Kids and Mobile Phones

Kids and Cellphones Cell phone users are growing every minute in every part of the globe and the user is getting younger. The cell phone and service provider advertisements are increasingly being targeted at the children, teens and young adults. European governments have cautioned parents about the health hazards children face with the use of cellphones before they are16. But, countries like Britain, already have half their children using mobile phones and the number of users between ages 4-9 is fast increasing.Cell phone manufacturers are now targeting this age with friendly colourful mobiles with only 4 buttons and of upto 20 phone numbers to be stored. Parental controls and GPS locator are added features. The very reason you are going through this hub is probably because you have to make an important decision, whether your child is ready for a cell phone of her own. Well, let us weigh the pros and cons of giving her one. At what age are kids ready for their own cell phone? At what age do they really ‘need' one? Every child, whatever the age-toddler, tweens, teens, today wants a mobile phone.Tweens and teens see the use of a cell phone as becoming independent and flaunting it as a status symbol, in addition to keeping up with the peers. A toddler or a preschooler just wants to imitate what adults do. But, it is more the parent who seems to want to know what the child is upto and also keep up or one step above their friends. So, how useful is it going to be? Schools have banned the use of mobile phones as it is a constant source of distraction among students, whatever the age. Some teenagers have even cheated on tests using cell phones.Parents arguments that they need to know what their child is upto, does not hold water because the student is not permitted to use it during school hours. So, having one does not serve any purpose. If your school allows the student to bring a cell phone but makes it mandatory that it be put on silent mode during school hou rs, then probably you could know whether your child reached her swimming or music lesson after school. If a regular transport has been arranged for your child, it hardly matters whether he has a cell phone or not.Yes, in times of emergency, such as school leaving early or a basketball session finishing late, it would help you as parent make necessary alternate arrangements for transport. It is this sense of security, safety and convenience, most parents give in to the plea of a mobile phone for their child. A phone with GPS is seen as a must for some parents who want to know their child's whereabouts at any given time. Of course, the child will argue that he would like a mobile phone because his friends have it, he can keep in touch with them and collect missed homework.Some parents see the need to give their little one a mobile phone if she is allergic to something or asthmatic, or going on a school trip. The Cons of Giving Your Child A Mobile Phone The safe, convenient way to cons tantly be in one-button touch communication gives a parent the sense of security concerning the child. But, if the child is under 12, he should be under the supervision of an adult at all times anyway. And in most cases, the child would know how to use a regular phone or the cell phone of the one who is supervising.Researchers have often cited cell phone usage as being hazardous to health, more so in the case of children. The ongoing research suggests that the more one spends time on one's mobile phone, electromagnetic radiation emitted can be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, brain tumors, cancers ,etc. The developing tissues of a young child can be affected, but the more recent studies show that there is no connection between radiation from cell phones and brain cancer. Well, the debate is still on, and it is certainly beneficial to limit the use of a mobile phone, whatever the age.Children have been seen to be impulsive if they are allowed the use of a cell phone, according to a recent study. Because of the texting on cell phones, they learn to quickly retort/reply. These children are seen to be faster in IQ tests, but very inaccurate, since messaging between peers makes them quicker-on-the-draw, but without time for ample thought. SMSing friends takes up most of their time and most teens and tweens are losing sleep texting away into the night. Spellings take a back seat as well, since they learn to use shortcuts in messaging away to friends.Increased independence gives children the courage to skip more time from family life. They also learn to be totally dependent on a mobile phone, which comes to light when the said phone is either lost or confiscated. Depending on whether the phone is internet enabled, you will be exposing your child to unwanted MMS , youtube videos, emails from spammers, or simply calls from unwanted tricksters. Which brings us to the subject of MONEY Cell phones can be expensive. Your child may not agree to what you show her- a basic c ell phone to make and receive calls.You will have to talk to her first in order to know what exactly she wants and why she â€Å"needs† it, before you even agree to purchase one. Talking to her friend's moms or the teacher can give you a benchmark. A basic plan for your child's cell phone can be a good thing until you are hit by extra charges for those additional â€Å"awesome† ringtones, textmessaging, internet usage,and of course additional talktime. So, it certainly pays to have a good talk with your child before you settle on buying a mobile phone on the do's and don'ts as well.Some kids get into the habit of losing their cell phones often when they know their parents will replace them without a whimper, simply because the latest model has arrived in the market. Most parents realize that the cell phone is mainly used for SMSing, downloading games, ringtones,and music videos which can be an additional burden on the family budget. So, are you upto it? And of course, as time progresses, they are busy messaging friends or speaking to them, even during family outings. I have seen mothers admonishing their teenagers busy on heir phones in restaurants and in shopping malls and worse, they turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to their surrounding which can be detrimental, particularly if they are driving or about to be accosted by strangers. Many accidents happen and unwanted injuries take place because a teenager ignores warning signals as he is busy talking on the phone. Thieves love to snatch the trendiest of cell phones even as you speak, so beware of flaunting it in public. Cell phone etiquette is important, an should be taught to your child as well.Excusing oneself to take a call, ignoring a prankster and reporting him to the parent or teacher, and never be party to pranks themselves. What is good and what's not is to be dealt with by the concerned parent, before it gets out of hand. Cell phones also put your child at risk for getting in trouble for : sexting – sending or receiving nude pictures prank calls – which can get your child in trouble if someone starts pranking other people from your child's phone LG Optimus Elite Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Amazon Price: $115. 00List Price: $129. 99 Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Android Phone, Blue 16GB (Sprint) Amazon Price: $699. 99 Brand New Sidekick LX 2009 SHARP PV300 GSM Unlocked – T-Mobile (Carbon Black). This phone does not have internet capabilities. Amazon Price: $54. 99 List Price: $149. 99 Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Android Phone, Blue 16GB (Verizon Wireless) Amazon Price: $699. 99 HTC One V Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $199. 99 Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Android Phone, White 16GB (Verizon Wireless) Amazon Price: $699. 99NEW Version Ultra-thin Quad-band Watch Mobile Phone FM/MP3/MP4 2M Camera Amazon Price: $99. 00 Best Course Of Action Each parent has their own views and the schools their children go to, play a big part in whether to give a cell phone to their child or not. A hand-me-down or a new handset is your decision as well, provided your child agrees. You could categorize it into one or a couple of the following. a necessity a luxury a fad an invasion Making the right choice of cell phone is necessary as well-whether you want a basic version to just make and receive calls or one that needs to be internet enabled and with Mp3.Once the decision is made, make sure you know that it is definitely going to cut into your monthly expenses,whether you have a talk with your child or not. So, is your child ready to take on this responsibility and sticking to a basic plan. Or will you need to pay extra for all the additional downloads and textmessaging. Some points worth considering: Prepaid monthly plans offer the ability to control exactly how much your child can spend in any given month. Some handsets offer unique parental controls to monitor and restrict activity which is a good thing.Some phones also let you limit who can call the phone and who your child can call. Consider giving the phone only when she is in the shopping mall or on a school trip. Discuss the do's and don'ts of important issues such as cyberbullying, pranksters, cell phone ettiquette, the dangers of driving while on the cell phone, adhering to the cell phone rules of the school,etc. If you feel the need, get one that has a GPS locator, so you will know exactly where the child is at any given time. Stress that there is a responsibility attached which needs to be adhered to, strictly.

