Accounting-IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting-IFRS - Essay Example This difference between the IFRS and the GAAP is the core of other differences between the two standards. A major difference between the two standards is the way revenue is recognized. The GAAP has more extensive guidelines on revenue recognition compared to the IFRS. The IFRS has two standards of dealing with revenue recognition while the GAAP provides several concepts as well as detailed rules to deal with revenue recognition in different industries. The IFRS requires revenue to be recognized when it is likely that the benefits associated with a transaction can be traced to the entity and quantified reliably. In contrasts, the GAAP provides criterion for determinable or fixed pricing in revenue recognition. In this case revenue cannot be recognized until the amount of the revenue is ascertained. This implies that under the IFRS revenue that is not of a set amount is recognized earlier as compared to the GAAP (Erchinger, and Winfried 124). Another point of difference between the two standards is in relation to financial assets. The IFRS only provides two standards to deal with financial assets while the GAAP has extensive guidelines that apply in various industries. While the IFRS classifies assets into various categories, the GAAP classifies financial assets into pronouncements. The GAAP looks into the legal form of the entity while classifying financial assets while the IFRS considers the nature of the instrument. Financial asset classification is important as this affects income statements and the entities equity. Different classification of financial assets by the two standards can significantly affect the amount in the entity‘s financial statements. There is also a major difference in the manner the two standards treat intangible assets. While the GAAP does not allow for capitalization of internally incurred costs related to development, the IFRS allows for this capitalization when certain criteria are met. In relation to asset impairment, the IFRS

