The Credit Crunch of 2007-2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Credit Crunch of 2007-2008 - Essay Example As shown in the diagram underneath, this led to rising housing prices since decades. In 2000, the rate of increase of house prices was rising at unsustainable levels, much faster than they had in the last decade. Sub-prime mortgages (mortgages to high risk customers) began to rise due to availability of cheap credit (Mizen). The low interest rate environment stimulated upsurges in mortgage backed financing and hence considerable increases in house prices. It encouraged investors (financial institutions, such as pension funds, hedge funds, investment banks) to design instruments that offer yield enhancement such as subprime mortgages. The bullish attitude of Wall Street led to creation of complex structured products such as collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and a lot of repackaging of high-risk mortgage backed securities. The credit and house price bubble led to a real-estate boom and eventually to a surplus of unsold homes, which triggered U.S. housing prices to peak and before declining and bursting in mid-2006. Subprime borrowers began to default on their loans as real estate prices decreased further. The default on a significant ratio of subprime toxic assets produced cascade effects in financial markets via the securitized mortgage derivatives into which these mortgages were bundled, to the balance sheets of investment banks and hedge funds. The vagueness about the value of the securities collateralized by these mortgages spread chaos and concern over the soundness of loans for leveraged buyouts. That led to the freezing of the interbank lending market in August 2007, collapse of key financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers and triggered the credit crunch crisis. 2. Economists classify macro-economic indicators as leading, lagging, or coincident. Define each classification and give two examples of each, relating them to the recession that began in 2007 and the recovery that is now under way. ? Economic indicators are periodical statements by the government and private institutions that describe the health of a country's economy. Economist classify these indicators into lea ding, lagging or coincident kind that are described below in detail: Leading Indicators: Leading indicators are economic indicators that predict future events. They are foreign exchange indicators that change beforehand the change in the market or economy has occurred. Examples of leading indicators may include bong yields, inventory variations, stock prices and insurance claims. Economic establishments and central banks study leading indicators in expectation to fluctuations in expected interest rates. A forex-leading indicator is a pointer that advises the trader to buy or sell before a new trend in the market commences. Leading indicators, however, are difficult to recognize and could lead to misleading results or interpretations if not analyzed by an experience trader. Two examples leading indicators for the financial crisis of 2007 are stock prices (500 common stocks) that reduced by 8% in 2007 (The Conference Board) and Building permits that reduced by 16% leading to a 40% dec line in US Home Construction Index. Lagging Indicators: Lagging indicators are indicators that follow an economic event. These indicators usually exist three to twelve months after the economy. Lagging economic indicators are the confirmation to outline the peaks and troughs that

Morrie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Morrie - Essay Example to always be able to look at death itself straight in the eye and fight back no matter how hopeless the situation can be and then be on the positive side of things, to look at the future in an optimistic way.The professors future looked short as he has only a few months left to live but he managed to touch everyone around him, from family, relatives, peers, colleagues, and even complete strangers who saw his interview with Ted Koppel when it was shown on television. This paper discusses the important things in life worth knowing about to be happy on earth, in particular, how to live life fully by learning how to die gracefully. Despite being diagnosed with ALS with a very bad prognosis, Morrie Schwartz, the old and sickly professor mentioned earlier, was fiercely determined to live a useful life. He is of the belief that dying people need not be entirely useless; instead he encouraged all people who knew him to come and visit him if they had the time and the inclination so he could still be available to listen to their problems and perhaps give them a piece of useful advice. Morrie Schwartz was indeed a wonderful listener who can help other people because he had empathy and understanding; by letting them unload their problems to him, he would willingly listen despite his pains from the ailment. He was fond of aphorisms, of which the statement, â€Å"once you learn how to die, you learn how to live,† he said (Albom 82) had a very profound meaning for everyone who will listen. What he had meant with this statement is that people looking at impending death realize how precious life and valuable is, tha t these people suddenly realize the importance of the idea of living life to the fullest which means enjoy life without any hesitations or reservations about what other people may think and not waste a minute of it on trivial things that do not really matter in the grand sweep of life. In other words, most people go through life as if sleep-walking, doing things

Reflection Paper on Criminology Group Presentation

Reflection Paper on Criminology Group Presentation I found that making this academic presentation to be a very challenging experience. This was mainly down to working with a group of people that I dont know, another factor that may have contributed is that I had to study an area of London that Im not familiar with. Despite how challenging I thought the experience was I also found that working on, and presenting the presentation to be a rewarding experience, this was because I was able use theories I had learned and apply them to a specific area. The groups we were in were allocated at random, this was done by giving each person a number between one and four, the number you were given is the group that you are in, this led there to mixed groups with mixed levels of ability. I found the process to be quite bothersome as I was split from the friends I had formed in the seminar group, the group I was put into consisted of four people. After being allocated into are groups were told that for the presentation we could choose any post code to research as long as it was in London. After this we were then told that we had to gather information about that specific area and that we had to use different theorys to explain the information we had gathered. At the end of the seminar the group I was in all exchanged contact details so we could talk over the up coming independent learn week. Over the independent study week we decided as a group which area we want to study which was Harlesden. The task I was given was to pick a crime of my choice and gather statistics on the crime using the Metropolitan Police statistics website, later on I would use the theories that we had been taught in our lectures and seminars to explain the crime I had picked. Another part of my task was to find statistics and information about the housing in Harlesden and try and compare them with the crime statistics I had gathered. It took a bit of time but I did finally decided on the crime I was going to pick and the crime was robbery. After I decided I then looked on the internet for information and statistics for robbery, the main website I used was the Metropolitan Police statistics website as it was reliable and we were shown how to navigate the website in the seminar. Finding reliable robbery statistics was quite straight forward to do as the statistics on the website were up to date and were fairly easy to understand. This was quite the opposite to the information on housing on the MET Police statistics website, the most difficult part, for me at least, was trying to decide what information was relevant and useful and separating it from the useless irrelevant information. Another factor that hindered me was that the majority of the information was outdated which made it unreliable. This problem was not just isolated to me as other members of my group also faced being confronted with too much information and having to deal with outdated statistics. It was useful that the group I was in would meet up twice every week outside of the seminars to discuss the progress that we had each made, it also meant that we could discuss any issues that we were having and voice any concerns that we had about the presentations. One problem with this was that one member of the group almost always never showed up to the meetings which isnt useful for the group or the individual. During one of the first meetings we had I told my group about the problems I was facing trying to find reliable information on housing, the group helped me decided that I should just gather the statistics for robbery in Harlesden. After I have done this they told me I can then use these statistics and compare it with the previous year, the thinking behind this was that by comparing the robbery rates of this years and the previous year we can show whether or not the actions being taken by the police or preventions the police ha ve put in place to decrease robbery in Harlesden are truly working, they also suggested that I should compare Harlesdens robbery rate against the MET total as this would show how Harlesden compares with robbery rates in terms of the whole of London. In my presentation I used three theories to explain robbery, the three I chose to use were the classicist approach of rational decision, zones of transition theory and also the relative deprivation theory. All three of these theories had been taught in the lecture, nevertheless I found that by doing my own personal reading and internet research it helped me fully understand these theories and then be able to apply them to the statistical data and explain robbery. The readings and internet research that I did meant that I was able to write a great statement on why robbery in Harlesden is committed, whilst also knowing the theories to a degree that I would be able to explain them during my presentation. As a group before the deadline we decided that it would be easier and more useful to do four individual presentations instead of one big presentation. During my presentation I felt that my presentation skills could have been better, this was maybe because it was the first presentation I had to do at university and nerves may have played a part. The fact that we decided to do individual presentations may also have been a factor because when your in a group others could bring up points that maybe you might have forgotten in the moment and help you through moments when you need it. All but one of my groups individual presentations seem to go alright, the one that went quite wrong was the person that never showed up to any of the group meetings, there presentation was one slide long with not much information on it and they didnt seem to have tried to complete any of the tasks we set them to do. It was quite frustrating to see because if they had turned up to group meetings they would hav e found that completing the presentation to be quite easy. If I was to change anything it would most likely be to practice my presentation skills, as I felt that this was the part that let my presentation down, this would have made presenting the presentation easier and may have even improved the grade that I received. Before I began to look at Harlesden I little idea where it was, and had almost no information about the area. This meant that I got my first impression of Harlesden from the MET police crime statistics, this in turn gave me the feeling that maybe Harlesden was a area that was maybe rife with crime. This changed however after having done more investigating in to area and having spoken to the two people in my group that live there, my impressions have now changed and I now view Harlesden like most other place, there are some better areas and there are some worse areas. This shows how working in a group can be beneficial as they helped me see that I shouldnt judge a place on just statistics and that you need to speak to people that live in the area to fully understand the area. If I had been in a group with people that didnt live in Harlesden I believe that my first impression of the area would still be the impression that would have today, yet having people in my group who had experien ced Harlesden first hand and could talk about the experiences they have had helped assist in changing my first impression. I felt this presentation helped me because I was able to improve on my weakness which I had which was my presentation skills and this allowed me to improve this in a later presentation I did for another module. So reflecting on my experience of this presentation allowed me to improve the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning (Schà ¶n, 1983:173). This experience also showed that I was able to complete my research and gather information and deliver it in a presentation which was a new thing for me. At first I didnt feel confidence that I would be able to deliver a good piece of work, but by working with others it has shown me that if you all work together on a piece of work it doesnt seem as daunting and it will make the experience more rewarding. Bibliography Schà ¶n, D (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think In Action. New York: Basic Books

Electronic Self-checkout System Essay -- Technology, Cashier Checkout

A number of empirical studies have concluded that a customer’s attribution of the cause of a delay significantly affects its emotional consequences (see Taylor, 1994; Tom and Lucey, 1995). According to these investigations, customers are more unsatisfied with longer than expected waits caused by difficulties that the store could have remedied (e.g. inefficient checkout personnel, understaffing, failure to provide express checkouts) than with delays due to external factors such as random variations in store crowding, till breakdowns, the time of day (some periods are inevitably busier than others) or the presence of customers with large amounts of shopping. This was especially true if little effort on the part of the service provider was needed to improve the situation and/or the problem creating the delay was a regular occurrence. It appeared, therefore, that the reasons for a long queue were major determinants of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction, not just the delayâ⠂¬â„¢s duration. The Psychology of Combining Queues Combining queues have proven not to be a good technique for managing queues in grocery stores and supermarkets. Studies have shown that even though combining queues have been successful in some service organizations, these techniques have proven to have negative results in grocery stores. Among the factors that cause delays of customers who are in line at the checkout counter in grocery stores is management’s attempt to combine queues. Contrary to common calculations, there are reasons for believing that combining queues, especially queues of customers in checkout lines in grocery stores, may at times be counterproductive. Rothkopf and Rech (1987) in their seminar had one participant citing the practice of combini... ...e service more valuable and were willing to pay much more for it when they found out there were more people behind the positions that were held for them. There exists a universal human tendency to learn about ones self through comparison with others (Gilbert, Price and Allan, 1995). Customers in checkout lines tend to compare their position in line with those of other customers. However, seeing people behind is somewhat a comfort since ―there are people worse off than meâ€â€", therefore making the experience less painful. The study outlined three sets of factors (queue factors, personal factors, and situational factors) that might shape the extent of social comparisons, each of which is tested. Hkust and Hkust (2002) expressed that limited research studies have been conducted to determine how service waits can be controlled. To control the time customers’ wait in line,

