allows the clients to locate their data in the clouds based on string matching of the any data. ... data identifiers algorithms are usually designed to enable clients determine the location of their data in the cloud using the infrastructural network. These algorithms are also used to track and monitor the movement of data within the servers. Many methods can be used to determine the string familiarity of the cloud data. For example the edit distance measures string match of the given keywords. This not only allow the clients depending on cloud storage services to locate their data but it also help them to effectively correct potential errors and problems in their stored data. Additionally the similarity of the located data and the intended search may also reveal potential problems such as duplicate data and lack of uniformity in the content and format (Armbrust, 56). String matching algorithm as a data identifier mechanism also enhances the search correctness of the data being searched by the client. For example if the client needs to locate some data using an input that matches t he data in the clouds, then the server will accurately locate the file using the keywords search request. The clients are therefore able to determine the location of their data within the virtual cloud network. On the other hand, any errors in spelling or inconsistencies in the format of the search keyword for the data being searched often bring the possible closest result based on the similarities of the keywords. How string matching data identifier algorithms work String matching algorithms function by allowing clients to locate data within the clouds using exact matching words. According to Abadi (33), the closeness of the match of the data being located is usually measured using the possible number of operations needed to convert the string into the exact match. The number is usually

Sustainable Management Futures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainable Management Futures - Assignment Example â€Å"Let Capitalism Rip†, in the speech of British Prime Minister David Cameron signifies the dominance of capitalism in the society which concentrates on demolishing the free market. According to Prime Minister David Cameron, the popular capitalism should allow everyone to share in the success of the market. The Prime Minister also includes in his speech the social responsibilities of the firms and to prevent the abuse of the policies that have been conducted by the organisations to gain larger profitability as well as competency (BBC, 2012). To be precise, Prime Minister David Cameron, by making counterarguments over chronic capitalism practiced in UK documented the need for free market considerations not only on profit maximization but also toward Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). With due consideration to the aspect of capitalism and market labours, the government intends to enforce the policies toward the determined poverty level, ecological demolition, fundamenta l inequalities of wealth, and concentrated power in the hands of corporation, and property-owner among others (Charter & Johnson, 2011). The labour economics from a free market perspective signifies that the labours in the economy are based upon the three crucial factors of production which are recognised as land, labour and capital that generates the massive part of the annual GDP of the country. Therefore, the traders as well as the government in the United Kingdom provide significant consideration towards these issues of labours in the economic stature of the country (Block, 2008). In this regards, the speech of Prime Minister Cameron indicates to build a better and structured economy, so that the country along with its citizens can be benefitted in the free market, in terms of avoidance towards economic crisis and other similar challenges including poverty as well as power and wealth distribution (BBC, 2012). The proposal put forward by Prime Minister David Cameron in this speec h elaborates on the proper utilization of the human resources (labours) and other natural resources signifying a free rein perception within the market moving ahead against the traditional approach and â€Å"Let Capitalism Rip†. In the context of his speech about the dominance of capitalism in the entire business society of UK and its impact on the economic structure of the country, the moral highlighted was to apply the basic fair market approach in the business environment (Charter & Johnson, 2011). Prime Minister David Cameron, in this regard, stated that capitalism can be one of the strongest tools for development of the country’s financial structure, involving wealth creation as well as social responsibilities that was ever recognized. An effective capitalism insists the proprietors of intellectual property rights along with the economic property rights facilitating them to earn a profit as a reward for investing the capital at risk in a suitable form of free mark et financial activity (Norman, 2011). Capitalism is not only concerned about the economic and social conditions, it also be acquainted with its morals. The notion of capitalism involves morality as it considers a few auspicious demands, such the individual freedom based on personal principles, the assets of hard work and creativity, the social exchange regarding effectiveness of the traditions and intellectual practices along with government’

Marketing project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Critical examination of the genre of my story Essay

Critical examination of the genre of my story - Essay Example fer to take interest in golf, baseball and other sports that seemed to have audiences that would be interested in reading literature composed about these sports. Compared to any other kinds of sport, boxing often calls for muse in the writers and journalists and other news reports, this is not an issue to surprise many (Kimball 2011, 25). Places or systems that have risks, often have drama, many boxers end up putting their lives at risk compared to athletes, golfers and some other sports. Within an evening, boxers often have rolled dice with their health as well as marketability and their sense of identity. If it happens that one is not lucky enough in the ring, then one can be forced to stay of action for even a week or a month, having to recover. For this reason, one has to be effectively prepared in order to be the best in the game. Boxing can therefore be described as a bad and risky game, which can at times be crazy (Boddy 2009, 23). In fact, various incidences have been reported of people who died while in the boxing ring. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the sport has been attracting few interested writers on it. This paper examines the aspect of literature and boxing, showing how the sport has slowly been attracting few people interested in writing about it in the many kinds of existing literature. In essence, boxing and literature are not expected to go together. This is because, these two fields are very contrasting in the way they approach their goals and objectives. On one hand, we have a field that has the main goal of refining people’s consciousness, enabling them to understand how various systems operate in the social, economic and political angles. On the other hand, we have another system that seems to clobber an individual into unconsciousness as swift and artful as possible. One that gives more injuries and causes harm to the other is declared the winner and celebrated. However, it is interesting to note that of the writing that is