A Look At Marriage In Malaysia Religion Essay

A Look At Marriage In Malaysia Religion Essay Since long ago, policies of marriage are closely associated with the Malaysians religious customs, race and culture of different ethnic groups in the society. With reauthorization of the bill looming, much of the policies and cultures have been debated and has shifted on the questions of how best to build on this success of the marriage. Regarding the nature of marriage in Malaysia, established custom and tradition has been maintained and preserved by many families. The question here is that, is there any change in the policies which leads to the challenge of such tradition? Here, we would look at how such policy changes impact the people in various countries. Comparison within countries will be made. In Malaysia, there are two types of marriages which are practiced and governed differently under different pieces of legislations and policies. Thus, for easier understanding, both types of marriages will be discussed differently and separately. Marriage in Malaysia In the Malaysia position, there are two categories of the marriage procedures, namely the Islamic procedure for Muslim couples and the civil procedure for non-Muslims. Primarily, both types of marriages are different from each other in terms of custom, cultural and beliefs as well as their procedural regulations. For Muslims marriage, the Syaria Law will govern onto them and also their customary practices. While for the non-Muslims marriage, which also known as the civil marriage, the particular law will govern them which is the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976. While a formal process of marriage registration is required, wedding ceremonies are typically also conducted in accordance to the couples culture, tradition or religious customs. Policies Of Marriages The policy in marriages means the aspects applied, considered and practiced by the people in the society. These policies may includes aspects likes the historical background of the culture of each society, lifestyle of the peoples in their society, religious cultures and influenced, economic, human desires and needs and other aspect. According to al-Ghazali, pleasure is the attaining of the object of desire, while desire is the souls inclination to possess the object of its yearning (shawq). When sensitive and rational faculties function well, they are accompanied by a glow, as it were; such radiance is called pleasure by Aristotle. Hedonism asserts that pleasure does not differ in kind or quality. For hedonists, pleasures differ only in degree or quantity, and in duration or intensity; hence their propagation of the expansion of the sensate life. In reality, however, pleasures are of different kinds, and they differ as do the human activities they accompany. Pleasures are of three kinds. Firstly, pleasure related to the life of the mind, such as the pleasures of learning, scientific investigation, intellectual contemplation, and wisdom. Secondly, the biological pleasure, which is common to man and the other animals, such as eating, drinking and sex. Thirdly, the socio-political pleasure, such as the lust for conquest or the desire for social position. Of the three kinds of human pleasure, however, the noblest and the most exclusive to him is the pleasure related to the life of the mind, which endures forever and is rewarded by everlasting bliss in the life to come. According to al-Ghazali, the following eight varieties of pleasure eating, drinking, sex, attire, habitation, smell, hearing and sight are followed in ascending order by the pleasures of social status (jah), accumulation of wealth, rivalry and competition. The uncontrolled desire for the pleasures of eating, drinking and sex are particularly nefarious from the religio-ethical point of view. In relation to these desires, Aristotle and al-Ghazali observe, most men err on the side of excess. As such, training these desires is the starting point of all character building. It is important to note the fact that the last Quranic verse revealed chronologically begins with teaching what are the foods forbidden in Islam, and ending with the statement that God had perfected the religion for those who truly want to submit to Him  [1]  . Likewise, as far as sex is concerned, relations outside of marriage is forbidden. Within the bonds of matrimony, sex practised in moderation is essential. Indeed, marriage is instituted for the preservation of the species and the prevention of diseases which otherwise can harm the body that has no lawful outlet for sexual desire. Through the institution of marriage, one is enabled to satisfy the urgent de ­Ã‚ ­mand of sexual desire. Upon marriage, one enters new challenges, which of providing for a family through lawful earnings, of fulfilling the rights of spouse and offspring, and of tolerating the weaknesses of each other. This requires that the issue of the basic material needs of poor families is adequately addressed in socio-economic policy. In addition, a reform has been a huge success, if measured by reductions in caseloads with regard to the policy and cultural in marriage in Malaysia. With regard against the cultural and policy in marriage in Malaysia position, there are several of policies and cultural which been adopted and developed or changes. In addition, these policies and cultural in marriage matters, have been adopted and practiced by the people in the society for quite long duration of times. Thus, these policies and cultural in marriage matters may be consider as the policies and customary law in the ambit of marriage in Malaysia. Marriage Culture The culture of marriage was starts with high ideals, the secular education movement sought to help the common person by extending its social program through high school. Everyone was urged to finish high school. The business of education grew as other business grew with it. Agribusiness pushed people off of the small farm, while the attractions of the city, the sophistication of higher culture, and the new corporate economic growth drew people into the cities. Then the pressure was on to attend college. Courses were gradually dumbed down in order to accomodate the droves of young people who are culturally trained in them and for them. Education was billed as the path to success, and it was true, if over stated. Competition in the work force led many to seek higher degrees still, postponing marriage in many cases well past their sexual prime or desirability. The growth of mass education in this century led to the herding of our young people together with others the same age. More and more, coeducation became the norm at higher and higher age levels. Young people found themselves away from their parents more, and developed romantic relationships, apart from their parents supervision, with friends in high school. Later this was also the case in colleges which were taking in more and more students and were becoming coed. This tended to effect cultural feelings about a the relative difference in age in a young couple. The extended adolesence of our young has proved profitable for these institutions and for other big businesses as well, but it effectively competed with many of the regular people it claimed to help, financially and culturally defrauding them to some extent, if unintentionally. Young women are to be protected, primarily by their fathers. Fathers are traditionally understood to be their authority and protection- the ones who give (them)in marriage to another protector, their future husband. The larger society cannot protect them. Thus our single young women should not move about so freely among young men as is done currently in our fornicating, aborting, single mom culture. Suitors should woo with the girls parents nearby. Parties where marriageable young people meet should be arranged by the parents in the community. It is to be known that the earlier culture in marriage were too restrictive on women and on marriage in general. We of course are so much happier with our progress in fornication, unwanted pregnancies, broken hearts, abortion guilt, enflamed and economically exploited lust, and comercialized exploitation of postponed marriage frustration. Also, the marriage culture earlier, parents can find at least some time for this important phase of their childrens life. I think they had better do something for their children, and not just leave their opportunities completely to the larger culture which does such a poor job.In any case, certainly even arranged marriages, for all their strictness, would be better than our cultures flacidity. Our culture revels in distracting and wasting its youths years of greatest relations and economic strength. Carefully arranged and chaperoned events would improve a girls chances of being courted by serious suitors. Parents can be helpful by keeping it fun and light hearted, or at least casual. They should not make it seem like a big deal, because this will make the young people tense. Acceptance of moderate age difference has been hard to find at coeducational institutions. Young people, naturally influenced by the environment in which they are placed, feel safer and more natural with friends their own age, having been educated for years with their age group, and they care a great deal about what their friends think. Seniors and graduates are embarrased about their attraction to freshmen girls. Potential couples try to tell themselves and others that they are just friends. Parents who themselves where raised in a co-education culture find themselves resistant to older suitors. But in light of earlier traditions where there are no minimum age of a person to get married or been married. Muslims Marriage The Islamic Family Law, which governs the Muslims marriage in Malaysia are likely as the personal status laws and traditions of all religions, has always been problematic as it discriminates against women. Since the late 19th century, Muslim countries exercised ijtihad, reinterpretation of the Quran, in order to redress some of the injustices Muslim women suffer in marriage, polygamy,divorce and issues of custody and guardianship of children. In the post-colonial era, when Muslim countries moved towards the codification of Muslim personal laws through statutory enactments, they adopted a process of selecting and combining differing juristic opinions of different schools of Islamic law (mazhab) in order to partially redress the discrimination against women. In Malaysia, the first major effort at law reform took place in the early 1980s when the Attorney-Generals chambers was appointed to prepare a model enactment to be the basis of a uniform Islamic Family Law to replace the diverse and conflicting legislations of the different states which predated independence. Muslim Family Law Reform In 1984 the Islamic Family Law was codified and passed by Parliament. This law was seen as a progressive law, regarded as one of the best Muslim Family Laws in the world. The positive, gender-sensitive reforms included: Grounds for divorce for women were expanded: 12 grounds for fasakh, (most of them from the Maliki school, because the Shafie school provides limited grounds) including cruelty on 6 different grounds: habitually assaults her or makes her life miserable, or associates with women of evil repute or leads an infamous life; attempts to force her to lead an immoral life,2 disposes of her property or prevents her from exercising her legal rights over it; or obstruct her in observance of her religious obligations or practice if he has more than one wife and does not treat her equitably; Divorce outside the court was made illegal; Polygamy without the permission of the court was made illegal; Five strict conditions to be fulfilled before court can give a man permission to take another wife: just and necessary. Grounds included sterility, physically unfit for conjugal relations, insanity; financial ability to support all wives and dependents, including would be dependents; ability to treat all wives equally; no harm caused to existing wife in respect of religion, life, body, mind, or property; no drop in standard of living, directly or indirectly, of existing wife and dependents; Wife has a right to claim her share of matrimonial assets from her husband even though she has not financially contributed to its acquisition. Her role as wife and mother are considered as contribution that enabled her husband to acquire his assets. This was considered revolutionary, not just in the Muslim world, but also in civil jurisdiction. Other Muslim countries looked at Malaysias law as a model and adopted in particular the division of matrimonial assets provision. Civil Marriage The Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, 1976 have been drafted in 1976, when the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act was passed by Parliament (enforced in 1982), the practiced in civil law reform for non-Muslim marriage has been progressive. The major reform of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, 1976 was the banning of polygamy among non-Muslims. Prior to that, non-Muslim men could choose to be polygamous under their respective customary laws. For instances, the Chinese customary law allowed unlimited polygamy. It also allowed Chinese men to unilaterally pronounce divorce on their wives, on any one of seven grounds: Adultery, disrespect to husbands parents, barrenness (i.e. failure to bear a son), talkativeness (nagging), jealousy suffering an infectious disease, The Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, 1976 have abolished all that and provides for divorce by mutual consent or upon petition by either spouse in an equal divorce process where the grounds for both men and women are: intolerable adultery unreasonable behaviour desertion for not less than 2 years living separately for not less than 2 years. As for the process apply after the coming in force of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act, 1976 , this law reform was done in a democratic and consultative manner. A Parliamentary select committee was established and it travelled all over the country to listen to diverse views from the ground before this law was drafted. Guardianship of Infants Act, 1961 Other progressive reforms in civil law governing family matters took place around 1990 are several amendments to the Guardianship Act and the Distribution Act 1961. The Guardianship of Infants Act was amended in 1999 to provide for the father and mother to have equal rights to guardianship of their children. In the past, only the father was the primary guardian of his children. Alas, this amendment only benefited non-Muslims as guardianship of children for Muslims comes under the jurisdiction of shariah law. The constitutional amendment of Article 121(A) made in 1988 which provided that civil court cannot exercise jurisdiction on matters under shariah jurisdiction meant that Muslim women could not benefit from this law reform process as guardianship for Muslims comes under the jurisdiction of the Islamic Family Law. Are Muslim women then supposed to roll over and play dead while their sisters of other faiths advance forward in the pursuit of the Constitutional guarantee for equality before the law? Certainly nobody in government saw it fit to deal with the issue of the guardianship rights of Muslim mothers. This policy decision thus enables Muslim women to enjoy the benefit of law reform that applied only to their non-Muslim. The Distribution Act 1958 The Distribution Act was amended in 1999 to provide for equal inheritance for widows and widowers. Previously, the husband of a deceased woman inherited the whole estate (even her children were excluded from inheritance if she died intestate and was survived by her husband), while the wife of the deceased man inherited only ONE THIRD of his estate if he had children (the other two-thirds were given to his children), or one-half of his estate if he had no children (the other half was given to his other relatives). The amendment provides equal right to inheritance for the husband and wife and also granted children the right to inherit from their mothers as well as from their fathers estate. When laws for non-Muslim women were being amended to grant them equal rights to inheritance and guardianship, even more laws and policies were amended to discriminate against the Muslim women. The Insurance Act was amended in 1996 to provide that the Muslim beneficiary named in an insurance policy acts only as the administrator of the estate, as the deceased insurance monies is to be distributed according to faraid. This means if your husband buys a policy and names you, his wife as the beneficiary in order to protect your wellbeing upon his death, you actually will not be the sole beneficiary of that policy. The monies will be divided according to faraid, the Islamic inheritance rules. Factors of Changes Welfare The relative lack of attention to marriage promotion has prompted numbers of the public to argue and suggests that the government should act much more aggressively to pursue a pro-marriage agenda. The matter of marriage promotion rightly contend that marriage confers a variety of benefits. For example, married women have much lower rates of poverty and are less dependent on the government assistances than single or divorced mothers, and children do best being raised by both biological parents. In general, married parents also have better mental health and are more likely to be civically engaged. Whereby, its means that they have fulfil all the requirements to married. Although promoting marriage is undeniably a laudable aim, whether government have provides sufficient protects for the public interest with fair and just. Also whether it can effectively promote marriage is far from certain. Thus, due to this matter of welfare either of the infants of the marriage or each party in the marriage or even together with the party and the infant, there are changes made with regards in dealing with this matters. The changes for such is to helps poor or inability women and their children lead better lives, if the case that the marriage was dissolve. Sosio-economic The socio-economic context of men and womens lives today has drastically changed since Islams early days and our understanding of these principles needs to accordingly evolve to reflect the justice of Islam, the realities of today and what justice means today. Today, many women earn a living and maintain their families together with their husbands. Divorced or widowed mothers often provide for their children without assistance from ex-husbands or male relatives. One would expect that womens right to inheritance would expand with their responsibilities but unfortunately this has not been the case. Should the daughter who takes care of her ageing parents financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually until their death, get half what her brother inherits, even when he did not lift a finger to help? Should men continue to enjoy privileges when they fail to perform their responsibilities? In Islam, privilege is linked to responsibility. In practically, while mens privileges are recognized and codified into law, their responsibilities are somehow regarded as between them and God, and not for the state to enforce nor to punish them and deny them the privileges should they fail in performing their responsibilities. Development In Society Marriage policies and cultural are as the number of community-level approaches being implemented grows, the need to identify effective strategies also increases. Most research in the area of strengthening marriage focuses on the effects of interventions offered to individual couples. Whereby, the society have develop due to the time pass. Where, it can be said that the thinking and mentality of people in the society are change and develop. Thus, it affects to the changes. Awareness and Responsibility Although some may consider marriage outside the purview of government responsibility, it is increasingly common for government and private agencies to combine efforts to promote healthy marriages. Thus, certain culture and policy in marriage have been changes due to the consistency of such marriage culture and policy with the society and current recent situation. Social Changes They are more likely to move into and out of cohabiting relationships and are substantially more likely to be divorced or remarried than women who wait to have children until after they marry. Specifically, unwed mothers are more likely than other women to be in second or higher order marriages. Where, the internal or the external in social changes which have emphasizes on the impact of some changes into the society. Where, in addition, the social changes are beyond the care and control of the people in the society. Comparison With reference to another country, the comparison and reference made are towards two different types of policies and cultures applied and practiced by two different types of countries. Whereby, comparison and references are towards the English situation, which mostly shows the civil policies and cultures of marriage. Also, to the Islamic countries position, likes Pakistan. Thus, using a well-matched comparison examples from other countries helps to address potential selection bias because factors affecting marriage and divorce should be similar in both types of marriage. English Situation In English situation, it is known that in marriage, without hesitation that the feminist era of the Sixties ruined American women. He declares with no affection that when women started to claim their rights, the husband was forgotten. American women were given the ability to say no to their husbands. Larry is a firm believer in the Christian doctrine that the man rules the roost, and the wife should look to her man for guidance in all things, spiritual and otherwise. There are two kinds of marital paths or ideologies. Traditional views include the typical view of a family, which stresses steadiness and commitment in a framework generally accepted by the society in which one lives.. Therapeutic views focus instead on the feelings of gratification arising from love and emotional interactions. Those believing in a traditional view of marriage, most often espoused by men seeking foreign brides for marriage, often believe in the importance of time-honored institutions and value a certain amount of stability and predictability in relationships. The more therapeutic view, also known as the ideology of uncertainty, thrives on change and the ability to experience individual freedoms as well as sharing them within a family structure. Most people term the former old-fashioned and the latter modern. Also, that the demographic of age of a person mostly getting married, which, although sent equally to all age groups-was between 30 and 60, leaning to over 45. They were aware of the strong family values component to the culture. There is usually a strong father figure, and the entire family participates in the keeping the family unit stable. The policy and culture in the English situation are also practiced the sequence in sibling of each family. Where, the younger sibling will respect the elder to get married before they do. In their culture also, couples from different cultures get into relationships for the same reasons intracultural couples do. Two factors that strongly influence the facilitation of intercultural relationships are both a strong sense of ethnic identity and a profound interest in other cultures and similar education and socioeconomic status. Although the former, strong ethnic identity and interest in other cultures can make one more apt to get into an intercultural relationship, if one member is more educated or higher up in a social hierarchy, the less likely they are to marry out of their culture.   In other words,  the rules change. The problem is with marriage itself. Once relationships are built on force and what one has to do, they are no longer love relationships. People dont like to be forced. The policies and cultures in marriage in English   are slowly changing, even if some things stay the same. Their gender roles have been affected by the feminist movement, just as the industrial revolution, the rise of the labour laws, more technology at home, and the post-World War II boom changed the American family. As the woman was released from having to work in factories and better technology offered more leisure time and more focus on the children, the policies and cultural in English country changed.   Recently in currents days, in a post-feminist era where typically both partners in a marriage work and must do so to maintain their standard of living, the sharing factor becomes more evident and is desired by both male and female, as clearly indicated in my survey. Men and women alike in great numbers overwhelmingly want trust and sharing from their partner. They are looking for a best friend who understands them. Thus, from the above reference in English situation, it may be conclude that,  as long as both parties agree to the basic structure of what marriage is and should be, the partnership is more likely to be successful, no matter where the individuals were born. The people in the society who are more modern and progressive in their thinking can take heart in the findings suggest that both men and women in the English are seeking best friends, trust, understanding, and a commitment to sharing in relationship. Now that they have agreed on what they want, all they have to do is commit to being those things. Islamic Countries Main characteristics of Muslim marriage culture are consent of the competent parties, presence of witnesses and dower (Mehr) to wife. No ceremony or ritual is required for a valid Muslim marriage contract. However, Muslims observe colourful marriage customs is different parts of the world depending upon their local cultures. Most of the wedding customs are innocent in nature while some are against basic principles of Islamic marriage jurisprudence. The Muslim marriages are famous for the best in inviting and welcoming the guests. This kind of Muslim marriage culture provides people a chance to entertain guests in bulk and strengthen their social bonds. Not only bride, groom and their families but also neighbors and their friends enjoy marriage event with different rituals. Muslim marriage culture is famous for the best in inviting and welcoming the guests. Wedding customs give them a chance to entertain guests in bulk. Muslim marriage can take place at any convenient time. Also the marriage venue can be the bride or grooms house. In Muslim marriage policies and culture, couples may contract a marriage at any place and time in Muslim marriage culture. Some prefer night hours but there is no legal or religious restriction. Marriage may take place at any venue including bride or grooms house. However, generally the wedding ceremony takes place at brides place. Following common practices are observed in Muslim marriage culture: The wedding ceremony starts with delivery of a sermon by a Qazi or Imam. Though his services are not required at all for a valid Muslim marriage contract but traditionally no Muslim marriage is conducted without such a sermon. In Pakistan Nikah registrars not only register the marriages but also deliver the sermon. It not only gives a sacred character to the marriage but also helps the families to announce the marriage. A sermon may even be delivered by someone from the families of bride or groom. Pakistans Situation Generally, in Pakistani and Indian marriage cultures the Muslim family of a groom searches for the bride. Quran and Islamic marriage jurisprudence does not accept a marriage conducted without free consent of the parties. But the families used to ignore consent of the parties for one reason or the other. However, the advent of information technology and developments made by the media has been forcing the elders of the families to take a back seat. Now, in most of the case you can dictate your terms as an adult. But you still cant avoid the customs and traditions of your society if you are from the sub-continent. And I dont think that there may be some good reason to avoid these traditions. They may not have any importance in Islamic jurisprudence but they can make your marriage extremely colorful. The marriage customs in Pakistani and Indian Muslim marriage cultures are similar. Such similarities in followers of different religions with their individual religious flavor. But in case of Muslims the marriage customs are akin across the borders. (Wedding related customs in All Muslim marriage cultures) As in Pakistani and Indian marriage cultures the Mangni is essential not only in the Muslim families but also in non-Muslim ones. It equates to the ceremony of engagement in North America with all out local colors. It is exchange of rings between the marriage partners. Generally, grooms family visits the house of bride first and puts a ring in her finger. Then it is turn of the brides family to do the same. Now the modern families are allowing their children to exchange their rings in a single ceremony but most of the people are still going with the tradition. In Pakistani and Indian marriage cultures and Islamic laws does not allow the marrying parties to have any kind of relationship. It neither creates any right nor duties. It is only after valid Nikah that they become legally husband and wife. If engagement is broken by any of the party, it does not affect the parties anyway. However, the parties prefer to return whatever they have got as gifts. The order is not fixed. The families may decide to change the order of observing the customs as for their convenience. Traditionally, in Pakistani and Indian marriage cultures, only unmarried women apply Mehndi and turmeric pastes to brides. The Mehndi is also applied to grooms hands. After this ceremony the bride is not allowed to leave her house until the wedding takes place. She can go to beauty parlor on the wedding day along with women of her family. Conclusion The aim of such changes is to help in creating a strong, lasting and satisfying marriages through the reformation, development or the changes in the policies and the cultural. These changes are also relates with the marriage preparation to engaged couples and marriage enrichment and also reconciliation to married couples. They also help with step-family formation and success. Which means to say that these changes are with regard to the public policy and interest. Also for the welfare of family community and interests. More rigorous testing of community marriage initiatives, will require improvement in the quality, completeness, and consistency of data. In addition, it will be necessary t