An Overview on Federal Budget Situation of the Year 2001

The summary provides an overview on federal budget situation of the year 2001, with emphasize on federal debt over the previous years, and with reference to historical data, budget structure, its management, economic uses and future evolution. The report deals with a temporary positive turn of situation over the time period 1998-2001 regarding the state of federal budget. Previously, U. S. economy had confronted with a severe recession. Government had run a budget deficit of $168. 1 billion in the fiscal year 1988, $152. 1 billion in the fiscal year 1989, $220. 4 billion in 1990 and a $288 billion deficit in fiscal year 1991. The economic decline reached its lower limit in the fiscal year 1992, when US Government ran an alarming $293. 2 billion deficit. However, the next years brought about the long awaited change. Thus, the economic situation set out to recovery as lower deficits started to be achieved: $254. 9 billion in 1993, $233 billion in the fiscal year 1994, $164 billion in 1995, $107 billion in 1996 and $22 billion in the fiscal year 1997. After more than 30 years of repeated deficits (the last budget surplus had occurred in fiscal year 1969), the situation finally seemed to turn for the better as the U. S. Government ran a budget surplus of $69 billion in fiscal year 1998, $125 billion in 1999, and $236 billion in fiscal year 2000. For the fiscal year 2001 the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated a $281 budget surplus whereas estimations up to $5. 6 trillion have been made regarding the cumulative budget surpluses over the next 10 years. Nevertheless, in spite of all optimistic anticipations, budget surpluses kept authorities waiting, as they stubbornly refused to measure up to CBO's expectations. Not only that, but economy plummeted once more into depression, only months after it was believed to be on the right track to full recovery. Nonetheless, the worst did not happen and, even though budget surpluses are yet to be achieved, at present economy fights its way out of depression. For all that, analysts remain skeptical about this so called recovery. Several arguments have been brought to support this idea: firstly, it is considered that since the economy increase is not based on job growth or significant investment in productive capacity, it is not viable and long -lasting. Secondly, analysts argue that economic growth is due to unsatisfactory job creation. Thus, new jobs are largely non-union, and paid considerably less than those that have been down-sized. In addition, job creating averages 188,000 per month since November 2004 and taking into consideration that the economy needs around 150,000 jobs just to keep pace with new workers entering work force market, this is a sign of stagnation. Thirdly, living and working conditions have become worse for millions of Americans which is an indicator of a phony economic growth. Finally, Bush's administration has more cuts in view, which will lead to further degradation of quality life. Tax cuts and increased military spending have deepened even more the hole in the budget deficit. Thus, the U. S. Government ran a record $113. 94 billion deficit in February 2005, surpassing the $96. 70 billion deficit in February 2004. The total deficit for the fiscal year 2005 is estimated at $427 billion. Statistically, this means that the U. S. must borrow $1. 2 billion daily to clear off the debt. Moreover, the total national debt is as high as $7. 7 trillion and this means well over $26,000 per U. S. citizen. Because this is money that has to be paid back with an interest, analysts argue that within the next ten years the U. S. Government will no longer be able to borrow enough money as to keep up with expenses. In addition, the trade deficit has increased by $500 billion since 1993. In 2004 the trade gap set a new record of $617. 1 billion, whereas predictions for fiscal year 2005 are even gloomier. Moreover, inflation and interest rates indicators are all pointing to an unstable economic situation in which the tiniest shock can tip the balance for the worst. Thus, perspectives on U. S. economy are bleak and demand for immediate responsible action. Looking back to 2001 predictions, we may conclude that analysts of the time have considerably fed on air. Had it not been for their lack of realism, perhaps the current crisis would have been avoided. Nevertheless, economic predictions are extremely difficult to make with any precision as they often involve contradictory data.

Fast Food Advertising Essay Essay

Advertisements are everywhere. Billboards, Newspapers, Pamphlets and most importantly television. However, there are many people who are concerned about fast food ads, that are running during children programmes. Concerned about children’s wellbeing, people want a ban on fast food advertisements during children programmes. This is because of the addiction, the amount of money being wasted and that children have a lowered pre-frontal lobe capacity. Even though junk food is good to consume every now and then, it should be ban during children TV programmes. There are many addictions, which include alcohol, drugs and smoking. These are dangers that need to be taken seriously. Even though fast food is not the most important, it is still a hazard. The reason many children become addicted towards fast food is how they describe the product. These words include ‘Succulent Fresh Fillets’. This would make children want more. Fast food addiction leads towards obesity which could involve in organ problems such as Type Two Diabetes. This is why fast food advertisements should be banned during children TV programmes. There are many things that parents waste their money on for their children. Lollies, toys, entertainment. However, the major issue is buying junk food. Children persuade their parents to buy a product which leaves them in enjoyment while the parents suffering from a loose of money. Instead of buying junk food, something useful could be bought with the money such as clothing and fresh food which is a much better option. An alternative solution would be to buy Subway which is a healthier option and tastes as good as fast food but junk food ads should not be running during children TV programmes. Children at the age between 0-5 have difficulty understanding that commercials are products that do not actually function as advertised. Furthermore, children at a very young age can understand brand names. Since children also have a lowered pre-frontal lobe capacity which is the part of the brain connected with higher thinking and inhibition of behaviour, it stands to the light of reason that, because children do not have the capacity to make a rational decision making, advertisers target them easily by taking advantage of individuals. This is why junk food advertisements should be ban during children TV programmes. It is important to know that junk food is not a major hazard for teenagers or adults but for children. This is because of the addiction, the amount of money being wasted and that children have a lowered prefrontal lobe capacity and should be banned during children TV programmes.

Ap Biology Lab Report 4 Essays

Ap Biology Lab Report 4 Essays Ap Biology Lab Report 4 Paper Ap Biology Lab Report 4 Paper Introduction This study was performed in order to gain more knowledge on mitosis and meiosis. This lab was done by observing mitosis in plant and animal cells, comparing the relative lengths of the stages of mitosis in onion root tip cells, stimulating the stages of meiosis, observing evidence of crossing-over in meiosis using Sordaria fimicola, and estimating the distance of a gene locus from its centromere. Mitosis is the scientific term for nuclear cell division, where the nucleus of the cell divides, resulting in two sets of identical chromosomes. Mitosis is accompanied by cytokinesis in which the end result is two completely separate cells called daughter cells. There are four phases of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Meiosis is a two-part cell division process in organisms that sexually reproduce. Meiosis produces gametes with one half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. There are two stages of meiosis: meiosis I and meiosis II. At the end of the meiotic process, four daughter cells are produced. Each of the resulting daughter cells has one half of the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. Mitosis was studied first in this lab. The phases of onion root tips were observed under a microscope. The crossing-over of chromosomes in meiosis was observed by viewing photos. Hypothesis If looking under a 400 power microscope, than it is possible to observe mitosis occurring in whitefish blastula and onion root tips. If crossing-over occurs in meiosis, than the genes do not segregate until meiosis II. Materials and Methods All materials and methods followed based off of lab manual. Results Activity A: Observing Mitosis Interphase Cells Plant Cell Animal Cell Prophase Cells The cellular organelles doubled in number, the DNA replicated, and protein synthesis occurred. The chromosomes are not visible and the DNA appears as uncoiled chromatin. Prophase Plant Cell Animal Cell The chromatin condensed and the chromosomes became visible. The nucleolus disappeared, and the spindle forms and attaches to the centromeres of the chromosomes. Early and late prophase can be seen. In late prophase, the chromatin has condensed into chromosomes, the nucleolus is gone, and the nuclear envelope has been removed. Metaphase Cells Plant Cell Animal Cell The nuclear membrane fragmentation is complete and the duplicated chromosomes lined up along the cells equator. Anaphase Cells Plant Cell Animal Cell Diploid sets of daughter chromosomes separated and were pushed and pulled toward opposite poles of the cell. This was accomplished by the polymerization and depolymerization of the microtubules that helped to form the mitotic spindle. Telophase Cells Plant Cell Animal Cell The nuclear membrane and nucleoli reformed, cytokinesis is almost done, and the chromosomes uncoiled to chromatin. Daughter Cells Plant Cell Animal Cell The daughter cells formed and constructed a new dividing cell wall between them. Each daughter cell received a copy of the genome of its parent’s cell. Analysis of Results, Activity A: Observing Mitosis 1. I can infer that the two cells came from the cell a long time ago because they have similar organelles. 2. Two ways that mitosis differs in the cells of animals and higher plants is in cytokinesis and right before prophase. In plant cells, there is a pre-prophase right before prophase takes place. . A) Nuclear envelope disappears in prophase; nuclear envelope reappears in telophase B) Mitotic spindle forms in prophase; mitotic spindle disappears in telophase C) Chromatin condenses into chromosomes in prophase; chromosomes unwind to form chromatin in telophase D) Centrosomes are at opposite ends of the cell in metaphase E) Nucleolus disappears in prophase 4. The three sub phases of interphase are the G1 phase, S phase, and the G2 phase. I n the G1 phase, cell synthesizes proteins and produces cytoplasmic organelles. In the S phase, DNA synthesis occurs, and in the G2 phase, the cell beings forming the spindle. 5. Both prokaryotic cell division and eukaryotic cell division replicate their DNA and use the process of cytokinesis. Activity B: Estimating the Relative Lengths of Mitotic Phases Table 1: Group Count | Number of Cells| | Field 1| Field 2| Field 3| Total 1-3| Interphase| 52| 46| 57| 155| Prophase| 22| 25| 29| 76| Metaphase| 16| 11| 9| 36| Anaphase| 5| 8| 5| 18| Telophase| 14| 10| 8| 32| | Total| 317| Table 2: Class Data Class Totals| Decimal Fraction of Total Count| Estimated Time Spent in Phase| Interphase| 582| . 46| 13968| Prophase| 305| . 24| 7320| Metaphase| 148| . 12| 3552| Anaphase| 65| . 05| 1560| Telophase| 171| . 13| 4104| Total Cells Counted| 1271| | Analysis of Results, Activity B: Estimating the Relative Lengths of Mitotic Phases Pie Graph 2. Stages of Mitosis Ranked 1) Interphase 2) Prophase 3) Metaphase 4) Anaphase 5) Telophase 3. Some phases of mitosis are longer than othe rs because each phase has a different task, and some of the tasks of the phases are harder than others. For example, interphase takes longer than other phases because the nuclear envelope fragments and the microtubules attach to the chromosomes. Telophase takes the least amount of time because chromosomes only go to opposite ends of the cell and a nuclear membrane forms. Activity C: Simulating Meiosis Analysis of Results, Activity C: Simulating Meiosis 1. Sixteen combinations of the two chromosomes are possible. 2. Number of chromosome combinations= 3. There are possible combinations of chromosomes for human gametes. 4. There are possible combinations of chromosomes for the offspring. 5. The relationship of meiosis to variation in populations is that genes are able to move themselves and combine with different sets of genes that aren’t present in the parent. This causes a higher chance of survival. 6. Three ways that meiosis differs from mitosis are that meiosis occurs in reproductive cells, while mitosis occurs in somatic cells. In meiosis, a mitotic mother cell is always diploid, while in mitosis a mother cell can be haploid or diploid. In meiosis, two divisions of the mother cell causes four meiotic cells, while in mitosis, a single division of the mother cell causes two daughter cells. Activity D: Crossing-Over and Map Units Analysis Results, Activity D: Crossing-Over and Map Units Table 3 | No. of MI Asci (4:4)| No. of MII Asci (2:4:2 or 2:2:2:2)| Total Asci| %MII Asci (No. of MII/Total)| Gene-to Centromere Distance (%MI/2)| Group Data| 45| 65| 110| 59%| 29. 5 (30)| 1. Crossing-over increases genetic variation because when the chromatids exchange sections with each other, they get new combinations of alleles that their parents had, which causes more chromatids. . I would expect to find more genetic variation in the population of species B because it’s undergoing sexual reproduction. In sexual reproduction there is more changeability because the new generation has many combinations of the genes of the two parent organisms. 3. I would conclude that there was no occurrence of recombination since the MI Asci w ould be a 4:4 ratio. Discussion My results proved my hypothesis. This is so because by looking through the microscope it was possible to view the stages of mitosis in the onion root tip and the whitefish blastula. The stages of mitosis that were visible were prophase, anaphase, telophase, interphase, and metaphase. The time spent in each phase was also figured out. Interphase was the phase that the cell spends most of its life in. Telophase was the shortest phase. We stimulated the stages of meiosis using red and yellow magnetic beads. Crossing-over in Sordaria was observed by looking at photos. Afterwards, the map units were determined. We discovered that the distance of the gene relative to the centromere in the Sordaria was fifty-nine map units.