Summary of the National Standard Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Summary of the National Standard Project - Essay Example Therefore, informed decisions are made based on researches that present logical evidences. In regards to ASD, currently, several educational or behavioral treatments are accessible. However, the major differences in these interventions include consistency, quality, and quantity. The objectives of the National Standard Project as part of the National Autism Center initiative are to define skills, diagnosis, and age targeted for improvement of treatment options. It seeks to explore the current body research limitations on autism treatment. Also, it is concerned with strengthening of behavioral and educational treatments evidences that focus on ASD characteristics. Moreover, it aims supporting ASD evidence-based performance. The standards outlined by NSP will benefit service providers, caregivers, parents, and educators because they deserver to get easily accessible, reliable, and current information in order top make informed decisions on treatment. Financial considerations are approxi mated at 3.2 million dollars for each ASD individual. NSP is expected to reduce by 65% upon use of correct treatment. The National Autism Center is primarily concerned with availing trustworthy information, and endorsing best practices. Also it offers inclusive family, community, and practitioners with resources. It conducts researches and helps in reformulating policies related to ASD. Thus, the quality of life for people suffering from ASD and their relatives are enhanced by the National Autism Center professional Advisory Board. History of clinical Guidelines Medicine, education, psychology, and allied health are currently guided by evidence-based practice. The extent at which a research supports purported treatment for ASD should be taken into account by Decision makers. In regards to the educational interventions report published by the National Research Council Committee, there exists several limitations in the present clinical guidelines. These limitations include overdue of previous guidelines due to completion of reviews before 21swt century onset. Also, the report pointed out that a variety or broad range all behavioral and educational studies for ASD treatment were not included in those reviews. Emergence of evidence-based practice overruled previous guidelines that presented shallow details about each ASD treatment option. However, these limitations are addressed by NSP. NSP had published a thoroughly reviewed literature of behavioral and educational treatment that focused on associated ASD symptoms and Core characteristics between 1957 and 2007. Also, the project has availed information concerning effective treatment based on treatment targets, age, and diagnostic groups. In order to increase transparency, NSR has sought feedbacks at international and national conferences from professional and parents. Overview of the National Standard Project NSP was established to serve three major purposes. This include identification of the extent of behaviora l and educational interventions evidence available presently applied to the study group mainly comprised of individuals with ASD and less than 22 years. NSR notes that the interventions explore the major features of the disorder thus, helps in effective treatment section. Also, it is focused at helping service providers, educators, caregivers, and parents to comprehend how to infuse critical thinking in

Illegal Immigration ( MUST BE DONE in LESS THaN 9 hours) Essay

Illegal Immigration ( MUST BE DONE in LESS THaN 9 hours) - Essay Example Considering Janet Napolitanos background sheds some light on her ambiguous positions. She is a native New Yorker that was raised in New Mexico. A life long Democrat, she is governor of a state that is generally overwhelmingly Republican. Twenty years ago she was a lawyer representing a Tucson Arizona church against charges that they were smuggling illegal aliens. She won a major case that barred federal informants from investigating the Southside Presbyterian Church. Now, as Governor of a state at the heart of the immigration problem, she faces the dilemma of squaring her past record with the political realities of the present. Clearly Arizona has an illegal immigrant problem. According to Pomfret, approximately 4000 illegal immigrants enter Arizona every day. That amounts to 1.5 million immigrants a year in a state with a population of 6 million permanent residents. The toll on schools, law enforcement, hospitals, and public programs is immense. Federal funding has skyrocketed and as Pomfret reports, "[...] the Medicaid bill ballooned from $200 million in 2001 to $1.2 billion in 2003, at least partly because of illegal immigration". In 2004, Arizona passed one of the most stringent laws to regulate spending known as proposition 200. Proposition 200 mandated that all non-federally funded programs and assistance to illegal aliens cease immediately. However, Pomfret states that, "Arizonas attorney general, with Napolitanos support, has ruled that the law only pertains to discretionary state programs and not to federally funded entitlements such as food stamps and subsidized school lunches". The propositions advocates have sought court action to demand full implementation of the initial intent of the law. The legislators, caught in an election season have ducked responsibility and have decided to let the electorate decide which, if any,

Conflict of cultures in the middle east Term Paper

Conflict of cultures in the middle east - Term Paper Example The Israel held the mentality that the Palestinian land belonged to them and were determined to repossess the land and demarcate boundaries. On the other hand, the Arabs were the original inhabitants and had occupied the largest portion of the land centuries before. The conflict emerged when Jews attempted to acquire the Palestine land and the Arabs were meant to believe that this was a dispossession process that aimed at eliminating them. From a critical point of view, the motive of the Jews was marred by aggressive selfishness and displacing the original inhabitants was inappropriate. Therefore, this essay seeks to reveal the origin of the conflict and to provide a recommendation for resolution of the conflict. The history of the Middle East conflict can be dated back to the colonial period when the Palestine land comprised part of the Ottoman Empire. At that time, the Arabs, who comprised of Muslims and Christians, occupied the land although there was evidence of existence of immigrant Jews who largely occupied Jerusalem, Hebron, and Tiberia, cities that had religious significance to this group. However, there was evidence that by the end of the end of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire would be collapsing and the colonial rule would melt away (Podeh, 22-37). At this time, most groups in the world were busy gathering together to establish states that they could live under self-rule. Majority of the people occupied the land that they possessed at that particular time, although expansionism was still evidenced as countries fought for the control of land. The Israelites were among â€Å"the landless people† who were also busy searching for a space that they could call their own (Tou val 8). Evidently, the Jews were dispersed across the Middle East and they risked losing their identity at a time when land was becoming an important issue across the world. Israel, just like any other group, decided to join in the search for an identity. During this