Technology - The Use of Holograms as a Teaching Tool :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Use of Holograms as a Teaching Tool "Wake up honey, you are going to be late for school if you don't hurry!" my mom shouted from the kitchen. "Do I have to go?" I moaned. "Yes, now hurry" she said. "Fine!" I yelled, as I stormed out the door. Once I got to the school, I hurried my way to U.S. History and took my seat. I was doing my usual day dreaming, before I actually realized what the rest of the class was discussing. I was thinking about what I was going to do after school or what basketball practice was going to be like. All of the sudden, the teacher threw a book on the desk; I snapped out of it immediately but the scene of the plain classroom wasn't the same. Everything the teacher was talking about in class was appearing in the classroom. It was like being able to walk around in history. I sat back in amazement and wondered if this virtual reality was actually true. It was unbelievable how people interacted with each other and how real it seemed. Although I wasn't really interested in the topic we were on, I immediately wanted to learn more about it because of all the graphics. It was so easy for me to learn everything that we were talking about because it appeared right in front of me. Then I thought to myself, Is it possible for holograms to teach our class or could we use them to explore lands and planets that are unknown? Could we possibly learn from these virtual worlds about how the real world works? It was almost as if I was living on the inside of the computer. It seemed as though mechanical systems would wear out, and if these holograms were properly designed, they could last hundreds of years. Then I debated whether or not this was possible or if I was still dreaming. This virtual world was beyond belief. It reminded me of scenes from Star Trek when the transporting device with the laser beam was used to relocate someone's body form from one place to another. It seemed as though the Civil War soldiers were real and were just carrying on with their everyday lives in the war. In the back of my head, I wanted to believe that they were just images, but it was hard for me to because they appeared so life like.

Why Do Students Cheat?

Professor Anderman’s research shows that eighty-five percent of students have cheated in high school; this drastic number exists due to the fact that students want to attend excellent colleges. The competitive high school environment has constant pressure to succeed; therefore, thus, many students depend on cheating in order to receive the grades that he or she desires. Because cheating has become an ordinary resolution for many students, more and more students do so every day, mimicking the action of their peers.Unfortunately, the eighty-five percent of students who cheat would prefer a higher score than the chance to grow as a learner. All of the cheating boils down to one simple concept: college acceptances. To begin, students cheat in order to get accepted to the college of their choice. As Kolker explains, students believe that, â€Å"College, more than ever, determines success. † As a high school student in 2013, one will constantly hear other students saying, â⠂¬Å"I need to get into a top college, my whole future depends on it! † and â€Å"Oh man, I didn’t do well on that test, now I am not going to get into college.†In this day and age, teenagers have a mind-set that they only attend high school in order to be accepted into a prestigious college, rather than learning and developing as a student. These students only think about what they must do in order for top colleges to choose them; thus, if cheating is the answer, they will cheat to receive the better grade. Anderman’s research discovered that, â€Å"The most impulsive cheaters cheated less often when they believed the point of the test was to help them master the material, not just get a score.†This concept is seen in an AP Calculus class of high school juniors and seniors. The teacher has a policy that quizzes are not factored into the student’s grade; however, tests are a very important factor for the student’s grade. The quizzes are designed to help the students learn, while the tests are designed to test the student’s abilities by receiving a score. In this situation, when there is an upcoming quiz, many students are very lackadaisical and rarely study for the assessment.Conversely, on a test day, the calculus students run around frantically trying to receive questions and answers from students who have already taken the same test, a prime example of cheating. Thus, this proves that students cheat in order to receive a high grade, as they don’t cheat for a quiz that does not determine their final grade. The next criminal in this cheating era is the SAT. Eshagoff, a student who participated in the Long Island SAT scandal, stated, â€Å"By giving him an amazing score, I totally give him †¦Ã‚  a new lease on life,† proving that students view the SAT as determining their future.Evidentially, something in this system is corrupt when one test is what determines whether or not a boy receive s a â€Å"new lease on life. † It is this idea that causes drastic cheating rings. Students believe that their entire life is predestined to failure if they do not succeed on major tests; therefore, they resort to cheating. This relates to Anderman’s theory that, â€Å"If everything is always high-stakes, you’re going to create an environment conducive to cheating.†It is very tempting for a student with awful grades to cheat because he or she knows that he or she has an opportunity to receive an exemplary score on the SAT. This student would consider the fact that without cheating, he or she would most likely go to a below average college which some students view as unacceptable in this college dominating culture, where everyone links the rest of their life to the college they attend. This is why the vast cheating rings occur, such as the Long Island SAT scandal: to enhance ones chances of going to a better college.Unfortunately, cheating will continue as long as it is the social norm. Dan Airley, a Duke social scientist, explains that students are more likely to cheat if everyone else is cheating as well. He explains, â€Å"There is right and wrong, and there is what people around us tell us is right and wrong. The people around us are often more powerful. † If many students are clearly cheating while taking a test, the chances that other students will cheat too increase greatly.This is demonstrated through the Carnegie Mellon experiment, where actors were hired to portray cheating students to see how the actual students would respond. The variable was that in one room, the actor was wearing University of Pittsburgh apparel. However, in the other room, the actor was wearing Carnegie Mellon apparel. The study resulted in more students cheating in the room with the University of Pittsburgh actor than in the room with the Carnegie Mellon actor. This is due to Airley’s idea that, â€Å"The people around us are often more powerful.  Ã¢â‚¬ The Carnegie Mellon students are apart of a community with the Carnegie Mellon â€Å"student† who cheated; consequently, they viewed it as acceptable to cheat because their fellow classmate was cheating. Yet, the University of Pittsburgh â€Å"student† is an outsider and as a result, the other students do not associate themselves with him; thus, fewer students follow his academic dishonest actions. Airley used an excellent analogy to relate this scenario with speeding on the road. He states, â€Å"There’s a speed limit, but you see people around you driving at a certain speed, and you get used to it pretty quickly.†As Airley explains, it is significantly easier to do something that is obviously immoral when everyone else is participating too. The pressure to succeed in high school in order to attend a prestigious university produces an environment where cheating is somewhat acceptable, enough that eighty-five percent of students have admitted to cheating before. This is a never-ending chain, as cheating becomes tolerable to students once everyone else is participating in this unjust act.The preconceived notion that all that matters in a teenager’s life is the colleges they are accepted to has developed a culture in which being academically dishonest has become the standard. Whether it is creating a texting group to distribute test questions and answers, asking friends for help on a test that they already took, or having someone else take the SAT for you, cheating has become an everyday part of high school life. In American culture, a college acceptance letter is far more important to a student than his or her dignity and honesty, something that must change within our society.

