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Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Breakfast Club Essay Example for Free

The Breakfast Club Essay The plot follows five students at fictional Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois as they report for Saturday detention on March 24, 1984. While not complete strangers, the five teenagers are each from a different clique or social group. The five students Allison, Andrew, Bender, Brian, and Claire who seem to have nothing in common at first, come together at the high school library, where they are harangued and ordered not to speak or move from their seats by the antagonistic principal, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason). They are to remain for a period of eight hours and fifty-four minutes (from 7:06 A.M. to 4 P.M., the only indication of time being on a clock that is 20 minutes fast). He assigns a 1,000 word essay (in which each student must write about who he or she thinks they are) and then leaves them mostly unsupervised, returning only occasionally to check on them. Bender, who has a particularly negative relationship with Mr. Vernon, disregards the rules and riles the other students; mocking Brian and Andrew, and sexually harassing Claire. Allison remains oddly quiet except for the occasional random outburst. The students pass the hours in a variety of ways. Gradually they open up to each other and reveal their inner secrets (for example, Allison is a compulsive liar, Bender comes from an abusive household and Brian and Claire are ashamed of their virginity). They also discover that they all have strained relationships with their parents and are afraid of making the same mistakes as the adults around them. However, despite these developing friendships the students are afraid that once the detention is over, they will return to their very different cliques and never speak to each other again. At the request and consensus of the students, Brian is asked to write the essay Mr. Vernon assigned earlier (the subject of which was to be a synopsis by each student detailing who you think you are), which challenges Mr. Vernon and his preconceived judgments about all of them. Brian does so, but instead of writing about the actual topic he writes a very motivating letter that is in essence, the main point of the story. He signs the essay as The Breakfast Club and leaves it at the table for Mr. Vernon to read when they leave. There are two versions of this letter, one read at the beginning and one at the end, which are slightly different; illustrating the change in the students judgments of one another and their realization that they truly have things in common.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Carbon Nanotubes for Drug Delivery Review

Carbon Nanotubes for Drug Delivery Review Using the functionalized carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials to deliver the antimicrobial drugs, is one of the most applications of carbon nanotubes. Several studies were conducted about this topic. Amphotericin B (AMB) is one of the first antimicrobials to be delivered with CNTs. Wei Wu et al. studied the Targeted Delivery of Amphotericin B to Cells by using Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes, they used oxidized MWCNTs that were functionalized with AMB and FITC. They found that at equivalent AMB concentration of 10  µg/mL, this CNT conjugate was found to be significantly less cytotoxic to Human Jurkat lymphoma T cells as compared to pristine AMB. This CNT-AMB construct was able to penetrate cells rapidly within 1 h of incubation by spontaneous piercing mechanism without causing cell death. Finally, They evaluated the antifungal activity of CNTs,functionalized with AmB, against three species of fungi(Candida parapsilosis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans). In this experiment, they used AmB that was covalently linked to ammonium functionalized multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT-AmB and SWNT-AmB). The functionlized forms was found to be more potent than free A MB possibly due to enhanced drug solubility and the presence of multiple copies of AMB per CNT molecule (i.e. the multivalence effect) leading to improved binding affinity between the drug and its target.177 In another separate paper by the same group, a similar MWCNTs AMB construct and a newly designed SWCNTs-AMB conjugate with PEG linker were prepared with AMB loading of 25% and 10% w/w, respectively. These conjugates were tested for their antifungal activities in comparison to pristine AMB and a conventional colloidal dispersion AMB deoxycholate formulation. Both MWCNTs-AMB construct and SWCNTs-AMB conjugate were considerably more than AMB alone. Some fugal strains which were resistant to free AMB showed a significant response to the MWCNT-based AMB conjugate.178 In another study performed by Pruthi et al., AMB was physically adsorbed on mannosylated MWCNTs inorder to treat leishmaniasis by achieving specific delivery of the drug to macrophages. the mannosylated MWCNTs had high affinity to bind lectins and were able to be uptaken by macrophages in sufficient amount. but the result of this study is unfortunately insufficient to support macrophage-targeting because a control experiment with non-mannosylated MWCNTs was not performed. Although AMB was adsorbed onto the mannosylated MWCNTs and demonstrated a sustained in vitro release profile, the use of Rh B-loaded mannosylated MWCNTs for intracellular fluorescence imaging of macrophages is inconclusive because Rh B could be detached from the MWCNTs before it enters macrophages, which means that the observed fluorescence is due to free Rh B not the MWCNTs-loaded with Rh B.179 Apart from AMB, dapsone is another example of antimicrobial that has been  successfully delivered with CNTs. It is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drug that can be used to treat many diseases such as malaria, leprosy, AIDS-associated toxoplasmosis and other diseases.180 Some bacterial species developed resistance to dapsone so experiments was started to deliver dapsone with CNTs and fortunately it was delivered successfully. Dap-MWCNTs was formed by functionalizing dapsone onto oxidized MWCNTs. Dap-MWCNTs were first tested on rat peritoneal macrophages it was rapidly ingested with predominant endosomal localization without significant cytotoxicity. Dap-MWCNTs showed many advantages as it induced less apoptosis than oxidized MWCNTs and had a lower degree of oxidative stress. On the other hand, apoptosis of macrophages is important for clearance of intracellular pathogen, so the delayed apoptosis seen by Dap-MWCNTs may be counterintuitive in the treatment of infection.181 In anoter study, Pazufloxacin mesylate, an antibiotic belonging to the class of fluoroquinolones, was adsorbed onto MWCNTs functionalized with ethylenediamine. In vitro release suggested that the adsorption of pazufloxacin consists of two phases, the first one is a rapid burst release followed by a second phase of sustained release. The total amount of released pazufloxacin from the amino-functionalized CNTs