Critical Management Systems - Mystery Shopping Essay

Critical Management Systems - Mystery Shopping - Essay Example The retail financial services, for instance, use Mystery shopping for two reasons – research into potentially high risk areas and identify key issues in areas of concern (FSA, 2006). The checklist should also reflect the key performance indicators which is a part of the organization’s vision and mission. Mystery shoppers should be independent, critical, objective and anonymous. Each location should be visited multiple times by different shoppers. While the employees should be notified that mystery shoppers would be around, the exact time and date should not be disclosed, which should remain a mystery (Kocevar-Weidinger, Benjes-Small, Ackermann & Kinman, 2010). The shopper however needs to be trained in evaluating employee behaviour and to ensure accurate data collection. The President of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) agrees that in-person visits can capture the â€Å"soft† issues that surveys often cannot: friendliness, courtesy, names, and knowledge (CRM Magazine, 2009). Facts emerge in a natural setting and this is not always possible in an interview or any other data collection method. Mystery shopping as a research tool helps to identify whether known customer requirements are met, to assess whether communications need to be improved and to check the consistency of standards across all branches (Beck & Miao, 2003). Calvert (2005), to evaluate the effectiveness of â€Å"mystery shopping† as a technique for service evaluation, interviewed public librarians in New Zealand who have used mystery shopping. Libraries used mystery shopping for three major reasons - improving process, improving staff behaviours, and benchmarking with similar organisations. It is used as a diagnostic tool to track the service delivery process; it is used extensively in staff appraisal and most importantly, organizations send mystery shoppers to rival firms to understand their service delivery process. This helps them to benchmark against the rivals. Mystery

American Prohibition Essay Example for Free

American Prohibition Essay : Also known as the Volstead Act, named after Republican Senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. Focus/Argument: Prohibition in fact failed to bolster morals as hoped, but instead led to an increase in violent crime and caused morals to slip due to reactionary protest from the people. Paper should focus on the major cities of the twenties such as Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. Special attention should be focused on the mafia, gangland violence, and bootlegging, as well as the spread of speakeasies and the resulting Jazz culture (flappers, corruption, etc). Introduction: â€Å"The so-called Temperance movement, which in fact opposed temperate and responsible enjoyment of alcohol beverages, proposed that to defeat the disease of alcohol dependency among the few allegedly required abstinence from the many. †1 This was the rationale which enabled the 18th amendment to the U. S. Constitution to be passed. Also known as the Volstead Act, named after its author the Republican senator Andrew J. Volstead, the National Prohibition Act was designed to improve the morality of the nation. However, prohibition, the â€Å"Noble Experiment,† failed miserably in this respect. 2 In fact, it caused an increase in crime and gave impetus to violence on a scale not seen since the days of the old west. Morality also became increasingly lax as speakeasies, Jazz, sexual promiscuity, and flappers mushroomed across the nation, giving full meaning to the term, â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † Coupled with post-war prosperity with people having more money and time off than ever before, they looked for things to spend their earnings on as well as for ways to blow off steam. 3 The rise of popular legend stemming from the Prohibition years in the form of movies, books, and people such as mobster Al Capone and Treasury agent Elliott Ness, have had a lasting impact on popular culture through modern times. The Prohibition decade was more than a prohibition on alcohol consumption; it was a prohibition on morals which never has been repealed. American Prohibition: Moral Decay and Corruption in the Roaring Twenties The 1920s went by various monikers such as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of prosperity for most Americans. Scientific and technological improvements increased industrial production. The automobile, electric appliances, chemical and construction industries expanded tremendously during the 1920s. People were generally able to afford luxuries. The 1920s was also an era of wild gaiety for part of the population. Novels of the period stressed the rebellion of the youth against the traditional values of their parents. These groups from the urban areas came to seem typical of the 1920s though actually many more people were leading conservative lives. Women had been given the right to vote in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. For the first time, women wore their dresses short and bobbed their hair; many wore make-up and smoked cigarette’s. They became regulars in the dance scenes in clubs and cabarets where jazz was played. They were called flappers. Some imitated the movie stars they saw in silent files like the glamorous Gloria Swanson and Norma Talmadge and swooned over Rudolf Valentino. Talking pictures were first introduced in 1927 featuring the Jazz Singer. Jazz music was played everywhere and was most popular in the urban area of New York as it seemed to embody the vitality of the city. Speakeasies sprouted everywhere. Its name bespoke secrecy as these private clubs admonish its customers to speak easy or softly or the police might herar. Charles A. Lindbergh was a completely different type of national hero. In May 27, this young man from the Midwest became the first person to fly alone, nonstop, across the Atlantic Ocean. 4 Prohibition was partly responsible for the daring, reckless spirit of the twenties. An amendment to the Constitution was submitted to the states on December 18, 1917 and on January 29, 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment was declared ratified, to wit: Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. 5 On January 16, 1920, the National Prohibition Act or, otherwise known as the Volstead Act, went into effect. The conservatives had long been calling for temperance arguing that alcohol is the source of all ills. Science was used to give evidence that alcohol was linked to vices, diseases, suicide and leads to early death. The employers encouraged total abstinence so as to minimize industrial accidents and at the same time increase productivity. The religious community associated alcohol with evil. The women’s group proclaimed it detrimental to family relations. 6 With the entry of the United States in World War I, they quickly gained supporters due to the growing resentment against anything German which included beer. Moreover, patriotism called for self-sacrifice and anyone who did not remain sober and defend the country were met with hostility. During the war, the manufacture of beer and liquor had been prohibited to conserve grain and by July 1919, the sale of liquor had been stopped. With such public sentiment, the prohibitionists gained ground and the amendment was passed. 7 The day before the Volstead Act was to take effect, the Anti-Saloon League of New York made an optimistic prediction by stating that, â€Å"Tonight, John Barleycorn makes his last will and testament. Now for an era of clean thinking and clean living! † 8 Instead, the opposite took place. Almost immediately, violations across the country were being reported. Police were carrying out raids of establishments who persisted in selling liquor. The law was observed mostly in the Midwest where the â€Å"dry† movement had begun, but in the large eastern cities the laws were flagrantly broken. As well, there were not enough Federal and state agents to enforce prohibition. In fact, now that is was illegal, more people began to drink more than ever. Such circumstances made Al Capone self-righteous enough to proclaim that: I make my money by supplying a public need. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. The only difference between us is that I sell and they buy. 9 Fortunes were made in bootlegging or the manufacture and sale of liquor illegally. Criminals organized â€Å"mobs† or â€Å"syndicates† to operate in certain areas. Al Capone was one of these of bosses. He held sway in Chicago and Cicero, Illinois, with an estimated 750 paid gunmen. Crime became big business in other large cities, too. There were many kidnappings for ransom. Among them was Charles Lindbergh’s son who in 1932, was not only kidnapped but was also murdered. When prohibition ended in February 16, 1933 with the passing of the Twenty-first Amendment to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment, the mobs turned to protection rackets, slot machines and other gambling and the distribution of narcotics. 10 To be fair, the prohibition did manifest benefits though only for a short period. This could probably be because liquor was still relatively hard to find and when one did find it, the price of violation was high. This does not refer to the penalties to be imposed when caught but that the cost of liquor had become so prohibitive that the average American earner could not afford a glass of cocktail. The prohibition had no effect on the rich, however, as they continued to drink well while the poor drank badly. This led to further divisiveness as it was becoming classifies as a class legislation. 11 In 1920, the year the law came into effect, there was a significant drop in the arrests for drunkenness which was even lower than 1918 and 1919 when Americans were voluntary abstaining from liquor due to wartime restrictions and patriotism. By 1921, however, arrests for drunkenness had once again risen with no indications of declining. This data can be seen in a 1926 survey of 384 municipalities that was prepared by Stanley Shirk, the research director of The Moderation League, Inc. The results as it was presented to the Senate Committee Hearing were as follows: 12 Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities Year Number of Arrests for Intoxication in 384 Communities 1914 523,049 1920 233,837 1915 528,347 1921 317,492 1916 557,634 1922 425,353 1917 542,039 1923 499,322 1918 423,048 1924 515,199 1919 309,760 1925 533,483 The World League against Alcoholism likewise presented its own survey results in the same Senate Committee Hearing which compiled the records of 514 cities and towns. 13 Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population Year Arrests for Drunkenness per 10,000 Population 1914 169 1920 60 1915 165 1921 84 1916 176 1922 111 1917 169 1923 126 1918 124 1924 127 1919 97 These figures also showed an increase in arrests after 1920, the bone-dry year, but it was contended that this was more due to increased police activity. The anti-Alcoholism League, at that time, can merely give a forecast that arrests will go down in 1925 and beyond. They pointed out that compared with the figures from 1914 to 1917 of the pre-prohibition years, recorded arrests after 1920 were still much lower. Regardless, whether we look at it from the â€Å"wet† or â€Å"dry† statistics, the data showed that the number of arrests for drunkenness was not receding. This gave evidence that for the primary objective of the National Prohibition Act was not met and could not be met. The numbers from 1918 to 1921 are also quite notable as it implied a change in the attitudes of the general population towards alcohol. By the time prohibition was put in effect, the wartime fervor seems to have already waned, abstinence had overstayed its welcome, drinking was no longer met with social disapproval and people were clamoring for a drink notwithstanding the law. Institutions and agencies were likewise fairly tolerant of transgressions of the law and would accept any loophole around it. In courtrooms of Wyoming and San Francisco, judges and jury gave much leeway to the defense to the point of allowing the evidence to be drunk which led to the technicality of lack of evidence against the bootlegger defendant and the cases were thrown out. Doctors could and did prescribe up to three pints of vitamin-enhanced whiskey which was in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling. Government beer was prescribed by the gallons for medicinal purposes. 14 As a result, it had soon become a law that nobody wanted to obey thus making it harder to enforce. Thereupon, a general perception followed that crime was prevalent. Foremost among these are convictions for crime which did not used to be treated as criminal before the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment. This perception of lawlessness was compounded by the sensational publicity given to prohibition violations which had become daily news stories in the papers. In an age where cinema was most influential, many movies were produced that depicted a lot of drinking not by the villains but by the heroes and heroines. 15 Prominent people have likewise testified before the Senate to express their opinion against the Volstead Act and argue for revision. They aimed to prove that lawlessness had in fact increase since it was passed. One of these opponents of prohibition was Michigan politician Charles S. Wood who contended that the statistics for the arrests on drunkenness would actually have been much greater except that people were doing their drinking inside homes and hotels rather than in saloons hence there is little chance for them to be caught drunk in the streets. 16 This can be corroborated by the increasing number of deaths recorded for cirrhosis of the liver. Alcoholic admissions in one New York hospital as recorded in the 1930s were over 1000 a year. Apparently, they became alcoholics during prohibition. 17