Medicinal Marijuana use in the United States Essay Example for Free

Medicinal Marijuana use in the United States Essay Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses in seventeen states. The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue here in the United States. Although, there are healthcare professionals that do believe that the use of medical marijuana can be very beneficial for patients. Just as there are benefits associated with the use of medical marijuana there are also negative effects. Many American are still unfamiliar with Medical Marijuana, so what is medical marijuana? Medical marijuana also known as â€Å"cannabis sativa†(Harold E Dowieko 2009) is a naturally growing plant that produces tetra-hydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.(Harold E Dowieko 2009) These chemicals are both thought to have possible effects on lessening the bad side effects from chronic diseases. Medical marijuana has been used for health reasons for centuries. Marijuana was a legal herb in the United States until 1937 when the United States passed a law making it illegal to sell. (Kring, Davinson, Naele Johnson 2007) Marijuana was then made legal for medicinal use in 1995. The state of California was the first state in the United States to make marijuana legal for medical purposes. Medicinal marijuana is now legal in seventeen states. These states include; â€Å"Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington state.† (â€Å"Thc.me History†, n.d.) In all of these state a patient can obtain a medical marijuana license, also referred to as a â€Å"green card,† from a licensed physician. Patients must have documentation stating what chronic illnesses they have that may require the need for medicinal marijuana. The physician will then decide if the use of marijuana will be beneficial. Medical marijuana has been proven to benefit patients who have multiple illnesses. The most common uses for medical marijuana are; pain relief, loss of appetite, depression, and diseases such as AIDS and cancer. TCH has been proven to block pain receptors in the brain. The blockage of these pain receptors allows patients dealing with chronic pain to have some relief. Medicinal marijuana also stimulates appetite, and relieves symptoms associated with depression, AIDS and cancer. This enables patients to not have to rely on the use of prescription pain pills such opiods. Meidcal marijuana is also less addictive, and has less physical side effects than other prescription pain relievers. Just as there are positive benefits associated with medical marijuana there are some health risks. First, marijuana is not regulated by the FDA. The FDA is the food and drug administration. They regulate medication and ensure the safety and risk associated with drugs. Without the FDA regulating medical marijuana there is no way for patients to know if they are getting correct information pertaining to the exact marijuana they are smoking, and if there may be additives or chemicals on the marijuana. This can be risky for patients, because marijuana comes in much different strength. The FDA has also found that dosing of medical marijuana is hard due to the effects taking around thirty minutes for patients to feel. The main health risk that medical marijuana has is psychological effects. According to Kring, Davinson, Naele, and Johnson â€Å" rapid shifts of emotion, to dull attention, to fragment thoughts, impair of memory, and sense that time is moving more slowly.† (Chapter 10) Kring, Davinson, Naele, and Johnson also stated â€Å"extremely heavy dosing has been found to induce hallucinations and other effects similar to those of LSD.† (Chapter 10)Another risk associated with medicinal cannabis is the harmful effect done to lungs. There have been many studies done that look at the respiratory risk associated with regular marijuana use. In one study done with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey it concluded that the risk of respiratory illness does rise. Marijuana damages lungs just as smoke cigarettes. The last major health risk associated with medical marijuana is a lowered immune system. This can be very dangerous for patients that are dealing with cancer and AIDS. Since these patients already have very low immune systems because of their disease. Doctors prescribing medicinal marijuana must ensure that the benefits of marijuana use out ways the risks. Although a controversial issue in the United States medical marijuana does have many potential health benefits for patients with chronic illnesses. Statistics now show that eight out of ten Americans support the use of medicinal marijuana. This is because previously I have stated through studies done; the benefits of medical marijuana outweigh the risks associated with medical marijuana use. With already seventeen states in the United States allowing the legalization of medical marijuana. It is fair to say medical marijuana can be very helpful for patients who need it. Currently there are more states in the process of trying to legalize medical marijuana. Some say eventually marijuana as a whole will be a legal substance in the United States. In years to come as Americans we will see how medical marijuana plays a role in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. References Moore, B., Auguston, E., Moser, r. (2012, October). Respiratory Effects of Marijuana and Tobacco Use in a U.S. Sample Bostwick, M. (2012, February Day). Blurred Boundaries: The Therapeutics and Politics of Medical Marijuana. , p. . dowieko, h. E. (2009). Concepts of medical dependency (7th ed.). : cengage learning. Kring, A. M., Davinson, G. G., Naele, J. M., Johnson. S. L. (2007). Abnormal Psychology [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. : John Wiley and Sons INC.. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, website. THC.me History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thc.me