was higher at pH 5.7 than pH 7.0, due to increase hydrophilicity in acidic condition. This could be advantageous in the treatment of infections, due to the acidic environment of the infected cells.182 In another hand, gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, was incorporated into collagen hydrogel doped with 1% w/w CNTs which served as an additive to enhance the physical stability of the hydrogel and retard the release of gentamicin. The retarded release effect had took a place in the formation of irregular CNT network in the hydrogel which impeded solvent diffusion. However, The presence of CNTs can induce a simple chemical attraction between CNTs and gentamicin, and hence improve the drug loading which could affect the drug release rate.183 In addition, chloroquine is an anti-malarial drug that also possesses lysomotropic effect. Due to their ability to cause swelling and rupture of endocytic vesicles, lyosomotropic compounds have been proposed to be used as an additive to enhance gene transfection by enabling timely escape and minimizing degradation of delivered genetic material in lysosomes. For further enhancement of gene delivery with CNTs, chloroquine was loaded onto DWCNTs coated with cationic polymer PEI and plasmid encoding for luciferase. Chloroquine can be released from the CNTs in acidic condition.Coating chloroquine with cationic polymer and plasmid can strongly affect chloroquine loading. Transfection efficiency can be improved up to five folds by introduction of chloroquine compared to a non-chloroquine loaded control. Unfortunately this construct has limited uses as a biocompatible transfecting agent because it was found to have more cytotoxic effects to cells than the non-chloroquine loaded control and f ree chloroquine. In the future, this construct might prove to be effective as a treatment of intracellular malaria infection and the excellent intracellular delivery of chloroquine can explain the higher observed cytotoxicity.184 In another study, Annamalai Senthil Kumar et al. used an electrochemical route for highly selective immobilization of amoxicillin (AMX) on multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE/[emailprotected]), without any linkers and surface functionalization. In order to reveal the immobilization of AMX both on the inner and outer (surface) walls of the carbon nanotubes. They usedX-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, they tested its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis in comparison with the unmodified AMX and MWNT using disk diffusion method. They found that [emailprotected] has enhanced antibacterial activity against the three bacterial pathogens185 Liangliang Ji et al. studied the adsorption of two sulfonamide to MWCNTs. Nonporous, pure graphite was used as a comparative adsorbent The results revealed thatthe two sulfonamides have a strong adsorption to both MWNT and graphite which can be explained by( Ï€-Ï€ electron coupling)186 In another study, Xin Zhang et al, studied the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole on different carbon nanotube typesand compared the results with the adsorption to natural sorbents including soils, sediments and sludges. Many properties of carbon nanotubes contributed to the adsorption process such as surface area, diameters and surface functional groups. They showed that the adsorption coefficients of SMX on CNTs were generally twicehigher in magnitude than other natural sorbents..187 Also, Liangliang Ji et al. studied the effect of aqueous solution chemical characteristics on the tetracycline adsorption onSWNT and MWNTsuch as the effect of ionic strength (NaCl and CaCl2), the results showed that th ere is an inverse relationship between the ionic strength and the tetracycline adsorption on both SWNT and MWNT. They also studied the effect of Cu2†+ion (7.5 mg/L) that showeda higher tetracycline adsorption rate to both SWNT and MWNT due to cation bridging mechanism. They finally studied the effect of dissolved soil coal humic acids (50 mg/L) , and the results revealed that these acids have a minimal effect on SWNT while on graphite and MWNT it has a suppression effect on tetracycline adsorption.188 According to ciprofloxacin, S.A.C. Carabineiro et al. studied the adsorption capacity of ciprofloxacin on three types of carbon based materials: activated carbon, carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon xerogel that were functionalized through oxidation with nitric acid then they were heat treated at different temperatures (between 350 and 900  °C) under a flow of N2. They demonstrated that the adsorption capacity affected inversely when the samples were treated with nitric acid. While thermal treatments, especially at 900 °C after oxidation, enhance adsorption performance.189 In another study, S. Ashok Kumar and Sea-Fue Wang studied the stabilizing of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by aqueous solution of ciprofloxacin. It was found that MWCNTs can be stabilized by ciprofloxacinand the dispersions were stable for more than a month.190 Recently, Haibo Li et al. studied the effect of PH and temperature on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on different functionalized CNTs like: carboxyliz ed (MC), hydroxylized (MH), single-walled CNTs (SW)and graphitized multi-walled CNTs (MG).They found thatSW had the highest absorption rate for ciprofloxacin among all CNTs due to its largest surface area and they found that this is true for all PHs .Also, ciprofloxacinsorption was thermodynamically favorable For SW, while the reverse process was observed for MC and MG. For MH, ciprofloxacin sorption firstly increased then decreased with increasing temperature.191 Apart from using carbon nanotubes to deliver antimicrobial drugs, other nanmaterials were used form the same purpose. For example, Renjis T. Tom et al. prepared Ciprofloxacin-Protected Gold Nanoparticles of two different mean diameters, 4 and 20 nm. they used different analytical techniques to study the adsorption of ciprofloxacin molecule on gold nanoparticle surface. The voltammetric and spectroscopic studies confirmed that nitrogen atom of the NH moiety of piperazine group can bind strongly to Au nanoparticles. These particles are stable in dry state and at room temperature. This study showed that the release of molecule from the particles depends on the size of particles and is more in the basic medium than in pure water. These particles were found to have many application because their fluorescent nature. Finally, This study shows that metal nanoparticles could be useful carriers for ciprofloxacin and other fluoroquinolone molecules.192 Regarding to liposome, many other examples have also been developed for various applications. For ciprofloxacin, M Magallanes et al. were prepared Liposomes that incorporated ciprofloxacin by dehydration-rehydration procedure to treat Salmonella Dublin in mice sp leens. Their results revealed that a single injection of liposome-incorporated ciprofloxacin (LIC) was 10 times more effective than a single injection of free drug at preventing mortality.193 Another example