Technology for Primus Securities Essay -- Business Management Technolo

Technology for Primus Securities Summary The use of technology will be very important in the projected growth of Primus Securities. With a multitude of technologies available, choosing the correct ones that maximize capability with future expansion will be a priority. Primus Securities, much like its industry brethren, E-trade Securities and Charles Schwab, is attempting to provide successful online investing via their website. Using technology, Primus has at their disposal many online products, tools, and services to choose from that would provide a unique and satisfying online investment experience for its customers. Primus wishes to expand their site to include more frequent and faster investment opportunity for customers. An incremental implementation of technological infrastructure will allow for future expansion and will provide savings throughout future operation. In addition, this technology will provide customers a more secure and satisfying shopping experience and will increase their confidence level. It will be necessary to incur a large expense on infrastructure installation at the beginning of the development. This infrastructure investment along with a subsequent investment in human resources to staff it will make future expansion cheaper and easier to accomplish. Finally, outsourcing key aspects of the operation will achieve maximum cost savings. Infrastructure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of a well-designed infrastructure is to ensure that an e-business is able to run effectively while safely being scaled within a budget. For a company like Primus Securities, a cost effective infrastructure will be implemented remaining functional and adequate for their purposes. The important aspect of a new e-business is to add technology without disturbing business operations and aligning information systems with the organizational strategy. In this paper, Team B will examine a viable infrastructure for a new e-business venture undertaken by Primus Securities. Hardware Decision   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company needs to invest in equipment such as servers, workstations laptops, PDAs and cell phones to keep up with the competitive edge of technology. The online trading industry is a fast-paced business, where customer information must be readily available to all key employees. Primus Securities main objective is to operate efficiently and effectively. Part of... ... all content is created and managed as separate assets. These are then published to the run-time rendering system. The CM implementation includes DB2 storage, Library Server, and Asset Manager. The Schwab application uses CM versioning, workflow, ACL and its API. (Marshak, 2003) Conclusion References Chan, Isabelle. Dec 2004. The Other Side of Outsourcing. Retrieved August 26, 2005 from http://asia.cnet.com/news/specialreports/0,39037117,39209632,00.htm Charles Schwab web site (http://www.schwab.com) Retrieved August 27, 2005 http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci212495,00.html Retrieved August 25, 2005 Marshak, D. (2003, December). Charles Schwab Responds to Market Conditions and Customer Needs: Services-Oriented Architecture Improves Time to Market and Leverages Existing Investments. Retrieved August 26, 2005, from http://www.306.ibm.com/software/htp/cics/library/whitepapers/Charles_Schwab.pdf#search='schwab%20online%20infrastructure' Trava Soft, (2003). Services-e-business. Retrieved August 26, 2005, from Information Technology Outsourcing Web site: http://www.tatvasoft.com/offshore-outsourcing-services/offshore-outsourcing-eBusiness.asp

Teen Pregnancy Is One Hundred Percent Preventable

Teen Pregnancy Retha McDonald Argument Essay ? Abstract The following research paper contains important information on how you can prevent your teen from becoming pregnant. The thesis is clearly stated in my argument. Topic sentences and sub-topics support my theory. Teen Pregnancy and prenatal care are very important issues but can be avoided all together with patience, guidance and instruction from responsible parents. Parents have to discuss issues such as safe sex, prevention of pregnancy along with topics such as birth control and being abstinence until marriage.This paper will also cover issues dealing with peer pressure. ? Teen pregnancy and prenatal care Parents need to discuss the importance of abstinence with their teenagers. If a teen was to become pregnant, prenatal care is the best way to provide and insure the safe arrival of an unborn child. Teenagers are not being taught at home about the practice of safe sex and prevention of an unwanted pregnancy. Teenagers that are sexually active need to be put on birth control and taught about STD’s, which mean sexual transmitted disease. Teen pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable.Sex and prevention Teenagers are not being taught at home about safe sex and prevention. When a child starts puberty or even before puberty parents should discuss changes that are happening with their bodies. Explaining that it is normal to feel attraction toward the opposite sex, but acting on those feelings can result in serious consequences. Parents should also go into particular issues dealing with the dangers such as STD’s, and unwanted pregnancies. Discussions about birth control and abstinence should be discussed at an early age.Parents should talk to their teens in a comfortable setting so the child won’t feel like they are being lectured, but feel like they are in an open conversation that they can join in and ask for advice. Parents should allow time during the end for teenagers ask any questi ons that they might have. In the article† Is Parenting Associated with Teenagers ‘Early Sexual Risk-Taking, Autonomy and Relationship with Sexual Partners? â€Å"Crabtree, S. (2005) states â€Å"very extensive Research showed that relationships between parents and teenagers are linked to various outcomes associated with teenager’s first sexual experience. Parents have a big influence on their children future and they play a major role in the behavior that their child will exhibit. Parents have to set values, perfect communication about sex will help build beliefs in teenagers and they will have the necessary skills to deal with situations if confronted with sexual advances. Parkes, A. (2011) states â€Å"teaching teenagers to abstain from sex is also associated with teenagers not engaging in risky sexual behavior, positive parenting has shown it will delay first sex. † Proper prenatal careAdolescent childbearing negatively affects society and families, an d increases health risks, as well as developmental and childrearing problems for mothers and children (Letamo &Majelantle 2001; Smith & Pell 2001). Underage childbearing may result in miscarriage, preterm births and repeated pregnancies, with increased rate of low birth weight delivery, neonatal death and subsequent incidence of infant illness (Williams &Delavan 2006). Teens that do become pregnant do not receive the proper prenatal care because they are afraid to approach parents; they have feelings of being ashamed of what they have done.They are embarrassed, and they feel that they may have let the family down. Majority of teen pregnancies are hidden and kept secret up until month six or seven, simply because the teens are afraid to speak up. They come to a crossroad where they know that soon they will need medical attention. What teens don’t realize is that they are compromising their health and the health of their unborn child every pregnancy needs to be monitored by a d octor; prenatal vitamins need to be given, possibly iron pills.While pregnant the teen could form serious conditions such a preeclampsia or develop high blood pressure. Proper prenatal care is a must with any pregnancy this is to ensure the safe arrival of a baby and making sure the mother is healthy before, during and after the birth. Immaturity is implicated as a cause of most problems with preterm labor. Monitor your children â€Å"Teenage parenthood passed down through generations, with the children of young mothers becoming parents themselves at an early age, such a difficult tradition to break. Frances, G. (2011) monitor your children. Know where your children are at all times. Know the company that they keep. Most of the time parents like to feel that they know what their child would and would not do. That is not always the case when you have one bad apple; sometime teens can easily be persuaded to fit in with the popular crowd, it is important to know the company that your teen is surrounded by. Bad association and peer pressure can lead down a terrible road of destruction for example an unwanted pregnancy.Teens should not have a lot of idle time. Engaging in an after school program or sports can keep your teen busy from just hanging out with friends and possibly experimenting with sexual behavior. Family outings on the weekends learning activities, family oriented activities that can include all the kids not just the teen, helping with yard work, building something with dad, planting and gardening with mom are ways to insure that your teen is safe and not being pressured in the streets and forced into sexual behavior too soon.Activities with the family will ensure you are monitoring your teen correctly and know where they are at all times. Conclusion Teen pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable parents need to discuss the importance of abstinence. If a teen was to become pregnant prenatal care is the best way to provide and insure the safe arriv al of an unborn child. Monitoring your teen’s friends and who they are affiliated with, by finding out where they like to hang out and go in their free time can warrant some behaviors that you wouldn’t want your teen engaging in.Start talking to your teen about safe sex at an early age and teaching them about the dangers that come with having sex is a sure way to keep away the STD’s and the unwanted pregnancies. Work Cited and Reference: Crabtree, S. (2005). Teens on Sex Education: Abstinence-Only or Safe-Sex Approach. Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing, 1-3. Parkes, A. (2011). Is Parenting Associated with Teenagers' Early Sexual Risk-Taking, Autonomy And Relationship with Sexual Partners. Perspectives On Sexual ; Reproductive Health, 43(1), 30. doi:10. 1363/4303011 Chen, C. W. , Tsai, C.Y. , Sung, F. C. , Lee, Y. Y. , Lu, T. H. , Li, C. Y. , ; Ko, M. C. (2010). Adverse birth outcomes among pregnancies of teen mothers: age-specific analysis of national data in Taiwan. Child: Care, Health ; Development, 36(2), 232-240. doi:10. 1111/j. 1365-2214. 2009. 01039. x Mahavarkar, S. H. , Madhu, C. K. , ; Mule, V. D. (2008). A comparative study of teenage pregnancy. Journal Of Obstetrics ; Gynaecology, 28(6), 604-607. doi:10. 1080/01443610802281831 Frances, G. (2011). Teenage pregnancy: successes and challenges. Practice Nursing, 22(1), 12-16.