Lobbying in Alcohol Industry Essay Example for Free

Lobbying in Alcohol Industry Essay 1. Alcohol industry in EU The economic role of the alcoholic drinks industry is considerable in many European countries. Alcohol excise duties in the EU15 countries amounted to â‚ ¬25 billion in 2001, excluding sales taxes and other taxes paid within the supply chain – although â‚ ¬1.5 billion is given back to the supply chain through the Common Agricultural Policy. Due to the relative inelasticity of the demand for alcohol, the average tax rates are a much better predictor of a government’s tax revenue than the level of consumption in a country. 1.1 Alcohol and the economy of Europe Europe plays a central role in the global alcohol market, acting as the source of a quarter of the world’s alcohol and over half of the world’s wine production. Trade is even more centred on Europe, with70% of alcohol exports and just under half of the world’s imports involving the European Union (EU). Although the majority of this trade is between EU countries, the trade in alcohol contributes around â‚ ¬9billion to the goods account balance for the EU as a whole. Price differences play more of a role in the level of legitimate cross-border shopping, where individuals legally bring back alcohol with them from cheaper countries. At least 1 in 6 tourists returns from trips abroad with alcoholic drinks, carrying an average of over 2 litres of pure alcohol per person in several countries. The economic role of the alcoholic drinks industry is considerable in many European countries. Alcohol is also associated with a number of jobs, including over three-quarters of a million in drinks production (mainly wine). Further jobs are also related to alcohol elsewhere in the supply chain, e.g. in pubs or shops. However, the size of the industry is not necessarily a good guide to the economic impact of alcohol policies – for example, trends in alcohol consumption show no crude correlation with trends in the number of jobs in associated areas such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, suggesting that the effect of changes in consumption may be relatively weak. A reduction in spending on alcohol would also be expected to free consumer funds to be spent on other areas, with the economic impact depending on the exact nature of the new expenditure. While further research needs to be done on this issue, current evidence from alcohol and other sectors suggests that declining consumption may not necessarily lead to job losses in the economy as a whole. Based on a review of existing studies, the total tangible cost of alcohol to EU society in 2003 was estimated to be â‚ ¬125bn (â‚ ¬79bn-â‚ ¬220bn), equivalent to 1.3% GDP, which is roughly the same value as that found recently for tobacco. The intangible costs show the value people place on pain, suffering and lost life that occurs due to the criminal, social and health harms caused by alcohol. In 2003 these were estimated to be â‚ ¬270bn, with other ways of valuing the same harms producing estimates between â‚ ¬150bn and â‚ ¬760bn. While these estimates consider a number of different areas of human life where alcohol has an impact, there are several further areas where no estimate has been made as it was impossible to obtain data. Similarly, while the estimates take into account the benefits of alcohol to health systems and loss of life (valued intangibly), there is no research that would enable the other social benefits to be evaluated. 1.1 The use of alcohol in Europe The EU is the heaviest drinking region of the world, although the 11 litres of pure alcohol drunk per adult each year is still a substantial fall from a recent peak of 15 litres in the mid-1970s. The last 40 years has also seen a harmonization in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Most Europeans drink alcohol, but 55 million adults (15%) abstain; taking this and unrecorded consumption into account, the consumption per drinker reaches 15 litres per year. Just under half of this alcohol is consumed in the form of beer (44%), with the rest divided between wine (34%) and spirits (23%). Within the EU15, northern and central parts drink mainly beer, while those in southern Europe drink mainly wine (although Spain may be an exception). This is a relatively new phenomenon, with a harmonization visible over the past 40 years in the EU15. Around 40% of drinking occasions in most of the EU15 involve consuming alcohol with the afternoon/evening meal, although those in southern Europe are much more likely to drink with lunch than elsewhere. While the level of daily drinking also shows a north—south gradient, non-daily frequent consumption (i.e. drinking several times a week but not every day) seems to be more common in central Europe, and there is evidence for a recent harmonization within the EU15. While 266 million adults drink alcohol up to 20g (women) or 40g (men) per day, over 58 million adults (15%) consume above this level, with 20 million of these (6%) drinking at over 40g (women) or 60g per day(men). Looking at addiction rather than drinking levels, we can also estimate that 23 million Europeans (5% of men, 1% of women) are dependent on alcohol in any one year. In every culture ever studied, men are more likely than women to drink at all