conducted by MURRAY S. WEBB et al. who encapsulated ciprofloxacin into large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and studied their antibacterial efficacy in vivo against Salmonella typhimurium in mice infected with intracellular S. typhimurium. They noticed that the LUV composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (DPPC/chol), distearoylphosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (DSPC/chol), or sphingomyelin-cholesterol (SM/chol) increased the circulation lifetime of ciprofloxacin after intravenous (i.v.) administration by >15-fold. In another hand, the retention of ciprofloxacin in liposomes in the circulation decreased in the sequence SM/chol > DSPC/chol > DPPC/chol. It was noticed that after the adminsrtation of Liposomal ciprofloxacin,intravenously and intraperitoneally to mice, they conferred significant increases in the longevity of the drug in the plasma after intraperitoneal administration and in the lungs after intratracheal administration in comparison to free ciprofloxacin and the concentration of drug in the liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys is also increased. Also, they concludedthat it extended survival and reduced the number of bacteria in the liver and spleen after studying The efficacy of a single i.v. administration of an SM/chol formulation of ciprofloxacin in a Salmonella typhimurium infection mode l. The encapsulated formulation resulted in 103 to 104 fold fewer viable bacteria in the livers and spleens of infected mice than was observed for animals treated with free ciprofloxacin. These results confirmed that the utility of liposomal encapsulation of ciprofloxacin improved the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antibacterial efficacy of the antibiotic.194 In another study, when negatively charged liposomes are used, ciprofloxacin efficiently inhibits the growth of M. avium in vitro in a murine macrophage-like cell line and this results also were observed in vivo by using specific stealth liposomes in a mouse model of tuberculosis infection.195 Regarding to Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs), a study conducted by D. Jain and R. Banerjee to develop single dose delivery systems based on nanotechnology for prolonged antibiotic release in a controlled manner. In this study they prepared ciprofloxacin hydrochloride-loaded nanoparticles using four different natural carrier materials: albumin, gelatin, chitosan (CS), and lipid [solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)] . They compared them on the basis of particle size, electro-kinetic stability, entrapment efficiency, and drug release. Their Results suggested that CS nanoparticles and SLNs were found to be promising formulations for sustained ciprofloxacin release especially for local delivery in ocular and skin infections.196 Finally, concerning to polymeric nanoparticles as nanoantibiotics to deliver ciprofloxacin, several studies were carried out. Fawaz et al. encapsulated the synthetic drug ciprofloxacin in polyisobutylcyanoacrylate (PIBCA) nanoparticles. Thay studied their pharmacokinetic after intravenous infusion to the rabbit. The results revealed that ciprofloxacin-loaded PIBCA/NP led to increased AUC, t1/2 and Vd, and to a decreased Cl as compared with free form of drug. In addition, they tested these nanoparticles against a M. avium infection in a human macrophage culture, it was found that ciprofloxacin-loaded PIBCA/NP was more effective than unbound ciprofloxacin. In spite of this, the efficacy of ciprofloxacin associated with nanoparticles was much lower than anticipated due to the cytotoxicity of the polymeric material that was observed at concentrations higher than 80 mg of PIBCA per ml.197 another study carried out by Dillen et al. to prepare Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles incorp orating ciprofloxacin HCl by using W/O/W emulsification solvent evaporation method. They used poly(vinylalcohol) as a stabilizer. They studied of different preparation factors on the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles. Thee microbiological activity on two types of microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, was tested. the activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus of the nanoparticles and aqueous solution was comparable.198 While Rosemary et al. investigated the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated silica nanoshells that were synthesized from [emailprotected] core-shell nanoparticles. In the case of Escherichia coli DH5R better antibacterial activity was showed in comparison with free ciprofloxacin, but the same activity was observed for Lactococcus lactis MG 1363. Also, nanoparticles were shown to enter the bacterial cell to exert their antibacterial effect by fluorescence imaging studies that conducted using fluorescein [emailprote cted]199 Last study carried out by Abeylath et al. where they synthesized glycosylated polyacrylate nanoparticles that had covalently-bounded three antibiotics (N-sec-butylthio b-lactam, ciprofloxacin, and a penicillin ) within their framework. The results of the microbiological test showed that the N-sec-butylthio b-lactam and ciprofloxacin nanoparticles both had powerful in vitro activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis, while the penicillin-bound nanoparticles had no antimicrobial activity

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Porters Five Forces Analysis Aids Marketing Essay

Porters Five Forces Analysis Aids Marketing Essay Introduction Porters Five Forces Analysis aids a business in cross checking a competitive environment. It has similarities with other tools for environmental analysis, such as PEST analysis, but is more likely to focus on the single or a stand alone, business rather than a single product or range of products, before Michael E Porter devised the five forces model there was a way of think which implied that due to competition the rate of return in an industry would be constant across all firms and industries, this way of thinking contrasted a number of studies which has identified that different industries were in fact able to maintain different levels of profit which was due to the way a industry was structured. different industries can sustain different levels of profitability (Porter, M (23/04/10). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors) Michael E Porter presented a structure that replicates an industry as being influenced by five forces. These five forcers are barriers to entry, supplier power, threats of substitutes, buyer power and degree of rivalry with in the industry. Based on this analysis, a company can develop a competitive strategy for gaining and sustaining competitive advantages over rival firms and thereby generating above-average return on investments. (Niederhut-Bollmann, C, Theuvsen, L,. (23/04/2010). Strategic management in turbulent markets) Porters Five Forces provide a simple framework to analysis an industry structure and view its potential for profitability. It works by looking at the strength of five important forces that affect competition. Rivalry With reference to economics, competition among companies will forces over all profits to zero (Iupindia, D. (24/4/10). Journal of Applied Economics), but because there is no-such thing as perfect competition firms in any industry will continue to attempt to achieve a competitive advantage over rival companies, to help a company achieve an advantage over its competitors it can use a number of competitive moves such as: Changing the prices of its service or product, Improving product differentiation, using the most appropriate channels of distribution or developing relationships with suppliers. (Porter, Michael E.. (24/4/10). THE FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES THAT SHAPE STRATEGY ) When classifying the intensity of a companys rivalry there a number of different unique points which help to identify how competitive that industry is. If there are a number of large firms in an industry these firms are competing for the same customers and resources (Porter, Michael E. (25/4/10). How competitive forces shape strategy). This rivalry increases if the companies in the industry all have equal market share. Slow market growth will also cause an increase in rivalry as firms are forced to compete for limited market share in contrast an industry which is growing rapidly will have higher revenue and a bigger market share due to the fact that there are so many emerging consumers. Added to the slow market growth and the number of firms in an industry, low product differentiation can also affect the amount of rivalry in an industry a perfect example is the Smartphone industry, all the phone are the same and offering the same benefits to the consumer. But by offering or creating a brand identity a company can restrict the amount of rivalry in the industry again a example is in the Smartphone industry Apple has been able to create a successful brand which differentiates them from there competitors. When an industry is producing higher profits it entices new entrants into the market this in turn increase the amount of rivalry. At a certain point in the product life cycle an industry will have too many competitors and the industry can become crowed, with all these business producing the same product the market becomes saturated creating a position of too many products and not enough buyers Threat of Substitutes The Threat of Substitutes means other products which are in other industries affecting the product which is being produced. If a substitute product is limiting the ability of the industry to raise prices it falls in to the category of a substitute. For example BHP Billiton is a mining company which extracts minerals from the ground such as iron ore another mining company which extracts oil from the ocean would be a substitute. While the threat of substitute normaly affects an industry via a completive price strategy it can also pose a threat in areas such as technology and resources. Buyer Power When an industry has a strong buyer power it suggests that the consumers have an impact on the companies. These buyers are able to set prices and dictate to the industries what they want; this is prevalent in industries where there are many suppliers and only one buyer for example in the car manufacturing industry there are many makers of cars and they all need tires but there are only a few companies that make tiers. Supplier Power If an industry requires raw materials such as metal, labor or commodities it creates a relationship with a company that supplies the specific need and want that the industry is looking for. If the supplier are powerful and have a large market share they are able to influence the producing industry a perfect example of this is BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton is able to sell its raw materials such as iron ore to countries such as china at higher price which allows the company to capture some of the profits which are had by the metal industry. Barriers to Entry New firms entering an industry affect competition Barriers to entry benefit existing companies already operating in an industry because  they  protect  an established companys  revenues and profits from being whittled away by  new competitors.( J Cramer. (01/05/2010). Barriers To Entry. Available) Barriers can be exploited and used to improve the competitive advantage of the company. These barriers can be caused by the Government who regulate some industries by allowing monopolies for example Telstra who have a monopoly over the telecommunication business, legal patents which are used by companies who have a entrepreneurial idea, having specific assets such as technology which is required to produce a particular product and having cost effective economies of scale which is the point where the cost of producing a unit is at a minimum. Porter five forcers can also be used to determine the attractiveness of an industry or market as measured by the long-term return on investment of a average firm which depends largely on the five factors Michael E Porter developed, these factors influence Profitability, The intensity of competition among existing competitors, the existence of potential competitors who will enter if profits are high, substitute products that will attract customers if prices become high, the bargaining power of the customer and the bargaining power of suppliers (Aaker, D (23/04/10). Strategic Market Management) As BHP Billiton has a lot of financial strength which has been created though well planed cash flow and balance sheets, a variety of products and customers, as well as access to global assets and an always expanding stage of prospects, they are able to determine how a buyers must act an example of this is when BHP Billiton dictated iron-ore prices to steelmakers (Sarah-Jane Tasker. (23/04/2010). Giant iron ore producers are dictating price, says Beijing) In 2009 BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Signed a Joint Venture which allowed the two companies to control and encompasses all current and future Western Australian iron ore assets and liabilities, this has decreased the amount of competition in the mining industry, as well as eliminating the threat of potential entrants, the joint venture has also allowed the two companies to increased there barging power in terms of exporting the iron-ore, at the same time cutting the bargaining power of those customers, as there is not substitutes for minerals BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto will be able to continue to create a profit in the industry. There are some arguments which view the Porters five force model as out of date and touch with the twenty-first century way of conducting business. Dagmar Recklies who has extensive experience in the strategic analysis of markets, companies and business models also a wide knowledge in the development and implementation of concepts for strategic planning writes that Porters ideas have become more and more subject of critique under the impression of the developing Internet economy during the last decade. Critics point out that economic conditions have changed fundamentally since that time. The