Foundation and Empire 22. Death On Neotrantor

NEOTRANTOR The small planet of Delicass, renamed after the Great Sack, was for nearly a century, the seat of the last dynasty of the First Empire. It was a shadow world and a shadow Empire and its existence is only of legalistic importance. Under the first of the Neotrantorian dynasty†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica Neotrantor was the name! New Trantor! And when you have said the name you have exhausted at a stroke all the resemblances of the new Trantor to the great original. Two parsecs away, the sun of Old Trantor still shone and the Galaxy's Imperial Capital of the previous century still cut through space in the silent and eternal repetition of its orbit. Men even inhabited Old Trantor. Not many – a hundred million, perhaps, where fifty years before, forty billions had swarmed. The huge, metal world was in jagged splinters. The towering thrusts of the multi-towers from the single world-girdling base were torn and empty – still bearing the original blastholes and firegut – shards of the Great Sack of forty years earlier. It was strange that a world which had been the center of a Galaxy for two thousand years – that had ruled limitless space and been home to legislators and rulers whose whims spanned the parsecs – could die in a month. It was strange that a world which had been untouched through the vast conquering sweeps and retreats of a millennia, and equally untouched by the civil wars and palace revolutions of other millennia – should lie dead at last. It was strange that the Glory of the Galaxy should be a rotting corpse. And pathetic! For centuries would yet pass before the mighty works of fifty generations of humans would decay past use. Only the declining powers of men, themselves, rendered them useless now. The millions left after the billions had died tore up the gleaming metal base of the planet and exposed soil that had not felt the touch of sun in a thousand years. Surrounded by the mechanical perfections of human efforts, encircled by the industrial marvels of mankind freed of the tyranny of environment – they returned to the land. In the huge traffic clearings, wheat and corn grew. In the shadow of the towers, sheep grazed. But Neotrantor existed – an obscure village of a planet drowned in the shadow of mighty Trantor, until a heart-throttled royal family, racing before the fire and flame of the Great Sack sped to it as its last refuge – and held out there, barely, until the roaring wave of rebellion subsided. There it ruled in ghostly splendor over a cadaverous remnant of Imperium. Twenty agricultural worlds were a Galactic Empire! Dagobert IX, ruler of twenty worlds of refractory squires and sullen peasants, was Emperor of the Galaxy, Lord of the Universe. Dagobert IX had been twenty-five on the bloody day he arrived with his father upon Neotrantor. His eyes and mind were still alive with the glory and the power of the Empire that was. But his son, who might one day be Dagobert X, was born on Neotrantor. Twenty worlds were all he knew. Jord Commason's open air car was the finest vehicle of its type on all Neotrantor – and, after all, justly so. It did not end with the fact that Commason was the largest landowner on Neotrantor. It began there. For in earlier days he had been the companion and evil genius of a young crown prince, restive in the dominating grip of a middle-aged emperor. And now he was the companion and still the evil genius of a middle-aged crown prince who hated and dominated an old emperor. So Jord Commason, in his air car, which in mother-of-pearl finish and gold-and-lumetron ornamentation needed no coat of arms as owner's identification, surveyed the lands that were his, and the miles of rolling wheat that were his, and the huge threshers and harvesters that were his, and the tenant-farmers and machine-tenders that were his – and considered his problems cautiously. Beside him, his bent and withered chauffeur guided the ship gently through the upper winds and smiled. Jord Commason spoke to the wind, the air, and the sky, â€Å"You remember what I told you, Inchney?† Inchney's thin gray hair wisped lightly in the wind. His gap-toothed smile widened in its thin-lipped fashion and the vertical wrinkles of his cheeks deepened as though he were keeping an eternal secret from himself. The whisper of his voice whistled between his teeth. â€Å"I remember, sire, and I have thought.† â€Å"And what have you thought, Inchney?† There was an impatience about the question. Inchney remembered that he had been young and handsome, and a lord on Old Trantor. Inchney remembered that he was a disfigured ancient on Neotrantor, who lived by grace of Squire Jord Commason, and paid for the grace by lending his subtlety on request. He sighed very softly. He whispered again, â€Å"Visitors from the Foundation, sire, are a convenient thing to have. Especially, sire, when they come with but a single ship, and but a single fighting man. How welcome they might be.† â€Å"Welcome?† said Commason, gloomily. â€Å"Perhaps so. But those men are magicians and may be powerful.† â€Å"Pugh,† muttered Inchney, â€Å"the mistiness of distance hides the truth. The Foundation is but a world. Its citizens are but men. If you blast them, they die.† Inchney held the ship on its course – A river was a winding sparkle below. He whispered, â€Å"And is there not a man they speak of now who stirs the worlds of the Periphery?† Commason was suddenly suspicious. â€Å"What do you know of this?† There was no smile on his chauffeur's face. â€Å"Nothing, sire. It was but an idle question.† The squire's hesitation was short. He said, with brutal directness, â€Å"Nothing you ask is idle, and your method of acquiring knowledge will have your scrawny neck in a vise yet. But – I have it! This man is called the Mule, and a subject of his had been here some months ago on a†¦ matter of business. I await another†¦ now†¦ for its conclusion.† â€Å"And these newcomers? They are not the ones you want, perhaps?† â€Å"They lack the identification they should have.† â€Å"It has been reported that the Foundation has been captured-â€Å" â€Å"I did not tell you that.† â€Å"It has been so reported,† continued Inchney, coolly, â€Å"and if that is correct, then these may be refugees from the destruction, and may be held for the Mule's man out of honest friendship.† â€Å"Yes?† Commason was uncertain. â€Å"And, sire, since it is well-known that the friend of a conqueror is but the last victim, it would be but a measure of honest self-defense. For there are such things as psychic probes, and here we have four Foundation brains. There is much about the Foundation it would be useful to know, much even about the Mule. And then the Mule's friendship would be a trifle the less overpowering.† Commason, in the quiet of the upper air, returned with a shiver to his first thought. â€Å"But if the Foundation has not fallen. If the reports are lies. It is said that it has been foretold it can not fall.† â€Å"We are past the age of soothsayers, sire.† â€Å"And yet if it did not fall, Inchney. Think! If it did not fall. The Mule made me promises, indeed-† He had gone too far, and backtracked. â€Å"That is, he made boasts. But boasts are wind and deeds are hard.† Inchney laughed noiselessly. â€Å"Deeds are hard indeed, until begun. One could scarcely find a further fear than a Galaxy-end Foundation.† â€Å"There is still the prince,† murmured Commason, almost to himself. â€Å"He deals with the Mule also, then, sire?† Commason could not quite choke down the complacent shift of features. â€Å"Not entirely. Not as I do. But he grows wilder, more uncontrollable. A demon is upon him. If I seize these people and he takes them away for his own use – for he does not lack a certain shrewdness – I am not yet ready to quarrel with him.