Safety on Water Refilling Station

1. Abstract This study tackles the safeties of processes used by water refilling stations in the Philippines, specifically on the National Capital Region, on the purified water it sells to its customers. The study focuses on the processes the water refilling stations implements to purify the water from its concessionaires not in the working place of water refilling stations. The group chose to research on this topic since nowadays, as the demand for cleaner water becomes higher, the price of household water purifiers and bottled water has become prohibitive.Water refilling stations managed by private entrepreneurs offer a cheaper and more convenient solution to the public’s drinking water needs than bottled water or the use of household filters. The demand at the water refilling stations – water stores that sell purified water is now increasing. The quality of purified water conforms to the national standards for drinking water and is even better than the quality of wat er produce by traditional water supply systems in terms of removed impurities. At present, about 3,000 water refilling stations have proliferated nationwide.They sell purified water of comparable quality with bottled water at a lower price. For example, the current price per gallon of refilled purified water in Metro Manila ranges from P 50 to P 120 per 5-gallon container or about P 2. 50 to P 6. 00 per liter while the bottled water is sold at P 12. 00 to P 25. 00 per liter. Household filters, on the other hand, cost P 5,000 to P 25,000 per unit. In Metro Manila, most of the water refilling stations is connected to the pipes of two concessionaires: Maynilad Water Company or Manila Water Company for their source of raw water while in other areas they opt to use private deep wells.The â€Å"potable water† supplied by the providers is then further purified by utilizing a combination of water treatment equipment, such as sediment filters, carbon filters, water softeners, reverse osmosis membranes, ultra-violet lamps, and ozone generators. Typical water refilling stations can produce 3,000 to 12,000 litres of purified water per day. In previous years, most of the people were bringing a container to a water refilling station to buy purified water. Nowadays, because of convenience on the part of the consumers, purified water in 5-gallon (22. litres) containers is delivered by the station directly to the people’s home. Aqua Sure, a water refilling station in Metro Manila, can deliver 5,500 gallons (25,000 litres) a day to its 8,000 household client.2. Introduction 3. 1. Problem Statement The proponents want to know how dirty water is being processed in the water station, what processes does the water goes through, what is the quality of the water being produced and how safe it is to drink that water after. 3. 2. Significance The study will: determine the physical, chemical and bacteriological quality of the product water produced * determine if the water produced is potable * assess the current guidelines used for evaluating and monitoring the quality of the water produced * provide basis for decision making and strategy for regulation and monitoring of water stations to ensure a continuous production of quality and safe drinking water 3. 3. Review of Related Literature Water is the only substance found on earth in three forms solid, liquid, and gas. It regulates the earth’s temperature.Drinking water or potable water is water safe enough to be consumed by humans or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry meets drinking water standards, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Typical uses include toilet flushing, washing and landscape irrigation. It also regulates the temperature of the human body, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, protects organs and tissues , and removes wastes.Adverse health effects from contaminants that may occur in drinking water include acute effects that may immediately impact health and chronic effects that may occur if contaminants are ingested at unsafe levels over many years. Drinking water that meets US EPA’s health-based standards is generally safe. People who are not healthy as a result of illness, age, or weakened immune systems, are more likely to be at risk from certain contaminants that may be found in drinking water. Infants and very young children are also more susceptible to some contaminants.Individuals concerned about their particular situations should consult their health care providers. 3. 4. Research Questions Below are the guide questions which the proponents of the research work considered in conducting this research paper: * What is a safe drinking water? * What is the process of cleaning the water? * What are the problems in the process? * How would the proponents go about investigat ing the causes of the observed problems? * What are the effects of these observed problems? What are the unsafe conditions in the process? * What is the quality of the water after the process? 3. 5. Methodology The proponents did an actual observation inside a water refilling station by identifying the process and the worker demonstrated how the process works. Next is that the proponents researched on the safety of drinking water of water stations by looking up at articles, assessing and analyzing which causes the impurities of the water and if there are problems on the process and if the process needs improvement.After is that they establish a conclusion and the proponents monitor and implement the correct process. They also see if it’s compatible with the system. Lastly, they did adequate measures and controls to ensure that the correct process will be established and if the water station is implementing it always. It is important to follow the correct process so that they can say that the water is safe for drinking. 3. Discussion Unsafe water * More than one billion people lack access to an improved water source. 88 percent of the 4 billion annual cases of diarrheal disease are attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. * 2 million people suffer diarrhoeal deaths each year. Drinking water Parameters * Alkalinity * Color of water * pH * Taste and Odor* Dissolved metals and salts(sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium) * Microorganism * Dissolved metals and metalloids ( lead, mercury, arsenic, etc * Dissolved organics * Radon * Heavy metal Machines for processes Multi-media sediment filter – removes sediments such as rust, sand and particles that are invisible to the naked eye. * Ion exchanger – replaces hard minerals with soft minerals. * Activated carbon filter – removes all organic chemicals, herbicide, pesticide, offensive odor and bad taste.* Reverse osmosis membrane – the hear t of the system and the most expensive unit; removes inorganic minerals, bacteria and viruses while retaining its oxygen content. Since the filter size is very small at less than 0. 5 micrometre, the product water could have a total dissolved solids (TDS) of less than 10 ppm. The filtration process rejects about 50 percent of raw water volume. * Post-carbon filter – improves the taste of water. * Ultraviolet lamp – ensures that the water is free from disease-causing micro-organisms. * Ozone generator – inhibits the growth of bacteria in the product tank and prolongs the shelf life of water. Water quality monitoring* Bacteriological quality – at least monthly * Physical quality – at least every six (6) months Chemical quality – at least every six (6) months * Biological quality – at least once a year * Monitoring of radioactive contaminants shall be done only if there is significant input of radiation from the surrounding environment. 4. Conclusion Water refilling stations can be a good source of safe drinking water in the Philippines. Purified water can meet the aesthetic standards easily detectable by the people in terms of taste, odor and color. The efficient water purification processes can make the quality of water superior to the traditional water systems.However, the risk of contamination is possible if the handling practices are not closely monitored. The water production has designed its facility to the high quality state of the art which can process and purified water into a colorless and free from objectionable taste and odor. That the product water is free from substance that may contain to endanger the lives of consuming public the design of the water treatment purification process was based on the character of the source of water the availability of appropriate purification technology. 5. About the AuthorsThe ideas behind this study are from four 3rd Year Safety Engineering students of the Industria l Engineering Department of the University of Santo Tomas namely: Christian Domingo Bascon, Mishael Ann Asuncion Belocura, Edmond Ray Dela Cruz Divino and Wyanet Dy Yang The four students have a strong passion on Safety Engineering and want to contribute as early as now in the safety of everyone. 6. Acknowledgement First and foremost, we would like to thank to our professor Sir Nestor Ong for the valuable guidance, technical discussions and relevant discussions.He inspired us greatly to work in this project. We also would like to thank him for showing us some example that related to the topic of our project. In addition, we would also like to thank Antipolo Spring Water Refilling Station which provided us valuable information as the guidance of our project which helped us in completing this task through various stages. We also wanted to thank our families who inspired, encouraged and fully supported us in every trial that came our way. Also, we thank them for giving us not just fina ncial, but moral and spiritual support.And all of those who supported us in any respect during the completion of the project. Lastly, we offer our regards and blessings to God the father of all, we are thankful for the strength that keeps us standing and for the hope that keeps us believing that this affiliation would be possible and more interesting. 7. Notes * Especially in urban areas, water quality does not meet the standards set by the national government. As a result, waterborne diseases remain a severe public health concern in the country. About 4,200 people die each year due to contaminated drinking water. Your local water supplier is required by law to notify you if there’s any reason your water is unsafe. Furthermore, the Safe Water Drinking Act requires all water suppliers to issue their customers an annual report on the source and quality of the water—including a list of contaminant levels. Municipal water is tested for micro-organisms, organic and inorgani c chemicals, disinfectants, disinfectant by-products, and radioactive substances. If your copy of the report has not come in the mail, call your water company.Though your water company is responsible for keeping the water safe, lead can get into the supply after the water has left the treatment plant. Arsenic may also be a problem in some areas, mainly the Southwest. * Filtering the water If you are simply trying to improve the taste of your water, a filtering pitcher will do. But if you are trying to remove lead, arsenic, or specific contaminants, you may want a permanent installation. Before you buy, be sure you know which contaminants the system will filter out. NSF is an excellent source of information.Water filtration systems come in two basic types, ranging from cheap to expensive: * Point-of-entry systems are installed on the main water supply and treat most or all the water entering a house. These include water softeners, which remove calcium and magnesium. There’s no harm in drinking softened water, and it does not cause heart disease, as has been alleged. But the softer the water, the more likely it is to leach lead from the pipes. * Point-of-use systems include faucet-mounted filters, faucets with built-in filters, pitchers, and under-the-sink filters.Whether it’s installed under the sink or at point-of-entry, the most effective filter is a reverse-osmosis system, which filters out lead and other toxic metals and other contaminants. This type of filter can be expensive ($500 to $1,000 or more) and the cartridges have to be replaced every year at a cost of up to $200. Faucet-mounted systems and faucets with built-in filters work well against specific contaminants (check the labels and NSF certificates), as do most countertop pitchers. Simpler systems such as these represent a small investment, but replacement filters can cost as much as $100 a year. The agencies directly involved in the establishment operation of water refilling station s are as follows: a. The Department of Health (DOH). DOH is the main agency responsible for protecting the health of the people. The Sanitation Code of the Philippines mandates DOH in protecting drinking water quality. Consequently, DOH issues implementing rules and regulations prescribing sanitary standards for water supply systems, including water refilling stations. b. The Center for Health Development (CHD) is the regional branch of DOH.Its main function is to provide technical assistance to local government units and to monitor DOH programme implementation which includes water quality and sanitation standards. For water refilling stations, CHD is mandated to issue initial and operational permits. c. The Local Government Units (LGUs) are mandated by Presidential Decree (PD 856) to issue sanitary permit, sanitary clearance, health certificates, certificate of potability, drinking water site clearance and closure order (if necessary) and to conduct sanitary inspection of WRS. d.Th e Water Quality Association of the Philippines Inc. (WQAP) is an organization of private firms who are engaged in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of water refilling station equipment and supplies, as well as water treatment and purification equipment and technology for household, institutional, commercial and industrial applications. About 85 percent of its 250 members operates water refilling stations. e. Association of Water Refilling Entrepreneurs (AWARE) concentrates on resolving business management issues of its members. * Presidential Decree No. 56 (PD 856) or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines is the main law requiring all establishments to comply with existing sanitary standards to protect public health. Guidelines for operating a water refilling station are indicated in the Supplemental Implementing Rules and Regulations on Water Supply of PD 856 issued in 1999. 8. References (2006 october 6) EntrePinoys atbp.A study on water refilling stations http://www. mixph . com/2006/10/a-study-on-water-refilling-station. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_the_Philippines#Drinking_water_quality Water Sanitation and health. ttp://www. who. int/water_sanitation_health /en/ http://www. wellnessletter. com/ucberkeley/foundations/drinking-water/#sthash. bNGyupzl. dpuf EPA 816-F-04-036 June 2004 www. epa. gov/safewater 9. Editorial History Paper received 02 March 2013; accepted 09 March 2013; revised version received 09 March 2013. Copyright  © 2011, Copyright  © 2011, Christian D. Basco, Mishael Ann A. Belocura, Edmond DC. Divino & Wyanet D. Yang 10. Disclaimer This article is only edited by Christian Domingo Basco, Mishael Ann Asuncion Belocura, Edmond Ray Dela Cruz Divino and