rise of the Internet and of various e-business applications has strongly influenced nearly all industries. (Recklies, D. (2/5/10). Beyond Porter A Critique of the Critique of Porter) As Michael E Porter is viewed as one of the most influential people in the strategic management way of thinking; his models have grown and are being used by managers and business all around the world, even though his models are based on the economic situations in the eighties his theories are still relent even in a time where a majority of business is done on line. I believe internet competition in any industry has increased. The internet allows business to trade and stay competitive not only locally but global. Many products and even some service operate solely online for example using the porters five force model and applying it to the internet and companies which use only internet it is possible to explain how a business can remain completive. Buyer power Customers are able to have a better buyer power when there are more choices in an industry, as with business operating via the internet offering a wider choice of goods and services at lower cost play to how a customer wants to purchase, an example of this is eBay there are millions of different products at lower then retail cost meaning that consumers have a wide choice of products. Supplier power Supplier power is the opposite to buyer power where by buyers have less choices in an industry in relation to the internet and purchasing products on the internet companies such as Google dominate the internet, other companies use this website as a vehicle to recommend there product to the consumer while paying Google for the opportunity to advertise via there site. Threat of substitutes As stated early the threat of substitute is high when there are many product options. The internet allows a consumer to shop around and purchase there product form other countries or business where the cost of manufacturing is cheaper. Barriers to entry The threat of a new entrant into the market which you are competing in is high, it is very easy for a local business to setup an internet website and start selling there product. Even though there is high competition on the internet there is always an opportunity for a business to sell or offer a new product or service. Rivalry In relation to business operating via the internet there is extensive amount of rivalry which will effect how a modern day internet business is able to gain a competitive advantage but by viewing the above factors it will allow the particular business to view the correct direction and strength to successful attain a profit Porters Five Forces Model can help demonstrate the attractiveness of starting an on-line business. A business person should use the model to identify competition, make a plan, and implement the process. (Bennett, J. (2/5/2010). Porters Five Forces Model And Internet Competition) As stated in the article by J, Bennett porters five force model is still applicable to the way companies do business on the internet you still need to assess you Buyer Power, Supplier power, what threats you product or service has and what the barriers to entry are Even through Dagmar Recklies states that: these models cannot explain or analyze todays dynamic changes and have the power to transform whole industries (Recklies, D. (2/5/10). Beyond Porter A Critique of the Critique of Porter) what needs to be understood is that the business running on the internet are still business and they are still subjected to industry competition and that porters five force model will still help a company to analysis how competitive there industry is. There are a number of other models which would help a company determine how competitive the industry is that they are competing in. The Ansoff Matrix proposes that a company will mature whether it markets new or existing products in a new or existing market. If done correctly the Ansoff Matrix will be able to guide a company by suggesting a growth strategy such as; Market penetration, product development, market development and diversification. Market Penetration This strategy consists of developing companies products to an existing market. This strategy will help a company achieve objectives such as; maintaining or increasing the market share on current products, become a market leader, it can help remove competitors from a market and increase the amount existing customers use Product development The Product development strategy can be used to introduce a new product into existing markets for example developing needs and wants so it can appeal to the particular existing market. Market development This strategy is used to help a company trade an old product in a new market for example selling a product over seas, lowering prices which will attract new customers or distributing a product via a different channel. Diversification Diversification is a growth strategy where by a business markets new products in new market this strategy is very riskey due to the fact the business is moving into a market that it has little or no experience in For a business to adopt a diversification strategy, therefore, it must have a clear idea about what it expects to gain from the strategy and an honest assessment of the risks. . (Chapman, A. (2/5/2010). business plans and marketing strategy) Compared to the Porters five force model the Ansoff matrix can be a useful extension to encompass the degree of risk a company will experience by venturing into a new/expanding market (Bennett, R. Vignali, C. (1996). Dancall Telecom A/S in the UK mobile telephone market) it also deals with the possibility that an industry could be attractive because certain companies are in it, such as the Smartphone industry looks like a positive industry to be in but this is only due to Apple being so dominant. The Ansoff Growth matrix is used as a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy where as Porters Five Forces is designed as a tool to help managers view a industries opportunities and threats allowing for a completive advantage to be formed. Conclusion In conclusion Porters Five Forces Analysis is a significant model for reviewing the possible for profitability in an industry. It works by looking at the strength of five important forces that affect competition, Supplier Power which is the power of suppliers to drive up the prices of inputs, Buyer Power which is the power customers to drive down prices, Competitive Rivalry which is able to evaluate the strengths of business in a industry, The Threat of Substitution helps reference the amount of different products and services that can be used in place of your own and finally The Threat of New Entry which refers to the ease with which new competitors can enter the market. If a company applies this model it will assist the business in viewing and identifying the strengths and directions in which they need to head to sustain profit in there given industry Literature and References: Porter, M (10/1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors . NY, USA: Free Press. 34-56. Aaker, D (2008). Strategic Market Management. 