Health Workers Migration

Health Workers Migration Shortages of health workers in developing countries are the result of a global trend known as ‘brain drain’. Many young health workers from developing countries choose to stay in foreign countries after completing their studies in order to receive well-paid jobs. As a result, the health care in many communities in developing countries does not respond to standards because of the significant paucity of doctors and nurses. ‘Brain drain’ can be discussed as a global trend that is caused by social and economic factors, and its potential impact on the global health is negative because of significant reductions in the quality of health care in many world regions. Thus, ‘brain drain’ is a notion used to describe the global trend of the health workers’ migration. It is possible to speak about ‘brain drain’ when competent health workers from developing countries move to the developed countries in search of a better life. The obvious r esult of such migrations is the disproportionate distribution of health workers in developing and developed countries (Kill or Cure: Doctors and Nurses, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Health Workers’ Migration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The current impact of this trend on the global health is the acute shortage of the workforce in heath care facilities in many Asian, Middle Eastern, and African countries. The potential negative impact on the global population’s health is more dramatic because of the impossibility of doctors in developing countries to control epidemics (Kasper Bajunirwe, 2012, p. 974). Furthermore, ‘brain drain’ affects the health status of developing nations during decades, and it is a significant barrier to the development of global health goals and to the implementation of relevant health care policies. While referring to the factors that can contribute to the progress of ‘brain drain’, it is necessary to focus on such economic factors as low wages and economic statuses in developing countries and such social factors as the lack of educational opportunities, the stable growth of population in developing countries, and the limited access to health care services. African countries suffer from the crisis in the health care industry because physicians and nurses affected by problematic economic and social situations choose to study and work in Europe (Kill or Cure: Doctors and Nurses, 2010). As a result, trying to escape difficult economic conditions, health workers from developing countries support the development of the ‘brain drain’ tendency and the worsening on the social situation in their native countries while referring to the health care provision. In order to address the crisis in the global health and respond to the problem of health workers’ migration, it is necessary to recommend an effective strategy to follow in such developing countries as Malawi and India. The active ‘brain drain’ results in reducing the number of health workers for every 10,000 people in developing countries (Kasper Bajunirwe, 2012, p. 974).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To address the problem, it is necessary to propose the combination of economic and social strategies. Thus, in order to attract health workers to developing regions, it is necessary to improve funding and support in health care industries of developing countries. The effective strategy should respond to the health workers’ expectations regarding their wages and working conditions. Investments into health care, additional funding, support of the research, and increases in health workers’ salaries are important to attract nurses and doctors (Kasper Bajunirwe, 2012, p. 976). The next step i s the improvement of the occupational safety, working conditions, and competence with the help of international workforce policies and training programs provided by the world health organizations and other global public organizations. It is possible to state that the lack of the competent health personnel is a problem typical for developing countries that is caused by ‘brain drain’ effects. Inadequate working conditions make health workers migrate to developed countries in search of a better life in spite of the fact that their skills and knowledge are necessary in developing countries of Africa and Asia. The results of this trend are workforce shortages and unequal distribution of health services in regions. Critique   1 ‘Brain drain’ is a complex process which should be discussed from two perspectives. On the one hand, ‘brain drain’ can be described as a loss of health workers in developing countries because of the active migration. On the other hand, ‘brain drain’ is a lack of the access to the research results observed in developing countries. Following the statistical data, it is possible to state that high-income countries provide jobs for more than 30% of all international medical graduates (Muula, 2005, p. 24). From this perspective, only 10% of health care workers return to their native developing countries because low-income countries cannot provide them with all the necessary conditions for the effective work (Muula, 2005, p. 25).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Health Workers’ Migration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health care workers seek for respect and prestige while working in developed countries. Moreover, contributing to the research in the health care sphere, medical professionals have no adequate opportunities to influence the development of health care in their native countries. As a result, ‘brain drai n’ as a global tendency can be discussed as having a negative effect on the distribution of the human capital in the health care industry and on the reduction of health care issues in low-income countries. The potential impact of ‘brain drain’ on the health in developing countries can be considered as dramatic because of the necessity to overcome workforce shortages. Critique 2 Responding to the question about factors which influence ‘brain drain’, it is important to refer to such aspects as poor resources and significant income differences between developed and developing countries. Being provided with superior job opportunities in high-income countries, health workers intend to improve the socioeconomic conditions. Thus, the social and political instability observed in developing countries is one more contributing factor to the development of the ‘brain drain’ tendency. The problem is in the fact that medical students undertaking feel safe protected while studying and working in developed countries. Returning to their native countries, the medical workers focus on the poor availability of resources and facilities (Blacklock, Ward, Heneghan, 2014, p. 100). Thus, a lack of resources and adequate health care facilities is a leading cause of death in developing countries. In this regard, health workers prefer working in countries where research is funded and health care reforms are effectively implemented. The factor of comfortable working environments and opportunities for the career growth and development also influence health workers’ decisions. The structure of the health care industry in developing countries is one more factor that contributes to ‘brain drain’ because of the extreme workflow and inadequate investment in the healthcare service delivery (Blacklock et al., 2014, p. 100). Having no job satisfaction and prospects for further education, health workers choose to migrate in order to receive effective training and opportunities for the career progress.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Blacklock, C., Ward, A., Heneghan, C. (2014). Exploring the migration decisions of health workers and trainees from Africa: a meta-ethnographic synthesis. Social Science Medicine, 100(2), 99-106. Kasper, J., Bajunirwe, F. (2012). Brain drain in sub-Saharan Africa: contributing factors, potential remedies and the role of academic medical centres. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 97(11), 973-979. Kill or Cure: Doctors and Nurses. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPaMwIkx2PA Muula, A. (2005). Is there any solution to the brain drain of health professionals and knowledge from Africa? Croatian Medical Journal, 46(1), 21-29.