Bullying in the united states of america Research Paper

Bullying in the united states of america - Research Paper Example (Salamone & Pesce 2010). The list actually contained a growing number of victims and these names mentioned here were just part of many cases of bullying that occur in American schools today. These incidents should serve as a wake up call to policymakers, school administrators and the society itself in order for them to pay attention, take necessary and immediate steps to address the problem. The number of innocent lives that are being claimed by this national epidemic should not be permitted to grow even further, especially given the fact that we can do something about it. Why is Bullying Dangerous? In order to understand why bullying must be stopped once and for all, everyone should be aware of what it is. This is crucial because there might still be people out there who scoff at these incidents and regard them as some minor teasing or school scuffles that are naturally part of growing up. The number of interest groups and scholarly work on bullying has resulted to several depiction s of bullying. For example, Robert Thomas (2006) explained that it is the act of tormenting a person in a way he detests. (p. 135) JaredStory.com a cause-oriented website founded by the mother of a bully's victim went as far as calling it a smaller scale terrorism because the bully uses intimidation and terror to threaten, harass and assault a weaker individual. (2011) Then, Fried and Sosland (2009) cited taunting, ostracizing and ridiculing beyond endurance as bullying and pointed to the emergence of the word/concept called bullycide that came to refer to young people who commit suicide because of bullying. (p. 14) The sheer number of explanations does not represent differences or some semblance of debate with regards to bullying. The case is that each has his or her own version to this phenomenon, which is fundamentally about a consistent assault - physical, psychological, oral - on a weaker individual by a stronger bully. In a study undertaken by Bradley (2007), it was found that : 1) one-third of middle school students have felt unsafe at school due to bullying; and, 2) at least 10% of high school students who dropped out of school cited fear of bullying as the cause. (p. 1) Hernandez (2006) also shared grim statistics in his own research, stating, â€Å"nearly 30% of American school children have been involved in some aspect of bullying,† with 13% self-reported of being bullies, 10.6% reported being bullied, and 6.3% reported being both a victim and a bully. (p. 61) The statistics as represented by the works of Bradley and Hernandez is feared to be far from accurate because it is believed that many incidence of bullying go unreported. A very disturbing development today is the emergence of the so-called cyberbullying, â€Å"the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.† (Evans 2007, p. 14) This type of bullying is increasin gly becoming significant because it tends to magnify the effects of aggression tenfold. Due to the technological and communication advancements today, many tools are now available to students that enable them to bully individuals at a rate, degree and frequency that has never seen before. Access to mobile phones, the Internet, including its many social networking web sites are conveniently offering very potent means to hurt, harass and humiliate an

The Impact Of Capital Gains Tax On Residential Property Investment Essay

The Impact Of Capital Gains Tax On Residential Property Investment Performance And Viability In Australia - Essay Example Net losses in a tax year may be carried forward, but not offset against income. Personal use assets and collectables are treated as separate categories and losses on those are quarantined so they can only be applied against gains in the same category, not other gains. This works to stop taxpayers subsidizing hobbies from their investment earnings. (Wikipedia). This study will include the impact of CGT on Residencial Property Investment Performance and viability in Australia. Some organizations believe that because of this capital gains tax the increasing number of house affordability is alarming. Only a small percentage of family can now be able to afford houses. Instead they resort on renting it, still it is not that affordable to rent one. This high cost of housing is because of the capital gains tax in Australian. However to some investors it has a positive effect on their business. Capital Gain Tax as defined by Australian Taxation Office as the tax that you pay on any capital gain you include on your annual income tax return. It is not a separate tax, merely a component of your income tax. Your are taxed on your net capital gain at your marginal tax rate. All residential properties are subjected to capital gains tax. To those family that owns one or more properties the capital gain tax is complicated for them. Even if they uses the name of their spouse the said property is still subjected to capital gain tax. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union - Construction and General Division, the CFMEU believes that Australia is in the grip of a housing crisis. This crisis is not only characterized by declining affordability in first home ownership, but by increasing levels of housing stress among low to middle income participants in the private rental market, the degradation and running down of public housing stock across Australia, and finally, by growi ng levels of homelessness in the community. The Union believes that this trend comes at a time when a select few have grown more and more wealthy off the back of a speculative boom in house and land prices, that serves to make the already well off even more affluent, while locking many ordinary Australians out of home ownership, and affordable rental housing. The Union bases its view on several important studies over the recent period, including work done by the Affordable Housing National Research Consortium, of which the Union was a part. However there are still residential properties which are exempted in the tax. This may have a positive effect to those who owns only one property but to some who has 2 or more property the capital gains tax is a burden for them. Impact of Capital Gains Tax to Residential Property in Australia As per described above one main impact of capital gain tax is the increasing number of non-affordability of renting and owning a house. Confusion on the application of the capital gain tax is also another reason of this. There are cases where in the property is not subjected to capital gain tax because of some exemptions which are further discuss in this paper. Factors Determining Application of

Rhetorical analysis of Alicias Keys song If I Ain't Got You Essay

Rhetorical analysis of Alicias Keys song If I Ain't Got You - Essay Example The researcher states that the lyrics of a song are almost told in complete sentences and they are told in figures of speeches to better narrate what the artist wanted to tell in the song.   The first paragraph meant that people are now getting materialistic and vain that they only live for fortune, fame, power, game and physical things. The artist had been there and realized that these are empty endeavors because what matter is how beautiful the person is inside. This means that the artist only wanted the person that she loves because it is all that really matters in this world. The diamond rings are only symbolic of the superficiality that the song already detest that it really meant nothing. Alicia Keys only meant beauty as a vain basis for love when she wrote about the fountain that promises forever young. The roses and the silver platter are only a way to impress her but it is meaningless when it cannot be shared with the person she loves. The music video is the visual narrati ve of the song. In the opening scene of the video, there were men carrying a big piano which seems to have been bought by Alicia Keys fiancà © (while alternating with her playing the piano). The choice of piano and not other material things is symbolic that what matters most are what is inside which in this case, music and love as represented by the piano. Of course, she was delighted when she saw it and they kissed manifesting their love for each other. It can be observed that the apartment was empty except for the piano which figuratively explains that material things were not that important as told in the lyrics. Scenes displaying money and diamonds in a drawer were shown later inside a regular clothing drawer against the background â€Å"so full of superficial†. The succeeding scenes showed alternate of Alicia Keys singing and the lovers expressing their love for each other and how happy they are being together. It also showed the struggle of couples in the scene in the kitchen where they eventually argued with the man leaving.

Claires Antiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Claires Antiques - Essay Example Since the company does not want to pass the increased commission to its customers, they will have to make up for the $15, 190 decrease in profit for the clocks product line and $23, 310 and $25, 025 for dinette sets and bedroom suites respectively. The company can make up for this lost by asking distributors to sell a lower percentage of the total expected sales volume in order to lessen the commission expenses. 5. In calculating the new monthly break even volume for Claire's Antiques, we must take into account the changes in price and monthly fixed cost. Cutting the unit sales price by 10% will yield $3, 300 ($3, 700 x .90) for one dinette set. Fixed cost will be increased to $27, 250 to take into account the $1, 000 advertising cost. The new contribution margin is computed as $3, 300 minus variable material cost of $1, 280 which is equal to $2, 050. Break even in units can be generated by dividing the $27, 250 fixed cost by the new contribution margin of 42, 050. This will give 13 units for Claire's Antiques to break even each month.

Cooperative Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cooperative Strategies - Essay Example http://www.swlearning.com/management/hoskisson/cfa1e/powerpoint/ch10_lecture_light.ppt CA designed to take advantage of market opportunities by combining partner firms' assets in complementary ways to create a new value. These include distribution, supplier or outsourcing alliances where firms rely on upstream or downstream partners to build competitive advantage. It is formed between partners who agree to combine their resources and skills to create value in the same stage of the value chain. Focus is on long-term product development and distribution opportunities. Partners may become competitors and requires a great deal of trust between them. It is used to hedge against risk and uncertainty and it is most noticed in fast-cycle markets. Alliance may be formed to reduce the uncertainty associated with developing new product or technology standards. Allows a firm to expand into new product or market areas without completing a merger or an acquisition, it also provides some of the potential synergistic benefits of a merger or acquisition, but with less risk and greater levels of flexibility. Permits a test of whether a future merger between the partners would benefit both parties. The main purpose of Franchising is to spreads risks and uses resources, capabilities, and competencies without merging or acquiring another company. Contractual relationship concerning the franchise is developed between two parties, the franchisee and the franchisor, an alternative to pursuing growth through mergers and acquisitions. http://academic.cengage.com/resource_uploads/downloads/0324316941_57293.pptDespite of providing benefits to the firms, cooperative strategies can be

Development of Global Managers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Development of Global Managers - Research Paper Example The companies now need strategic capabilities in three major business areas including global scale efficiency, local responsiveness and capability of leveraging worldwide. The notion of global manager is not very new however it has got momentum is recent time when the business world all over globe are witnessing the transformational changed led by the technology advancements. The concept of global managers has evolved over the time with the expectation of fulfilment of these objectives however, it is also a fact that no single global manager could perform all of these tasks for a business and generally group of specialized managers is developed for the management of company matters worldwide (Steers, et al, 2010). . The development of global managers is an important issue for the companies operating internationally because the global managers are made and not born. The development of the global managers appears to be foremost question for the corporate managers because they have to a ssure that the right person has got the right training and capabilities to work at the right place for generating the desired results. The concept of global managers is not very new and since the development of the notion there is extensive research work conducted around the topic in order to explore the issue from various perspectives (Bartlett and Ghoshal 2003). It has been unveiled that mainly these used to be three types of global managers including business manager, country manager and functional manager. The global business or product division manager has the responsibility to build efficiency and competitiveness of the company all around the world by recognizing cross border opportunities and risks. The country managers work as building block for worldwide operations of the company by providing detailed understanding and interpretation of local markets and building local capabilities and resources. The third type of global manager is worldwide functional specialist that trans fers the expertise from one unit to another and works for leverage learning, generation of good ideas and best business practice of the companies (Kediaa and Mukherji, 1999). Development of Global Managers – Current Issues The international business operations require constructing internationally competent workforces that must be comprise of the people having adequate information about the business. This requirement is also fulfilled by the global managers that are expected to be highly flexible and open minded. The building of such team is not a simple task and sometimes the companies take years to come up with the team of perfectly chosen global managers to organize their worldwide operations in adequate manner (Steers, et al, 2010). It is now impossible for the multinational companies to consult and reply upon single manager or specialist for effective management of their operations in any country because they must have team of global managers with multicultural experience so that they could recognize the cultural differences affecting the business activities and communication as well as working relationship within the company (McNally and Parry, 2000). Traditionally the businesses use to reply upon single country managers or expert for the management of the cross border business matters however, the increased trend of international business has changed the situation and the companies are required to give special attention towards allocation of management duties to competent