9th ed. New Caledonia: Jonh Wiley Sons, Inc. 67-68 Sarah-Jane Tasker. (2010). Giant iron ore producers are dictating price, says Beijing. Available: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/giant-iron-ore-producers-are-dictating-price-says-beijing/story-e6frg8zx-1225854289070. Last accessed 23/04/2010. Niederhut-Bollmann, C, Theuvsen, L,. (2008). Strategic management in turbulent markets. The case of the German and Croatian brewing industries. 1 (2), 64. Porter, Michael E.. (Jan2008). THE FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES THAT SHAPE STRATEGY.. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 86 (16), 78-93. J Cramer. (2010). Barriers To Entry. Available: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/barrierstoentry.asp. Last accessed 1/05/2010. Recklies, D. (2008). Beyond Porter A Critique of the Critique of Porter. Available: http://www.themanager.org/strategy/BeyondPorter.htm. Last accessed 01/05/2010. Recklies, D. Recklies, O. (2000). Who We Are. Available: http://www.themanager.org/rmpenglish/self.htm. Last accessed 2/05/2010. Bennett, J. (2010). Porters Five Forces Model And Internet Competition . Available: http://ezinearticles.com/?Porters-Five-Forces-Model-And-Internet-Competitionid=446461. Last accessed 2/05/2010. Chapman, A. (2008). business plans and marketing strategy. Available: http://www.businessballs.com/freebusinessplansandmarketingtemplates.htm#ansoff%20product%20market%20matrix. Last accessed 2/05/2010. Bennett, R. Vignali, C. (1996). Dancall Telecom A/S in the UK mobile telephone market.(European Marketing Management Issues: A Case Study Selection).. Management Decision . 24 (8), 6-11. Wierenga B., Knowledge Based Systems in Marketing, Purpose, Performance, Perceptions and Perspectives,Management Report Series, no. 112, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Dept. of Business Management,1992. Iupindia, D. (2010). Journal of Applied Economics. IUP. 9 (2), 1-24. Porter, Michael E. (1980). How competitive forces shape strategy.. Harvard Business Journal. 2 (17), 34-50. Coyne, K.P. and Sujit Balakrishnan (1996),Bringing discipline to strategy, The McKinsey Quarterly, No.4. Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy, Free Press, New York, 1980. SEC Form 20-F, BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc, for FY 2007 (PDF). BHP Billiton. 2007-09-26. p.  274. http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/20fstatement2007.pdf. Retrieved 2008-04-09. BHP wont be drawn on a Rio sweetener. FT.com (Financial Times). 2007-11-28. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe0b3904-9d88-11dc-9f68-0000779fd2ac.html. Retrieved 2007-11-28. Pump Industry Analyst. (2010). BHP Billiton plans iron ore mining expansion in Western Australia.. Iron Ore Mining. 1 (2), 3-4. Richardson, M. Evans, C. (2007). Strategy in Action Applying Ansoffs Matrix.. British Journal of Administrative Management; . 59 (3), 1-3.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Decadence and Aestheticism :: History Historical Papers

Decadence and Aestheticism Many may wonder if the era of the 1890’s was the beginning, end, or change of a new age. The era can often be described as modern, advanced, and different. Many people were experimenting, inventing, and trying new things. Decadence and Aestheticism arose. Decadence emerged as a dark side of Romanticism in that it involved forbidden experiences. Decadence was referred to as moral, social, and artistic. As Beckson says, "The dark side of Romanticism derived from Poe and other writers who defined it as strangers united with beauty"(Page 40). The distinguishing feature of a Decadent is the retreat of reality. For example in "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde, Algernon and Jack have a pretend character that they often used as an escape from reality. Decadence represented Symbolism and Impressionism. Also known as fin de siecle, Decadence is described by Arthur Symons, a participant observer who said, "it has all the qualities that mark the end of great periods, the qualities that we find in the Greek, the Latin, the Decadence, an intense self consciousness, a restless curiosity in research , and a spiritual and moral perversity."(Altick Page 296). In Aestheticism, life is viewed as an art. Aesthetes found beauty in art and in whatever was attractive in the world. Altick said, "The connecting link was Rosetti, whose poetry and painting inspired the Aesthetes"(page 291). Art’s purpose for the Aesthete was for pleasure. The Aesthetics interpreted his artistic aim as the pursuit of beauty separated form social meaning. Oscar Wilde’s theory towards Aestheticism was that the only reality worth seeking was not material goods but the individual experience. And so Aestheticism involved a complete revulsion against received standards of values. Aesthetics found that through their great interest in beauty, pleasure that is derived form objects of art is more beautiful than other pleasures. The truth about an Aesthete is that the mind is usually more active in a creative sense in the appreciation of nature than in the enjoyment of a finished work of art. An Aesthete has a great appreciation for nature. One may look at an object, place, or person and perceive it a different way than another person may perceive it. He does not actually see them the way they appear but his imagination gives his perception a memory picture of them. For an Aesthete to obtain pleasure, "it is the perspectives of perception that is necessary to an understanding of both appreciation and creation"(Langfield page 24).

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparison of Federico García Lorcas Poems, Romance de la Pena Negra a

Comparison of Federico Garcà ­a Lorca's Poems, Romance de la Pena Negra and La Aurora Romance de la Pena Negra (Ballad of the Black Sorrow) was written by Lorca on the 30. July 1924 (Catedra:80). It was one of a collection of poems he entitled the Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads) that, when published, was a huge success, among academics and the general public alike, making this book one of his most well known pieces of work. There are many reasons why the poems received such wide acclaim in terms of Lorca’s wider audience: It is clear that the ballad, with its simple, eight-syllable line rhyming structure makes for uncomplicated reading, in addition, the subject matter would have sparked general interest due to the mysterious nature of its gypsy protagonists, who had popularised the flamenco arts at the end of the 19th century, yet inspired a mixture of fear, loathing and admiration in Spain that all Spaniards would have recognised. The universal content of the poems is another reason for their popularity, they are rich in natural imagery, the moon, the sea and the mountains all appear frequently, as do themes of love, sexuality and death, making the poems easily accessible to all readers on a basic level. Critics and academics were just as appreciative of Lorca’s work, in it they were able to recognise his talent for fusion and innovation, for example, he combined the