Business Communication - My Role Model in Career Essay Example for Free

Business Communication – My Role Model in Career Essay Mr. Mahbub Hossain, my line manager of my previous office, is my role model for my career path. He is the CSM (Customer Service Manager)of Joydebpur branch, Brac Bank LTD. In brief, he is getting MBA from IBA along with his job. Was graduated from DU (Finance), prior that he took places in both HSC & SSC examinations. As I worked with him, I found many good qualities in him. By times, I took him as a role model as his qualities impressed me. I am going to point out two of them which is leadership quality and secondly, quick decision (appropriate) making ability. As I have seen him closely, I found all the qualities that a leader should have. He guided the team successfully to achieve the organizational goal. He teamed us up too strongly & cheered us to act spontaneously to meet up the goals. He used to take initiatives for cheering us up. So that we never been tired in meeting our business targets. Theory says, a leader has to have seven qualities, but I found more in him. Out of the theoretical ones, his friendly & caring attitude made us believe that we are not only team players, even more than that. Personal recognitions helped a lot to follow his leadership willingly, not only for his designation. His interpersonal communication skill & ability of finding out team member’s strength or weakness made him a successful leader. I found him always remain calm in critical situations and controlled tactfully. Always stand with subordinates against all odds (from outside) is remarkable. His keen knowledge and prompt decision making ability is an effective quality for any career. I always found him deciding with the best option. Some of his effective decisions saved potential losses. He even made critical decisions over the phone in instant. His knowledge on current issues, updating about the recent changes made him up to this standard. We people learn from the surrounding. I passed a long time with Mr. Mahbub inside & as well outside of our office. I try to adapt these two qualities in me. I wish to be a leader like him as my team members also think like that we are in a team, not like a orderer & follower relation. To get leadership quality like him I try to spend more time with him. Whenever we meet, we share our ides. I am gathering theoretical data as I can even exceed his leadership quality. It was said, â€Å"Leader’s are born, not made. † But recent studies proved that these leadership qualities can be developed to a great extent. I attended a training program at Briddhi with him (arranged by our organization), which was meant for mid level managers and up comers. Finding out colleges ability seems tough to me. I found this as my area of developments. At any stage of career I should be prompt in making quick decisions with accuracy. As I said just ago, I discuss about every issue with him. If there is any situation I have to decide anything at once, I let him know about the issue and exchange ideas for improvement scopes. Knowledge gathering is a key to professional success. That’s why, I get myself admitted MBA here. I am studying here with hope, I can implement these theoretical knowledge at my workplace. I read a lot of articles written on banking & FI (Financial Institutes). Current issues mostly published on web or newspapers. For making myself up to date about, I go through them. Internal circulars helps a lot to updating myself. Business Communication – My Role Model in Career. (2017, Jan 24). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Criminal Justice - Essay Example rce of profit for the organized crime operators is the supply of certain illegal goods and services such as drugs, gambling, pornography, and prostitution. Regardless of any regulation or social barriers, they operate illegal business with little ethical concern. In addition to money, power and prestige also becomes the associated objectives of criminals. Another notable feature of the organized crime is that it is being operated with all characteristics of a legitimate business following specific organizational hierarchy of their own. For instance, there will be a CEO, manager, sometimes an HR director and so forth to operate the business in a regular manner. According to Shelley (2002) today terrorism and transnational crime are the two central threats to our national and international integrity. He describes the linkage of the two as follows; Furthermore, members of the organized crime groups maintain high level of professionalism in their work. They seldom compromise with situational constraints, and are exceedingly committed to their assigned goals. This appreciable (?) professional approach to work has enabled many groups to become powerful enough to influence the industrial sectors and even the economy of many of the developed countries. Like any other legitimate organization they also promote or degrade their members according to their level of performance, outstanding achievements, and potential. On the other hand, it is highly sensitive in its way of responding to failures or treachery. It tends to persuade members to be the part of group for whole life so that it can ensure secrecy. If anyone goes beyond the determined limits they can be punished instantly or might encounter death. The organized crime groups also have created national and international linkage with other rebellious groups like terrorists. Organized crime affects the social, economic, and political stability of the every nation. Since there are no unanimous criteria or international

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 72

Assignment - Essay Example The health care sector is highly complex and therefore requires utmost efficiency in terms of making decisions. When making decisions concerning a given problem or situation it is necessary to first make sure that the problem at hand is well understood. A detailed analysis of the problem may be laid down in a bid to ensure that the decisions made leave no loop holes. Failure to understand the situation or problem in play may lead to wrong decisions without having solved the real problem. For instance, a research showed that experienced nurse executives make quick decisions without â€Å"a thorough analysis, a strategy that may result in the right decision for the wrong problem† (Effken, Verran, Logue, and Hsu 2010, p.3). This implies that an analysis of the problem plays a great role in making the right decisions. After the analysis, all possible solutions should be stipulated in line with the situation at hand. All alternatives presented should be received with an open mind and an alternative should only be dismissed due to its inability to provide a solution and not just because it may be unpleasant to a particular individual. Carefully considering all alternatives the best one should be identified followed by a suitable execution plan. Having taken the best course of action, it is highly likely that the right decision will be made. Effective decisions should give solutions to the root causes not just the general problems thereby ensuring that the problem is not frequently recurrent. This may be particularly important in nursing to ensure that the diagnosis given attains full cure of the patients. In making managerial decisions, it is important to first try to predict the implications at each level since they affect the whole organization. Effective decision making is important since it leads to achievement of organizational goals. Realization of the set objectives is only possible through cooperation across the entire

HUM310_LU5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HUM310_LU5 - Essay Example Modern art experimented with different textures and figurative images designed to provoke artistic thought rather than idealizing age-old concepts such as feminine beauty or simplistic artistic expression. What impressed me most was how human thought was able to be expressed on canvas using styles not previously seen in most historical pieces of artwork. Picasso’s â€Å"The Weeping Woman† uses geometric abstraction that is superimposed over the image of a woman who is obviously in distress. This oil on canvas piece shows her anguish as though her tears are literally stripping her face of its vibrancy. This is obvious by the graying areas around her mouth while the rest of her face explodes in vivid colors. It is the use of color distinctions to show her terrible emotional state and the impact that it has on the soul. The gray tones around her mouth seem to indicate that she has cried so much that she is actually turning to ice and her mouth looks to be spitting out frost from having had her heart broken so many times. It was the story behind the painting that made me examine it more closely. Picasso was attempting to use his real-life mistress, Dora Maar, as a model for the picture who he thought cried far too often. He met her in a cafà © where she was busy dropping a penknife between her fingers on the cafà © table, missing and creating small drops of blood while she continued the activity (Button). Picasso was very abstract and it seems this woman was also, which made the story of their romance more intriguing because she was a perfect match for his creative and eccentric personality. This work is representative of most abstract painters, but does not necessarily have the same themes and use of materials that other modern art pieces do. It is unique to a very creative mind that is able to present hidden psychological

Describe the most important events during the period, 19001940 Essay

Describe the most important events during the period, 19001940. Explain why the events you have chosen are the most important - Essay Example Significantly, Women's Suffrage in the United States was a gradual achievement through the 19th Century and early 20th Century which culminated in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution which maintained that the right of citizens of the nation to vote shall not be denied or abridged in view of sex. The Great Depression, the severe worldwide economic depression in the decade prior to the World War II, originated in the US, caused by the stock market crash known as Black Tuesday, and it is one of the most damaging and deepest depressions in the history of modern man. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, also called the Wages and Hours Bill, is another crucial event during the period and this established a national minimum wage and time and a half for overtime in certain jobs. "The main objective of the act was to eliminate 'labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency and well-bein g of workers' The Fair Labor Standards Act also prohibited child labor in all industries engaged in producing goods in inter-state commerce. The act set the minimum age at 14 for employment outside of school hours in non-manufacturing jobs, at 16 for employment during school hours, and 18 for hazardous occupations." (Fair Labor Standards Act). Therefore, Women's Suffrage, the Great Depression, and the Fair Labor Standards Act are three of the most crucial events in the US history during the period between 1900 and 1940 and the effect of these events is evident even the contemporary years. One of the most essential events in the US history during the period between 1900 and 1940 is of course Women's Suffrage which was implemented in 1920 with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and accordingly the right of citizens of the nation to vote will not be denied or abridged in view of sex. "The Nineteenth Amendment further points to the link between the Progressive era and direct democracy." (Vile, 2006, p 207). Women's Suffrage in the US has given rise to many important developments in the US history and it contributed to the modern women's movement which aims at the liberation of women in every aspect of life. "After gaining the right to vote in1920, women engaged in little independent political activity until 1960s Feminism gained additional impetus from young women who entered politics to support the civil rights movement or to oppose the Vietnam War." (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt, 2008, p 161). Therefore, Women's Suffrage in the United States was a crucial event during the period 1900-1940 as it had various effects on the socio-political development of the nation. The Great Depression, which originated in the US, has been one of the most important events in the decade prior to the World War II and it was mostly damaging to the US economy, though it had devastating effects in almost every country of the world. It affected almost every aspect of the growth of the

Fifties & Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Fifties & Advertisements - Essay Example In the US, these advertisements were very much against the USSR and were bent on expressing opinions against the communism. During the post-World War II era, these advertisements gained much popularity and support from the masses. The government authorities were also eager to support these advertisements even if they portrayed inaccurate details about USSR and communism. This paper shall further explain and provide support to the idea that these advertisements increased the tension between the US and the USSR. This paper is being conceptualized in order to establish a scholarly and academic discussion of the thesis and the subject matter. The thesis of this paper is: that the 1950s Cold War Advertisements were used as propaganda by the US to sell the war to the American people. The 1950s Cold War advertisements depicted scenes and images which were very much anti-USSR and anti-communism. Three reasons why this thesis is true are based on the following explanations: 1. these images were supported by the US government even if they were inaccurate depictions of USSR and of communism; 2. these advertisements focused on gaining support for the Cold War; and 3. these images nurtured the image of the USSR and communism as evil and threats to American democracy and world peace. The Cold War advertisements were used by the US to sell the war to the American people. The advertisements which were posted during the Cold War period had the backing of the US government. The US government used advertisements in order to fuel further the feelings against communism and the USSR. An ad from Scot Tissue Towels reads: â€Å"Is your washroom breeding Bolsheviks?† and another advertisement for â€Å"truth dollars† reads: â€Å"Sure I want to fight communism—but how? With truth dollars—that’s how! The ad goes on to say that the truth dollars â€Å"fight communism in its own backyard –

HUM310_LU5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HUM310_LU5 - Essay Example Modern art experimented with different textures and figurative images designed to provoke artistic thought rather than idealizing age-old concepts such as feminine beauty or simplistic artistic expression. What impressed me most was how human thought was able to be expressed on canvas using styles not previously seen in most historical pieces of artwork. Picasso’s â€Å"The Weeping Woman† uses geometric abstraction that is superimposed over the image of a woman who is obviously in distress. This oil on canvas piece shows her anguish as though her tears are literally stripping her face of its vibrancy. This is obvious by the graying areas around her mouth while the rest of her face explodes in vivid colors. It is the use of color distinctions to show her terrible emotional state and the impact that it has on the soul. The gray tones around her mouth seem to indicate that she has cried so much that she is actually turning to ice and her mouth looks to be spitting out frost from having had her heart broken so many times. It was the story behind the painting that made me examine it more closely. Picasso was attempting to use his real-life mistress, Dora Maar, as a model for the picture who he thought cried far too often. He met her in a cafà © where she was busy dropping a penknife between her fingers on the cafà © table, missing and creating small drops of blood while she continued the activity (Button). Picasso was very abstract and it seems this woman was also, which made the story of their romance more intriguing because she was a perfect match for his creative and eccentric personality. This work is representative of most abstract painters, but does not necessarily have the same themes and use of materials that other modern art pieces do. It is unique to a very creative mind that is able to present hidden psychological