Immigration Policy and illegal immigrants Term Paper

Immigration Policy and illegal immigrants - Term Paper Example For a nation made and flourished by immigrants and rightfully admired by immigrants from across the globe, it is quite paradoxical to mistreat and exploit modern-day immigrants. The unfortunate and negative connotation associated with immigration in the US is also observed to further degrade the lives of Native Americans, African-Americans and Chicanas (Moreno, 2004). These groups are treated as lesser citizens in their own country and sometimes forced to go through the shame of being stereotyped as illegal citizens (Hernandez, 2009). Amidst all these immigration negativity, it is observed that illegal immigrants do have positives especially in regards economic and political considerations. This study will provide a background on the issue of illegal immigration in the US in terms of current immigration policy and the Bracero Program, before discussing the costs and benefits that illegal immigration brings to the nation. The study will be based on the premise that illegal immigration is beneficial to the United States. Background According to the CBO (2006), US immigration policy is anchored on three goals. The first is to reunite families through admission of immigrants who already have family members living in the US. Secondly is to admit skilled labor in order to meet projected labor shortages and lastly to provide refuge to people in risk of political, religious or racial persecution in their home countries. These three goals are the result of evolution of the nation’s immigration policy over time. In terms of illegal immigration, the law defines such individuals as unauthorized aliens who enter the US without legal documentation or who overstay their temporary visa requirements. The policy of dealing with such individuals is through apprehension either at the point of entry or within the US. it has been argued that failure to devise sound and sustainable immigration policy has resulted in the weakening of the American economy, jeopardy of diplomacy and threats to national security (Council on Foreign Relations, 2009). Such views have led to the mistreatment and stigmatization of illegal immigrants in a seemingly nationwide anti-immigration discourse. A look into the efficacy of the current apprehension, repressive and exclusionary policy by the US on illegal immigration indicates that it has largely failed to tackle the issue and instead fueled the anti-immigration sentiments in the population which are more sensationalist-driven rather than fact-based. Border repression and exclusion have temporary prevented illegal immigrants from returning to their countries with particular reference to Mexico, which has contributed to the â€Å"problem†, while at the same time leading to increased sophistication and criminalization of illegal immigration. More importantly, it has led to increased aloofness to illegal immigrants by the natives, which is manifested through extreme attention to the issue and vilification of immigrants based on their presumed economic costs at the expense of citizens effectively transforming the issue into an alleged national emergency (Arnold, 2011). The key to understanding the cost/benefit debate and taking a position on it is through analyzing the 1942-1964 Bracero Program which allowed Mexican nationals to work temporarily in agricultural fields, in the US, following laws and diplomatic agreements between the US and

The Role of Mentors in Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Role of Mentors in Leadership - Assignment Example However, mentoring is always successful when the leader and the mentor intentionally matches or pairs. This often happens in health care facilities whereby nurses change into another role. The new nurses pairs with more experienced nurses to learn new leadership skills and develop their experiences into a new role (Aston & Hallam, 2011). This paper will explore the fundamental roles of mentors in nursing profession. According to Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, it is not just mentors and leaders benefit from the mentoring relationship but also the entire nursing profession such as patients and their relatives Literature review With the general growth of nursing profession, the role of mentors in the nursing sector seems to be more effective. Much of earlier work emphasizes the importance of mentors in nursing profession. Benner (2004) states that, acquiring new skills and experiences needs progression in all levels and stages. Thus, she argued that these levels and stages are novi ce, competent, advanced beginner, expert, and proficient. Research has also shown how mentors not only benefit nurses but also patients and their families (see, for instance, Vance, 2011). Some studies, however have taken a different approach by showing how nurses should benefit from mentoring website programs, for instance, IOM report. Studies show that both mentors and leaders benefit from the mentoring process. Mentor-ship Mentoring process is more than preceptorship or orientation; it may last for several weeks or may take three-month probation duration. During this period, the leader is able to learn what he or she is unfamiliar with hence improving and developing his or her experience (Grossman, 2013). Mentor-ship duration is not limited; it is an ongoing relationship, which can last for a long period until both the mentor and leader find value and meaning in it. A mentoring process occurs at any level of ones career, whether you are a new graduate to the field, an experienced nursing working as a clinical specialist or as a manager, or an experienced clinical nurse assuming the leadership position as the shared governance council’s chairperson (Grossman, 2013). Some nurses however, become mentors in future whereby, they use their own knowledge, wisdom, and experience to train and offer meaningful experience to new leaders in the nursing field. Most authors define mentoring as a partnership between a mentor acting as a teacher and a leader acting as a learner. As an educator, a mentor acts as facilitators and guides of learning. As learners, leaders have the responsibility of maintaining their own behaviors and learning (Grossman, 2013). All people have various opportunities of becoming a new thing in their lives although this is not an easy thing. Each person has fear to the unknown, fear of committing mistakes, uncertain confidence, and always, uncomfortable sentiment. Everyone as experienced that and he or she will live to experience it repeate dly (Kilgallon & Thompson, 2012). Being a mentor, it is essential to remember your situation when you were a new leader, how it was like being new to a certain position, and how your mentors helped you to be whom you are today. This will really help one grow a helping altitude to assist others develop their skills and experiences. However, it helps a mentor to get in the leaders’ reference frame. Novice to expert continuum Benner in her book states that, acquiring new skills and experi