narrative ballad format with the lyrical (Harvard: 32) and harmoniously blended elements from the classics (influences from Greek mythology) (Catedra:79), the folkloric (the use of gypsy lore), and the most modern scientific thought of Freud and his theories regarding dreams and the subconscious. It is important that Lorca would choose the ballad to create h... ...r to give the coins being thrown at the abandoned children, the quality of furious swarms of wasps that, rather than helping, are actually attacking them. The contrasting images deployed by Lorca in these lines convert the traditional good associated with giving money into a form of torture; the money becomes a weapon and the act of giving money a lesson on morality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Carr, Raymond: â€Å"Spain 1808-1975† (2nd ed.) 1982, Oxford University Press/Clarendon Press â€Å"Federico Garcà ­a Lorca Conferencias I†, Alianza Editorial, S.A., Madrid 1984 Gaos, Vicente: â€Å"Antologà ­a del Grupo Poà ©tico de 1927† Ediciones Cà ¡tedra, S.A. 1981 Harvard, Robert G: â€Å"Federico Garcà ­a Lorca Gypsy Ballads – Romancero Gitano†, Aris & Phillips – Warminster – England. Salinas, Pedro: â€Å"Literatura Espaà ±ola Siglo XX† 1970, Alianza Editorial, S.A. Madrid http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/

Earning Gap between men and women Essay -- essays research papers

Earnings Gap   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Earnings gap by gender can be explained by several different theories. Varying on the individual views/opinions some theories may make more sense than others. In my opinion the one theory that best explains this gap between genders is the occupational segregation. There are some occupations that are female, and others that are male.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the explanations for this is the discontinuity of the female participation/attachment in labor force. During their labor force participation, women would need to take time off for child bearing. In order to ensure that she still has a job when she comes back, she needs to choose a job with general skill level. As a result, the jobs that require only a general skill level and not a ...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Effects Of Reciprocal Teaching On English Language Education Essay

This reappraisal of the literature is separated into subdivisions get downing with mutual instruction and the current research. The surveies for mutual instruction are reviewed harmonizing to their research design ( e.g. , meta-analysis, group designs, qualitative designs, and single-subject designs ) . Part of this subdivision includes a reappraisal of the mutual instruction monitoring scheme as it relates to current surveies. Subsequently there is a sum-up of the unwritten linguistic communication development in English Language Learners ( ELLs ) . With a turning figure of immigrants from assorted states, Miami Dade County Public Schools ( M-DCPS ) is a runing pot of ELLs. M-DCPS is besides the second-largest minority public school territory in the state. These pupils are expected to execute at the same degrees as their equals on the Standardized Achievement Test, Tenth Edition ( SAT-10 ) regardless of their appreciation of the English linguistic communication. With the current move into answerability and pupil accomplishment, instructors are obliged to happen schemes to help the ELLs in increasing non merely vocabulary, but besides reading comprehension. ELL pupils need to understand the reading strategies non merely to go through the SAT-10 and progress to the following class degree but besides to construe text in the existent universe. In order for pupils to efficaciously utilize the reading schemes, they must be actively engaged in the activities that are represented to them. The instructor must supply a huge sum of chances across all capable affair and convey in illustration from their day-to-day lives every bit good. If the pupil continues to pull strings the assorted passages/text, so their comprehension accomplishments will increase and in bend will accomplish higher tonss in the SAT-10.Reciprocal TeachingResearch workers in a figure of surveies have systematically found that mutual instruction is an effectual manner to increase pupil comprehension. Relatively small is known about the issues of how multiple schemes can, and should, be combined in comprehension direction ( Brunstein & A ; Kieschke, Sporer 2009 ) . Reciprocal in struction ( RT ) is an instructional process developed by Palincsar and Brown ( 1984 ) to better pupils ‘ text comprehension accomplishments through scaffold direction of four comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring schemes ( Palincsar & A ; Brown, 1984 ; Palincsar, David, & A ; Brown, 1989 ; Rosenshine & A ; Meister, 1994 ) , that is, ( a ) bring forthing one ‘s ain inquiries, ( B ) sum uping parts of the text, ( degree Celsius ) clear uping word significances and confounding text transitions, and ( vitamin D ) foretelling what might come next in the text ( Brunstein & A ; Kieschke, Sporer 2009 ) . The instructor could so supply counsel and feedback at the appropriate degree for each pupil. Theories of comprehension suggests that active acquisition from text must affect a flexible repertory of comprehension-fostering and monitoring activities ( Alfassi, 1998 ) . Explicit direction in comprehension-enhancing activities appears particularly important for the novice reader and the academically delayed pupil ( Alfassi, 1998 ) .Meta-AnalysisIn order to look into the effectivity of mutual learning two meta-analyses have been conducted. Meister and Rosenshine ( 1994 ) provided the first analysis of the survey. After placing 16 published and unpolished surveies related to mutual instruction, they concluded that teacher-made appraisals had a greater consequence on reading comprehension instead than standardised trial. In general, Meister and Rosenshine and ( 1994 ) found that when the four schemes ( i.e. , oppugning, sum uping, clear uping, and foretelling ) were explicitly taught before prosecuting in the mutual instruction processs pupils ‘ comprehension abilities increased more than when the schemes were taught as the mutual instruction intercession was in procedure. In an unpublished thesis by Galloway ( 2003 ) , an extended reappraisal of the current literature on mutual instruction was conducted utilizing traditional meta-analysis. The research worker found moderate consequence sizes for intercessions utilizing mutual instruction. The important differences between teacher-made trials and norm-referenced trials found by Meister and Rosenshine ( 1994 ) were non found by Galloway ( 2003 ) . Galloway concluded there still is a demand to document in the literature the execution of the mutual instruction process. Both of the meta-analytic surveies described provide support for the effectivity of mutual instruction. Sample size and the fidelity to which the mutual instruction intercession was implemented remain a restriction.Group DesignsLysynchuk, Pressly, and Vye ( 1990 ) studied how mutual instruction