and to drink more when they do, with the gap greater for riskier behaviour. Although many women give up alcohol when pregnant, a significant number (25%-50%) continue to drink, and some continue to drink to harmful levels. Patterns in drinking behaviour can also be seen for socio-economic status(SES), where those with low SES are less likely to drink alcohol at all. Despite a complex picture for some aspects of drinking (with some measures showing opposite trends for men and women), getting drunk and becoming dependent on alcohol are both more likely among drinkers of lower SES. Every country in the European Union (EU) has a number of laws and other policies that set alcohol apart from other goods traded in its territory, often for reasons of public health. Despite the ubiquity of alcohol policies, just under half the EU countries still do not have an action plan or coordinating body for alcohol. Even so, most countries have programmes for one aspect of alcohol policy, of which school-based education programmes are the most common throughout Europe. All countries also have some form of drink-driving restrictions, with everywhere except the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg having a maximum blood alcohol limit for drivers at the level recommended by the European Commission (0.5g/L). However, many European drivers believe that there is only a slim chance of being detected a third overall believe they will never be breathalyses, although this is lower in countries with random breath testing. Sales of alcohol are generally subject to restrictions in most EU countries, in a few cases through retail monopolies but more often through licences, while the places that alcohol can be sold are frequently restricted. Over one-third of countries (and some regions) also limit the hours of sale, while restrictions on the days of sale or the density of off-premise retailers exist in a small number of countries. All countries prohibit the sale of alcohol to young people beneath a certain age in bars and pubs, although four countries have no policy on the sale of alcohol to children in shops. The cut-off point for allowing sales to young people also varies across Europe, tending to be 18 years in northern Europe and 16 years in southern Europe. Alcohol marketing is controlled to different degrees depending on the type of marketing activity. Television beer adverts are subject to legal restrictions (beyond content restrictions) in over half of Europe, including complete bans in five countries; this rises to 14 countries for bans on spirits adverts. Billboards and print media are subject to less regulation though, with one in three countries (mainly in the EU10) having no controls. Sports sponsorship is subject to the weakest restrictions, with only seven countries having any legal restrictions at all. The taxation of alcoholic beverages is another consistent feature of European countries, although the rates themselves vary considerably between countries. This can be seen clearly for wine, where nearly half the countries have no tax at all, but one in five countries has a tax rate above â‚ ¬1,000, adjusted for purchasing power. In general, the average effective tax rate is highest in northern Europe, and weakest in southern and parts of central and eastern Europe. Four countries have also introduced a targeted tax on alcopops since 2004, which appears to have reduced alcopops consumption since. When the different policy areas are combined into a single scale, the overall strictness of alcohol policy ranges from 5.5 (Greece) to 17.7 (Norway) out of a possible maximum of 20, with an average of 10.8. The least strict policies are in southern and parts of central and eastern Europe, and the highest in northern Europe – but the scores do not all decrease from north to south, as seen in the high score in France. This picture of alcohol policy is very different from the one visible fifty years ago, with the overall levels of policy now much closer together, largely due to the increased level of policy in many countries, particular in the area of drink-driving where all countries have a legal limit. Marketing controls, minimum ages to buy alcohol, and public policy structures to deliver alcohol policy are also much more common in 2005 than in 1950. Main interest groups in the industry and their leader in lobbying activities Eurocare: Who we are and what we do Eurocare, is an alliance of around 50 voluntary and non-governmental organizations across Europe created in 1990, working on the prevention and reduction of alcohol-related harm2 . One of the main goals is to promote the prevention of alcohol-related harm in European Union decision-making; this is achieved by monitoring all EU level policy initiatives, and carrying out advocacy campaigns directed at the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP) to ensure that alcohol issues are included in relevant policy discussions. The catalyst of our work in recent years (and the concrete result of fifteen years of lobbying) has been the â€Å"EU Strategy to Support Member States in Reducing Alcohol Related Harm†, published by the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG Sanco) of the European Commission in October 20063. A cornerstone of this strategy is the recently