The Effect of the Internet on Music Essay Example for Free

The Effect of the Internet on Music Essay There has been much ink spilled over the supposed death of the music industry. While this worry may be a bit premature, the most pressing economic issue facing the music industry today is the slow but steady push toward a complete restructuring of itself. Downloadable music, in the form of mp3s, has revolutionized the way we think about and consume music. With the increased prominence of independent labels, file-sharing websites, and innovative artists who are creating their own methods for releasing albums, the traditional record business is becoming increasingly irrelevant. In economic terms, this has so far meant declining record sales among the major labels, a recent spate of firings, and the loss of big artists, who are moving either to concert promoters like LiveNation, independent labels, or their own recording studios. Over the past year, artists from Radiohead to Coldplay to Trent Reznor have released songs and entire albums for free over the internet. They have almost universally been a success, although some less well-known artists, as well as various industry insiders, have argued against this being a workable model. Michael Laskow, CEO of an independent AR company, TAXI, argued that Radiohead allowing consumers to pay what they choose for a digital album is not indicative of the future of the music industry: While the band, its fans and artists alike are celebrating what looks like a success for Radioheads bold move in releasing their new album using the ‘pay what youd like’ model, I think everybody has overlooked one very important aspect of this, and it doesnt bode well for the future of the music industry. Radiohead has been bankrolled by their former label for the last 15 years. Theyve built a fan base in the millions with their label, and now theyre able to cash in on that fan base with none of the income or profit going to the label this time around. The question is: how will new artists be able to use this model in the future if they havent built a fan base in the millions in the years leading up to the release of their album under the pay what youd like model (Lipsman)? The worry that new artists won’t be able to give their music away for free (disregarding the 40% or so of people who voluntarily paid from one to twenty dollars for the album), is a valid one. However, Laskow seems to view major labels as the only answer to new artists looking for an audience and a way to make a living with their music. On the contrary, the rising prominence of independent labels over the past several years has proven that it doesn’t take millions of dollars to create an album and promote it. Labels like Kill Rock Stars, Bloodshot Records, and Rounder Records have all seen their profits rise over the past few years, at the same time that major labels have seen their sales dip or stagnate. Cameron Strang, founder of New West Records, points out the economic advantages in not having the huge overhead of major labels. Thats the difference between us and them. Artists on our label who sell 200,000 copies make a very good living (Margolis). Artists like Aimee Mann and Michelle Shocked are releasing albums on their own. (Dare I even mention Ani Difranco? ) Clearly, independent labels as well as individual artists are capable of doing the work that major record labels have been doing for years. With the advent of webcasting and podcasting, along with XM and Sirius radio networks, traditional radio doesn’t have the same hold on the music buying public’s imagination that it once did. Increasingly, new artists are discovered by getting their songs played on television shows like The Hills and Grey’s Anatomy. The music industry is attempting to do to webcasting what it did to Napster, which is to essentially strangle it through lawsuits in the hopes of being able to squeeze money out of the webcasters. Instead of viewing web-based radio as a unique promotional opportunity, the mainstream music industry only sees profits being taken out of its pocket. At the same time, artists, like the ones discussed above, are realizing which way the wind is blowing. Digital Music News publisher Paul Resnikoff notes that: A growing number of superstars are or soon will be grazing in post-major pastures. And for them, the bigger basket touring, merchandising, publishing, relevance, and even album sales remains more important than a paid download, protected or otherwise (Resnikoff). These additional streams of revenue are often the more lucrative for musicians than album sales. It only makes sense that artists would look at digital music, including webcasting and file-sharing, as ways to gain fans that will purchase concert tickets and merchandise. File-sharing continues almost unabated, although the popularity of iTunes despite much of its music being DRM-protected has provided a model for money-making in the digital era. Despite iTunes and growing copyright protection on albums and songs, paid downloads account for, at most, five percent of all music downloads. Even ringtones, which are currently a substantial slice of the digital revenue pie, aren’t turning a profit. Labels are considering raising prices, but it is unknown whether customers will pay for them, or that a single line of revenue will pull record labels through financially. Warner Music Group and EMI have had massive layoffs over the past year in an effort to restructure and shore up the companies financially. Minimum Advertised Pricing, or MAP, is the setting of minimum prices by manufacturers for retailers. In the case of the music industry, the major labels colluded in the mid-1990’s to require discount retailers to advertise higher prices or give up joint marketing funding, which could mean giving up millions of dollars (Menn 152). The history of MAP, at least in the music industry, appeared to end on September 30, 2002, when the five major labels settled a lawsuit brought by 30 states in an effort to end the practice (Menn 152). In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission investigated price-fixing by major labels and the majors signed a consent decree getting rid of minimum-advertised pricing policies (Christman, Pricing). The FTC has estimated the cost to consumers in the years when MAP was practiced to be at half a billion dollars (Menn 152). For nearly the past 100 years, since the passage of the Sherman Act, mandatory pricing restraints were deemed to violate antitrust laws. It wasn’t until the summer of 2007, when the Supreme Court overturned the law against setting mandatory minimum pricing in a case brought by an accessories manufacturer, that the practice was made legal (Christman, Why Labels). This has potentially enormous ramifications for the music industry and music fans alike; it remains to be seen whether those ramifications will be for the benefit of music fans or to their detriment. The music industry has argued that requiring discounters to sell CDs at the same price as specialty stores will lead to greater selection and a halt to the bleeding that independent record stores have experienced (Christman, Why Labels). At the same time, music fans have bemoaned the high price of CDs for years, and raising prices unilaterally could drive down music sales even further. The major label system, which requires millions of dollars in overhead to promote certain artists, is at least partly to blame for the rising prices. At Salon. com Scott Rosenberg argues that: Even more than the artists, the victims of this system are music fans who end up paying exorbitant prices for CDs to fund bloated recording-company marketing budgets. That money gets spent manufacturing a handful of superstars, leaving serious music lovers to fend for themselves in ferreting out unusual new music that the business considers too niche-y to be worth promoting (para. 6). In this view, the pricing system set by the majors is inherently unfair to both fans and the majority of artists who aren’t â€Å"superstars†. Rather than setting minimum pricing restraints for discount stores, major labels could lower wholesale prices to ensure that independent record stores could stay in business. This would largely be to the labels’ benefit; over the last five years, their reliance on big-name stars to sell huge amounts of records has been a losing proposition. Titles from unknown artists and back catalogs are often nowhere to be seen at discount stores. The personal service and deep selection at independent stores creates an opportunity to sell these types of titles. The $9. 99 price point set by discount stores and iTunes has surely contributed to declining album sales, but the burden of maintaining that price point has been shouldered almost entirely by independent music retailers, while the major labels continue to raise list prices (Christman, Why Labels). Majors are contributing to declining sales while preserving their own profit margins. Mike Dreese, quoted in Billboard, also points a finger at discount stores that lure customers in with low CD prices: Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy have succeeded in almost destroying the specialty-music account base and are now setting the rules for the industry. If minimum pricing were implemented, it would keep the discounters from finishing the job. Those discounters, which have limited selection, have such dominance that labels now spend more money on supporting low retail prices and much less advertising the availability of the product (Christman, Why Labels). The tide of public opinion seems to be turning toward the use of minimum pricing restraints. When price-fixing in the music industry was first being investigated, still-new stores like Best Buy maintained a relatively deep catalog of music, knowing that it was competing directly with independent music stores. Now that discounters have succeeded in putting many small stores out of business, their catalog consists largely of the Billboard Top 100. What seemed revolutionary in 2000 – music priced at a reasonable amount over cost – has had unforeseen consequences. The prominence of discount stores in the music industry has contributed to the lack of choice and variety so unappealing to music fans. Wal-mart has surpassed Apple to become the number one music retailer in this country. The driving down of CD price points to $9. 99 has been salutary for customers, but may have longer-lasting effects by eliminating space for new artists and broad selection. Furthermore, even the $9. 99 price point has been artificially constructed by discounters hoping to entice customers and labels hoping to propel all-important first week sales (Deutsch). Noting the possible risks of this new low price point in Billboard, Ed Christman points out that â€Å"After all, at $9.99 the U. S. music industry currently has the lowest CD pricing at retail since the format was introduced here in 1983. † It is unclear whether imposing minimum advertised pricing at this point would even make a difference in terms of independent music stores. Many have already closed, and those that have stayed open have diversified or moved to a location free of big box discounters. The music industry may impose mandatory minimum pricing again, but low CD price points and the decreasing number of brick and mortar music stores will likely continue unabated. The internet has changed the distribution of music in ways we are only just beginning to imagine. The old models – for promotion, distribution, and sales – aren’t working in the age of the mp3. Clearly, continuing to hold on to past business models and attempting to fit new trends and technology into it has not worked out well for the major labels. A fear of competition and new technology accounts for the manner in which the industry attempted to deal with Napster. Afraid of lost profits, music industry executives from the top five record labels chose to batten down the hatches and lock away any possibility of negotiation with Napster. According to Joseph Menn, the author of All the Rave: the Rise and Fall of Shawn Manning’s Napster, this is partially due to a generational divide within the individual labels. Top-level executives are often â€Å"old-school leaders who turn purple with rage at the very idea of an MP3† (Menn 153), while younger up-and-comers saw the possibilities of this new technology. With the advent of webcasting and podcasting, along with XM and Sirius radio networks, traditional radio doesn’t have the same hold on the music buying public’s imagination that it once did. Increasingly, new artists are discovered by getting their songs played on television shows like The Hills and Grey’s Anatomy. The music industry is attempting to do to webcasting what it did to Napster, which is to essentially strangle it through lawsuits in the hopes of being able to squeeze money out of the webcasters. Instead of viewing web-based radio as a unique promotional opportunity, the mainstream music industry only sees profits being taken out of its pocket. At the same time artists are realizing which way the wind is blowing. Touring, merchandising, and publishing remain large chunks of income for both individual artists and music labels. The traditional record industry has become increasingly outdated and unable to keep pace with the digitized, connected world of the 21st century. Music downloading is hugely popular around the world, but particularly in places as diverse as Ghana and Brazil, where poverty is widespread and cheap mp3s have spread like wildfire. Maintaining the expensive overhead of a bloated recording industry through high price points for CDs means that music is only available to a certain class of consumer. Peer-to-peer file sharing has made music more widely available, and helped raise the profile of independent and unsigned bands. Clearly these benefits have to be taken into account while also denouncing outright piracy as clearly illegal. It is up to the music industry to come up with easy to use, innovative ways to incorporate the changes mp3s have made to their business, with successful ventures like iTunes leading the way. The specter of music piracy and lost profits have led the music industry into a premature grave, when they should be welcoming the opportunity to promote music in new ways and to new communities. WORKS CITED Christman, Ed. â€Å"Pricing Perils for Record Labels. † Billboard 26 May 2007. Lexis-Nexis. 15 May 2008 http://www. lexisnexis. com. Christman, Ed. â€Å"Why Labels Should Set Minimum Price Restraints. † Billboard 1 September 2007. Lexis-Nexis. 15 May 2008 http://www. lexisnexis. com. Deutsch, Claudia. â€Å"Suit Settled Over Pricing of Music CDs at Three Music Chains. † New York Times: NYtimes. com. 1 October 2002. 11 May 2008 http://query. nytimes. com/gst/ fullpage. html? res=9C05E5D91238F932A35753C1A9649C8B63.