Introduction to Baby Thesis Essay

Heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, can often be found in industrial wastewater and their discharge to the environment poses a serious threat due to their acute toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial life which includes humans. As a result of increasing industrialization more heavy metals are continually released to the environment and this has prompted environmental engineers and scientists to think of better methods by which heavy metal-bearing wastewaters can be treated effectively and economically. The most used way of removing heavy metals in wastewater is through the use of activated carbon which is used as an adsorbent. This is due to the adsorptive properties of activated carbon(Cecen & Aktas, 2011). Agricultural by-products represent a considerable quantity of harvested commodity crops. The use of by-products as precursors for the production of widely used adsorbents, such as activated carbons, may impart a value-added component of the overall biomass harvested. In most developing countries, the activated carbon is imported at high cost, limiting the quantities of safe drinking water available to the people (Gray, 2010, p. 72). In recent years, there has been research focusing on the use of appropriate, low cost technology for the treatment of drinking water in the developing world. Research has also been focused on the indigenous production of water treatment chemicals using locally available raw materials. Generally, the raw materials for the production of Activated Carbon are those with high carbon but low inorganic contents such as wood, lignite, peat and coal. Activated carbons form a large and important class of porous solids, which have found a wide range of technological applications. The characteristics of activated carbon depend on the physical and chemical properties of the precursor as well as on the activation method. In addition to the starting material and the oxidizing agent, activation time and temperature affect the structural properties of the resulting activated carbon (Hassler, 2009). A wide range of carbonaceous materials can be used as the carbon precursors such as coal, peat, wood and various agricultural by-products. Recently, agricultural by-products have received an increasing attention for the production of activated carbon due to their low-cost, renewability and wide prevalence (March & Reinoso, 2006). The production of value-added products such as activated carbon will enlarge its application, reduce waste materials and generate income to rural communities in Valenzuela. Heavy metal contamination exists in aqueous waste streams of many industries such as metal plating facilities, mining operations and tanners. Activated carbons were used as adsorbent materials because of their extended surface area, microporous structure, high adsorption capacity and high degree of surface reactivity. Furthermore, the presence of different surface functional groups on activated carbon, especially oxygen groups, leads to the adsorption of ions of heavy metals (Ilango, 2012, p. 22). One of the fastest growing research areas is the environmental applications of activated carbon, such as wastewater treatment. In the treatment of wastewater, it is used for purification, decolorization and the removal of toxic organics and heavy metal ions. year Chernicharo and Sperling (2005) stated that the demand of activated carbon increased over the years and the market growth was estimated at 4. 6 % per. This demand can be satisfied considering the large number of raw material available for the production of activated carbon (Bansal, & Goyal, 2005). The aim of the study was to produce activated carbon from local agroforestry wastes and assess the efficiency of the produced carbons in removing dyes and metal ions from wastewater. The researchers decided to use corncobs as the source of activated carbon to be used in the adsorption of heavy metals present in the waters of Manila Bay, this is because corncobs are widely available and inexpensive macromolecular waste in the agriculture in the Philippines. Bandosz (2006) studied the thermochemical reaction between corncob and CA and obtained a modified corncob, which had a large cation exchange capacity than natural corncob. Chemical analysis of the corncobs showed that it mostly consisted of 38. 4%, cellulose; 40. %, hemicelluloses; and 9. 1%, lignin. Modified ground corncobs using either 0. 6 M CA or phosphoric acid have improved natural adsorption capacity. Physical and chemical agents generated by human activities may often have various adverse effects on both aquatic and terrestrial Iife. Lead is an ubiquitous material in the environment and its presence in varying concentrations can be found in diverse locations. The Water Environment Federation (2010) reported that human exposure to lead has harmful effects on kidney, central nervous and reproductive systems. Air, food and water generally do not usually contain large amounts of lead, however excessive contamination of these natural sources by industrial activities can result in continuous toxic levels of exposure and consequently clinical poisoning (Ilango, 2012). In order to develop poisoning from organic lead, one has to be continuously exposed to concentrations higher than those in the general environment for some week or months. Lead exposure has both acute and chronic effects (Hassler, 2009). Another pertinent health problem of lead is bioaccumulation or magnification, which may elevate its concentration to toxic levels (Ilango, 2012). National Research Council Canada reported that fish could absorb lead through their body surface and the food they consume. As a case study the liver of sea bass caught near California Coast at Los Angeles was found to contain about 22 ppm Pb which is considerably higher than the permitted level of 10 ppm for human consumption and twice as high as the concentration in fishes found 300 km away; the major* of the lead was attributed to automotive aerosol (Bandosz 2006).

Biography of Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize Winner

Biography of Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Prize Winner Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909–2012) was a Nobel Prize-winning neurologist who discovered and studied the Nerve Growth Factor, a critical chemical tool the human body uses to direct cell growth and build nerve networks. Born into a Jewish family in Italy, she survived the horrors of Hitlers Europe to make major contributions to research on cancer and Alzheimers disease. Fast Facts: Rita Levi-Montalcini Occupation: Nobel Prize winning neuroscientistKnown For: Discovering the first nerve growth factor (NGF)Born: April 22, 1909 in Turin, Italy  Parents Names: Adamo Levi and Adele MontalciniDied: December 30, 2012 in Rome, ItalyEducation: University of TurinKey Accomplishments: Nobel Prize in Medicine, U.S. National Medal of ScienceFamous Quote:  If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize. Early Years Rita Levi-Montalcini was born in Turin, Italy, on April 22, 1909. She was the youngest of four children from a well-to-do Italian Jewish family led by Adamo Levi, an electrical engineer, and Adele Montalcini, a painter. As was the custom in the early 20th century, Adamo discouraged Rita and her sisters Paola and Anna from entering college. Adamo felt that the womans role of raising a family was incompatible with creative expression and professional endeavors. Rita had other plans. At first, she wanted to be a philosopher, then decided she wasnt logically minded enough. Then, inspired by Swedish writer Selma Lagerlof, she considered a career in writing. After her governess died of cancer, however, Rita decided she would become a doctor, and in 1930, she entered the University of Turin at the age of 22. Ritas twin sister Paola went on to great success as an artist. Neither of the sisters married, a fact about which neither expressed any regret. Education Levi-Montalcinis first mentor at the University of Turin was Giuseppe Levi (no relation). Levi was a prominent neurohistologist who introduced Levi-Montalcini to the scientific study of the developing nervous system. She became an intern at the Institute of Anatomy at Turin, where she grew adept at histology, including techniques like staining nerve cells. Giuseppe Levi was known for being something of a tyrant, and he gave his mentee an impossible task: figure out how the convolutions of the human brain are formed. However, Levi-Montalcini was unable to obtain human fetal tissue in a country where abortion was illegal, so she dropped the research in favor of studying nervous system development in chick embryos. In 1936, Levi-Montalcini graduated from the University of Turin summa cum laude with a degree in Medicine and Surgery. She then enrolled in a three-year specialization in neurology and psychiatry. In 1938, Benito Mussolini banned  non-Aryans from academic and professional careers. Levi-Montalcini was working at a scientific institute in Belgium when Germany invaded that country in 1940, and she returned to Turin, where her family was considering emigrating to the United States. However, the Levi-Montalcinis ultimately decided to remain in Italy. In order to continue her research on chick embryos, Levi-Montalcini installed a small research unit at home in her bedroom.   World War II In 1941, heavy Allied bombing forced the family to abandon Turin and move to the countryside. Levi-Montalcini was able to continue her research until 1943, when the Germans invaded Italy. The family fled to Florence, where they lived in hiding until the end of World War II.   While in Florence, Levi-Montalcini worked as a medical doctor for a refugee camp and fought epidemics of infectious diseases and typhus. In May 1945, the war ended in Italy, and Levi-Montalcini and her family returned to Turin, where she resumed her academic positions and worked again with Giuseppe Levi. In the fall of 1947, she received an invitation from Professor Viktor Hamburger at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) to work with him conducting research on chick embryo development. Levi-Montalcini accepted; she would remain at WUSTL until 1977.   Professional Career At WUSTL, Levi-Montalcini and Hamburger discovered a protein that, when released by cells, attracts nerve growth from nearby developing cells. In the early 1950s, she and biochemist Stanley Cohen isolated and described the chemical which became known as the Nerve Growth Factor.  Ã‚   Levi-Montalcini became an associate professor at WUSTL in 1956 and a full professor in 1961. In 1962, she helped establish the Institute of Cell Biology in Rome and became its first director. She retired from WUSTL in 1977, remaining as emerita there but splitting her time between Rome and St. Louis.   Nobel Prize and Politics In 1986, Levi-Montalcini and Cohen were together awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. She was only the fourth woman to win a Nobel Prize. In 2002, she established the European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) in Rome, a non-profit center to foster and promote brain research.   In 2001, Italy made her a senator for life, a role which she did not take lightly. In 2006, at the age of 97, she held the deciding vote in the Italian parliament on a budget that was backed by the government of Roman Prodi. She threatened to withdraw her support unless the government reversed a last-minute decision to cut science funding. The funding was put back in, and the budget passed, despite attempts by the opposition leader Francesco Storace to silence her. Storace mockingly sent her crutches, stating that she was too old to vote and a crutch to an ailing government. At the age of 100, Levi-Montalcini was still going to work at the EBRI, now named after her.   Personal Life Levi-Montalcini never married and had no children. She was briefly engaged in medical school, but had no long-term romances. In a 1988 interview with Omni magazine, she commented that even marriages between two brilliant people might suffer because of resentment over unequal success.   She was, however, the author or co-author of over 20 popular books, including her own autobiography, and dozens of research studies. She received numerous scientific medals, including the United States National Medal of Science, presented to her at the White House by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. Famous Quotes In 1988, Scientific American asked 75 researchers their reasons for becoming a scientist. Levi-Montalcini gave the following reason:   The love for nerve cells, a thirst for unveiling the rules which control their growth and differentiation, and the pleasure of performing this task in defiance of the racial laws issued in 1939 by the Fascist regime were the driving forces which opened the doors for me of the Forbidden City. During a 1993 interview with Margaret Holloway for Scientific American, Levi-Montalcini mused:   If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize.   Levi-Montalcinis 2012 obituary in the New York Times included the following quote, from her autobiography: It is imperfection- not perfection- that is the end result of the program written into that formidably complex engine that is the human brain, and of the influences exerted upon us by the environment and whoever takes care of us during the long years of our physical, psychological and intellectual development. Legacy and Death Rita Levi-Montalcini died on December 30, 2012, at age 103, at her home in Rome. Her discovery of the Nerve Growth Factor, and the research that led to it, gave other researchers a new way to study and understand cancers (disorders of neural growth) and Alzheimers disease (degeneration of neurons). Her research created fresh pathways for developing groundbreaking therapies.   Levi-Montalcinis influence in nonprofit science efforts, refugee work, and mentoring students was considerable. Her 1988 autobiography is eminently readable and often assigned to beginning STEM students. Sources Abbott, Alison. Neuroscience: One Hundred Years of Rita. Nature 458 (1909): 564–67. Print.Aloe, L. Rita Levi-Montalcini and the Discovery of NGF, the First Nerve Cell Growth Factor. Archives Italiennes de Biologie 149.2 (2011): 175–81. Print.Arnheim, Rudolf, et al. Seventy-Five Reasons to Become a Scientist: American Scientist Celebrates Its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary. American Scientist 76.5 (1988): 450–63. Print.Carey, Benedict. Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, Nobel Winner, Dies at 103. The New York Times December 30, 2012, New York ed.: A17. Print.Holloway, Marguerite. Finding the Good in the Bad: A Profile of Rita Levi-Montalcini. Scientific American  (2012, originally published 1993). Print.Levi-Montalcini, Rita. In Praise of Imperfection: My Life and Work. Trans. Attardi, Luigi. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 220: Basic Books, 1988. Print.Levi-Montalcini, Rita, and Stanley Cohen. Rita Levi-Montalcini- Facts. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1986.  Web.