Fifties & Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Fifties & Advertisements - Essay Example In the US, these advertisements were very much against the USSR and were bent on expressing opinions against the communism. During the post-World War II era, these advertisements gained much popularity and support from the masses. The government authorities were also eager to support these advertisements even if they portrayed inaccurate details about USSR and communism. This paper shall further explain and provide support to the idea that these advertisements increased the tension between the US and the USSR. This paper is being conceptualized in order to establish a scholarly and academic discussion of the thesis and the subject matter. The thesis of this paper is: that the 1950s Cold War Advertisements were used as propaganda by the US to sell the war to the American people. The 1950s Cold War advertisements depicted scenes and images which were very much anti-USSR and anti-communism. Three reasons why this thesis is true are based on the following explanations: 1. these images were supported by the US government even if they were inaccurate depictions of USSR and of communism; 2. these advertisements focused on gaining support for the Cold War; and 3. these images nurtured the image of the USSR and communism as evil and threats to American democracy and world peace. The Cold War advertisements were used by the US to sell the war to the American people. The advertisements which were posted during the Cold War period had the backing of the US government. The US government used advertisements in order to fuel further the feelings against communism and the USSR. An ad from Scot Tissue Towels reads: â€Å"Is your washroom breeding Bolsheviks?† and another advertisement for â€Å"truth dollars† reads: â€Å"Sure I want to fight communism—but how? With truth dollars—that’s how! The ad goes on to say that the truth dollars â€Å"fight communism in its own backyard –

Martinez Company Essay Example for Free

Martinez Company Essay Introduction Martinez Company is introducing a new product that may be manufactured by using either one of two methods, capital intensive, or labor intensive method. For the capital intensive method, the manufacturing costs per unit are; direct material at $5.00, direct labor at $6.00, variable overhead costs at $3.00 and fixed manufacturing costs at $2,508,000 for the period. For the labor intensive method costs per unit are; direct materials at $5.50, direct labor at $8.00, variable overhead costs at $4.50 and fixed manufacturing costs at $1,538,000 for the period. The research department of Martinez Company recommended an introductory unit sales price of $30. The selling expenses are approximately $502, 000 annually in addition to $2 for each unit sold regardless of the manufacturing method used. The second part of the research is to determine how many units the company will have to sell annually for both methods to be equal. To determine this number the company will need to calculate the indifference point. The calculation is the total fixed cost of both methods is subtracted and then  divided by the contribution margin per unit for each method. Indifference point = (3,010,000-2,040,000)/(14-10) = 242,500. So the company would have to sell 242,500 units for both methods to be equally profitable. This is good information because based on the manufacturing cost of each production method the company will have to sell a specific number of units to maximize profitability. Based on this number the company will select each method in accordance with the projected number of units to be sold. Capital-Intensive Manufacturing vs. Labor-Intensive Manufacturing In the future, the Martinez Company will need to use either capital-intensive or labor intensive method for production. Capital intensive manufacturing method focuses on a high level of capital investment, while labor intensive focuses on a high level of labor investment. Capital intensive manufacturing method is mostly used on a large scale production with automated processes. Labor intensive method is mostly likely used on smaller scale production with personalized products. The capital manufacturing method is also based on whether the organization is producing a standardized product or an exclusive product. The labor intensive manufacturing method should be used when a substantial amount of customer interaction is needed. Capital intensive manufacturing method can be used when the work is too dangerous for employees. With labor intensive manufacturing method there are lower fixed costs and higher variable costs. With the capital intensive manufacturing method there are higher fixed costs and variable costs. In this case, the capital intensive method would be the preferred choice if the sales are expected to be higher than the indifference number of $242,500. Capital intensive manufacturing method limits competition by serving as a barrier to entry and as a capital intensive business, the Martinez Corporation can benefit from this. Barriers to entry are obstacles that prevent new companies to function in capital-intensive industries. Capital intensive manufacturing minimizes human error resulting in a more effective and efficient productivity. Another great advantage with capital intensive manufacturing method is the minimal labor impact.