Ethylene glycol

Ethylene glycol Summary Ethylene Glycol is a much sought after organic compound belonging to the diols family. It is colourless, odourless and is miscible in water and most organic compounds. It was first synthesized by a French chemist, Charles Wurtz, in 1859. Even though it did not gain commercial importance at the time, during World War I, the Germans used ethylene glycol as a substitute for glycerol in explosives (ethy). During and following World War II, ethylene glycol was extensively used as an anti-freeze for engines and machinery in general. This led to an increase in production of ethylene glycol. By the early 1970s, demand for ethylene glycol rose dramatically as it used in the manufacture of polyester fibre, with a further rise in levels of consumption spurred on due to phasing out of glass bottles in favour of PET bottles. In the year 2007, there were 99 ethylene glycol plants globally and the total amount of ethylene glycol produced that year was estimated to be roughly 17.8 million tons (icis ). The demand for ethylene glycol, MEG in particular is expected to rise due higher demand from industries in China. In comparison to existing ethylene glycol plants, the plant design that is discussed in this report would be attractive to a producer of ethylene glycol on a small to medium scale, catering to a local market. The plant discussed in this report aims to produce 10,500 tonnes of MEG and 4,500 tonnes of DEG, and commercially viable amounts of TEG and TetEG every year. This plant will be in operation for 8000 hours per year. For this production target to be realised it is necessary to have a ethylene oxide flow rate of 1493.56 kg/h to be fed into the reactor. A crude ethylene glycol mixture is produced by the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide with excess water in a tubular type reactor operating at 1950C and a pressure of 21.44 bar. In the reactor all the ethylene oxide is converted into the four types of ethylene glycols, with the formation of MEG being the most favored. For every 1 mole of ethylene oxide in the feed stream there are 6 moles of water and 0.269 moles of recycled MEG. This ratio is strictly maintained so as to optimize ethylene glycol conversion to MEG, the most favored product and DEG, the second most favored product. The resulting mixture of water and glycols is then fed to a flash drum operating at atmospheric pressure, where almost one third of the water in the product stream is removed along with some MEG. The removed water and MEG is recycled and sent back to a holding vessel. After the flash drum the water-glycol mixture undergoes a series of distillation cycles so as to separate out the components of the ethylene glycol s and rid them of water. The first distillation column, T-01 operates 2000C and 1 atm. During this distillation process nearly 99% of all remaining water is removed and recycled. The highly concentrated ethylene glycol mixture is them pumped to a second distillation column, T-02 operating at 2350C and 0.8 atm, (vacuum). Here 99% of all MEG entering the column is removed and a significant amount of MEG is recycled. However most of the MEG is sent to storage at a rate of 1312.86 kg/h. The remaining mixture of glycols enter distillation column, T-03, where all DEG is removed and sent to storage at a rate of 562.50 kg/h. The fourth and final distillation column operating at 2600C and 0.8 bar removes nearly 99% of available TetEG. The remaining glycol mixture contains TetEG, is extracted using a tar sill. This process produces 2.58 kg/h of waste largely made up of TetEG. Since the reactions within the reactor produce a lot of heat, water is pumped into the reactor at a rate of 965.5373 k g/h, resulting in the formation of steam at a pressure of 6 bar. Due to the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide in water, some water is lost in the reaction and as well as in storage of the ethylene glycol products. To keep this process running at its optimum, a fresh water feed of 489.50 kg/h is added to the process. Literature Survey Even though Charles Wurtz had derived ethylene glycol by the hydrolysis of ethylene glycol diacetate in the year 1859, its commercial importance wasnt realized until during World War 1, during which the Germans had started an industrial process to produce ethylene glycol to substitute for glycerol in explosives. And only in 1930 did the production of ethylene glycol via industrial chemistry really take off, since it was used as anti-freeze for machinery. The demand for anti-freeze shot up markedly during and after World War 2. As more motor vehicles and machinery were built and sold during the years following World War 2, demand for ethylene glycol grew along with production. Between the late 1960s and earl 1970s there was a renewed and greater demand for ethylene glycol, due to the manufacture of polyesters fibers. From then onwards to the early 1990s production of ethylene glycol fluctuated. The demand for ethylene glycol would go on to increase throughout the 1990s and 2000s due t o the increase in the amount of plastic, especially PET bottles being manufactured. The increase in demand was further boosted by the rapid growth of Asian economies, namely India and China. China accounts for nearly a third of the global MEG demand. Global production of ethylene glycol in 2007 was estimated at 17.8m tones (PCI). According to the Merchant Research Consulting Ltd. rising demand from polyester fiber and PET resin markets means that one to two world-scale EG plants are needed every year. The cost of ethylene oxide feedstock is also expected to increase due to demand in the ethylene glycol sector as well as demand for other ethylene oxide derivatives. New plants are being built in the Middle East to produce low-cost feedstocks, which are expected to cater to the American and Asian markets. Presently, the commercial applications of ethylene glycol are numerous and range from the traditional use as an anti-freeze to more hi-tech uses such as the manufacture of capacitors. Some of the applications are polyester resins for fiber, PET containers, and film applications; all-weather automotive antifreeze and coolants, defrosting and deicing aircraft; heat-transfer solutions for coolants for gas compressors, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems; water-based formulations such as adhesives, latex paints, and asphalt emulsions; manufacture of capacitors; and unsaturated polyester resins (ethy). MEG is the most widely sought after of the commercially available ethylene glycols, and in the year 2007 it accounted for 90% of all ethylene glycol produced (icis). In the year 2007, nearly 82% of all MEG produced was bought by companies in the polyester manufacturing business. The demand for polyester stems from the Asian region, China in particular, where it is used in the textile industry, and this has led to a 5-6% increase in production of MEG per year. Demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle resin has been growing strongly globally since the beverage business phasing out the use of glass bottles and replacing with the more durable PET bottles. Demand for MEG for the manufacture of anti-freeze was at 12%, and demand is expected to decrease slightly over the years largely due recycling and substitution by propylene glycol-based antifreeze. Apart from its use in the manufacture of polyurethanes, DEG is also used in the treatment of corks, glue, paper and cellophane. DEG along with TEG is used in the dehydration of natural gas, an area where demand for DEG and TEG is set to rise over the years. DEG and TEG have excellent hygroscopic properties and along with their low volatility are best suited for applications such as dehydration of natural gas and as a dehumidifier in air conditioning systems. According to research and industry analysts, PCI, there were 72 MEG producing companies in 2007 operating 99 plants spread across 31 countries. Of these, the top 10 producers account for close to 50% of global ethylene glycol capacity. The top producers were Dow and Nan Ya Plastics Corp with 1.75 million tons each while Jubail United Petrochemical Co was the third largest with 1.5 million tons. Other major producers include Shell, a South Korean company Honam, Equate, Reliance (India), Sabic (Saudi Arabia), ExxonMobil, Equistar, Old World Industries. Late last year prices of MEG were trading at $860-875/ton CFR, cost and freight included in Asian trade. By the beginning of the year with news that plants in Saudi Arabia will be shutting down for maintenance and increasing stockpiles in Chinese ports, led to a bullish rally during trade, sending the price of MEG to $970-980/ton. Towards the end of February, with the beginning of the Chinese New Year holidays, a period of relaxed trade, and with the Saudi Arabian plants coming back online, the price of MEG showed signs of returning to pre January levels (icis). However in the short to medium term prices of MEG are expected drop due to new more efficient plants being built which would result in slightly more MEG being produced that demand. Therefore this possibility of over abundant supply may drive MEG prices slightly lower than $860-875/ton (PCI). Ethylene glycol used to be manufactured by the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide (EO) which was produced via ethylene chlorohydrin but this method has been superseded by a direct oxidation route. The EO is first produced by the oxidation of ethylene in the presence of oxygen or air and a silver oxide catalyst. A crude ethylene glycol mixture is then produced by the hydrolysis of EO with water under pressure. The water-glycol mixture is fed to evaporators where the water is recovered and recycled. Fractional distillation under vacuum is used to separate the monoethylene glycol from the diethylene and triethylene glycols. Mitsubishi Chemical has developed a catalytic process that employs a phosphorous-based catalyst for converting ethylene oxide to monoethylene glycol (MEG) with little by-product formation. Shell has subsequently acquired exclusive rights to the Mitsubishi Chemical process and licenses a combined EO/MEG technology as an integrated Omega (only mono-ethylene glycol advanced) process package. The Omega process is claimed to have a MEG selectivity of over 99%, compared to 90% for conventional, non-catalytic processes. It is claimed to have lower capital costs due to the elimination of purification and handling equipment for by-products. Operating costs are also reduced as it uses much less water lowering utility and water treatment costs. The first plant to use the Omega process is Lotte Daesans 400,000 tonne/year unit at Daesan, Korea, started up in May 2008. Shell plans to use the process in a 750,000 tonne/year plant in Singapore, due for start-up in 2010. Researchers have looked at other EG processes such as the reaction of ethylene and carbon dioxide to give ethylene carbonate followed by hydrolysis, and the direct oxidation of ethylene to glycol acetate anhydride which can be hydrolysed to ethylene glycol and acetic acid.