Comm 307 Study Guide Essays

Comm 307 Study Guide Essays Comm 307 Study Guide Essay Comm 307 Study Guide Essay Comm 307 Midterm Study Guide Types of Hypotheses: ?tentative statement about the relationship between IV DV ?One-tailed ?predicts the specific nature of the relationship or difference ?EX: Females will talk more (higher word count) than males in mixed dyadic dinner conversations ? Two-tailed ?predicts significant relationship or difference, but does not indicate the specific nature of the relationship ?EX: There is a significant difference in the quantity of words used (talkatively) by males females in mixed dyadic dinner conversations ? Null (Ho)? predicts that groups will not vary on DV or that there is not a relationship between 2 variables ? Ho: r=0 H1: r=0 ?H0: male talkatively = female talkatively ?**you are testing the Null hypotheses Types of Research Questions: ?explicit question researchers ask about variables of interest ? Directional ?asks if there is a positive or negative relationship or a specific difference between two or more variables ?EX: Do females use significa ntly more words than males? ?Nondirectional ?when researcher asks if there is no relationship between two or more variables or a significant difference occurs between two or more variables EX: Is there a significant difference between the amount of words (talkatively) females and males? Variables: ?Any entity that can take on different values ?Concrete ?birth order (first born, middle child, baby) ?sex (male or female) ?Abstract ?age (a number that changes) ?level of public speaking anxiety (score) ?Relationships ?correspondence between two variables ?Correlation ?Positive, Negative, No relationship ?Strength and Direction Variables: ?Independent ?variable(s) that is (are) manipulated or changed ?we study the impact on the DV ?Dependent ?variables recorded or measured ?we study changes in DV **RESPONDER! ?Intervening Variables ?variable that intervenes between the independent variable the dependent variable ? Antecedent Variables ?must consider what happened previously ?a study exa mining the impact of conflict (IV) on marital satisfaction (DV) ?possible antecedent variables could potentially impact the results ? Variable Levels ?Nominal ?three rules: ?mutually exclusive ?equivalency ?exhaustive ?examples: ?biological sex (male vs female) ?heart attack (yes vs no) ?Ordinal ?three rules: ?mutually exclusive ?logical ordering of categories (more of something) ?categorical balance ?examples: socio economic status ?(lower, middle, upper) ?education level ?(high school, college, graduate) ? letter grades ?(A, B, C, D, or F) ?Interval ?variable where the values of the categories are classified in a logical order that represents equal distances between the levels within each category ?there is no absolute zero ?examples: ?likert scale ?strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree ? semantic differential/bipolar adjective scale ? good/bad, dirty/clean, strong/weak ? guttman or scalogram rarely used in comm research ?to ascertain belief ?Ratio ?variable where the values of the categories are classified in a logical order that represents equal distances between the levels within each category with the presence of an absolute zero ?examples: ?temperature, age, height, weight ?mass, blood pressure, speed, heart rate CALCULATING Mean Median Mode ?most frequently reported score ?Bimodal (2 different modes) ?No Mode Skewness ?positively skewed = tail runs to right of curve ?negatively skewed = tail runs to left of curve Kurtosis ?If Kurtosis is above 0, then distribution is peaked with short, thick tails If Kurtosis is below 0, then distribution is flat and has many cases in the tails Normal Distribution (Bell curve) ?mean, median, mode = same number = bell curve CALCULATING: ?Range ?distance between largest value (Xmax) smallest score (Xmin) ?range = Xmax Xmin ?Sum of Squares ?Variance ?the average distance of the scores for an internal or ration scale from the mean in squared units ?high variance = most of scores are away form the me an ?low variance = most scores are centered closely to the mean ?Standard Deviation ?summary statistic of how scores vary from the mean is expressed in the original units of measurement tells us on avg how far each score differs from the avg score ?why we care: ?for a study we might see a reported: (M=24. 5, SD = 2. 1) ? 68% between 22. 4-26. 6 ?95% between 20. 3-28. 7 Likert Scales ?one likert scale ordinal data ?multiple likert scales interval data ?strongly disagree-strongly agree Semantic Differential Scales ?determines differential/bipolar adjective ?one scale ordinal data ?multiple interval data Reliability ?accuracy that a measure has for producing stable, consistent measurements ?ex: does the watch work effectively? ?Tests for Reliability Test-retest ?same measure/different occasion ?Alternate ?different measure/same phenomenon ?Split-Half ?split to 2 groups/correlate scores ?Cronbach’s Alpha ?statistical test ?interpreting like grades ?a = excellent, b = good, c = r espectable, d =undesirable, f = unacceptable ? . 70 to get published ?Krippendorf’s Alpha ?Ways to improve reliability of an instrument ? item construction ?increase the length of the instrument ?improve the admin of the test Validity: ?degree to which the measuring instrument measures what it is intended to measure ? Types of Validity ?Face (content) Validity ?look at appearance of measure ?Criterion Validity ?look at how accurately new measure can predict well-accepted measures ? Construct Validity ?look at degree survey measures ?Threats to Validity ?Overlapping variables ?Measuring relationship satisfaction but actually measuring life satisfaction ? Interaction of Different Treatments ?intervening variable ?results form multiple treatments not from experiment ?ex: measuring improvement of public speaking in comm majors (its likely that other classes are contributing to success too) ? Interaction of Testing and Treatment ?when participants are sensitive or receptive to future measures of particular variable ? Hypothesis Guessing ?when participants guess what researcher is attempting to measure ? Evaluation Apprehension ?some individuals experience anxiety when they know they are being evaluated ? ex: white coat syndrome ?Experimenter Expectancies ?experimenter unknowingly influence a participants scores on a measure ? ex: accidentally telling the subject to quickly complete their measure (when they are measuring time as a ariable) ? Social Desirability Bias ?when participant changes a response to be seen in a better light ? ex: altering a survey response in case someone links the response to self Conducting Survey Research ?Prepare ?determine your question types (NOIR) ?use common sense putting survey together ?create clear instructions ?design your study ?complete pilot testing as needed ?Disseminate ?interview (face to face, telephone) ?self-administered ?mass a dministration ?mailed administration ?internet administration ?Improving Response Rates ?make survey easy to complete ?keep survey short use SASE (stamps envelopes to return) as needed ?include a good cover letter ?use multiple administration techniques Response Sets, Non-Response Bias Content Analysis ?a summarizing, quantitative analysis of messages ?conducting content analysis ?early stelps: ?theory rationale ?conceptualization ?operationalization ?detailed description ?unit of analysis: ?major phenomenon being analyzed within a study ? next steps: ?coding schemes (defined) ?sampling (determined) ?training pilot reliability Cohen’s kappa Coding Problems ?coding misinterpretations ?coder inattention ?coder fatigue

Words About Feeling and Suffering

Words About Feeling and Suffering Words About Feeling and Suffering Words About Feeling and Suffering By Mark Nichol English has adopted a rich store of words about feeling and suffering from the classical languages. The Greek pathos, for example, has come down to us intact to mean, in English, an evocation of pity or compassion, but that’s just for starters. Pathology (the word literally means â€Å"the study of feeling or suffering†) is the branch of medical science concerned with investigating the nature of disease. It also refers to deviation in not only physical and mental health but also, by extension, environmental and social ills. A class of terms referring to specific physical and mental ailments uses the root -pathy: They include allopathy, the name for the conventional treatment of disease, often with pharmaceuticals that counter or alleviate symptoms, and its complement homeopathy, which refers to treatment by natural substances. Words like arthropathy (joint disease) and cardiopathy (heart disease) identify ailments of specific organs or body systems, while noun and adjectival forms of the names of the mental disorders psychopathy and sociopathy (referring to behavior marked by antisocial behavior), have transcended the medical milieu to be used loosely in popular culture. Phytopathology, or plant pathology, meanwhile, is the study of plant diseases. These ailments, and those affecting animals as well, are generally caused by pathogens (there’s that root word again, followed by another common root, which stems from the Greek term meaning â€Å"to be born†). Forms of other -path terms besides psychopath and sociopath are also used outside of the medical realm: Sympathy, the sensitivity to others’ feelings, and empathy, the action of, or the capacity for, vicarious experience of others’ feelings; sympathetic and empathetic are the adjectival forms. Then there’s apathy, meaning â€Å"the lack of feeling,† and antipathy, which means â€Å"aversion.† Each has a corollary adjectival form, though antipathetic is less commonly used than apathetic. Speaking of -pathetic, that’s a word in its own right, with several distinct meanings: It can mean â€Å"sad,† â€Å"laughable,† â€Å"inadequate,† or, less often, â€Å"able to arouse compassion or contempt.† Note, too, related terms derived from -pati, the Latin equivalent of -path: Compatible is essentially a synonym of sympathy. Meanwhile, passion (â€Å"suffering†) and both forms of patient the noun referring to someone under medical care or treatment and the adjective for the quality of forbearance stem from this root. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyTelling a Good Poem from a Bad One50 Synonyms for "Song"

Principles of Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Principles of Corporate Finance - Essay Example For example, the year 2008 witnessed a global financial crisis, which had a significant impact on the cash flows of firms that depend on banks for funding. Even if Timbercorp may not have been directly affected, it may have indirectly been affected by a reduction in demand for its products on a global scale as consumers find it difficult meeting up with payments. Secondly, the economic environment is constantly changing. Interest rates and exchange rates continue to change and this has an effect on Timbercorp’s financing and investment decisions. As earlier mentioned, the company is a leading participant in the agribusiness sector through the food and fiber industries and the land and water rights and infrastructure associated with these industries. The sector provides a lot of opportunities and threats. As far as opportunities are concerned, the agribusiness sector remains a crucial part of the global economy and it is estimated to be worth approximately US$5trillion. In addi tion to its importance for delivering food security, it also encompasses half of the world’s labor force and assets as well as 40% of consumer purchases. Global population is expected to grow to approximately 8.3billion by the year 2030. These developments will help boost demand for Timbercorp’s products. The company anticipates a 60% rise in the demand for food and fiber products by 2030. However, there are also challenges for the company. For example, the amount of arable land is declining and these may adversely affect the company’s ability to meet rising demand for its products. Other challenges facing the company include rising operational costs, limitations on the access of water resources, as well as rising oil and gas prices.  The company reports that high oil and gas prices had a material adverse impact on harvesting and transportation costs as well as on the costs of fertilizers.  