improves the reading comprehension public presentation of hapless readers. In this survey, 72 four and rate seven pupils in Canada participated in 1 3 Sessionss of mutual learning reading intercession reading direction. Of the 72 pupils, 36 were assigned to the mutual instruction intercession, while the others worked in little groups, with the instructor offering aid if needed in decrypting and transition apprehension. Thirteen Sessionss were administered to both groups, with day-to-day dependent steps being taken ( i.e. , reciting and inquiries ) , every bit good as pre and station standardised reading steps. For both informal and formal appraisals, the reading comprehension of the experimental group of hapless decipherers was higher than the control group of hapless decipherers. No betterments were seen on vocabulary acquisition and care in either group. Klinger and Vaughn ( 1996 ) used mutual instruction as an intercession for hapless decipherers with larning disablements ( LD ) , but who were besides ELL at the in-between school degree. This survey concluded that mutual learning intercession appeared to better the reading comprehension of pupils with LD/ELL and supported mold and societal interaction as agencies to larning as proposed by Vygotsky ( Schunk, 2004 ) .Qualitative DesignsThe usage of qualitative research methods lend themselves good in the probe of jobs where engagement, observation, and enquiry of intending are of involvement ( Shank, 2006 ) . In a survey conducted by Hacker and Tenent ( 2002 ) instructors constructed their cognition of mutual instruction ( based on Hashey & A ; Jimmy conorss, 2003 ) as they implemented the intercession. The survey lasted 3 old ages and 17 instructors from two simple schools were followed. Data was collected based on patterns and alterations of mutual instruction in order for them to d evelop a theory on how to implement the intercession efficaciously in the schoolroom. The three elements of mutual instruction that were examined: scheme usage, profusion of duologue, and scaffold direction. The chief issue the instructors encountered with the pupils was in duologue in which they felt it was superficial and non rich ; this determination was besides supported by Whitehead ‘s ( 2002 ) probe of guided reading intercession. Hashey and Connors ( 2003 ) besides suggest that pupils benefit from mutual learning beginning in the 3rd class because of their experience with decrypting accomplishments.Single-Subject DesignsPalincsar, David, and Brown ( 1989 ) have suggested that mutual instruction may be more good as a little group intercession. In the initial mutual instruction survey, Palincsar and Brown ( 1984 ) employed a individual capable research design to look into the effects of mutual instruction with a little group of pupils. To day of the month several research workers have utilized individual capable designs to mensurate the effects of mutual learning with little groups of pupils in applied scenes.The Reading ProcedureCrowder and Wagner ( 1992 ) suggest reading may be a â€Å" fuzzed construct † ( p. 3 ) to understand ; it is a complex procedure ( Sternberg, 2003 ) , A simpler position of the reading procedure was explained by Hoover and Gough ( 1990 ) . The research workers suggested that the reading procedure consisted of two constituents: decryption and comprehension. To them, decrypting encompasses phonemic consciousness, phonics, and reading eloquence, while comprehension and vocabulary are thought of as one constituent. The simple construct of decrypting and comprehension was elaborated on by LaBerge and Samuels ( 1974 ) . From the position of cognitive psychological science, they proposed a theory of automaticity, which explained decrypting as a combination of reading velocity and truth. This eloquence in decrypting allows for cognitive resources to treat information expeditiously make intending from text ( Hashey & A ; Jimmy conorss, 2003 ) . Therefore, fluid readers have the ability and attending to grok what they read. Conversely, hapless decipherers, who lack eloquence, will utilize their available cognitive resources to decrypt alternatively of utilizing those resources to grok text to the full ( LaBerge & A ; Samuels, 1974 ) ; this deficiency of eloquence outputs superficial comprehension and spreads in apprehension.English Language LearnersThere is limited research conducted on the unwritten linguistic communication development in English Language Learners ( ELLs ) , such as vocabulary, grammatical signifier, and matter-of-fact forms. Therefore, restricting the apprehension of specific facets of ELLs unwritten linguistic communication development and, therefore small empirical footing for be aftering educational intercessions ( Genesse, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders & A ; Christian, 2006 ) . Latino pupils as a whole, including English proficient kids in the 2nd coevals and beyond, score significantly lower in reading than other pupils. However, the chance of geting an unknown word by the way through reading is merely approximately 15 % ( Swanborn & A ; de Glopper, 1999 ) . These pupils frequently exhibit more jobs with reading comprehension than make fluid talkers of English of comparable ability, because of differences in background cognition relevant to what is read in school and limited English linguistic communication proficiency ( Klingner & A ; Vaughn, 1996 ) . There are besides assorted positions on the benefits of mutual instruction. Many surveies suggests that ELLs can profit from mutual instruction because of improve comprehension for pupils who can decrypt but have trouble groking text ( Klingner & A ; Vaughn, 1996 ) and others recommend that vocabulary direction should take topographic point in order to increase pupil comprehension ( Genesse, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders & A ; Christian, 2006 ) . Prior mutual instruction research has examined the effects of teacher-facilitated scheme direction without analyzing how pupils apply schemes when the instructor is non present ( Klingner & A ; Vaughn, 1996 ) . This survey conducted by Klingner and Vaughn ( 1996 ) proved that that initial reading ability and unwritten linguistic communication proficiency seemed related to additions in comprehension, that a greater scope of pupils benefited from scheme direction than would hold been predicted on the footing of old research, and that pupils in both groups continued to demo betterment in comprehension when provided minimum grownup support. For those grounds, it is critical to understand the relationship of mutual instruction among ELLs. This will let instructors to outdo find the most effectual reading scheme to accomplish acquisition additions in reading comprehension. These patterns include expressed direction in nucleus reading competences after control for undertaking trouble through systematic staging, learning pupils separately or in little groups, patterning and learning schemes, learning when and where to use schemes, ongoing and systematic feedback, and ongoing advancement monitoring ( Miester & A ; Rosenshine, 1994 ) .