Reflection On A Clinical Skill During Clinical Placement Nursing Essay

Reflection On A Clinical Skill During Clinical Placement Nursing Essay Sociopsychology: This essay will discuss Reflection on a clinical Skill during the clinical placement, using Gibbs template. The essay is divided into four main sections. It will first consider some definition of psychology and sociology; it will then go on to describe an incident from both psychological and sociological point of view. The third part will explain how to find solution for both incident, and then some conclusions will be drawn to show the best things should be done. Finally it is my reflection on clinical placement. Psychology is how patient feel, Psychology tends to emphasis the individual in contents, and it is not about how they think. Sociology is to do with relationships, which operate between people when they get together in groups. Sociology looks at how an individual operates from the contextual point of view. Class, ethnicity, religion, sex, disabilithy, age these kinds of things are sociology, and anxiety, stress, depression are psychology. The first Gibbs is about an old lady who was waiting for her x-ray in the room. She was lying on the table, and she was crying as a child. It has been explained already her situation and the psychology point of view of this patient and how factors like being in pain and stress or anxiety might affect her. So interpersonal and good communication skill would help this patient and also would help the radiographer to be more professional and the patient may accept their advice because patient belief that the healthcares are professional and competence and they have ability to treat them. The patient was suffering from the physical and emotional stress, and it is necessary to know what the stress is and how its impact on patient. Stress is unclear response of the body to any demand further on, and can have physically or psychologically effect. Stressors are the situations that can cause stress. Physical symptom of stress can faster heart beat, increasing sweating, dry mouth, tense muscle, diarrhoea, irritability and anxiety. Anxiety is the result of being emotionally stressed. (Edward 2006) Everybody experience stress in their life, but individuals are different and material circumstances are different. Therefore it is important to reduce stress from the patient, and it is our job as a radiographer to have a good communication with her, by using SOLER.try to sit squarely and with open position, lean forward and have nice eye contact with her and then relax (Egan, 2002).speak nice and clear, but not too slowly, and dont inflate the movement of your leap, Use natural facial expressions and gestures and do not to turn your face away from a deaf person.55 per cent of communication is body language (Mehrabian ,1970). In this case we need to use different way of communication, because she had a little bit difficulty with hearing, so get patient attention before starting to speak. Make sure the patient can see your face and watch your lip movement and facial expressions. Speak more slowly and keep your tones of your voice low, because older people tend to have more difficulty hearing high-pinched sounds. Older patient need more time to understand and respond. Be patient and ask them to repeat instruction. Explain the procedure for her, so she would be able to understand what is going on. It is good to put your hand on her arms, so you will show your empathy and how friendly you are. It can be calm patient down. Be familiar with patientsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ emotions. She had not been given enough information to know why she is there, if she had, she could not been so worried. Explain clearly so that she would be able to understand you, and give her right instruction. According to psychologists for the patient suffering from psychological and sociological problem, there are many factors that determine our behaviour such as the genes we are born with, physiological brain, nervous system. Cognitive system, thoughts, perception. The social and cultural environments in which we develop over time. Life experiences including those from childhood and personal differences including our IQ personality and mental health. Being alone would be one of the factors that may transmit to getting old and hopelessness. As we getting old, there tends to be a decrease in mobility and social relations, with a likely for loneliness and isolation. (Oxman et al. 1992). And now we are going to find sociological factors which might be affect her, including the psychology factors. We will consider her in terms of age, race, sex and disability. It is easy for women to be emotionally open. We can help sensible stress by change coping style and recognise it. Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with mental illness; also they have poorer psychosocial health and use more psychotropic drugs for anxiety and depression than men. (moodle site) Psychology is essential for health care professional because it enable the radiography to understand and care after the patient more holistically.According to this, the old lady`s brain is not functioning well because she is getting older or she has other mental problem therefore she was acting like a child scaring and fearful. So, being old, her age, sex disability causes her to be anxious. The good communicate with her and make her assure that there is nothing to worry about it, could reduce her fear and anxious. The second Gibbs is about young lady, who had x-ray of her abdomen, but her husband was not happy to do her x-ray alone. They were from different country and different religion and culture. Her husband must stay outside the room, preferably in a waiting area; this is because of radiation safety. Also it allows the stuff to proceed without any interruption from family members. Dealing with family was difficult. Sometimes may need a family member to stay with patient. In this case it was better for husband to stay outside, because he had a kid with him, but he insists to be with her. Before doing any radiographic procedure is necessary to informed consent from patient .In these situations should given a clear explanation to them before the procedure. It would be because of their culture or might be having another reason. Naturally people as go into the hospital, they will experience some kind of stress. Anxiety can cause some individuals to be quiet aggressive when they will be asked i n emergency situation. They as you would expect experience fear and anxiety. In general Refugeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ health-related behaviour and how they communicate with health professionals will be influenced by their culture and beliefs. To be able to perform an accurate consideration and offer knowledgeable and sensitive care, the health care professional must think the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s religious and philosophy, as well as cultural background. Also to make them sure of what happens in x-ray room, explain the procedure to them, If we consider psychology views, both patient and her husband might be suffer from different type of depression, or stressed. In one hand, because the husband behaviour showed there is something that is afraid about it. Her husband was worried, angry and emotionally stressed, and in other hand may be they did not like doing their x-ray with male radiographer, because of their culture, and they might have personal or religious reason for not doing it alone. Generally we all have different way of engaging with different patient as a radiographer. Everybody has its value, expectation and beliefs. When individual entre a new country and new community they face many challenges in terms of adjusting to a new language, different customs and unfamiliar norms. These challenges may result in mental or general health problems. There is quite a lot of risk factor that put ethnic minority to suffer from mental illnesses. Generally in compare of general public, the health of people from ethnic minority is worse. Although there are some exeption. For the reason of many factors which affect their health. Lack of English, under or unemployment, being away from family, cultural differences and lack of social support, put people toward depression. (Journal of immigrant and minority health, New York: Feb. 2010, iss.1, pg.100) So again you need to have good communication with them. But In this case, may be eye contact is not welcomed, because they were Muslim, and in their culture direct eye contact is supposed as being impolite or bad-mannered, particularly between the old people. In Asian and Muslim culture hand gestures and eye contact should be avoided. Occasionally between Muslims people husband may be respond the question telling their wives. In addition in their culture, silence possibly will show accepting or authorization. So it is very important to have knowledge of other culture, when dealing with patient. (Ruth Ann Ehrlich, Joan A. Daly 2009) Therefore you need to introduce yourself to the patient. First impression you put on patient is very important , Give explanation clearly, be a good listener, be familiar with patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s emotions, control your personal emotions by developing better cultural competency ,and have familiarity with beliefs and practices of diverse groups, But it is very important to avoid stereotyping. Also it is very important to let them understand the LMP checked. For Certain radiographic procedure it needs to check LMP (last menstrual period). It is necessary to have fully understood the procedure and its risk and benefit, so that you can explain to the patient and answer their questions. The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations IE (ME) R states that, every females of childbearing ability age must have their pregnancy status recognized if the abdominal area is region of interest in radiographic examination. Where suitable, the pregnancy and breast feeding status of a fema le patient must be established. From knees up to below the diaphragm is abdominal region for radiographic purposes. (Ball J, Moor A, Turner s, 2008). After check the LMP and when you are sure that she is not pregnant, give the patient instruction to have her x-ray. And ask for female radiographer for her to do her x-ray. And help put her husband lead gown or ask them to stay behind the screen, so that they will be protected against radiation. Additionally, an interpreter may be required, to help them get their job done. As a result, I should communicate more effectively and without any hesitant for both patient. Give them clear instruction and get help from radiographer staff. To know how to deal with patient in appropriate way, it is important to recognise their feeling, understand their problem and cope with different situation. Communication is very important. By using SOLER technique. Also be familiar with different culture and background, and respect everybody. . Avoid stereotyping patient. Stereotyping can direct you toward discrimination. (moodle site 2009).Also Remember to be assertive. What I have learnt using this reflective model, is that it has helped me to recognize that my knowledge is somewhat which I have to be proactive in. By writing this essay my reflection skill and my competence has developed. Now I feel more progress in personal and professional skills. Within clinical placement I have experienced how to face with different situation and different patient. Also how communication skills is useful as a professional radiographer to deal with patient and their families. In the future communicate clearly and with greater confidence. Show empathy to patient in appropriate way. Respect all in any age, any culture and any background. Nervous, hesitant, anxious, exited, that was me on my first week of placement, but now something different and in the future more professional.

American Democracy in the 21st Century: A Look into the Effects and Val

I. Introduction to Global Leadership â€Å"The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked† (Luke 12:48). â€Å"It is now a clichà © that America is the world’s only superpower†¦[n]ever before, however, has America been so alone at the pinnacle of global leadership.† It is this belief, that the U.S. has assumed the role of â€Å"global leadership, which caused American foreign policy to shift from being more isolationistic in the mid 20th Century to becoming infamously characterized by imperialism. Unfortunately, the modern interpretation of American â€Å"leadership† has been â€Å"taken to an extreme, [where] global leadership implies U.S. interest in and responsibility for virtually everything, anywhere.† It is because America clings so tightly onto this role as the world’s â€Å"police† that its foreign policy has made it become involved in the affairs of other countries, even when matters of national security or others are not at stake. The price of â€Å"global leadership† costs the U.S in excess of a $600 billion â€Å"defense budget spent to support U.S. aspirations to lead the world, not to defend the United States.† As American involvement in other nations increases, so declines international support and the legitimacy of the U.S.’s policy involving itself in serious international affairs. Recently, the United States became involved in yet another conflict which has no direct affect upon its economy or security. As of March, 2011 the U.S. started yet another bombing campaign against a third Muslim nation, Libya, on the basis that its leader Prime Minister, and Colonel, Muammar el-Qaddafi was committing â€Å"human rights violations† by attacking his own citizens, who were notably attempting to oust him from his role as Libya’s president. The Unit... ... 2011. . Ryan, Julia L, and Kevin J Wu. "Profs React to U.S. Involvement in Libya." The Harvard Crimson. Harvard University, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-military-granara-libya/>. WPO. "World Publics Reject US Role as the World Leader." World Public Opinion. N.p., 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/ 345.php?nid=&id=&pnt=345&lb=btvoc>. Zunes, Stephen. "History of US-Libya Relations Indicates US Must Tread Carefully as Uprising Continues." Truthout. N.p., 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-us-libya-relations-indicates-us-must-tread-carefully-uprising-continues68 033>. American Democracy in the 21st Century: A Look into the Effects and Val I. Introduction to Global Leadership â€Å"The one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked† (Luke 12:48). â€Å"It is now a clichà © that America is the world’s only superpower†¦[n]ever before, however, has America been so alone at the pinnacle of global leadership.† It is this belief, that the U.S. has assumed the role of â€Å"global leadership, which caused American foreign policy to shift from being more isolationistic in the mid 20th Century to becoming infamously characterized by imperialism. Unfortunately, the modern interpretation of American â€Å"leadership† has been â€Å"taken to an extreme, [where] global leadership implies U.S. interest in and responsibility for virtually everything, anywhere.† It is because America clings so tightly onto this role as the world’s â€Å"police† that its foreign policy has made it become involved in the affairs of other countries, even when matters of national security or others are not at stake. The price of â€Å"global leadership† costs the U.S in excess of a $600 billion â€Å"defense budget spent to support U.S. aspirations to lead the world, not to defend the United States.† As American involvement in other nations increases, so declines international support and the legitimacy of the U.S.’s policy involving itself in serious international affairs. Recently, the United States became involved in yet another conflict which has no direct affect upon its economy or security. As of March, 2011 the U.S. started yet another bombing campaign against a third Muslim nation, Libya, on the basis that its leader Prime Minister, and Colonel, Muammar el-Qaddafi was committing â€Å"human rights violations† by attacking his own citizens, who were notably attempting to oust him from his role as Libya’s president. The Unit... ... 2011. . Ryan, Julia L, and Kevin J Wu. "Profs React to U.S. Involvement in Libya." The Harvard Crimson. Harvard University, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-military-granara-libya/>. WPO. "World Publics Reject US Role as the World Leader." World Public Opinion. N.p., 17 Apr. 2007. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/ 345.php?nid=&id=&pnt=345&lb=btvoc>. Zunes, Stephen. "History of US-Libya Relations Indicates US Must Tread Carefully as Uprising Continues." Truthout. N.p., 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. history-us-libya-relations-indicates-us-must-tread-carefully-uprising-continues68 033>.

Analysis of History :: American America History

Analysis of History "History is the memory of things said and done. Every man is a historian." I agree that history includes everything said and done, to a certain extent. There are levels of history. The relevance to each individual's life determines the significance and importance of the certain event. Also, it should only be studied, perhaps, if the event has a certain impact on the person who is studying it. If an action proved to be important to an individual in the present or the future, that incident would be a sort of personal history. If it were meaningful to a large group of people, it would be a less individual kind of history. The type of history that is commonly taught is the less personal kind. History teachers think that this kind of national history has more relevance to each person's life than the more individual events. However, sometimes the personal events are more important and leave a bigger impact on an individual than the national history. In one dictionary, history is defined as "a written account of events, particularly of those affecting a nation, institution, science, or art..." I think that this definition of History completely counteracts the original quote. In my opinion, if one were to do something that only effected himself, it would still be history. It would not have that big of an impact on the world, but to that person, it could have been very influential. Another definition of history says that it " is a methodical record of important events which concern a community of men." Once again, in my opinion history does not have to effect a community of men in order for it to be important or significant. Also, history does not have to be written in order for it to be relevant or to have an impact. Even a simple story passed from generation to generation with clues from the past is a form of history. If one were to write that cavemen had three legs, it would not make it history. Whether it is written or not does not affect the truth and facts of the situation. I agree that history is simply just the memory of past events. The remembrance of an occurrence shows that it is relevant enough to be remembered. It is important that a historical event is remembered the same by all.