The causes of the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The causes of the Civil War - Essay Example Today the American Civil War represents one of the most important conflicts in the history of the United States. While the war itself only lasted from 1861-1865, the effects have been felt significantly throughout the United States since. In addition to enacting significant death tolls on both the Northern and Southern participants, the political ramifications of the conflict were truly revolutionary as they resulted in the emancipation of slaves throughout the country. While ostensibly the Civil War was a direct result of then President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the abolishment of slavery, upon further inspection it’s clear there are a number of complex causes behind the war. This essay considers the various causes to the Civil War in an attempt to gain a broader understanding of their political implications. Perhaps the primary catalyst behind the Civil War was the economic differences between the Northern and Southern states. While indust rialization had enacted factory production and similar means of economic subsistence in the Northern states, the Southern states had evolved along a different path. Within the Southern regions, where the climate encouraged more agricultural means of production, the economy had become almost entirely reliant on cotton production. Within this spectrum of existence, cheap labor was essential to ensure the economy functioned, so slavery became a key part of Southern existence. In addition to embracing slavery, the Northern modes of city-life encouraged greater means of interaction between the social classes. As a result, it’s argued that Northern regions evolved more progressive views on the social hierarchy, while the Southern regions remained in an antiquated order (Chambers 1999). This would led to conflicting perspectives that would eventually mount, greatly contributing to the opposing regions engaging in warfare. Another pivotal aspect that contributed to the start of the C ivil War was general disagreements on political policy between the Northern and Southern regions. In these regards, one of the primary disagreements was between the belief the Southern belief that states should be primarily responsible for determining legal policy, versus the Northern view that the Federal government should be the primary decision maker in these matters. One of the primary arguments was advanced by politician John C Calhoun and referred to as nullification. This would give states the power to nullify laws that were passed by the Federal Government. As it became clear that such a measure would not be allowed, the Southern states moved toward seceding from the Union (Jones 1999). Ultimately, this would be a primary influence in bringing the Southern states to war. Another primary political issue was the moral disagreement between individuals that supported slavery and those that were vehemently opposed to it. As slavery had become a long-entrenched aspect of the Ameri can economic landscape, even as growing concern over its immoral aspects mounted it became increasingly difficult to break the nation from these past practices. With the Louisiana Purchase, the United States gained a large portion of land in the Western United States. The Federal Government deemed that new states admitted to the Union through this land would be free from slavery, placing increased pressure on the Southern states that embraced slavery to move toward abolishment. In addition to these aspects, tension began to emerge between the Southern and Northern states regarding slave laws. With laws such as the Compromise of 1850, Federal officials in southern and northern regions were forced to arrest fugitive slaves, or else themselves be arrested or fined (Gienapp 2001). Laws such as this caused tension with Northern individuals that believed these laws violated general human rights. In addition, there existed a growing abolitionist movement of political revolutionaries that s ought to end slavery through protesting and sometimes violent means. These

Analysis of a foreign film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of a foreign film - Essay Example The major characters are Li Mu Bai ( Chow Yun Fat), Yu Shu Lien ( Michelle Yeoh), Yu Jiaolong ( Zhang Zhi-Yi), Jade Fox ( Chang Chen). The movie’s plot is great due to its historical undertones and stimulating conflict which makes the story interesting for the viewers. Even from 100 critics nationwide, it was hailed as â€Å"Best Picture of the Year† according to Sony pictures. The over-all direction can be credited to Ang Lee who is also known for the masterpiece â€Å"Sense and Sensibility†. Thus, the fusion of evocative drama and balletic martial arts is enough to entertain even a jaded moviegoer. Moreover, the story’s theme does not only focus on revenge but also on a love story that is failed from the very start. The rating given to the movie is PG-13 due to martial arts violence and sexuality. Nevertheless, the movie is appealing to moviegoers of all ages. From the characters alone, one would observe that this movie is very Asian as ethnic Chinese actors were used in this movie. The first theme that one would see in the movie is â€Å"hidden love† that eventually became a failed love affair. Yu Shu Lien and Li-Mu Bai have feelings for one another but they have so much respect for the one person they both loved. This makes them live their whole life with so much longing for each other. Although both of them are considered might warriors, they are both cowards when it comes to expressing their love for one another. This a characteristic of Asian cultures where one would place self-sacrifice over personal gains. Here, love is forbidden because they chose to do so. It was excruciating to see them subtly expressing their affection for one another through looks or subtle verbal messages. Unfortunately, they both lose the chance to express that love since Li Mu Bai died from poison darts. Love is such a terrible thing to waste and Yu Shu Lien felt the pangs of regret. Aside from these two characters, another parallel love

Question Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Question Answers - Essay Example His vision asserts that his team should control the things it can while striving to achieve goals in an efficient manner. Answer: The three important leadership roles Todman emphasizes include: (1) Leader as a team builder: Todman ensured that team worked on a collaborative platform where all the members could meet each other more often than before, such as once a month rather than once every two months. (2) Leader as a problem-solver: Todman made sure that right decisions were made at the right time to ensure business success, just like a Whirlpool executive stated about Todman that he was able to solve problems by making the team an interconnected unit. (3) Leader as a strategic planner: Todman revamped the new Maytag product line; closed the expensive plants; and, planned on educating the whole staff. This expresses his proficiency as a strategic planner. Answer: Louie’s financial management strategies are okay as people have been appreciating him in this regard, but his interpersonal relationships at the workplace are not satisfactory. For example, Emma, the human resources manager of the company, came across some customer feedback cards that complaint about Louie’s unsuitable remarks which were too personal. Louie’s has not been appropriately responsive toward the customers. He is not very tolerant about cultural diversity at the workplace. He has also been acting too frankly with the co-workers at times, for example, giving a high-five or a fist bump. These gestures have been making him unpopular at the workplace. Answer: Louie needs some serious training regarding tolerance about cultural diversity at the workplace. He needs to understand that all individuals are equally worthy of respect regardless of their cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. He needs to show tolerance toward all kinds of people with varying sexual orientation. He also needs to understand his limitations at the workplace, such as how he should behave

Dance as a Way of Expressing our Individuality Essay

Dance as a Way of Expressing our Individuality - Essay Example But there has to be more scholarly studies that should be conducted on this subject, as what is being done on poetry, music and other classes of literature, as there is a dearth on this particular aspect. When I reached this discovery (of the many topics related to dance), I had to figure out what specific subject would I focus on. I decided the general topic to be about dance and its role in human development but the specific topic is on dance movement/therapy, a rather obscure but interesting topic for discussion which some scholars and experts in the literature, have started to dig and explain to the general audience. What can be said further is that this obscurity has been brought into the open for the many people interested in a new form of medicine and healing. I want to present this to target audience which should be the young. Dance is being practiced – or performed – by our young population but it seems there has been no aim presented to; Why do they dance? I c an surmise that their primary aim is to present or perform for entertainment or to show their skill. But the ideal motive of dance has not been presented. Dance is part of culture, there’s no arguing about that. But its role in the present age should be on the movement/therapy, which will be the main emphasis of this essay. ... Dance is significant in human existence. It is a nonverbal creative way of expression. People express their humanity and individuality in several ways, and mostly through verbal communication and in the art. Dancers feel it as an expression of the soul, sometimes of their own existence. Dancers have also reported of its â€Å"freeing, health-promoting experience† (Degges-White 2011, p. 4). Dance has also been introduced to psychiatric patients and positive results have been noted in the treatment for depression. The logic behind is because of the integration of mind and body that is attributed to dance. Dance and movement allow us to express ourselves when words find it difficult to express. (Degges-White 2011), it is also considered the most primitive of all the arts but there is not enough literature and history of scholarship, unlike poetry and music. (MacDonald 2003, p. 151) The main point of this initial part of the essay is to provide a short origin of dance and its role as dance movement psychotherapy. This concept evolved from the mere fact that therapeutic benefits can be derived from dance. It grew in a unique therapeutic modality during the early 1940s, just like art and music (Malchiodi, 2005 as cited in Degges-White 2011, p. 4). The therapeutic benefits of dance have been one of the areas of study by several authors. An example is the one presented on the youtube website (Therapeutic dance and dance movement therapy 2011) which explores the power of creative arts with ideas on the similarity and difference of therapeutic dance and dance movement therapy. The therapeutic aspect should be emphasized as we see the difficulties of modern medicine to cope with re-emerging illnesses like tuberculosis or the emergence of pathogens as a result of war or

Reserch proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Reserch proposal - Essay Example nt interventions of ecommerce over the traditional modes of business has further enhanced credibility of businesses and opened further ways into the international market. Moreover, it has opened windows for the organization to serve to the world class clients and develop their international client base (Ahmed & Ibrahim, 2011). In this context, the paper elaborates on the development that has been incorporated by Tesco Plc in order to attain the desired degree of competitive advantages, with the advent of aggressive e-commerce trends, introduced into the global market. The introduction of ecommerce has inflicted challenges among the different modes of businesses. Contextually, Maniam & et. al. (2012) states ecommerce to have introduced a new phenomenon that involves the reduction of capital investment and in turn, developed abilities of the businesses to provide services to the international clients. Eid (2011) accordingly states that the explosion of technology and the incorporation of the virtual market have enhanced the need of ecommerce into the market. In agreement, Teece (2010) commented on the long-range business planning that ecommerce has been providing to the businesses. The traditional balance of global economy has changed and has created a separate balance between the traditional relationship of the suppliers and the consumers (Maniam & et. al., 2012; Teece, 2010). According to Hasan & Harris (2009), the different modes of incorporating of technology have in turn influenced the development of the market and have further, triggered chan ges within the economy. Creation of value has been a sole requirement of the present generation (Hasan & Harris, 2009). Murphy & Narkiewicz (2010), with the inclination of technology and different value creation will be possible and would enhance ability of the market to provide quality services. It is in this context that Ndyali (2013) stated about different steps that are taken by the ecommerce business, which have in