The World Largest Brand Name Apparel Marketers Marketing Essay

The World Largest Brand Name Apparel Marketers Marketing Essay Levis Strauss and Company is one of the world largest brand-name apparel marketers. Levis Strauss and Company is one of the successful Jeanswear shop in America States. The innovation of the rivets in the jeans differentiated Levis jeans from others because of its increased durability. (Levis) The Fast changes in consumer tastes, competition from both lower and higher-end brands, the fast development in the modern distribution and sales technology has brought about a continuing loss of market share. (Levi Strauss Co. Marketing Plan) Levis Strauss and company was established in 1873, Levis jeans are the original, authentic jeans. They are the most successful, widely recognized and often imitated clothing products clothing product in the history of apparel. Over successive generations, Levis jeans have captured the attention, imagination and loyalty of diverse individuals. (Levis) As the inventor of the category, the Levis brand continues to define jean wear with the widest range of products available, from quintessential class such as the famous Levis 501 Original jean, to favorite fits and styles in the Red Tab and premium collections. (Levis) 1.1 Mission To sustain responsible commercial success as a global marketing company of branded apparel. They must Balance goals of superior profitability and return in investment, leadership market positions and superior product and services. They will conduct their business ethically and demonstrate leadership in satisfying their responsibilities to their communication and to society. (Levi Strauss Co. Marketing Plan) 1.2 Vision Levis Strauss brands are filled with examples of the key role their value have played in meeting consumer needs. Four core values are at the heart of Levi Strauss Co Empathy, Originality, Integrity and Courage. These four values are linked. As Levis look at their history, a story of how Levis core values work together and are the source of their success. Likewise, Levis brands embody many of the core values that consumers live by. This is why Levis brands have stood the test of time. 2. Objective The objectives of Levis brand continues to define Jeanswear with the widest range of product available, from quintessential classics, such as the famous Levis Original jean, to favourite fits and styles in Red Tab and premium collections. Levis jeans have captured the attention, imagination, and loyalty of generations of diverse individuals. The brand has continues received critical acclaim from industry insiders. The brands profile is growing internationally. Levis Strauss and company next target focus to expand more in different city flagship store. To review Levis Jeanswear market situation of the global highlighting the competitive positions and branding strategies of the market. To identify the successful branding strategies Levis Jeanswear has employed to achieve its dominant market position. To evaluate on the effectiveness of Levis Jeanswear branding strategies in sustaining its sales performance. 3. Situation Analysis Situation analysis is a marketing term, and involves evaluating the situation and trends in particular companys market. Situation analysis is often called the three C, which refers to the three major elements that are Company, Customers, and Competition. Company Despite these reductions Levi Strauss Company had most of its early success because the firm was behaving monopolistically. The company patented the riveted jeans, increasing durability, and gaining popularity. Levis Strauss Co. maintained its corporate responsible image and progressive stance on social, labor, and environmental issues, which may have long run profit opportunities. Customers There is many Levis Jeanswear loyalty to maintain existing customers. Levis Jeanswear is the youthfulness of their brand jeans. The 501 product line and the Red Tab collection offer jeans that appeal to younger consumers competing with the high-end jean competitors. Competition Competitors successfully were able to take from Levis market due to heavy advertising and branding. Branding was especially effective for companies like Calvin Klein that targeted high-end consumers. Levis jeans may be physically the same as its competitor physically competitors, consumer preferences are affected by brand name. 3.1 SWOT analysis Levis opportunities and threats Levis Strauss, Levis Strauss Co. is one of the worlds largest brand-name apparel marketers with sales in more than 110 countries. There is no other company with a comparable global presence in the jeans and casual pants markets. Nowadays Levi Strauss develops technological higher production and coordination activities. In addition, Levi Strauss also develop new website is convenient for consumers shopping and also develop new products and services. The constant of threats is possible recession and people less likely to spend money on trend items and economic downturns in some countries. Bad economic is also an issue for Levis Strauss such as recession and the weakness of currency, people are likely to spend lesson trend items. Other than that, increasing competition from product of the higher end of the market and price wars with competitor. 3.2 Value chain analysis Support activities Primary activities Primary activities Inbound logistics: Inbound Logistics is the transportation planning in one of the major business processes. In order to achieve operational excellence, increase the merger, Levis Strauss plans common needs and external traffic inbound logistics, receiving their suppliers purchase. They stored goods production or assembly line needs. Goods may move around the organization. Operations: At this stage of product assembly or manufacturing. Self is co-produced fashion industry packaging. The design of the packaging represents the image of Levis Strauss. Outbound logistics: Collect, store and distribute the product to send along the supply chain to retailers in different countries. The retailers will send goods to outlets. Marketing and sales: The marketing communication strategies are the best ways to deliver message to consumers that Levis Strauss applied were advertising through the magazines, bill board and fashion show. Prepared to provide targeted, in order to meet consumer demand. Service: To fulfill consumers desirable, that are some things should have to concern on these; consumer always has clothes fitness problems, thus after sales service is important to exchange the size of Jeanswear or modify it. Other than that, to provide stuffs training how to service difference behavior of consumers and updating their Jeanswear information. Support activities Procurement: Levis Strauss needs of all the goods, services and materials procurement. This is because for the lowest possible price to buy the highest quality possible. This includes outsourcing that is usually done in-house business for the same from other companies and use of IT and networking technology to achieve procurement goals. Technology development: The innovation of technologies helps the Levis Strauss to sustain competitive advantage. Technology is an important of the competitive advantage. Human resources management: Levis Strauss is guided by a strong growth strategy in managing and developing its human resource capacity. Potential employees are evaluated in terms of their alignment to the companys winning characteristics which are directly linked to the Levis business strategies, mission and vision of integrity, courage, empathy and originality. Firm infrastructure: The formal systems of planning finance quality control, information management and the structures and routines that are part of an organizations culture. 3.3 PEST analysis The remote environment comprises factors that originate beyond and usually irrespective of, any single firms operating section: political, economic, social and technological factors. That environment presents firms with opportunities, threats, and constraints, but rarely does a single firm exert any meaningful reciprocal influence. Political factor: Political factor is very important to make sure the growth of the clothing industry in America States. With the peaceful environment, America States became one of the worlds attractive fashion destinations. (Easy club) Economic Factor: One of the main beneficiaries of the recession is the value clothing sector as consumers spend most on discretionary items with increased caution. According to Verdict forecasts, America States clothing spends in 2009 had declined 0.6%. However, estimation that value clothing sales will grow by 5.0%. Grocers are expected to make further gains in 2009 and increase their share of the value clothing market to 34.2%. In long term, the gains that grocers to be made will prove a further threat to value clothing specialists by improving store environments and fully exploiting multichannel capabilities. Social factor: Americans become more enjoy fashion nowadays; they will conservative and old-fashioned image of traditional shops. They prefer on those shops with a trendier image, such as Levis older and often affluent consumers remain fashion conscious. Technological factor: Levis have combined the four core technology are at the heart of Levis Strauss Co Empathy, Originality, Integrity and Courage, durable and easy to care for. However, further technology on textile with other characteristics will produce, such as cellulite-reducing hosiery or moisturizing properties. Prices are likely to increase as the result of these changes in the textile technology, therefore assisting in growing the value of the market. 3.4 Porters 5 Forces Industry Competitive: Jeanswear industry is characterized by small fashion 501, but there has been a recent trend towards consolidation and economies of scale. Businesses compete on price, quality, differentiation and relationship with key suppliers. However, there are not many players that establish a reputation for bringing style and innovation to the high street. Due to this Levis has the advantage of being a high streets retail phenomenon. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers do not have much bargaining the fashion industry because their products and their commercial nature of the sales forces of developed markets. Can affect the garment industry from the original input price fluctuations, but the change is a global determinants of supply and demand, rather than the bargaining power of suppliers caused. Bargaining power of customers: The buyers power is significant in that buyers can force prices down, demand higher quality products or services, and, in essence, play competitors against one another, all resulting in potential loss of industry profits. Buyers exercise more power when they are large-volume buyers, the product is a significant aspect of the buyers costs or purchases, the products are standard within Jeanswear industry, there are few changing or switching costs, the buyers earn low profits, potential for backward integration of the buyer group exists, the Jeanswear is not essential to the buyers product, and the buyer has full disclosure about supply, demand, prices, and costs. (Reference for business) Threat of new entrants: New entrants can also expect a barrier in the form of government policy through federal and state regulations and licensing. New firms can expect retaliation from existing companies and also face changing barriers related to technology, strategic planning within the industry, and manpower and expertise problems. Threat of Substituted: The substitute product in fashion industry is low. Every individual needs to wear clothes in their daily activities to prevent cold and harmful to their skin. There is no substitute other than wear clothes. The only alternative is individual can make clothes their own but this alternative rarely happen. 3.5 Ansoff matrix Existing Product New Product Existing Market New Market In Ansoff Matrix, Levis Strauss is currently in position of market penetration as Levis Strauss intends to sell its existing markets to maintain or increase the market share of current product. This can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling. Other than that, increase usage by existing customer by introducing loyalty schemes; the business is focusing on markets and product it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. On the other hand, Levis Strauss also in different position of market development intends to sell its existing product into new markets in different countries. In this stage, Levis Strauss is facing medium-high risk in entering new market as there in many popular clothes retailer in the market. The issues of new geographical, product packaging, distribution channels and different pricing policies to attract different customer or create a new market segments that is Levi Strauss planning to enter must also take into consideration. Therefore, Levis Strauss takes risk segmentation into different countries. 3.6 Porters Generic Strategies Cost Differentiation Broad Narrow Levi Strauss is paining to employ differentiation strategy to make Levis Jeanswear to be more common, Levis Strauss provides Levis 501 Original Jeanswear for men, women, teens, and children. Since launching the campaign, worldwide sales of 501 jeans have increased substantially. Although it is encouraging to see the flagship 501 line growing again, these sales increases were not incremental. So everyone is a potential customer for Levis. Levis generally appeals to more mature generations not necessarily looking to make a fashion statement. Levis makes an effort to appeal to all customers in one way or another, which been a key to their success over the years. 4. Evaluation of Suitability The suitability of the strategic options is assessed based on their compatibility with the current competitive environment of the fashion industry, Levis own corporate vision and mission and how it would sustain or improve the competitive position of the organisation. Strategic Position Concept To understand Strategy must address PEST Key environmental Driver/ Changes in industry Structure The remote environment comprises factors that originate beyond and usually irrespective of, any single firms operating section: political, economic, social and technological factors. That environment presents firms with opportunities, threats, and constraints, but rarely does a single firm exert any meaningful reciprocal influence. Porters Five-Forces Industry attractiveness competitive forces Porters essential message is that where these five forces are high, then industries are not attractive to compete in. There will be too much competition and too much pressure to allow reasonable profits. Value Chain Opportunities for vertical integration or outsourcing A value chain describes the categories of activities within and around an organisation, how Levis create a product or services 4.1 Tows matrix Levis Strauss chosen because it demonstrates how a successful company experienced great difficulties in the early 1853, but then developed a strategy that resulted in an excellent market position in the late 2003. The TOWS Matrix shown will focus on the crucial period from late 1853 to early 2003. The external threats and opportunities pertain mostly to the situation Levis Strauss faced in the United States. Strengths (S) Brand name. Access to target market with over 300 stores nationwide. Finance and access to international capital. Distribution channels and global sourcing. Weakness (W) High costs of brand protection. Lack of control over quality. Lack of control over distribution. Distribution conflicts. Opportunities (O) Largest brand-name apparel marketers with sales in more than 110 countries. Technological development higher production and coordination activities. Develop new product and services. A new market on website shipping. SO-Strategies Increase sales and supply to different countries. (S1,O1) Build technological development higher production and new production and services in different 300 stores nationwide.(S2, O2, O3) Create channels and website shipping to global sourcing. WO-Strategies High costs of production brand in markets. (W1, O1) Lack of control in technological development production and distribution. (W2, W3, O2) Improve distributor services and website shipping benefits. (W4, O3, O4) Threats (T) Possible recession and people less likely to spend money on trend items. Competition from product of the higher end of the market. Economic downturns in some countries Price wars with competitors Increasing competition. ST Meet competitors advanced design of the market. (S1, S2, T2) Economic and finance are the keys of the issue. (S3, T1, T3) Globalization increasing competitor and price wars with competitors. (S4, T4, T5) WT Reduce threat of competition by developing flexible product line. (W1, W2, W3, T1, T2) 4.2 Direction for Growth Strategic option To summarises these point from earlier section and provides examples of reasons why strategy directions or might be regarded as suitable. Strategic Environment Capability Expectations Market penetration Levi Strauss intends to sell its existing markets to maintain or increase the market share of current product. Increase usage by existing customer by introducing loyalty schemes; the business is focusing on markets and product it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. Market development Levi Strauss is facing medium-high risk in entering new market as there in many popular clothes retailer in the market. The issues of new geographical, product packaging, distribution channels and different pricing policies to attract different customer or create a new market segments that is Levi Strauss planning to enter must also take into consideration Levi Strauss intends to sell its existing product into new markets in different countries and takes risk segmentation into different countries. Differentiation Differentiation strategy to make Levis jean to be more common. Levi Strauss provides Levis 501 Original Jeanswear for men, women, teens, and children. So everyone is a potential customer for Levis. Levis generally appeals to more mature generations not necessarily looking to make a fashion statement. Levis makes an effort to appeal to all customers in one way or another, which been a key to their success over the years. Ranking strategic options Options are assessed against key factors relating to the strategic position of the organisation and a score or ranking established for each option. Key strategic factors Strategic option Family ownership Increased globalisation Low-price imports Increased of marketing Good of quality control Increased sales Ranking Market penetration O X O X O ? B Market development X O X O X O C Differentiation O X O O O O A O=favourable; X=unfavourable;? =uncertain or irrelevant. A=most suitable; B=possible; C=unsuitable. Evaluation of Acceptability The acceptability of the strategic options is assessed based on the stakeholders expectations. 5.1 Stakeholders Expectations The stakeholders of Levis Strauss are comprised of shareholders, management, employees, suppliers, contributors and the customers. The shareholders are likely to accept all the strategies as they have already witnessed Levis Strauss successful turnaround and regain of profitability. The management built up more positive steps in achieving its vision and mission these initiatives illustrate the progress Levis Strauss have made in building strong, collaborative relationships with their wholesale customers. To working closely with these customers and developing plans to ensure Levis brands continue to be broadly accessible to consumers despite continued retail door closures and bankruptcies in the United States. On the other hand, the employees may be very supportive of the differentiation strategy and market development business simplifying measures recommended. The suppliers and contributors would have learnt by now to live with Levis Strauss differentiation strategy and market development their operations to fit themselves into Jeanswear operating style. Levis customers are likely to welcome the Jeanswear innovation capabilities with the creation of a Global Market Development Centre at their owned-and-operated manufacturing plant in different courtiers. Strategy 1- Market Development Key stakeholders Rewards Risks Shareholders Higher profit, performance, clear direction. Unpredictable economics crisis. Managers Performance, targets, growth, bonus. Cultural problems. Employees Rates of pay, high employment rate. Job security, time period. Trade unions Working conditions, wages rate. Legal requirements. Customers More Levis Jeanswear available. Ethical products. Suppliers High demand of resources. Delivery problems. Government Taxation. Explicit Federal laws in certain countries. General public Jobs, involvement, shares Environmental issues Strategy 2-Differentation Key stakeholders Rewards Risks Shareholders Higher profit, performance, clear direction. Loss. Managers Performance, targets, growth, bonus. Time consume, sales volume. Employees Rates of pay. Job security. Trade unions Working conditions, minimum wages. Legal requirements. Customers More choices, better quality and customer care. Ethical products. Suppliers High demand of resources. Government Taxation. Legislation. General public Jobs, involvement, shares. Environmental issues. Feasibility The feasibility of the three strategic options is assessed based on the Levis Strauss current resources. Current Resources The actual resources required for the implementation of the three strategies are summarized in Table 4 under four categories: (1) product/service feasibility, (2) market feasibility, (3) organizational feasibility and (4) financial feasibility. Strategy 1- Market development Key resources Analysis Product/ Service feasibility Levi Strauss market development intends to sell its existing product into new markets in different countries. Levi Strauss must control their product and service quality, the patent strategy to maintain its brand reputation. Market feasibility The issues of new geographical, product packaging, distribution channels and different pricing policies to attract different customer or create a new market segments that is Levi Strauss planning to enter must also take into consideration. Organizational feasibility The brand and formula have to carefully designed and properly execute. Levis Strauss able to expand rapidly takes risk segmentation into different countries. Financial feasibility According to the Levis Strauss annual report 2009 that company sales and profit has increased, so there are no financial problems to support market develop strategy. . Strategy 2- Differentiation Key resources Analysis Product/ Service feasibility Levi Strauss provides Levis 501 Original Jeanswear for men, women, teens, and children. Since launching the campaign, worldwide sales of 501 jeans have increased substantially. market feasibility The flagship 501 line growing again, these sales increases were not incremental. So everyone is a potential customer for Levis. Levis generally appeals to more mature generations not necessarily looking to make a fashion statement. Organizational feasibility Levis generally appeals to more mature generations not necessarily looking to make a fashion statement. Levis makes an effort to appeal to all customers in one way or another, which been a key to their success over the years. Financial feasibility According to the Levis Strauss annual report 2009, the sales and profit of the company has increased, so there is no financial problem to support franchising strategy. However, the in-store advisor service is free of charge; Levis Strauss has to cover this expense from other sectors. Selection of One Strategic Option for Implementation The above evaluation data have indicated that in fact all the two strategic options are equally important and necessary for the future growth of Levis Strauss and should be implemented to the long term benefits of Levis Strauss. The complexity and risks in implementation of the two options are summarized in below. Strategic Option Implementation Requirements Complexity Risk (1) Market development Involves higher capital injection management ingenuity to implement in view of other competitors Hardest with higher risks (2) Differentiation Involves strong management will and resolve to implement. Changing staffs working attitudes and instituting a new Levis 501 Original Jeanswear for men, women, teens, and children. Launching the campaign, worldwide sales of 501 jeans have increased substantially would need a lot of patience and tact. Medium hard, needs management will and tact Naturally, among the two strategic options, the strategic option 2 should be selected as the first choice since it can be implemented quickly and getting faster results. Implementation From the evaluation above, Levis Strauss select differentiation strategy to achieve their vision and mission. Differentiation strategy helps Levis Strauss to expand further more different gender and different ages to wear Levis Jeanswear and establish the brand as a fashion authority in every city. The implementation strategy can describe in three sections, which is resources management, organizational structure and management of change. Key issues Analysis Resources management Resource management refers to the possibility under discussion is a factor. Levi Strauss has confirmed that the factor is the most likely way to work. Levi Strauss can use the budget or other performance management tools to study the effectiveness of differentiation strategy. Organizational structure In this stage Levis Strauss has to deal with issues regarding levels of hierarchy, together with structural form and style of management. Management of change Some management of Levis Strauss might not aware of the need for changes in strategy implementations. Thus Levis Strauss must review the speed, scope and style of the changes, in order to obtain full commitment to them. The company maintained profits by providing a wide range of products, capturing new markets and increasing its market shares. The company created barriers to entry by patents and trademarks, and by differentiating its product from generic jeans. However as more firms entered the market, the company started losing customers and incurring losses. The upstart companies captured niche market shares from Levi Levis s immense market domination. Despite this reduction of sales, Levi Strauss Co. maintained its corporate responsible image and progressive stance on social, labor, and environmental issues, which may have long long-run profit opportunities. Conclusion This report had analyzed the situation and the growth strategy of Jeanswear line of Levis Strauss. The evaluation of the suitability, acceptability and feasibility had examined on chosen options. The options are products and services development and differentiation strategy. The strategy chosen is differentiation strategy to achieve the mission and vision. The launch of differentiation strategy helps Levis Strauss to expand their business effectively and efficiently. By respond quickly to emerging trends, Levis Strauss has become a successful fashion retailer within the shortest possible lead times to carve out a reputation for its ability.