The History of Ku Klux Klan :: essays research papers

It has been heard and talked about throughout history, that there was never such a thing as "The" Ku Klux Klan. There is traceable evidence of different movements and organizations that have used this name. The history of the K.K.K. corresponds with the history of race relations from our country. The Klan can be divided into five different eras: The Reconstruction, The End of the War (& Pulaski Six), The Klan Mobilization, The Reign of Terror, and The End of the First Era. Each stage was brought out by economic and social changes. Each stage also is at the same point in time as an escalation in racial standings. As it was started in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan has sent a sense of terror through people’s minds. A group of six white Southerners was the start of this organization. The history of violence of the K.K.K. is a result of the hatred and anger from the end of the Civil War. The reason for this hatred was because blacks had won their struggle for freedom of slavery. They fought to deny the civil rights for African Americans. They wanted the blacks to be forced into slavery once again. The K.K.K. tore apart reconstructing governments and established a reign of terror and violence throughout the whole war-torn South. The first era of the K.K.K. lasted about three or four years, than faded. The arose again after World War 1. The overall story starts with many generations of Americans learning hard lessons of life. These experiences led to fierce individualism, surprising inventiveness, and the thought that they could be whatever and go wherever they wanted to. Other things occurred alon g with these thoughts. "Frontier Justice" was an instant, private and violent method of settling differences without law officials. This was a large component to the motivation of the Ku Klux Klan. To some whites the freedom of slaves meant that their social and economic ways of life had been defeated. For some white Southerners, this was a nightmare that came true. The number of slaves living around the whites were seen as threats. Night patrols were a result of bloody slave revolts. These patrols consisted of white men that were empowered and authorized by law to look enforce a curfew for slaves, look for runaways and guard rural areas. This was done to prevent any black rebellions. These patrollers were given the right to whip any violators they caught.

Marketing intelligence: Final Exam Essay

1) Which of the following is NOT a step that might be used to improve the quality of a firm’s marketing intelligence? A. Watching how the stock market reacts to interest rate changes B. Motivating distributors to pass along important intelligence from the marketplace. C. Collecting competitive intelligence by buying a competitor’s products D. Setting up a consumer panel 2) When Molly’s parents retired, they decided they wanted to travel. They found an ideal job that allows them to travel for free, but the only catch is they have to stay at Holiday Inns. During each stay, they test all the amenities offered by the motel and evaluate each. The evaluation forms are sent to the motel headquarters where it becomes part of the motel’s __________ systems. A. Accountability information system (AIS) B. Marketing intelligence C. Experiential research data D. Marketing research 3) Typically, companies budget about 11-12 percent of company sales for marketing research. A. True B. Fasle 4) Which of the following is NOT a component part of total customer value? A. Psychic value B. Image value C. Product value D. Services value 5) Lee is constantly begging his mother to buy him an iPod because the most popular kids at his school all have one. His mother contends that he’ll just break it or lose the music player if she buys it for him. For Lee, the most popular kids in his school are examples of a _______________. A. Social class B. Demographic group C. Subculture D. Reference group 6) A(n) ________________ is likely to offer informal advice and information about a product or product category. A. Opinion leader B. Diversity marketing program C. Primary reference group D. Aspirational reference group 7) Which factors have the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behavior? A. Cultural B. Psychological C. Personal D. Social 8) Painting and consulting are considered industrial goods because ______________. A. Most firms do not seek them directly B. They are specialty goods C. They facilitate developing and managing the finished product D. They are considered â€Å"component materials† 9) When SAP software added a Windows-style â€Å"back† button to its industrial invoice management software, the new product ___________. A. Improved upon an existing product B. Used a new product line C. Used a marketing diversification strategy D. Added to an existing product line 10) Ayal and Zif argue that going into fewer countries is advisable when ___________. A. Population is low, and income size and growth are high in the initial countries chosen. B. Population and income size are high, and population growth is low in the initial countries chosen. C. Population, income size, and growth are high in the initial countries chosen. D. Population, income size and growth are low in the initial countries chosen. 11) Which is the last major decision in international marketing? A. Deciding on the marketing program B. Deciding which markets to enter C. Deciding how to enter the market D. Deciding on the marketing organization 12) Which of the following is NOT a step that might be used to improve the quality of a firm’s marketing intelligence? A. Watching how the stock market reacts to interest rate changes B. Motivating distributors to pass along  important intelligence from the marketplace. C. Collecting competitive intelligence by buying a competitor’s products D. Setting up a consumer panel 13) Which is correct about â€Å"noise† in the communication process? A. It mostly happens during the decoding stage B. It interferes with intended communication C. It is controllable D. It has only one source 14) Marketing __________ is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value. A. segmentation B. integration C. internally D. management 15) Public policy makers have developed a substantial body of laws and regulations to govern advertising. For these reasons, an important step in developing anadvertising campaign is _____________. A. The social responsibility review B. Asking network censors what to cut out of the communication C. Preparing a copy strategy statement D. The creative development of the message 16) Which of the following is an example of primary data that would be used by Topps card company to determine popularity of its new hologram baseball card series? A. Sales records for baseball cards gathered by the industry’s trade council. B. An article about the hologram cards in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated C. Data from sales records kept by exclusive dealers of Topp’s hologram series D. Input from focus groups that was put together specifically to discuss their perception of popularity of the hologram card series 17) A marketing information system (MIS) consists of ___________. A. An organized collection of comprehensive data about individual customers, prospects, or suspects that is currently accessible for marketing purposes. B. The systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data and findings relevant to a specific marketing situation. C. The people,  equipment, and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision makers. D. A set of procedures and sources used by managers to obtain everyday information and relevant developments in the marketing environment. 18) The step in the marketing research process thatincludes determining who will be sampled is to _______________. A. Collect the information B. Develop the research plan C. Define the problem and research objectives D. Make the decision based on the project outcomes 19) All of the following are steps in the marketing research process EXCEPT: A. Compare data to government sources B. Collect the information C. Define the problem and research objectives D. Present the findings 20) The ____________ consists of all the organizations that acquire goods and services used in the production of other products or services that are sold, rented, or supplied to other customers. A. Consumer market B. Institutional market C. Government market D. Business market 21) Toyota, the maker of the Scion brand, using what kind of brand strategy with Scion products? A. Individual names B. Blanket family names C. Corporate names D. Separate family names 22) When SAP software added a Windows-style â€Å"back† button to its industrial invoice management software, the new product ___________. A. Improved upon an existing product B. Used a marketing diversification strategy C. Added to an existing product line D. Used a new product line 23) When customers buy on the basis of a reference price or because the price conveys a particular quality image to them, they are being influenced by ____________. A. The going rates of competitors B. Value augmented by perception C. The psychology of pricing D. Value pricing 24) A __________ pricing objective is suitable for a company that has overcapacity, intense competition, and changing customer needs. A. Maximum current revenue B. Maximum sales growth C. Survival D. Maximum current profit 25) A concept in retailing that helps explain the emergence of new retailers is called the ___________ hypothesis. A. Service-assortment B. Product life-cycle C. Retail life cycle D. Wheel-of-retailing 26) Which of the following would NOT be considered part of a marketing communications program? A. An event sponsorship B. Personal selling C. A sales promotion D. Brand contact 27) McDonald’s franchisees get a small discount when they pay their bills for supplies within the first seven days (when the due date is 30 days after delivery). This is an example of ___________ within channel relations. A. Sharing the risks B. Territorial rights C. Price policies D. Conditions of sales 28) __________________ are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind customers about the products and brands they sell. A. Marketing communications B. Sales promotions C. Mass communications D. Brand images 29) Which of the following is most closely associated with a proactive marketing orientation? A. It represents the â€Å"make and sellâ€Å"philosophy. B. The marketer focuses on the customers’ latent needs. C. It is about understanding and meeting customers’ expressed needs. D. It involves delivering superior value 30) Marketing __________ is the art and science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating superior customer value. A. segmentation B. integration C. management D. internally 31) Which of the following is NOT a component part of total customer value? A.Product value B.Services value C.Psychic value D.Image value 32) About a year ago, Echo began renting her movies from Netflix. She perceived Netflix to be a better source because of the enhanced selection, the responsive customer service emails she has received in answer to her online queries, better pricing, and less effort compared to renting from the store in her town. Netflix has offered Echo better _________ than the local competition. A.Total customer cost B.Customer perceived value C.Customer delivered value D.Total customer value 33) Lowe’s home improvement stores strive to have nicer, more knowledgeable salespeople, a better product selection, and to maintain an impeccable image. These are all part of improving the offer via _____________. A.Reducing the buyer’s nonmonetary costs B.Reducing the product’s monetary costs to the buyers. C.Increasing the service value D.Increasing total customer value 34) _____________ are relatively homogeneous and enduring divisions in society, and may exhibit distinct product, brand, and media preferences. A.Subcultures B.Social classes C.Demographic groups D.Cultures 35) Lee is constantly begging his mother to buy him an iPod because the most popular kids at his school all have one. His mother contends that he’ll just break it or lose the music player if she buys it for him. For Lee, the most popular kids in his school are examples of a _______________. A.Social class B.Subculture C.Demographic group D.Reference group 36) Business buying behavior differs from consumer buying behavior in that _________. A.[Answer Text]Businesses buy products to accomplish a single goal, which varies by industry and business. B.The buyers for the business market are typically more geographically dispersed than those for the consumer market and the demand for products and services in the consumer market is unaffected by price fluctuations. C.The demand for business goods and services is derived from consumer’s final demand. D.Fewer people typically participate in or influence business buying decisions than in the consumer market. 37) The institutional market is best described as having _____________. A.Contract negotiations and fluctuating demand B.Low budgets and a captive clientele C.Derived demand, geographically concentratedsuppliers, and budgetary constraints. D.Demand elasticity and geographically concentrated suppliers 38) The ____________ consists of all the organizations that acquire goods and services used in the production of other products or services that are sold, rented, or supplied to other customers. A.Consumer market B.Business market C.Government market D.Institutional market 39) Toyota, the maker of the Scion brand, using what kind of brand strategy with Scion products? A.Individual names B.Separate family names C.Corporate names D.Blanket family names