† He frowned and his heavy cheeks bent downwards with dislike. â€Å"I saw those strangers for a few moments yesterday,† said the gray chauffeur, irrelevantly, â€Å"and it is a strange woman, that dark one. she walks with the freedom of a man and she is of a startling paleness against the dark luster of hair.† There was almost a warmth in the husky whisper of the withered voice, so that Commason turned toward him in sudden surprise. Inchney continued, â€Å"The prince, I think, would not find his shrewdness proof against a reasonable compromise. You could have the rest, if you left him the girl-â€Å" A light broke upon Commason, â€Å"A thought! Indeed a thought! Inchney, turn back! And Inchney, if all turns well, we will discuss further this matter of your freedom.† It was with an almost superstitious sense of symbolism that Commason found a Personal Capsule waiting for him in his private study when he returned. It had arrived by a wavelength known to few. Commason smiled a fat smile. The Mule's man was coming and the Foundation had indeed fallen. Bayta's misty visions, when she had them, of an Imperial palace, did not jibe with the reality, and inside her, there was a vague sense of disappointment. The room was small, almost plain, almost ordinary. The palace did not even match the mayor's residence back at the Foundation – and Dagobert IX – Bayta had definite ideas of what an emperor ought to look like. He ought not look like somebody's benevolent grandfather. He ought not be thin and white and faded – or serving cups of tea with his own hand in an expressed anxiety for the comfort of his visitors. But so it was. Dagobert IX chuckled as he poured tea into her stiffly outheld cup. â€Å"This is a great pleasure for me, my dear. It is a moment away from ceremony and courtiers. I have not had the opportunity for welcoming visitors from my outer provinces for a time now. My son takes care of these details now that I'm older. You haven't met my son? A fine boy. Headstrong, perhaps. But then he's young. Do you care for a flavor capsule? No?† Toran attempted an interruption, â€Å"Your imperial majesty-â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Your imperial majesty, it has not been our intention to intrude upon you-â€Å" â€Å"Nonsense, there is no intrusion. Tonight there will be the official reception, but until then, we are free. Let's see, where did you say you were from? It seems a long time since we had an official reception. You said you were from the Province of Anacreon?† â€Å"From the Foundation, your imperial majesty!† â€Å"Yes, the Foundation. I remember now. I had it located. It is in the Province of Anacreon. I have never been there. My doctor forbids extensive traveling. I don't recall any recent reports from my viceroy at Anacreon. How are conditions there?† he concluded anxiously. â€Å"Sire,† mumbled Toran, â€Å"I bring no complaints.† â€Å"That is gratifying. I will commend my viceroy.† Toran looked helplessly at Ebling Mis, whose brusque voice rose. â€Å"Sire, we have been told that it will require your permission for us to visit the Imperial University Library on Trantor.† â€Å"Trantor?† questioned the emperor, mildly, â€Å"Trantor?† Then a look of puzzled pain crossed his thin face. â€Å"Trantor?† he whispered. â€Å"I remember now. I am making plans now to return there with a flood of ships at my back. You shall come with me. Together we will destroy the rebel, Gilmer. Together we shall restore the empire!† His bent back had straightened. His voice had strengthened. For a moment his eyes were hard. Then, he blinked and said softly, â€Å"But Gilmer is dead. I seem to remember – Yes. Yes! Gilmer is dead! Trantor is dead – For a moment, it seemed – Where was it you said you came from?† Magnifico whispered to Bayta, â€Å"Is this really an emperor? For somehow I thought emperors were greater and wiser than ordinary men.† Bayta motioned him quiet. She said, â€Å"If your imperial majesty would but sign an order permitting us to go to Trantor, it would avail greatly the common cause.† â€Å"To Trantor?† The emperor was blank and uncomprehending. â€Å"Sire, the Viceroy of Anacreon, in whose name we speak, sends word that Gilmer is yet alive-â€Å" â€Å"Alive! Alive!† thundered Dagobert. â€Å"Where? It will be war!† â€Å"Your imperial majesty, it must not yet be known. His whereabouts are uncertain. The viceroy sends us to acquaint you of the fact, and it is only on Trantor that we may find his hiding place. Once discovered-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, yes – He must be found-† The old emperor doddered to the wall and touched the little photocell with a trembling finger. He muttered, after an ineffectual pause, â€Å"My servants do not come. I can not wait for them.† He was scribbling on a blank sheet, and ended with a flourished â€Å"D.† He said, â€Å"Gilmer will yet learn the power of his emperor. Where was it you came from? Anacreon? What are the conditions there? Is the name of the emperor powerful?† Bayta took the paper from his loose fingers, â€Å"Your imperial majesty is beloved by the people. Your love for them is widely known.† â€Å"I shall have to visit my good people of Anacreon, but my doctor says†¦ I don't remember what he says, but-† He looked up, his old gray eyes sharp, â€Å"Were you saying something of Gilmer?† â€Å"No, your imperial majesty.† â€Å"He shall not advance further. Go back and tell your people that. Trantor shall hold! My father leads the fleet now, and the rebel vermin Gilmer shall freeze in space with his regicidal rabble.† He staggered into a seat and his eyes were blank once more. â€Å"What was I saying?† Toran rose and bowed low, â€Å"Your imperial majesty has been kind to us, but the time allotted us for an audience is over. â€Å" For a moment, Dagobert IX looked like an emperor indeed as he rose and stood stiff-backed while, one by one, his visitors retreated backward through the door – to where twenty armed men intervened and locked a circle about them. A hand-weapon flashed- To Bayta, consciousness returned sluggishly, but without the â€Å"Where am I?† sensation. She remembered clearly the odd old man who called himself emperor, and the other men who waited outside. The arthritic tingle in her finger joints meant a stun pistol. She kept her eyes closed, and listened with painful attention to the voices. There were two of them. One was slow and cautious, with a slyness beneath the surface obsequity. The other was hoarse and thick, almost sodden, and blurted out in viscous spurts. Bayta liked neither. The thick voice was predominant. Bayta caught the last words, â€Å"He will live forever, that old madman. It wearies me. It annoys me. Commason, I will have it. I grow older, too.† â€Å"Your highness, let us first see of what use these people are. It may be we shall have sources of strength other than your father still provides.† The thick voice was lost in a bubbling whisper. Bayta caught only the phrase, † -the girl-† but the other, fawning voice was a nasty, low, running chuckle followed by a comradely, near-patronizing, â€Å"Dagobert, you do not age. They lie who say you are not a youth of twenty.† They laughed together, and Bayta's blood was an icy trickle. Dagobert – your highness – The old emperor had spoken of a headstrong son, and the implication of the whispers now beat dully upon her. But such things didn't happen to people in real life- Toran's voice broke upon her in a slow, hard current of cursing. She opened her eyes, and Toran's, which were upon her, showed open relief. He said, fiercely, â€Å"This banditry will be answered by the emperor. Release us.† It dawned upon Bayta that her wrists and ankles were fastened to wall and floor by a tight attraction field. Thick Voice approached Toran. He was paunchy, his lower eyelids puffed darkly, and his hair was thinning out. There was a gay feather in his peaked hat, and the edging of his doublet was embroidered with silvery metal-foam. He sneered with a heavy amusement. â€Å"The emperor? The poor, mad emperor?