Dance as a Way of Expressing our Individuality Essay

Dance as a Way of Expressing our Individuality - Essay Example But there has to be more scholarly studies that should be conducted on this subject, as what is being done on poetry, music and other classes of literature, as there is a dearth on this particular aspect. When I reached this discovery (of the many topics related to dance), I had to figure out what specific subject would I focus on. I decided the general topic to be about dance and its role in human development but the specific topic is on dance movement/therapy, a rather obscure but interesting topic for discussion which some scholars and experts in the literature, have started to dig and explain to the general audience. What can be said further is that this obscurity has been brought into the open for the many people interested in a new form of medicine and healing. I want to present this to target audience which should be the young. Dance is being practiced – or performed – by our young population but it seems there has been no aim presented to; Why do they dance? I c an surmise that their primary aim is to present or perform for entertainment or to show their skill. But the ideal motive of dance has not been presented. Dance is part of culture, there’s no arguing about that. But its role in the present age should be on the movement/therapy, which will be the main emphasis of this essay. ... Dance is significant in human existence. It is a nonverbal creative way of expression. People express their humanity and individuality in several ways, and mostly through verbal communication and in the art. Dancers feel it as an expression of the soul, sometimes of their own existence. Dancers have also reported of its â€Å"freeing, health-promoting experience† (Degges-White 2011, p. 4). Dance has also been introduced to psychiatric patients and positive results have been noted in the treatment for depression. The logic behind is because of the integration of mind and body that is attributed to dance. Dance and movement allow us to express ourselves when words find it difficult to express. (Degges-White 2011), it is also considered the most primitive of all the arts but there is not enough literature and history of scholarship, unlike poetry and music. (MacDonald 2003, p. 151) The main point of this initial part of the essay is to provide a short origin of dance and its role as dance movement psychotherapy. This concept evolved from the mere fact that therapeutic benefits can be derived from dance. It grew in a unique therapeutic modality during the early 1940s, just like art and music (Malchiodi, 2005 as cited in Degges-White 2011, p. 4). The therapeutic benefits of dance have been one of the areas of study by several authors. An example is the one presented on the youtube website (Therapeutic dance and dance movement therapy 2011) which explores the power of creative arts with ideas on the similarity and difference of therapeutic dance and dance movement therapy. The therapeutic aspect should be emphasized as we see the difficulties of modern medicine to cope with re-emerging illnesses like tuberculosis or the emergence of pathogens as a result of war or

Canadian Democracy in a North American Assignment

Canadian Democracy in a North American - Assignment Example Quebec being the only province in Canada that speaks French, the two professors try to identify the laws that affect Quebec and how relevant these laws are to the French population. To try and support the province, they analyze ways in which the province can be recognized in the Constitution of Canada without any trouble. This would, however, require amendments that will not only require the expertise of the legislation but will also have to be passed by a majority of votes in the other provinces. Is it necessary for Quebec to have its own language and hence promote their rich French culture? Body Quebec has always had a rich history in French culture and language. However, the other parts of the country speak English and do not have the rich French culture that exists in Quebec. Preserving the French culture has always proved to be a problem and as a result of this, the leaders have come with amendments that will allow each province to be able to determine some issues affecting them without having to affect other provinces. For example in this case, Quebec could be able to change its laws and make French the official language in the province unlike other provinces which have English being their official language. However, it will mean that the constitution will have to be amended to allow each province to choose its respective language without legislative opposition. The bilateral constitution amendments process has to be limited to only a few issues and should not include issues that are critical to the country’s security and economy such as voting periods. At the moment, however, it is not possible for any province to amend its constitution without legislative approval. The process began in 1982 when the country adopted a new constitutional amendment process that ensures that Canada changes its constitution without the inclusion of the British. It has, however, been argued that during this period, the amendments were made without the approval of Quebe c – a major province that had over a quarter of the entire population at that particular period of time. This was ironical since Quebec had played a major role in ensuring that Canada got these amendments. However, the country’s legislature completely ignored the agenda that Quebec had for this particular change. After this, there have been several failed attempts to accept the changes that Quebec proposes to the constitution. The main arguments of the authors are that Quebec has always had a rich French culture that has always been protected by the people all through the years. The people, therefore, need these cultural values that include the French language to be protected by law. This would mean that French becomes the official language of the province. However, currently the law does not recognize the bilateral amendment process. The authors argue that in 1982, Quebec fought for a new constitution that would allow the country to amend its own constitution without Britain’s help. Quebec also proposed the inclusion of bilateral constitution amendment, a system that would allow each province to change some of its laws that did not include controversial statements that were important to the country. However, during the constitutional amendment process, Quebec was not included in the process and some of its needs were not met. Despite the constant complaints by the Quebec leaders, there has not been a consensus on how to promote culture in the area. It is important to