Essay --

Alex opened his eyes to the taste of dust and blood. His head was on the floor. He tried to lift it, but to no avail. A small groan escaped his lips, followed by a fit of coughing. What happened? The scene before him was something out of a Michael Bay movie. Grey concrete, rebar, settling dust, unconscious bodies. Unconscious, or maybe dead. What happened? He tried to move his leg, with the effectiveness of putting out a fire with gasoline. It was crushed by several tonnes of concrete and twisted metal. What happened? He finally found the strength to raise his head a fraction of an inch from the concrete. Caroline. He desparately searched the carnage around him until his eyes locked on a face. His wife. Dammit, what the hell happened? He tried to lift his head further, but only succeeded in inducing a coughing fit, forcing him to relinquish the small amount of progress he had made. Suddenly, a weak, sickly sounding voice pierced the unnatual stillness that had enveloped the space since he awoke. â€Å"Hey.† Her lips were powder white, and the voice was barely above a whisper, but she was alive. He managed a weak smile before moving his own lips. â€Å"Hey.† His eyes traced a line from her face, down her body, only to see a foot of rebar protruding from her ribcage. His smile wavered, but he forced himself to keep a smile plastered on his own powder-caked face. Later. Later I’ll tell her. â€Å"How are you doing love?† â€Å"A little sore.† She managed a weak trace of a smile, that quickly turned into a grimace. Her labored breathing caused the rebar to sway back and forth, like a macabre tree in an invisible breeze. The effort of talking obviously exhausted her. He once again started examining the surrounding wreckage, giving her a little ti... ...bye to the love of his life. He gripped the steering wheel, and put the car in reverse, swinging out of the parking spot, and onto the open road, Caroline’s last words echoing in his head. â€Å"’Til Death do us part.† The words echoed all the way home, and followed him into the house. His every thought was occupied by her. The more he thought, the more he realized it felt like she was actually there. He closed his eyes, and opened them, disappointed to find that it wasn’t actually true. Despite this, he smiled and laid back, his head propped up, the way he used to do when she laid on top of him, often falling asleep on a summer afternoon, and only waking up to go to bed. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that made her seem absolutely tangible to him, despite the absense of her presense. He finally said, to nobody in particular, â€Å"Darling, you’ll never be dead to me.†

Good vs. Evil in John Gardners Grendel :: Grendel Essays

Good vs. Evil in John Gardner's Grendel John Gardner's novel Grendel gives the reader a new perspective on the classic "good vs. Evil" plot. From the start of the book the reader can tell that there is something very unique about the narrator. It is evident that the narrator is a very observant being that can express himself in a very poetic manner. The story is one the reader has most likely seen before, the battle between the glorious thanes and the "evil" beast. In this case, however, the "beast" is the eyes and ears of the reader. This, of course, forces the reader to analyze situations in the book in the same way that Grendel does. By using this viewpoint, the author allows his readers to see the other side of the coin. Therefore, throughout the course of the novel the reader is able to understand how important Grendel is in defining the humans. Grendel's first encounter with the human beings that he literally defines is not a pleasant one. After accidentally trapping himself in a tree he is discovered by a group of thanes out on patrol. Grendel expresses absolutely no hostile intentions towards these "ridiculous" (ch.2, pp.24) creatures that "moved by clicks." (ch.2, pp.24) The thanes do not understand what Grendel is and are very uneasy about the whole situation. Like animals they are frightened of anything that is different from what they are used to. When Grendel attempts to communicate they show their ignorance and simple-mindedness. Instead of taking the time to understand the anomaly in their world they panic and decide to destroy it. Without being able to view the story from Grendel's point of view the reader might assume that the humans had every right to attack. Another example of the same type of simple-mindedness is their second premature attack on Grendel. After hearing the shaper's words Grendel weeps, "'Mercy! Peac e!'"(ch.4, pp.50) in the hopes of salvation from the god of these men. The men, in a drunken state, merely misunderstand Grendel's intentions and attack him once again. Instead of killing the men, which would have been an easy task for the giant, Grendel escapes into the night. This action alone defines the men as the "beasts" and Grendel as the victim.