† â€Å"I have his pass. No subject may hinder our freedom.† â€Å"But I am no subject, space-garbage. I am the regent and crown prince and am to be addressed as such. As for my poor silly father, it amuses him to see visitors occasionally. And we humor him. It tickles his mock-imperial fancy. But, of course, it has no other meaning.† And then he was before Bayta, and she looked up at him contemptuously. He leaned close and his breath was overpoweringly minted. He said, â€Å"Her eyes suit well, Commason – she is even prettier with them open. I think she'll do. It will be an exotic dish for a jaded taste, eh?† There was a futile surge upwards on Toran's part, which the crown prince ignored and Bayta felt the iciness travel outward to the skin. Ebling Mis was still out; head lolling weakly upon his chest, but, with a sensation of surprise, Bayta noted that Magnifico's eyes were open, sharply open, as though awake for many minutes. Those large brown eyes swiveled towards Bayta and stared at her out of a doughy face. He whimpered, and nodded with his head towards the crown prince, â€Å"That one has my Visi-Sonor.† The crown prince turned sharply toward the new voice, â€Å"This is yours, monster?† He swung the instrument from his shoulder where it had hung, suspended by its green strap, unnoticed by Bayta. He fingered it clumsily, tried to sound a chord and got nothing for his pains, â€Å"Can you play it, monster?† Magnifico nodded once. Toran said suddenly, â€Å"You've rifled a ship of the Foundation. If the emperor will not avenge, the Foundation will.† It was the other, Commason, who answered slowly, â€Å"What Foundation? Or is the Mule no longer the Mule?† There was no answer to that. The prince's grin showed large uneven teeth. The clown's binding field was broken and he was nudged ungently to his feet. The Visi-Sonor was thrust into his hand. â€Å"Play for us, monster,† said the prince. â€Å"Play us a serenade of love and beauty for our foreign lady here. Tell her that my father's country prison is no palace, but that I can take her to one where she can swim in rose water – and know what a prince's love is. Sing of a prince's love, monster.† He placed one thick thigh upon a marble table and swung a leg idly, while his fatuous smiling stare swept Bayta into a silent rage. Toran's sinews strained against the field, in painful, perspiring effort. Ebling Mis stirred and moaned. Magnifico gasped, â€Å"My fingers are of useless stiffness-â€Å" â€Å"Play, monster!† roared the prince. The lights dimmed at a gesture to Commason and in the dimness he crossed his arms and waited. Magnifico drew his fingers in rapid, rhythmic jumps from end to end of the multikeyed instrument – and a sharp, gliding rainbow of light jumped across the room. A low, soft tone sounded – throbbing, tearful. It lifted in sad laughter, and underneath it there sounded a dull tolling. The darkness seemed to intensify and grow thick. Music reached Bayta through the muffled folds of invisible blankets. Gleaming light reached her from the depths as though a single candle glowed at the bottom of a pit. Automatically, her eyes strained. The light brightened, but remained blurred. It moved fuzzily, in confused color, and the music was suddenly brassy, evil – flourishing in high crescendo. The light flickered quickly, in swift motion to the wicked rhythm. Something writhed within the light. Something with poisonous metallic scales writhed and yawned. And the music writhed and yawned with it. Bayta struggled with a strange emotion and then caught herself in a mental gasp. Almost, it reminded her of the time in the Time Vault, of those last days on Haven. It was that horrible, cloying, clinging spiderweb of horror and despair. She shrunk beneath it oppressed. The music dinned upon her, laughing horribly, and the writhing terror at the wrong end of the telescope in the small circle of light was lost as she turned feverishly away. Her forehead was wet and cold. The music died. It must have lasted fifteen minutes, and a vast pleasure at its absence flooded Bayta. Light glared, and Magnifico's face was close to hers, sweaty, wild-eyed, lugubrious. â€Å"My lady,† he gasped, â€Å"how fare you?† â€Å"Well enough,† she whispered, â€Å"but why did you play like that?† She became aware of the others in the room. Toran and Mis were limp and helpless against the wall, but her eyes skimmed over them. There was the prince, lying strangely still at the foot of the table. There was Commason, moaning wildly through an open, drooling mouth. Commason flinched, and yelled mindlessly, as Magnifico took a step towards him. Magnifico turned, and with a leap, turned the others loose. Toran lunged upwards and with eager, taut fists seized the landowner by the neck, â€Å"You come with us. We'll want you – to make sure we get to our ship.† Two hours later, in the ship's kitchen, Bayta served a walloping homemade pie, and Magnifico celebrated the return to space by attacking it with a magnificent disregard of table manners. â€Å"Good, Magnifico?† â€Å"Um-m-m-m!† â€Å"Magnifico?† â€Å"Yes, my lady?† â€Å"What was it you played back there?† The clown writhed, â€Å"I†¦ I'd rather not say. I learned it once, and the Visi-Sonor is of an effect upon the nervous system most profound. Surely, it was an evil thing, and not for your sweet innocence, my lady.† â€Å"Oh, now, come, Magnifico. I'm not as innocent as that. Don't flatter so. Did I see anything like what they saw?† â€Å"I hope not. I played it for them only. If you saw, it was but the rim of it – from afar.† â€Å"And that was enough. Do you know you knocked the prince out?† Magnifico spoke grimly through a large, muffling piece of pie. â€Å"I killed him, my lady.† â€Å"What?† She swallowed, painfully. â€Å"He was dead when I stopped, or I would have continued. I cared not for Commason. His greatest threat was death or torture. But, my lady, this prince looked upon you wickedly, and-† he choked in a mixture of indignation and embarrassment. Bayta felt strange thoughts come and repressed them sternly. â€Å"Magnifico, you've got a gallant soul.† â€Å"Oh, my lady.† He bent a red nose into his pie, but, somehow did not eat. Ebling Mis stared out the port. Trantor was near – its metallic shine fearfully bright. Toran was standing there, too. He said with dull bitterness, â€Å"We've come for nothing, Ebling. The Mule's man precedes us.† Ebling Mis rubbed his forehead with a hand that seemed shriveled out of its former plumpness. His voice was an abstracted mutter. Toran was annoyed. â€Å"I say those people know the Foundation has fallen. I say-â€Å" â€Å"Eh?† Mis looked up, puzzled. Then, he placed a gentle hand upon Toran's wrist, in complete oblivion of any previous conversation, â€Å"Toran, I†¦ I've been looking at Trantor. Do you know†¦ I have the queerest feeling†¦ ever since we arrived on Neotrantor. It's an urge, a driving urge that's pushing and pushing inside. Toran, I can do it; I know I can do it. Things are becoming clear in my mind – they have never been so clear.† Toran stared – and shrugged. The words brought him no confidence. He said, tentatively, â€Å"Mis?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You didn't see a ship come down on Neotrantor as we left?† Consideration was brief. â€Å"No.† â€Å"I did. Imagination, I suppose, but it could have been that Filian ship.† â€Å"The one with Captain Han Pritcher on it?† â€Å"The one with space knows who upon it. Magnifico's information – It followed us here, Mis.† Ebling Mis said nothing, Toran said strenuously, â€Å"is there anything wrong with you? Aren't you well?† Mis's eyes were thoughtful, luminous, and strange. He did not answer.