The explosive growth of RyanAir Company

The explosive growth of RyanAir Company The Ryanair Company is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable entrepreneurial stories of the past 10 years in Europe. Furthermore that Ryanair has developed a very outspoken communication style, using advertising and media to a great deal to publicize its revolution in air travel. Ryanair was Europes original low-fares airline and it is still Europes largest low-fares carrier. In the current year Ryanair will carry over 35m. passengers on 300 low fare routes across 21 European countries. Ryanair has 15 European bases and a fleet of over 100 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with firm orders for a further 125 new aircraft, which will be delivered over the next seven years. These additional aircraft will allow Ryanair to double in size to over 70m. passengers p.a. by 2012. Ryanair currently employs a team of 2,700 people, comprising over 25 different nationalities. Furthermore Ryanair continues a rapid growth in 2005. They started the year by launching two new bases at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and at Shannon in the West of Ireland. In February Ryanair announced orders for a further 70 firm aircraft from Boeing as well as 70 options. This takes Ryanairs total order with Boeing to 225 firm aircraft and 200 options. These new aircraft, which will be delivered between 2005 and 2012, will allow Ryanair to grow to over 70m. passengers per annum, proving that Ryanair is not just Europes original low fares airline, but remains Europes biggest low fares airline, as well as the only airline offering the lowest fares in every European market. http://www.grin.com Aims and objective: Aim of this report is to evaluate the given case study on the topic of Ryanair the low-fares airline by Eleanor OHiggins and critically analysing the current strategy of Ryanair to become successful in the European airline industry while airline business is struggling in Europe. The objectives of this report are as follows. Undertake an environmental analysis of the European airline industry with implications for the budget sector and Ryanair in particular. Analyse how Ryanair has been successful in the European budget airline industry. From the above analysis, critically assess the sustainability of Ryanairs strategy. Research methodology: In this report secondary research method also known as desk research, is being used. secondary research is the most common research method employed in the industry today. It involves processing data that has already been collected by another party. With this form, researchers will consult previous studies and findings such as reports, press articles and previous market research projects in order to come to a conclusion. The relatively low expense in comparison to primary research is the main advantage of this research, as no new research needs to be commissioned. However, its main disadvantage is that the data used in the analysis may be out-dated and therefore return inaccurate results. (www.marketresearchworld.net,) Environment Analysis: The environment is what gives organisations their means of survival. (Johnson et al 2008) We can distribute the environment into layers as follows. Source: (Johnson et al 2008) The Macro-Environment: The macro-environment is the highest level layer. This consists of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisations.(Johnson et al 2008) Macro environment is out of control of any organisation but it could influence the organisations overall activities and functions. The radical and ongoing changes occurring in society create an uncertain environment and have an impact on the function of the whole organization (Tsiakkiros, 2002). To analyse the macro-environment there is a framework which helps to analyse Political, Economical, Socio-Cultural, Technological, Ecological and Legal factors called PESTEL. This analysis of is therefore often known as Pest analysis (Johnson, Scholes, 1999). PESTEL analysis of Ryanair: Political On May 1, 2003, it will mark one of the most important days in recent European history, the continent will see the biggest expansion of EU to date when ten states become new members. For Ryanair new markets will open which suits its growth plans. Stansted airport, owned by BAA, is one of the most rapidly growing airports in Europe (www.baa.co.uk/). BAA plans to build a second runway and terminal there, accompanied by necessary rail and road infrastructure, aiming to double passenger capacity within ten years. Stansted is Ryanairs London base and an expansion would enable substantial traffic increases thereby facilitating consolidation (Johnson Scholes 2002). The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for setting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦price caps on airport chargesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦at airports designated by the Secretary of State (www.caa.co.uk). One of these is Stansted, which has hitherto à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦benefited from discounted airport charges and cross-subsidy from the higher charges paid by the airlines at Heathrow and Gatwick airports (Done 18/12/03). CAAs new requirements command airport financing without cross-subsidisation on a stand-alone basis. Consequently discounts will be removed and charges possibly increased. Ryanair has protested as it will raise its costs (Done 20/10/03). Economical Opec aims to keep oil prices within the agreed band of US$22-US$28/bbl (www.opec.org). However, with crude oil now à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦standing at close to $33 a barrelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (www.bbc.co.uk) near a 13-year high, Opec considers increasing its target. With a tight US gasoline market, low inventories and an upsurge in fighting in Iraq, oil prices look likely to remain high or rise Ryanair faces persistently high or rising fuel prices. Sociocultural Holiday home ownership in Europe is increasingly common for Britons. During Christmas sales boomed and analysts believe it will continue as customers are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦encouraged by the highest employment figures in 28 years, low interest ratesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Insley 18/01/04) and other favourable borrowing conditions. Ryanair services regional airports, opening up the European countryside to buyers, and this trend means an increase in the possible customer base (Insley 08/02/04). The over-55s now represent approximately one third of most EU-countries populations, and the figure is increasing. Because of better healthcare and financial planning, a significant proportionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦of senior citizensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are able to indulge in high levels of leisure-orientated consumptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Brassington Pettitt 2003). Analysts recommend developing specific marketing strategies for this market highlighting its growing importance (Lohmann Danielsson 2001). Ryanair here has an opportunity to increase its market share. Technological New technology will allow mobile phone and broadband use on-board. Carriers, including Ryanair, can thus increase ancillary services by offering on-line shopping, TV screenings and mobile phone usage against a fee. Furthermore, the satellite link could boost operating efficiency by being used to monitor planes, giving early warnings of problems to ground crews, thereby enhancing safety and minimising grounding (Economist 01/03/03 Economist 01/04/04). Environmental A recent White Paper emphasised à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the environmental importance of including aviation within the global emissions-trading schemeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Newman 03/12/03), aimed at providing financial incentives for companies to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and to tax aviation fuel across EU. Presently an increase in air passenger tax is planned, which doubles the  £5 and  £20 economy passengers currently pay for short- and long-haul flights. This will raise Ryanairs prices, possibly deterring the most price-sensitive customers. Legal Ryanair uses mainly secondary airports which enables negotiation of favourable deals with the owners. At Charleroi Ryanair was given 50% off landing fees plus contributions to local amenities, training and marketing costs against guarantee of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a certain level of business for 15 years (FT 10/11/03). However, unfair competition was claimed and the European Commission (EC) decided that discounts on landing fees and ground-handling services are illegal, and ordered Ryanair to pay back  £3m. Ryanair fears that high-fare airlines and expensive hub-airports will lobby the EC into investigating other deals, using Charleroi as precedent (Done 29/01/04). Porters Five force analysis The PESTEL factors are important in a relative way as they usually affect all firms in the industry (Bowman Asch 1987). Hence, organisations should also examine their more immediate environment/industry, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for each other (Porter 1980). This analysis examines five competitive forces: potential entrants; buyers; substitutes; suppliers and industry competitors, which determine level of industry competition and profitability. Applying this to the budget airline industry enables identification of opportunities and threats to Ryanair in its business environment (Johnson Scholes 2002). Threat of new entrants High start-up costs needed for aircrafts, reservation systems and promotion, negates threat to some extent (Gilbert et.al 2001). The over-crowded market means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there are too many budget aircraft playing Europes skies for too little money (Clark 07/02/04). As Europes skies are congested there is a lack of slots (Hanlon 1989) forcing new entrants into secondary airports and less profitable routes. Due to incumbents cost advantages, such as economies of scale and experience curve effects, price wars can be launched against newcomers. However, the market is expanding which pulls in new entrants and reduces the effect of entry barriers (Johnson Scholes 2002). Bargaining power of buyers Price dominated short-haul market with little or no product differentiation. Buyers thus face low switching costs (Porter 1980) As price is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦more important to passengers than productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Gilbert et.al 2001) there is low customer loyalty. Procurement managers are now influential in the travel patterns of their business travellers. Threat of substitute products or services Videoconferencing for business companies has not had the impact expected and is no threat (Gilbert et.el 2001). Other modes of transport are no tenable threats generally. However, Eurostar has been winning customers from airlines since its opening and many short-haul flights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦could be eliminated after 2007, when the fast line to the channel tunnel is completed (Wright 01/12/03). Bargaining power of suppliers The price of fuel is directly related to the cost of oil which is determined by Opec and out of control of the industry (www.opec.org). Budget airlines have work-hard cultures to keep costs down (Gilbert et.el 2001) meaning a scarce number of multi-skilled employees which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can bargain away a significant fraction of potential profitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Porter 1980). However, carriers tend to experience economies of scale which gives purchasing power. Consequently, airlines are able to negotiate favourable deals with most of their suppliers (Johnson Scholes 2002). Rivalry among existing firms Already very competitive industry. Numerous new entrants intensify competition, although several newcomers have struggled to establish themselves and failed, Debonair and AB Airlines for example. The over-crowded market, and commodity nature of the product, means that airlines are battling to fill planes. Aggressive pricing, efficient distribution and innovative communication mixes are frequent competitive measures. However, carriers vary somewhat in segmentation by targeting different markets (narrow versus wide customer base) and offering divergent routes (regional towns versus main cities) which reduces rivalry somewhat (Gilbert et.al 2001). Nevertheless, competition is intensified as conventional carriers adopts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many strategies of the no-frills carriers and continues to cut costs (Done 29/01/04). With low fares but a higher level of service (more frills and main airport servicing) they are a big threat. Mergers, acquisitions and alliances are increasingly used for consolidation and competition. EasyJet bought Go, bmibaby partnered with Germanwings (Economist 01/03/03 Hotten 13/03/04). Ryanair acquired Buzz but paid too much and was forced to close it to boost its productivity. SWOT Analysis: Key Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Weaknesses Cost-consciousness at every level Isolation of airports Ability to drive down costs Poor judgement in route selection and acquisition Fast turnaround times Targets very narrow market Cross-utilisation of employees Poor brand image Website Negotiation skills Ability to achieve growth Use of secondary airports Key Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Threats The EU expansion The European Court of Justice ruling The Stansted expansion The Stansted expansion EUs ageing population The global emissions-trading scheme Mergers, acquisitions and alliances Low customer loyalty ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC CAPABILITY A strategic analysis also includes investigation of the strategic capability, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ability to perform at the level required for success (Johnson Scholes 2002). Firms must understand what customers want and adopt product/service features accordingly. To succeed companies need: Critical Success Factors (CSF), features especially valued by customers and used to outperform competition; unique resources, hard to emulate and generates competitive advantage; core competences to meet the CSF, leading to competitive advantage. A number of tools exist to analyse strategic capability. Applying some of them to Ryanair facilitates identification of the organisations key strengths and weaknesses. Value Chain analysis This is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦systematic way of studying theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦activities undertaken by a firm (Thompson 1997) and a means of identifying how competitive advantage is, or can be, created and sustained. The value chain consists of primary and support activities that together produce the profit margin. When the most critical of these are performed better or more cheaply, competitive advantage is created. The activities are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦related by linkages within the value chain (Porter 1985), meaning that how one is performed affects the performance or cost of another, and key linkages generate competitive advantage. Value activities should be benchmarked, compared against those of organisations both inside and outside the industry, to learn and improve on best practice (Laverick Brown 1992). Primary activities Inbound logistics Dependency on suppliers to deliver fuel as well as food, drinks and duty-paid products to be sold on-board (Gilbert et.al 2001). These need to be stored, handled and controlled upon delivery Low-cost deals are negotiated against promise of large and growing volumes of business (Felsted 04/11/03). Operations Use of standard model plane, Boeing 737, means that Ryanair is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦able to obtain spares and maintenance services on favourable terms, limits costs of staff training and offer flexibility in scheduling aircraft and crew assignments (Johnson Scholes 2002). A relatively young fleet reduces maintenance, spare and fuel costs. Fast turnarounds (core competence), 25 minutes, is the most important cost advantage as it enables high aircraft utilisation (Felsted 04/11/03). More frequent departures (two more a day than competitors) with few planes increases revenue (key linkage). However, Southwest excels with 15 minute turnarounds as its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦activities complement each other in ways that create real economic value (Porter 1996). Point-to-point flights mean no interlinking with other carriers. Ryanair can à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦offer direct non-stop journeys, avoiding the cost of providing through serviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for connecting passengersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and delaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦caused by late arrival of connecting flights (Johnson Sholes 2002). Outbound logistics Use of isolated secondary airports often requires further transport arrangements for customers. Also, some destinations are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦so geographically obscure that they cant support regular services (Pratley 05/02/04), as evident on some intra-Scandinavian routes for example (Done 04/11/03). This limits the level of market share Ryanair can achieve. EasyJet does the opposite and flies to big cities, but then has to pay higher landing charges which is reflected in their higher prices (Bowley 21/07/03). However, using regional airports saves costs as charges are lower, facilities cheaper and Ryanair can negotiate favourable deals. It also enables fast turnaround times, and more on-time departures as the airports are less congested (Johnson Scholes 2002). 95% of Ryanairs flights are punctual compared to 88% for EasyJet (www.ryanair.com). Marketing and Sales Heavy spending on advertising and promotions to expand its market is reduced as most advertising takes place on the website. There promotion is also used to sell excess capacity, such as two-for-one offers, which creates market awareness. Direct marketing is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦used occasionally with the customer database (Gilbert et.al 2001), and enables relationship marketing which produce customer retention equalling increased productivity (Ali-Knight Wild 2001). Ryanair considers branding virtually irrelevant as it believes that price is most important to customers. This is reflected in its not always so good image in the press. Southwest, contributes a large part of its success to its well established brand values (Gilbert et.al 2001), and EasyJet has won awards for its brand (Brand Strategy 2001). Over 90% of bookings are made directly, either on the website or through reservations centres. The website saves on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦staff costs, agents commission, and computer reservation charges, while significantly contributing to growth (Johnson Scholes 2002). Furthermore, direct booking gives greater control over sales of ancillary services, important revenue contributors, and eliminates need for tickets which reduces check-in times. Travel agencies are used on a small scale as necessary when opening new routes in unknown markets. Service Virtually no frills lower costs considerably, enable fast turnarounds and very low ticket prices (Gilbert et.al 2001). A very basic product is offered and Ryanair now plans to remove the last frills (Gow 16/02/04). The question is how much customers are willing to forgo before switching to competitors. Will it be possible to sustain the necessary load factor with an even narrower target market? Southwest is more successful than Ryanair but has not stripped away all frills (Porter 1996). The low service damages the brand which leads to reduced business. For example, Ryanair was taken to court for charging disabled passengers  £18 for wheelchair usage (Tait 03/12/03), and is known for transferring passengers to later or alternative flights without notice if original flight is not full enough (Johnson Scholes 2002). Support activities Procurement Purchasing power enables negotiation of favourable deals (core competence) with suppliers. However, these demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦large andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ growing volumes based on passenger numbers (Felsted 04/11/03) which is becoming difficult to sustain as Ryanair expanded too quickly. Although growth is slowed down new planes has been ordered aiming to double the fleet by 2009. Buys mostly during recession when prices are down Good buyer-supplier relationships ensure reliability and low-cost procurement of services (many functions are contracted out). Safety is guaranteed as contracted work is supervised and planned by Ryanair staff (Johnson Scholes 2002). Technology development Ryanair uses its website to monitor bookings to see how full planes are minute by minute. If numbers fall prices can be slashed immediately to attract buyers thus increasing the load factor. However, they dont hesitate to raise prices if demand is buoyant (Bowley 21/07/03) which leads to effective yield management. CONCLUSION The aim of this report was to carry out a strategy analysis of Ryanair, Europes largest low-cost no-frills airline. From this it became evident that the organisation operates in a complex environment with fast changing influences that affect its business both beneficially and unfavourably. It also enabled identification of some of the sources of Ryanairs competitive advantage: core competencies, unique resources, key linkages and the superior cost performance compared to its closest competitor. However, it also became clear that the organisation still has a lot to learn from best practice. In general Ryanairs strategies match its task environment although it fails to address certain crucial issues. If these are not dealt with they could lead to future problems and reductions in profits.