launched Alcohol and Health Forum, a multistakeholder platform bringing together the industry and well as NGOs4 pledging to commit to concrete actions to reducing alcohol-related harm. The cross-sectoral nature of alcohol policy includes the Television Without Frontiers Directive (concerned with young people’s exposure to alcohol advertising), Minimum Excise Duties (a report from the EP proposed to scrap these in order to avoid cross border trade and smuggling), and Labeling (the EC is to present a draft Directive on labeling at the end of the year).For Eurocare, lobbying on alcohol presents several difficulties: first the EU has limited competence to legislate in the domain of public health5. DG Sanco’s Alcohol Strategy is thus useful for advocacy in Member States; at EU level, it has allowed alcohol to secure a place on the political agenda, despite being weakened by the influence of the Commission’s more powerful â€Å"big brothers† (DG Trade, DG Market, DG Agriculture, etc.) (Ulstein 2006). Second, at European level, the aim of reducing alcohol-related harm is competing against other strong public health discourses for example in the field of tobacco, nutrition and physical activity, the latter exemplified in the EU Platform for Diet, Physical Activity and Health on which the Alcohol and Health Forum is modeled. Roizen and Fillmore (2000) articulate this from the researchers’ perspective, but it is also true for advocates that â€Å"our consumerist or dangerous-commodity orientation to alcohol (†¦) obliges us to compete in a public-health-information-offering market place already crowded with health warnings of many kinds†. The specificities of alcohol serve to further complicate the picture; parallels with tobacco or junk food are obvious: indisputable public health burdens; links with social inequalities, and of course, powerful industries. What sets alcohol apart though, is the highly problematic, misunderstood and misused evidence on the â€Å"benefits of alcohol consumption†; like it or not, the â€Å"ambiguous molecule† alcohol forms an integral part of most cultures across Europe, â€Å"causing deaths while saving lives, inflicting pain while producing pleasure† The alcohol industry: no ordinary stakeholder The alcohol industry is undeniably a rival voice in the political process of â€Å"weighing up the evidence†; a strong economic asset, with increasingly visible corporate social responsibility policies, the industry represents a valid stakeholder. Alcohol producers unite underâ€Å"legitimate fronts† through social aspects (SA) organisations6, such as the International Centre for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) or the European Forum For Responsible Drinking (EFRD), both of which are participating in the Commission’s Alcohol and Health Forum. Under these banners, research, policy analysis and of course, lobbying are carried out: in fact, it has not been uncommon to find such groups walking the same corridors of power as ourselves. To the layperson, the â€Å"research† and â€Å"policy analysis† (e.g.: ICAP Blue Book) carried out by these organisations may appear methodologically sound, and conclusive, and the (simplistic) models as comprehensive and logical. For example, that â€Å"patterns of drinking are the best way to understand the place of alcohol in society†; that â€Å"targeted interventions are most sensitive to cultural differences†, and that â€Å"partnerships offer the best opportunities to develop policies†. Funnily enough â€Å"Drinking in Context: Patterns, Interventions and Partnerships†, an ICAP collaborative publication (Stimson et al. 2006) was recently publicised at a lunch meeting held in the European Parliament, hosted by German MEP Renate Sommer. Staff from the Eurocare Secretariat attended this lunch; the event was reminiscent of the spirit of the film â€Å"Thank You For Smoking†8; a sequel named â€Å"Thank You For Drinking† should be considered, and would be highly entertaining. This example highlights the tensions involved in the political process, and how apparently sound and legitimate evidence can be put forward by the industry, in order to counter what is regarded by the public health community as â€Å"legitimate† evidence. When the Institute of Alcohol Studies published the Alcohol in Europe report, the British Beer and Pub Association (also participating in the Alcohol and Health Forum) attempted to undermine its scientific objectivity by â€Å"denouncing† vested interests, namely, links to temperance; they likened this to â€Å"vegetarians writing a report about the benefits of eating meat†. The EFRD’s view (in Baumberg Anderson 2007) was that those advocating a stronger EU alcohol strategy â€Å"had a biased view of the evidence base†. It is precisely through the use of â€Å"evidence† and their engagement in research, policy analysis and lobbying (activities mirroring our own work) that the industry tries to secure a place at the policy table, which may be potentially difficult for the public health community to fight off. The WHO (2007) stresses the â€Å"importance of the participation of civil society organisations without the conflict of interests in alcohol policy development, as a counter influence to the vested trade interests, which might otherwise dominate political decision making†.