AP Investigation Lab #13 Enzyme Activity Essay Example

AP Investigation Lab #13 Enzyme Activity Essay Example AP Investigation Lab #13 Enzyme Activity Paper AP Investigation Lab #13 Enzyme Activity Paper Background Information Part 1 In the first part of the enzyme lab, we mixed a substrate and an indicator with an enzyme. There was also a neutral buffer in each of the chemical mixtures. The neutral buffer regulated the pH to around 7. We got a color palette and once we mixed each together, we observed and saw a change in the color of the substance. The darker and more brown the substance got, the more oxygen produced by the reaction. Our results showed that amount of oxygen produced increased about 10% a minute until it sort of equilibrated at 4 minutes and didnt change to the fifth minute ark. If we were to change anything we did in the experiment, we would make our comparisons to the chart more precise. Overall we thought it was successful. Part 2 In part two of the enzyme lab, we have 12 different test tubes, six of each (#1, 2, 4, 9, 11, and 12) being a substrate with guiacol product indicator, and a neutral buffer. The guiacol is a naturally organic compound and is actually a phosphate. The other six test tubes (#3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) had the enzyme turnip peroxidase and different pH solutions for each of the six test tubes. The different pH levels were 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, nd 10. The lower the pH, the more acidic the liquid is. The higher the pH, the more basic with alkaline. We mixed the six test tubes with the first tube of chemicals with their corresponding tube and pH as labeled in the instructions. We measured the rate of oxygen produced in each using the color palette like we did in part one of this lab. We found that the more neutral (closer to pH 7) the higher the reaction rate. When the pH level was very acidic or basic, the rate of reaction was lower. In terms of comparison to color, the more neutral the pH, the darker the solution was. The olution was lighter when the rate was lower. This happened because of the enzymes tolerance to outside factors. In this experiment, it was pH, but other factors could be temperature and the amount of inhibitors interrupting the reaction. If we could change anything we did in this experiment we would test all pH levels (1-14), line them up in order, then compare them to see if our data was actually correct. We felt this experiment was accurate. Part 3 In part three we were required to design our own experiment. We chose to control the temperature of the enzyme. We thought that if the temperature of the enzyme as increased to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then the reaction rate would be slowed, if not completely stopped, because of its functional range. When enzymes are at a higher temperature, they are said to be less reactant with substrates. Put neutral buffer, 0. 1% H202 substrate, and a product indicator. In the other test tube, we put our enzyme, turnip peroxidase, and the neutral buffer and heated it up on a hot plate. This was supposed to decrease the productivity of the enzyme. We mixed the two solutions together and observed them on a minute to minute basis. We were correct in our hypothesis, because the reaction rate was 25% slower. If we could change anything in this experiment that might have gone wrong, we would have had a more accurate temperature rea01ng 0T our enzyme t . I was successTul I temperature effects enzymes. Question Hypothesis n provlng Would oxygen be produced if we combined a substrate, enzyme, and a neutral buffer? If all substrate and enzymes create a reaction, then there would be oxygen produced because all reactions have a product created. art 2 Do different pH levels affect the percent of oxygen produced in the reaction? If we had to specifically use a neutral buffer with a pH of 7 in part 1, then it would affect he percent of oxygen produced because the different pH levels have a different stabilizing effect. part 3 What will happen if we change the temperature of the enzymes to 1000 Fahrenheit? If the temperature of the enzyme i s increased to 1000 Fahrenheit, then the reaction rate will be slowed, if not completely stopped because of its functional range. Methods and Procedures 1 . We measured 2. 5 mL of 0. 1% H202 {the substrate), 2. mL of guaiacol (the product indicator), and 10 mL of neutral buffer (pH 7) with a syringe and disposed it into test tube SPNB. 2. We inverted twice to mix the SPBN test tube 3. We measured 2. 5 mL of turnip peroxidase (the enzyme) and 10 mL of neutral buffer (pH 7) with a syringe and disposed it into test tube ENB. 4. We inverted twice to mix the ENB test tube. 5. We disposed the contents of test tube SPNB into ENB using a disposable transfer pipet and inverted twice to mix the solution 6. In 1 minute intervals, we observed the color changes of the reactions and compared them to the color palette. We did this for 5 minutes. 1. We measured 2 mL of diluted hydrogen peroxide (the substrate), 1 mL of guaiacol (the product indicator), and 1 mL of neutral buffer (pH 7) with a syringe and disposed t into tubes 1,2,4,9, 11, and 12. 2. We measured 1 mL of turnip peroxidase (the enzyme) and 3 mL of neutral buffer (pH corresponding to the test tube number i. e. pH 5 in test tube 5) with a syringe and disposed it into tubes 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 3. We poured tube 1 with the solution in tube 3 to combine them. We repeated this for all 0T tne tunes. Eacn 0T tne tunes In step 1 was mlxea wltn a tune In step 3, making there be 6 total test tubes with a solution in it. . We observed the test tubes and compared the colors produced from the reaction to the color palette in 1 minute intervals for 5 minutes total. ube SPNB. 2. We inverted twice to mix the SPBN test tube. 3. We measured 10 mL of neutral buffer (pH 7) with a syringe and disposed it into test tube ENB. 4. We heated up 2. 5 mL of turnip peroxidase (the enzyme) to 1000 Fahrenheit and disposed it into test tube ENB. 5. We inverted twice to mix the ENB test tube. 6. We disposed the contents of test tube SPNB into ENB using a disposable transfer pipet and inverted twice to mix the solution. 7. In 1 minute intervals, we observed the Data: Tables and Graphs Time Minutes pH Percent 2 3 4 5 Rate 0. 75 inutes Ibe #3 Ibe #5 ube #6 ube #7 ube ube #10 00% Minutes pH Level 50 Conclusion In conclusion, we wanted to know if oxygen would be produced if we combined a substrate, enzyme, and neutral buffer. We thought if all substrates reacting with an enzyme create a reaction, then there would be oxygen produced because all reactions have a product created. Data shows that there was oxygen produced and it was produced at a rate of 0. 75, or 75% every minute. The rate was steadily going up until after 4 minutes. The percent of pH from 4 minutes to 5 minutes stayed at 90%. If we could change anything about this experiment, we would have measured the ubstrate, enzyme, neutral buffer, and product indicator more precise because there was an air bubble when we measured our desired amount with a syringe. Part 2 In conclusion, we wanted to know if the different pH levels affected the percent of oxygen produced in the reaction. We thought if we had to specifically use a neutral buffer with a pH of 7 in part 1, then it would affect the percent of oxygen produced because the different pH levels have a different stabilizing effect. Data shows that different pH level do affect the percent of oxygen produced. pH 10 created the least mount of oxygen (10%) and pH 3 produced the next least amount of oxygen (70%). The graph above was kind of like a hill and not a line going up or down, so we thought the farther away from pH 6 or pH 7, the less of a reaction it would have. We thought it was both pH 6 and pH 7 because we researched what a neutral buffer of pH 7 does, and it neutralizes the Part 3 In conclusion, we wanted to know if the temperature of the enzymes would affect the reaction rate. We thought if the temperature was increased to 1000 Fahrenheit, then the reaction rate would be slowed, if not completely stopped because its unction range. Data shows that the rate of the enzyme reaction was significantly slower when heated up to a higher temperature than when it was cold, the transition to one pH percent to tne next took longer. For example, It took 2 minutes Tor tne pH percent to go from 40 to 50, compared to part 1 , where it would take a minute to change to the next pH percent. The rate was 0. , or 50% every minute, compared to 75% every minute, as seen in part 1. If we would change anything about this experiment we would use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, as the converting from 1000 Fahrenheit to 380 Celsius couldVe thrown off our experiment, because had to round the number and its a harder number to get an exact reading on the thermometer. Possible Sources of Errors Possible errors could have been: inaccurate measuring of the substrate, enzyme, neutral buffer, and/or product indicator, not comparing the reactions to the color palette at exact time and comparing it wrong. Possible errors could have been: putting the wrong pH levels in the wrong test tubes, inaccurate measuring of the substrate, enzyme, neutral buffer and/or product ndicator, comparing the test tube reactions at different times (for example: we compared test tube 3 to the color palette first and by the time we got to the other test tubes, some time has passed and it wasnt exactly at the minute), and poor Judgment on comparing the reactions to the color palette. eutral buffer, and/or product indicator, not heating the enzymes at exactly 1000 Fahrenheit (since the thermometer was in Celsius and we had to convert it to 380 Celsius), comparing the reactions to the color palette too early or too late, and poor judgment on comparing the reactions to the color palette. Part 2 Assessment Questions 1. The more neutral the pH level, the higher the reaction rate. I think it occurs because enzymes have a small range to maintain equilibrium. Therefore, changes in the pH, being more acidic or basic, affect it. . It reacts with the substrate, because it is an enzyme it created more oxygen in the tube but the enzyme stayed the same because they dont change in reactions. 3. It is depended on what we take out, all chemicals are needed to make the reaction happen. If we took some of one chemical out it wouldnt affect it as much as much as if we took all of one out. If enzyme was aken out, the reaction wouldnt happen because there would be nothing for the substrate to react with. If we took the substrate, nothing would react with the enzyme. If the indicator was taken out, we wouldnt see the reaction. 4. Other factors that influence enzyme activity are temperature, substrate, and exposure to light. pH aTTects It Decause tne more neutral tne pH, tne more reactant It Is compared to IT pH was more acidic or basic. 5. Enzymes that break down food in your mouth and waste in your intestines. 6. The peroxidase from a mammal may be more active because a mammal is more complex than a turnip.

Why Cold Weather Makes You Pee

Why Cold Weather Makes You Pee Does it seem like you have to pee more when youre cold or when its cold outside than when its warm? Its not just your imagination!   When you are cold, your body wants to protect your vital internal organs from the temperature change. It does this by constricting capillaries in your hands and feet through a process called peripheral vasoconstriction. Your extremities get cold, but toasty warm blood bathes your core. This means there is more blood in a smaller volume, which raises blood pressure, causing your brain to signal the kidneys to remove liquid from your blood. Your urine volume is increased and you need to urinate. In addition to the effects of vasoconstriction, cold temperatures change how permeable cells are to water. Proteins called aquaporins act as channels to allow water in and out of cells more quickly than through osmosis. When body temperature starts to drop, aquaporins limit the amount of water allowed into some cells, including kidney and brain cells. Less water going into cells translates into more water in the bloodstream. Here too, your brain tells your kidneys to remove the excess water, filling your bladder and making you need to pee. Is Drinking Alcohol a Good Way to Keep You Warm? If you drink an alcoholic beverage to feel warm, youll likely make the situation even worse. The alcohol will dehydrate you, in part because it also inhibits aquaporins. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, so your body thinks it needs even less water than it was holding onto before you took that first sip. Alcohol does make you feel warm but actually hastens hypothermia by expanding the capillaries. From this effect, youd need to pee less, but the continued drop in temperature would eventually lead you to pee more and could kill you from cold. Another factor to consider is perspiration. If youre cold, youre not losing moisture through perspiration. When its hot, youre slowly (or quickly) becoming dehydrated by sweating. If you feel cold, youre retaining water compared with when youre warm.