Chemistry Life in Daily Life Essay

Introduction: Fluorine has the distinction of being the most reactive of all the elements, with the highest electronegativity value on the periodic table. Because of this, it proved extremely difficult to isolate. Davy first identified it as an element, but was poisoned while trying unsuccessfully to decompose hydrogen fluoride. Two other chemists were also later poisoned in similar attempts, and one of them died as a result. French chemist Edmond Fremy (1814-1894) very nearly succeeded in isolating fluorine, and though he failed to do so, he inspired his student Henri Moissan (1852-1907) to continue the project. One of the problems involved in isolating this highly reactive element was the fact that it tends to â€Å"attack† any container in which it is placed: most metals, for instance, will burst into flames in the presence of fluorine. Like the others before him, Moissan set about to isolate fluorine from hydrogen fluoride by means of electrolysis—the use of an electric current to cause a chemical reaction—but in doing so, he used a platinum-iridium alloy that resisted attacks by fluorine. In 1906, he received the Nobel Prize for his work, and his technique is still used today in modified form. Properties And Uses Of Fluorine: A pale green gas of low density, fluorine can combine with all elements except some of the noble gases. Even water will burn in the presence of this highly reactive substance. Fluorine is also highly toxic, and can cause severe burns on contact, yet it also exists in harmless compounds, primarily in the mineral known as fluorspar, or calcium fluoride. The latter gives off a fluorescent light (fluorescence is the term for a type of light not accompanied by heat), and fluorine was named for the mineral that is one of its principal â€Å"hosts†. Beginning in the 1600s, hydrofluoric acid was used for etching glass, and is still used for that purpose today in the manufacture of products such as light bulbs. The oil industry uses it as a catalyst—a substance that speeds along a chemical reaction—to increase the octane number in gasoline. Fluorine is also used in a polymer commonly known as Teflon, which provides a non-stick surface for frying pans and other cooking-related products. Just as chlorine saw service in World War I, fluorine was enlisted in World War II to create a weapon far more terrifying than poison gas: the atomic bomb. Scientists working on the Manhattan Project, the United States’ effort to develop the bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, needed large quantities of the uranium-235 isotope. This they obtained in large part by diffusion of the compound uranium hexafluoride, which consists of molecules containing one uranium atom and six fluorine anions. Fluoridation Of Water: Long before World War II, health officials in the United States noticed that communities having high concentration of fluoride in their drinking water tended to suffer a much lower incidence of tooth decay. In some areas the concentration of fluoride in the water supply was high enough that it stained people’s teeth; still, at the turn of the century—an era when dental hygiene as we know it today was still in its infancy—the prevention of tooth decay was an attractive prospect. Perhaps, officials surmised, it would be possible to introduce smaller concentrations of fluoride into community drinking water, with a resulting improvement in overall dental health. After World War II, a number of municipalities around the United States ndertook the fluoridation of their water supplies, using concentrations as low as 1 ppm. Within a few years, fluoridation became a hotly debated topic, with proponents pointing to the potential health benefits and opponents arguing from the standpoint of issues not directly involved in science. It was an invasion of personal liberty, they said, for governments to force citizens to drink water which had been supplemented with a foreign substance. During the 1950s, in fact, fluoridation became associated in some circles with Communism—just another manifestation of a government trying to control its citizens. In later years, ironically, antifluoridation efforts became associated with groups on the political left rather than the right. By then, the argument no longer revolved around the issue of government power; instead the concern was for the health risks involved in introducing a substance lethal in large doses. Fluoride had meanwhile gained application in toothpastes. Colgate took the lead, introducing â€Å"stannous fluoride† in 1955. Three years later, the company launched a memorable advertising campaign with commercials in which a little girl showed her mother a â€Å"report card† from the dentist and announced â€Å"Look, Ma!  No cavities! † Within a few years, virtually all brands of toothpaste used fluoride; however, the use of fluoride in drinking water remained controversial. As late as 1993, in fact, the issue of fluoridation remained heated enough to spawn a study by the U. S. National Research Council. The council found some improvement in dental health, but not as large as had been claimed by early proponents of fluoridation. Furthermore, this improvement could be explained by reference to a number of other factors, including fluoride in toothpastes and a generally heightened awareness of dental health among the U.  S. populace. Chlorofluorocarbons : Another controversial application of fluorine is its use, along with chlorine and carbon, in chlorofluorocarbons. As noted above, CFCs have been used in refrigerants and propellants; another application is as a blowing agent for polyurethane foam. This continued for several decades, but in the 1980s, environmentalists became concerned over depletion of the ozone layer high in Earth’s atmosphere. Unlike ordinary oxygen (O 2 ), ozone or O 3 is capable of absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which would otherwise be harmful to human life. It is believed that CFCs catalyze the conversion of ozone to oxygen, and that this may explain the â€Å"ozone hole,† which is particularly noticeable over the Antarctic in September and October. As a result, a number of countries signed an agreement in 1996 to eliminate the manufacture of halocarbons, or substances containing halogens and carbon. Manufacturers in countries that signed this agreement, known as the Montreal Protocol, have developed CFC substitutes, most notably hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), CFC-like compounds also containing hydrogen atoms. The ozone-layer question is far from settled, however. Critics argue that in fact the depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica is a natural occurrence, which may explain why it only occurs at certain times of year. This may also explain why it happens primarily in Antarctica, far from any place where humans have been using CFCs. (Ozone depletion is far less significant in the Arctic, which is much closer to the population centers of the industrialized world. ) In any case, natural sources, such as volcano eruptions, continue to add halogen compounds to the atmosphere. Introduction: Chlorine is a highly poisonous gas, greenish-yellow in color, with a sharp smell that induces choking in humans. Yet, it can combine with other elements to form compounds safe for human consumption. Most notable among these compounds is salt, which has been used as a food preservative since at least 3000 B. C. Salt, of course, occurs in nature. By contrast, the first chlorine compound made by humans was probably hydrochloric acid, created by dissolving hydrogen chloride gas in water. The first scientist to work with hydrochloric acid was Persian physician and alchemist Rhazes (ar-Razi; c. 64-c. 935), one of the most outstanding scientific minds of the medieval period. Alchemists, who in some ways were the precursors of true chemists, believed that base metals such as iron could be turned into gold. Of course this is not possible, but alchemists in about 1200 did at least succeed in dissolving gold using a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids known as aqua regia. The first modern scientist to work with chlorine was Swedish chemist Carl W. Scheele (1742-1786), who also discovered a number of other elements and compounds, including barium, manganese, oxygen, ammonia, and glycerin. However, Scheele, who isolated it in 1774, thought that chlorine was a compound; only in 1811 did English chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) identify it as an element. Another chemist had suggested the name â€Å"halogen† for the alleged compound, but Davy suggested that it be called chlorine instead, after the Greek word chloros , which indicates a sickly yellow color. Uses Of Chlorine: The dangers involved with chlorine have made it an effective substance to use against stains, plants, animals—and even human beings. Chlorine gas is highly irritating to the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and lungs, and it can be detected in air at a concentration of only 3 parts per million (ppm). The concentrations of chlorine used against troops on both sides in World War I (beginning in 1915) was, of course, much higher. Thanks to the use of chlorine gas and other antipersonnel agents, one of the most chilling images to emerge from that conflict was of soldiers succumbing to poisonous gas. Yet just as it is harmful to humans, chlorine can be harmful to microbes, thus preserving human life. As early as 1801, it had been used in solutions as a disinfectant; in 1831, its use in hospitals made it effective as a weapon against a cholera epidemic that swept across Europe. Another well-known use of chlorine is as a bleaching agent. Until 1785, when chlorine was first put to use as a bleach, the only way to get stains and unwanted colors out of textiles or paper was to expose them to sunlight, not always an effective method. By contrast, chlorine, still used as a bleach today, can be highly effective—a good reason not to use regular old-fashioned bleach on anything other than white clothing. Since the 1980s, makers of bleaches have developed all-color versions to brighten and take out stains from clothing of other colors. ) Calcium hydrocholoride (CaOCl), both a bleaching powder and a disinfectant used in swimming pools, combines both the disinfectant and bleaching properties of chlorine. This and the others discussed here are just some of many, many compounds formed with the highly reactive element chlorine. Particularly notable—and controversial—are compounds involving chlorine and carbon. Chlorine And Organic Compounds: Chlorine bonds well with organic substances, or those containing carbon. In a number of instances, chlorine becomes part of an organic polymer such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), used for making synthetic pipe. Chlorine polymers are also applied in making synthetic rubber, or neoprene. Due to its resistance to heat, oxidation, and oils, neoprene is used in a number of automobile parts. The bonding of chlorine with substances containing carbon has become increasingly controversial because of concerns over health and the environment, and in some cases chlorine-carbon compounds have been outlawed. Such was the fate of DDT, a pesticide soluble in fats and oils rather than in water. When it was discovered that DDT was carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, in humans and animals, its use in the United States was outlawed. Other, less well-known, chlorine-related insecticides have likewise been banned due to their potential for harm to human life and the environment. Among these are chlorine-containing materials once used for dry cleaning. Also notable is the role of chlorine in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been used in refrigerants such as Freon, and in propellants for aerosol sprays.  CFCs tend to evaporate easily, and concerns over their effect on Earth’s atmosphere have led to the phasing out of their use. Introduction: Bromine is a foul-smelling reddish-brown liquid whose name is derived from a Greek word meaning â€Å"stink. † With a boiling point much lower than that of water—137. 84 °F (58. 8 °C)—it readily transforms into a gas. Like other halogens, its vapors are highly irritating to the eyes and throat. It is found primarily in deposits of brine, a solution of salt and water. Among the most significant brine deposits are in Israel’s Dead Sea, as well as in Arkansas and Michigan. Credit for the isolation of bromine is usually given to French chemist Antoine-Jerome Balard (1802-1876), though in fact German chemist Carl Lowig (1803-1890) actually isolated it first, in 1825. However, Balard, who published his results a year later, provided a much more detailed explanation of bromine’s properties. The first use of bromine actually predated both men by several millennia. To make their famous purple dyes, the Phoenicians used murex mollusks, which contained bromine. (Like the names of the halogens, the word â€Å"Phoenicians† is derived from Greek—in this case, a word meaning â€Å"red† or â€Å"purple,† which referred to their dyes. Today bromine is also used in dyes, and other modern uses include applications in pesticides, disinfectants, medicines, and flame retardants. At one time, a compound containing bromine was widely used by the petroleum industry as an additive for gasoline containing lead. Ethylene dibromide reacts with the lead released by gasoline to form lead bromide (PbBr 2 ), referred to as a â€Å"scavenger,† because it tends to clean the emissions of lead-containing gasoline. However, leaded gasoline was phased out during the late 1970s and early 1980s; as a result, demand for ethylene dibromide dropped considerably. Halogen Lamps: The name â€Å"halogen† is probably familiar to most people because of the term â€Å"halogen lamp. † Used for automobile headlights, spotlights, and floodlights, the halogen lamp is much more effective than ordinary incandescent light. Incandescent â€Å"heat-producing† light was first developed in the 1870s and improved during the early part of the twentieth century with the replacement of carbon by tungsten as the principal material in the filament, the area that is heated. Tungsten proved much more durable than carbon when heated, but it has a number of problems when combined with the gases in an incandescent bulb. As the light bulb continues to burn for a period of time, the tungsten filament begins to thin and will eventually break. At the same time, tungsten begins to accumulate on the surface of the bulb, dimming its light. However, by adding bromine and other halogens to the bulb’s gas filling—thus making a halogen lamp—these problems are alleviated. As tungsten evaporates from the filament, it combines with the halogen to form a gaseous compound that circulates within the bulb. Instead of depositing on the surface of the bulb, the compound remains a gas until it comes into contact with the filament and breaks down. It is then redeposited on the filament, and the halogen gas is free to combine with newly evaporated tungsten. Though a halogen bulb does eventually break down, it lasts much longer than an ordinary incandescent bulb and burns with a much brighter light. Also, because of the decreased tungsten deposits on the surface, it does not begin to dim as it nears the end of its life. Introduction: First isolated in 1811 from ashes of seaweed, iodine has a name derived from the Greek word meaning â€Å"violet-colored†Ã¢â‚¬â€a reference to the fact it forms dark purple crystals.  During the 1800s, iodine was obtained commercially from mines in Chile, but during the twentieth century wells of brine in Japan, Oklahoma, and Michigan have proven a better source. Uses And Applications: Among the best-known properties of iodine is its importance in the human diet. The thyroid gland produces a growth-regulating hormone that contains iodine, and lack of iodine can cause a goiter, a swelling around the neck. Table salt does not naturally contain iodine; however, sodium chloride sold in stores usually contains about 0. 01% sodium iodide, added by the manufacturer. Iodine was once used in the development of photography: During the early days of photographic technology, the daguerreotype process used silver plates sensitized with iodine vapors. Iodine compounds are used today in chemical analysis and in synthesis of organic compounds. Introduction: Just as fluorine has the distinction of being the most reactive, astatine is the rarest of all the elements. Long after its existence was predicted, chemists still had no luck finding it in nature, and it was only created in 1940 by bombarding bismuth with alpha particles (positively charged helium nuclei). The newly isolated element was given a Greek name meaning â€Å"unstable. † Indeed, none of astatine’s 20 known isotopes is stable, and the longest-lived has a half-life of only 8. 3 hours. This has only added to the difficulties involved in learning about this strange element, and therefore it is difficult to say what applications, if any, astatine may have. The most promising area involves the use of astatine to treat a condition known as hyperthyroidism, related to an overly active thyroid gland.