Understanding the Definition of Strategy Formulation

Understanding the Definition of Strategy Formulation Strategic formulation is the process of determining appropriate courses of action for achieving organisational objectives and thereby accomplishing organisational purpose. In a business context, it means what are the products and services the organisation will deliver, what type of market they will entry, which capabilities are required, how will they allocate the resources, and what the returns organisational seeks? Strategic formulation is very important as it is the crucial part in the strategic management. A good and effective strategy is very important to the organisation because it helps the organisation handle threats, seeking and grab the opportunities, and solve the weeknesses and enhance the strengths of the organization in order to survive in the competitive environment. 3.1 Distinction between Business Strategy and Corporate Strategy Business strategy is a long-term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal or objectives. Corporate strategy is the scope of the different industries and markets the organization competes within in order to achieve its organizational purpose. Normally, corporate strategy is supposed to be determined before the marketing strategy. In strategy formulation, it must included three stages of strategy. There are business level strategy, corporate level strategy, and international or globalisation level strategy. 3.2.1 Business Level Strategy Business level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and action of the organisation uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting major competencies in specific products and services. It is concerned with how the organization business competes in a specific market. It also concerned the strategic decisions about the product choices, meet the customer expectations, exploiting or creating new opportunities, and gaining competitive advantages. Besides, it is refers to the aggregated strategies of single business firm or a strategic business unit (SBU) in a diversified corporation. According to Michael Porter, an organisation must formulate their business strategy into three generic strategies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long-term success. The three generic strategies are cost leadership, differentiation strategy, and focus strategy. 3.2.2 Cost Leadership The first generic strategies in business level strategy which are identified as Porters Five Forces is known as cost leadership strategy. Cost leadership is involving a firm being the lowest cost producer within the industry. This allows the firms to outperform rivals within the industry because it can be charged in lower prices. Although, the firm charge in lowest cost base, it stills can earn a profit. A dominant market share allows the firm to accumulate the greatest experience and the market share can continuing to grow to increase the cost advantages. A strategy of growth which enhance the accumulative experience and further lowers costs. A cost leadership strategy allows an organization to generate above-average profits even it is intensive rivalry. A low cost producer will be in a better position in relation to the threats of new entrants and or substitutes. Cost leadership risks can be expensive as the organisation continually updates the capital equipments. The activities of the cost leader maybe easy to imitate. 3.2.3 Differentiation Strategy Differentiation strategy is aimed at a broad market and involve the organisation competing on the basis of a unique or different product which is sufficiently valued by customers for them to pay a premium price. A major advantage of producing differentiated product is vitals will find it difficult to imitate. Besides, they also required different resources, capabilities, and organisational arrangements than cost leadership. There are some several types of differentiation strategy that are design or brand image, customizing products to suit the customers in specific requirements, state-of-the-act of technology, marketing ability, reliability, products engineering skills, and creativity. A differentiation strategy provides a defence against competitive rivalry because it creates brand loyalty which helps to protect an organisation from price competition. The brand loyalty is to be overcome by defence against new entry and substitutes. The buyers are constrained by a lack of alternatives and premium price are easier to pay back for suppliers. Differentiated strategy has inherent risks. The high or premium price charged for differentiation cannot be too expensive above the competitors that it results in reduced the brand loyalty. Competitors may narrow the attributes of differentiation which results in customers being faced a viable substitute. 3.2.4 Focus Strategy Focus strategy occurs when an organisation undertakes either a cost leadership or differentiation strategy but within only a narrow segment of the market. It also can be defined as market niche strategy, concentration on specific geographical market, isolating a unique segment product line, and isolating a specific buyer group. By focusing on a niche of the market, the organization must be placed to meet the buyers expectation. By focusing on the needs of specific segments that exist in the industry, the organisation can achieve competitive advantage either through lower costs or differentiation. The risk of following in focus strategies are the customer preferences may change and the niche player may be unable to respond, broad-based competitors believe the segment represents an attractive submarket and outfocus the focuser, and the difference between the segment and the main market narrows leaving focus-based competitors at a disadvantage. 3.3 Resource-Based Approach to Strategy Formulation The two fundamental reasons for making the resources and capabilities of the firm the foundation for its strategy are internal and capabilities provide the basic direction for a firms strategy. The resources and capabilities are the primary source of profit for the firm. Resources are the inputs into the production process while capability means the capacity to perform some task. Resources are the source of an organizations capability but capabilities are the main source of an organizations competitive advantage. The value of resources and capability of a business are sustainability and appropriability. Sustainability included durability, transparency, transferability, and replicability. 3.4 Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy means overall scope of the different industries and markets the organisation competes within in order to achieve the organisational goals. Corporate strategy decisions included investment in diversification, vertical integration, acquisitions, and new ventures; the allocation of resources between the different businesses of the firm, and divestments. 3.5 Growth Strategies Growth strategies have four strategies that an organization might follow that are market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. 3.5.1 Market Penetration Market Penetration is to increase market share in your existing markets using your existing products. This strategy relies upon the organization existing resources and capabilities and therefore is relatively low risk. 3.5.2 Market Development Market Development means entering new markets with your existing products. This can be targeted the new market segments and new geographical area, or devising the new uses for the products. 3.5.3 Product Development Product Development is developing the new products to sell in your existing markets. The ability to innovate is crucial in developing products for rapidly changing customer markets. 3.5.4 Diversification Diversification is developing new products to serve new markets. This will involve greatest level of risk it may be necessary where the organization existing products and markets offer little opportunity for growth. There are two diversification strategies such as related diversification and unrelated diversification. Related diversification refers entry into related industry which there is still some link with organizations value chain. It is included vertical integration and horizontal integration. Unrelated diversification refers to a situation where organisation moves into a totally unrelated industry. It can be called conglomerate diversification to reflect that managing a portfolio of companies. Thus resulting four core categories of strategy alternatives can be achieved internally through investment and development, or externally through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances 3.6 Portfolio Analysis Portfolio analysis is simply different business units that organisation possess. The two primary models are the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and The General Electric-McKinsey Matrix.T he business portfolios overall uses is to determine whether the combined growth and profitability of the businesses in the portfolio will allow the company to attain its performance objectives. 3.7 Corporate Parenting Corporate parenting is concerned with how a parent company adds value across the businesses that make up the organisation. Corporate parent refers to all those levels of management that are not part of customer facing and profit run business units in multi-business companies. The concept of corporate parenting is useful in helping an organization to decide which new businesses it should be proceed on. It also helps parent company decide how to manage the business. 3.8 International Level Strategy International level strategy refers to the linkages between markets that exist across worldwide. What happens in one county has an impact on occurrences in other countries. These linkages may be economic, financial, social, political, in effect, anything that leads to increased interdependence among nations. These strategies have included four types of international strategy that are multidomestic strategy, global strategy, and transnational strategy. 3.8.1 Multidomestic Strategy Multidomestic strategy is aimed at adapting products and service in national markets. Thus, responding more effectively to the changes in local demand conditions. The local manager needs to determine how the products and services can meet the local customer expectations. 3.8.2 Global Strategy Global strategy is the organisation provides a standardised products and services for international markets. An organisation seeks to have their own manufacturing, marketing, and RD centralised in a few locations. A combination of standardisation with centralised facilities and functions enable them to reap substantial economies of scale. 3.8.3 Transnational Strategy Transnational strategy is seeks to simultaneously achieve global efficiency, national responsiveness, and worldwide leveraging capabilities of its innovations and learning.