Invasion of Italy (Salerno) in World War II

Invasion of Italy (Salerno) in World War II The Allied invasion of Italy took place September 3-16, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945). Having driven German and Italian troops from North Africa and Sicily, the Allies decided to invade Italy in September 1943. Landing in Calabria and south of Salerno, British and American forces pushed inland. The fighting around Salerno proved particularly fierce and ended when British forces from Calabria arrived. Defeated around the beaches, the Germans withdrew north to the Volturno Line. The invasion opened a second front in Europe and helped take pressure off Soviet forces in the east. Fast Facts: Invasion of Italy Dates: September 3-16, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945).Allies Armies and Commanders: General Sir Harold Alexander, General Sir Bernard Montgomery, and Lieutenant General Mark Clark; 189,000 men.Axis Armies and Commanders: Field Marshal Albert Kesselring and Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff; 100,000 men. Sicily With the conclusion of the campaign in North Africa in the late spring of 1943, Allied planners began looking north across the Mediterranean. Though American leaders such as General George C. Marshall favored moving forward with an invasion of France, his British counterparts desired a strike against southern Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ardently advocated for attacking through what he termed the soft underbelly of Europe as he believed that Italy could be knocked out of the war and the Mediterranean opened to Allied shipping.  Ã‚   As it became increasingly clear that resources were not available for a cross-Channel operation in 1943, President Franklin Roosevelt agreed to the invasion of Sicily. Landing in July, American and British forces came ashore near Gela and south of Syracuse. Pushing inland, the troops of Lieutenant General George S. Pattons Seventh Army and General Sir Bernard Montgomerys Eighth Army pushed back the Axis defenders.   Next Steps These efforts resulted in a successful campaign which led to the overthrow of Italian leader Benito Mussolini  in late July 1943. With operations in Sicily coming to close in mid-August, the Allied leadership renewed discussions regarding an invasion of Italy. Though the Americans remained reluctant, Roosevelt understood the need to continue engaging the enemy to relieve Axis pressure on the Soviet Union until landings in northwest Europe could move forward. Also, as the Italians had approached the Allies with peace overtures, it was hoped that much of the country could be occupied before German troops arrived in large numbers. Prior to the campaign in Sicily, Allied plans foresaw a limited invasion of Italy that would be restricted to the southern part of the peninsula. With the collapse of Mussolinis government, more ambitious operations were considered. In assessing options for invading Italy, the Americans initially hoped to come ashore in the northern part of the country, but the range of Allied fighters limited potential landing areas to the Volturno river basin and the beaches around Salerno. Though further south, Salerno was chosen due to its calmer surf conditions, proximity to to Allied airbases, and existing road network beyond the beaches. Operation Baytown Planning for the invasion fell to Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the commander of the 15th Army Group, General Sir Harold Alexander. Working on a compressed schedule, their staffs at Allied Force Headquarters devised two operations, Baytown and Avalanche, which called for landings in Calabria and Salerno respectively. Assigned to Montgomerys Eighth Army, Baytown was scheduled for September 3. It was hoped that these landings would draw German forces south allowing them to be trapped in southern Italy by the later Avalanche landings on September 9 and also had the benefit of the landing craft being able to depart directly from Sicily. Not believing that the Germans would give battle in Calabria, Montgomery came to oppose Operation Baytown as he felt that it placed his men too far from the main landings at Salerno. As events unfolded, Montgomery was proved correct and his men were forced to march 300 miles against minimal resistance to the reach the fighting. Operation Avalanche Execution of Operation Avalanche fell to Lieutenant General Mark Clarks US Fifth Army which was comprised of Major General Ernest Dawleys US VI Corps and Lieutenant General Richard McCreerys British X Corps. Tasked with seizing Naples and driving across to the east coast to cut off enemy forces to the south, Operation Avalanche called for landing on a broad, 35-mile front to the south of Salerno. Responsibility for the initial landings fell to the British 46th and 56th Divisions in the north and the US 36th Infantry Division in the south. The British and American positions were separated by the Sele River. Supporting the invasions left flank was a force of US Army Rangers and British Commandoes which were given the objective of securing the mountain passes on the Sorrento Peninsula and blocking German reinforcements from Naples. Prior to the invasion, extensive thought was given to a variety of supporting airborne operations utilizing the US 82nd Airborne Division. These included employing glider troops to secure the passes on the Sorrento Peninsula as well as a full-division effort to capture the crossings over the Volturno River. Each of these operations were deemed either unnecessary or unsupportable and were dismissed. As a result, the 82nd was placed in reserve. At sea, the invasion would would be supported by a total of 627 vessels under the command of Vice Admiral Henry K. Hewitt, a veteran of both the North Africa and Sicily landings. Though achieving surprise was unlikely, Clark made no provision for a pre-invasion naval bombardment despite evidence from the Pacific which suggested this was required (Map). German Preparations With the collapse of Italy, the Germans commenced plans for defending the peninsula. In the north, Army Group B, under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel assumed responsibility as far south as Pisa. Below this point, Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings Army Command South was tasked with halting the Allies. Kesselrings primary field formation, Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoffs Tenth Army, consisting of XIV Panzer Corps and LXXVI Panzer Corps, came online on August 22 and began moving to defensive positions. Not believing that any enemy landings in Calabria or other areas in the south would be the be main Allied effort, Kesselring left these areas lightly defended and directed troops to delay any advances by destroying bridges and blocking roads. This task largely fell to General Traugott Herrs LXXVI Panzer Corps. Montgomery Lands On September 3, Eighth Armys XIII Corps crossed the Straits of Messina and commenced landings at various points in Calabria. Meeting light Italian opposition, Montgomerys men had little trouble coming ashore and began forming to move north. Though they encountered some German resistance, the greatest impediment to their advance came in the form of demolished bridges, mines, and roadblocks. Due to the rugged nature of the terrain which held British forces to the roads, Montgomerys speed became dependent on the rate at which his engineers could clear obstacles. On September 8, the Allies announced that Italy had formally surrendered. In response, the Germans initiated Operation Achse which saw them disarm Italian units and take over defense of key points. In addition, with the Italian capitulation, the Allies commenced Operation Slapstick on April 9 which called for British and US warships to ferry the British 1st Airborne Division into the port of Taranto. Meeting no opposition, they landed and occupied the port. Landing at Salerno On September 9, Clarks forces began moving towards the beaches south of Salerno. Aware of the Allies approach, German forces on the heights behind the beaches prepared for the landings. On the Allied left, the Rangers and Commandos came ashore without incident and quickly secured their objectives in the mountains of the Sorrento Peninsula. To their right, McCreerys corps encountered fierce German resistance and required naval gunfire support to move inland. Fully occupied on their front, the British were unable to press south to link up with the Americans. Meeting intense fire from elements of the 16th Panzer Division, the 36th Infantry Division initially struggled to gain ground until reserve units were landed. As night fell, the British had achieved an advance inland of between five to seven miles while the Americans held the plain to the south of the Sele and gained around five miles in some areas. Though the Allies had come ashore, German commanders were pleased with the initial defense and began shifting units towards the beachhead. The Germans Strike Back Over the next three days, Clark worked to land additional troops and expand the Allied lines. Due to the tenacious German defense, growing the beachhead proved slow which hampered Clarks ability to build up additional forces. As a result, by September 12, X Corps switched to the defensive as insufficient men were available to continue the advance. The next day, Kesselring and von Vietinghoff commenced a counter-offensive against the Allied position. While the Hermann Gà ¶ring Panzer Division struck from the north, the main German attack hit the boundary between the two Allied corps. This assault gained ground until stopped by a last ditch defense by the 36th Infantry Division. That night, the US VI Corps was reinforced by elements of the 82nd Airborne Division which jumped inside the Allied lines. As additional reinforcements arrived, the Clarks men were able to turn back German attacks on September 14 with the aid of naval gunfire (Map). On September 15, having sustained heavy losses and failed to break through the Allied lines, Kesselring put the 16th Panzer Division and 29th Panzergrenadier Division on the defensive. To the north, XIV Panzer Corps continued their attacks but were defeated by Allied forces supported by airpower and naval gunfire. Subsequent efforts met a similar fate the next day. With the battle at Salerno raging, Montgomery was pressed by Alexander to hasten Eighth Armys advance north. Still hampered by poor road conditions, Montgomery dispatched light forces up the coast. On September 16, forward patrols from this detachment made contact with the 36th Infantry Division. With Eighth Armys approach and lacking the forces to continue attacking, von Vietinghoff recommended breaking off the battle and pivoting Tenth Army into a new defensive line spanning the peninsula. Kesselring agreed on September 17 and on the night of the 18/19th, German forces began pulling back from the beachhead. Aftermath During the course of the invasion of Italy, Allied forces sustained 2,009 killed, 7,050 wounded, and 3,501 missing while German casualties numbered around 3,500. Having secured the beachhead, Clark turned north and began attacking towards Naples on September 19. Arriving from Calabria, Montgomerys Eighth Army fell into line on the east side of the Apennine Mountains and pushed up the east coast. On October 1, Allied forces entered Naples as von Vietinghoffs men withdrew into the positions of the Volturno Line. Driving north, the Allies broke through this position and the Germans fought several rearguard actions as they retreated. Pursuing, Alexanders forces ground their way north until encountering the Winter Line in mid-November. Blocked by these defenses, the Allies finally broke through in May 1944 following the Battles of Anzio and Monte Cassino.

Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention in Adolescents Essay

Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention in Adolescents - Essay Example These could include family planning clinics, sex workers and gynecologists. STIs are very commonly found amongst most women suffering from sexual assault. Little data on men has been found. STIs put men and women especially to considerable risk. There is a huge lack of awareness and dearth of information available to these people at large. Most young women are most concerned about pregnancy prevention than STI transmission. There is a lack of concern and negligicence towards the seriousness of this matter that makes it an all the more important issue to address. STIs can lead to cancer, organ damage, pregnancy issues and even death. Thus it is important for health agencies to look into it. The definition of adolescence has been subjected to intense debate and argument over the course of last couple of years. In the 1950s it was thought that adolescent should be best considered to be the period of transitioning other literature defines it in terms of the words â€Å"young† and â€Å"youth†. However, the term young adult was also introduced recently. The treatment of adolescence has varied in different parts of the world. It is different in the west and different in the east. For instance in India, many girls have pre-arranged marriages before they hit their first menstruation. As soon as they hit get their first periods, they are married off at ages as young as 16 years. This increases the probability of STI transmission in them. On the contrary, in the west, marriage does not materialize till really long. Girls there are subjected to consummation with different people at different phases of their life. There are no ethical obligations to restricting sex to one partner. Hence, all this makes it very difficult to come up with a universal STI prevention transmission program for health agencies. There are various barriers to prevention and treatment of STIs amongst adolescents. The biggest problem associated with STI control is considered to be the as ymptomatic nature of the infections caused by STI. The infections remain invisible in many young girls in particular till some severe sequels. In some settings the proportion of infections that are rated as asymptotic may even be even higher because many women would consider them to be â€Å"normal†. The only viable way of detecting asymptomatic infections is via the use of laboratory test. In some resource poor settings, this is impeded by the fact that the tests are not just difficult to perform they are even expensive. Even more difficult is obtaining tissue samples for these tests as they are less likely to be accepted without them. The adoption of these tests is perpetually impossible in most developing countries like India. This is because they are very expensive to conduct and obtain there. More than half the population, lives below the poverty belt which makes it impossible for them to afford such tests. Another important reason behind the failure of STI transmission prevention is the fact that most adolescents don’t consider it to be an issue important enough. It is only HIV which is considered to be important by these young adult and hence, this topic is at an all time low priority for them. Adolescent girls tend to be more cautious about preventing pregnancy and their menstrual problems then about their STI problems. For the boys on the other hand, sexual health concern outride reproductive health ones. A study was recently conducted in Zimbabwe. The study unveiled