Need for a New Health Care System Essay -- Politics Health Care Medica

Need for a New Health Care System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the major problems nagging America is the need for a new health care system. The number of uninsured Americans needing medical treatment is rising. Medicare, a major part of the American health care system, is projected to go broke in 2019 according to USA Today?s article, 'Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare.' I have seen this ruin people?s pursuit of happiness. I worked in a nursing home for the past five years. Many elderly patients run out of money to support themselves for their long term care. When they go on Medicare, only certain treatments and prescription drugs are available. This causes them to worsen in condition physically and mentally. I believe that with a national health care system, similar to the one in Canada and some European nations, this destruction of life and happiness will be decreased.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem with Medicare is that it is not efficient and is in serious financial problems. One huge concern stated in the USA Today?s article, ?Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare, is that the baby boomer generation is about to become eligible for Medicare, and there is currently barely enough money to cover the current population of beneficiaries. Medicare is not the only problem with the American health care system. Increasing amounts of uninsured people, increasing prescription drug costs, increasing amounts of prescription drugs per individual, and the trend toward more expensive drugs are some of the other factors troubling the current health care system (Hansen 2). We all pay for the uninsured through increased medical bills and insurance premiums (Hansen 3). Prescription drug costs are rising due to the increases in research and development costs (Hansen 3). People are requiring more medication and do not tend to shop for the best price, instead they buy what is recommended and sometimes the most expensive (Hansen 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We cannot just lower the cost of prescription drugs and expect a huge effect on medical costs. We still are going to be faced with the failure of Medicare and the increasing amount of uninsured Americans. With the increase in the number of uninsured Americans, the increase in the cost of health care will come. With the baby boomer generation coming to eligibility age for Medicare, it is inevitable that Medicare will run dry. Thi... ...o emotional depression. One of our three unalienable rights that our country gave us is the pursuit of happiness. With the current health care policies, many elderly are being restricted of this right. With a national health care system, the country as a whole would benefit. Our national health would improve, uninsured citizens would be eliminated, costs would fall, and Medicare would be revived. Works Cited Axworthy, Lloyd and Spiegel, Jerry. ?Retaining Canada?s health care system as a global public good.? Canadian Medical Association Journal 167.4 (2002): 1-3. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . ?Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare.? USA Today (2004): 1-2. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . Hansen, Christopher W. ?Perspective on drug costs.? Vital Speeches of the Day 70.10 (2004): 1-8. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . McCarthy, Michael. ?US doctors group calls for national health-care system.? Lancet 362.9384 (2003): 1-2. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . Need for a New Health Care System Essay -- Politics Health Care Medica Need for a New Health Care System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the major problems nagging America is the need for a new health care system. The number of uninsured Americans needing medical treatment is rising. Medicare, a major part of the American health care system, is projected to go broke in 2019 according to USA Today?s article, 'Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare.' I have seen this ruin people?s pursuit of happiness. I worked in a nursing home for the past five years. Many elderly patients run out of money to support themselves for their long term care. When they go on Medicare, only certain treatments and prescription drugs are available. This causes them to worsen in condition physically and mentally. I believe that with a national health care system, similar to the one in Canada and some European nations, this destruction of life and happiness will be decreased.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem with Medicare is that it is not efficient and is in serious financial problems. One huge concern stated in the USA Today?s article, ?Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare, is that the baby boomer generation is about to become eligible for Medicare, and there is currently barely enough money to cover the current population of beneficiaries. Medicare is not the only problem with the American health care system. Increasing amounts of uninsured people, increasing prescription drug costs, increasing amounts of prescription drugs per individual, and the trend toward more expensive drugs are some of the other factors troubling the current health care system (Hansen 2). We all pay for the uninsured through increased medical bills and insurance premiums (Hansen 3). Prescription drug costs are rising due to the increases in research and development costs (Hansen 3). People are requiring more medication and do not tend to shop for the best price, instead they buy what is recommended and sometimes the most expensive (Hansen 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We cannot just lower the cost of prescription drugs and expect a huge effect on medical costs. We still are going to be faced with the failure of Medicare and the increasing amount of uninsured Americans. With the increase in the number of uninsured Americans, the increase in the cost of health care will come. With the baby boomer generation coming to eligibility age for Medicare, it is inevitable that Medicare will run dry. Thi... ...o emotional depression. One of our three unalienable rights that our country gave us is the pursuit of happiness. With the current health care policies, many elderly are being restricted of this right. With a national health care system, the country as a whole would benefit. Our national health would improve, uninsured citizens would be eliminated, costs would fall, and Medicare would be revived. Works Cited Axworthy, Lloyd and Spiegel, Jerry. ?Retaining Canada?s health care system as a global public good.? Canadian Medical Association Journal 167.4 (2002): 1-3. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . ?Congress refuses to swallow cures for ailing Medicare.? USA Today (2004): 1-2. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . Hansen, Christopher W. ?Perspective on drug costs.? Vital Speeches of the Day 70.10 (2004): 1-8. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 . McCarthy, Michael. ?US doctors group calls for national health-care system.? Lancet 362.9384 (2003): 1-2. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. University of Iowa, Main Library. 18 Dec. 2004 .