Is Enforcement the Critical Weakness in International Law Essay

Is Enforcement the Critical Weakness in International Law - Essay Example Researches on the applicability of international laws reveal that the violation of international laws by states are more frequent than the violation of national law a trend largely attributable to the existing operational frameworks for the respective laws. Such validate the claim that enforcement is s the critical weakness in the application of international laws. Nations form treaties in order to safeguard their specific interests. In doing this they create institutions that oversee the applicability of the treaties and laws that govern the application of such treaties. Among the numerous international bodies that oversee the application of different international treaties, include the international court of justice and the international criminal court both of which are creations of the United Nations. The operations of the two courts have exhibited lack of resources and manipulation by members-states thus crippling their operations and sovereignty1. Membership in such internationa l treaties as the United Nations is always voluntary a feature that makes the compliance with the laws equally voluntary. Additionally, the United Nations has no definite framework that enforces the legislations. The application of the laws is therefore voluntary and subject to the existing relations between nations. National laws maintain a national jurisdiction; they safeguard the interests of the population and are therefore outlined in the constitutions. Besides the laws, governments have various police departments and effective infrastructure capable of implementing the laws. A country like the United States has several police departments and several other federal institutions that investigate and apprehend violators of the national laws. Coupled with the various police departments is an efficient judiciary that works in close relation with the numerous correctional facilities. This implies that the enforcement and the implementation of national are efficient owing to the exist ence of effective institutions created by the national constitutions. The national governments thus have an inclusive supervision and the implementation of national laws through effective enforcement through the various state officers who work to maintain law and order in the societies. The situation differs in the application of international laws, as explained international laws are reliant on the treaties that govern the relationship among nations. Such international bodies as the United Nations and the European Union have no enforcement frameworks capable of ensuring compliance o the international laws. Compliance to the laws is voluntary and reliant on the existing national laws. The United Nations for example has effective and elaborate laws that seek to safeguard the citizens of different nations from exploitation and dictatorship in the modern society. The international criminal court therefore investigates and tries offenders of international interests. The court and the Un ited Nations Security Council both have clear definitions of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The bodies thus try perpetrators of such crimes a move that seeks to protect civilians from exploitative leadership. Despite the existence of such elaborate laws, the international body exhibits inefficiency and lack of capacity in the implementation of the laws. The international bodies do not have police officers and investigators with the authority to arrest the criminals thus availing them for trial. Instead, the

To be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

To be Determined - Essay Example Through his interpretation of Torah, he emphasized its importance in the life of people who believed in the piety of the soul and body. Hasidism in Hebrew means pious and Besht’s followers came to be known as hasidims and the spiritual movement became popular as Hasidism. Hasidism is known for its ‘piety, humility, and kabbalistic insights which had transformed religious practices and religious authority’ (Mintz, 1992, p10). Besht’s mystical power of healing was contributed to the powers of prayers and purity of heart that is devoted to God. Hasidism spread to other parts of the world through the disciples who propagated the teachings of Besht. The persons who preached the tenets of Torah and spirituality were called Zaddik and later on, were known as Rabbe. The mystic Zaddiks were spiritual guides whose prayers could heal and people came to them in their distress. Hasidims practice simple living and have strong community feeling. Hasidism promotes peaceful co-existence and intrinsically believes in the goodness of people. The basic religious philosophy of Hasidism is centered on the study of Torah, the religious scripture and the mystical powers of prayers. Hence, spiritual leaders or Rabbe are held in high place of reverence. Hasidism primarily believes that people should develop closer relationship with God through daily prayers and good and moral living. Devotion to God is paramount. The study of Torah is essential part of hasidim’s life. Each Hasidic group is guided by the Zaddic or Rabbe who has his own court where people congregate to hear his teachings. The various festivals are important occasions for hasidims to collectively pray at synagogues and purify their soul and body. The Hasidic movement branched out into different Hasidic movement through the Zaddiks in different places. The new Hasidic movement was either named after the spiritual guide or Zaddiks or the name of the place. The

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment - Essay Example Hence they have decided to face changing times by offering a low cost version of their product and introducing a new target audience. TFCs key strengths are their extensive experience in the field of chassis for motor homes, their technological adaptability & advancement, quality designs, marketing knowledge and design development on time exactly as per customer preference. TFC’s management has recognized the opportunity which lies in expanding their product portfolio to low priced product to cater to price sensitive audience. Low priced items have always posed threat to high end customized item especially when the economy is receding; hence diversity in product portfolio is always a balancing act (a safe bet for survival) for the company during all times. While expanding the product portfolio TFC faced a weakness for the first time that is delay in lead time of building chassis. Commonly a chassis would have been designed, customize and made ready in less than 30 days. However due to restrained capital available they could not meet all customer demands on time while catering two product types. Main area of time lag occurred at the designing stage as identified by the team. At this scenario TFC was approached by Computer-Images a design house in another estate proposing to become an outsourced designing outlet for low end chassis line working electronically only upon specifications provided by TFC. This approach was proposed with a key to keep TFC’s focus on high end chassis (TFC’s star product) while meeting demand for both high end and low end chassis. Now TFC has two options either to accept Computer-Image’s proposal to have low end product outsourced or increase current capacity to overcome time delay in designing and remain an in-sourced organization enjoying control over time, design and delivery. De Looff (1996) uses key 6 goals in his book defining outsourcing /

Ideology in Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ideology in Branding - Essay Example Good ideologies make a business enterprise to prosper despite the strong wave of competition in the world of business today. Thos paper highlights how ideology helps in branding in Apple and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Ideology in Apple Apple Company is among the best performing companies in the world. Its brands such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones continue to dominate the market. There is an increase in usage of the Apple’s products in the world. The Company enjoys a continued flow of loyal customers from all over the globe. Mobile phones such as iphone, ipad, and ipod touch users have a wide range of applications. The secret behind the big leaps of success in Apple lies in its branding strategy (O’Grady, 2008:5). The sound ideology in branding has propelled the Apple Company to enjoy enduring success in the competitive business environment. Apple business strategies and practices adapts to the ever-changing world. The branding ideologies in Apple Company p reserve the core values while stimulating its progress to achieve superior long-term performance. To keep them strong in the market, Apple manufactures products that suits customer demands and preferences. The branding ideologies constantly changes to fit the people’s lifestyles. The branding ideologists have developed a glossy product with a simple advertisement that captures the attention across all ages (O’Grady, 2008:23). ... This has helped the company to monitor and respond to the customers’ demands. Apple Company considers and cares its consumers. The company demonstrates this through taking the product beyond the basic function. It has transformed its products into a status symbol that accommodates the requirement of the customers (O’Grady, 2008:35). Ideology in Understanding Brand and Methods The branding ideology helps the Apple Company to compete in very competitive and vibrant markets. The participants in the electronic markets include personal computer industries and software, the consumer electronic industry that sells ipod. Other players comprise of digital music distribution through the iTunes, smart phone market with the Apple iphone, and ipad tablet-computing device. Apple Company is in the process of establishing an advertising tool in the presence to its competitor Google in the advertising markets through its Appications business and iAd network. Apple has concentrated in cr eating innovative products and services that are in line with technological advancement for a long time. The Apple Macintosh computer products functions as digital for hub for digital services. These include the Apple ipod, cellular phones, digital video, and cameras. The company has advanced and has incorporate customer experience in their strategies. The company offers harmonised, synchronised, and integrated user experience across all its principal products. It uses iCloud as the hub. This is in line with their competence to deliver exceptional experience through quality user interfaces. The company bases its strategy around this goal with the iTunes, the iPhone with touch screen re-used on iPad. The Apple Apps

Land Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Land Law - Research Paper Example With regards to positive covenants, there is no issue when the original covenantee seeks to claim against an original covenantor. However, complications emerge when attempts are made to make a successor in title to the original covenantor liable on the premise that the burden of the covenant has passed to them, or when successor in title to the original covenantee wishes to sue on the premise that the benefit of the covenant has passed to them. The difficulty with this is that although the burden may pass to successors in title in restrictive covenants, this rule does not apply in positive covenants. This problem can be seen in Rhone v Stephens [1994]2 where a property owner had divided his property into two, selling one (a cottage) and retaining the other. He covenanted to maintain the roof that extended over the cottage, which subsequently leaked and damaged the cottage. The cottage owners then sued the successors in title of the original covenantor. However, the House of Lords hel d that because the covenant was positive, there could be no liability. Lord Templeman stated that equity could not be used to enforce positive covenants and to do so ‘would be to enforce a personal obligation against a person who has not covenanted3.’ This was based on the principle in Keppell v Bailey [1834]4 which establishes the rule that only the benefit and not the burden runs with the land. In Haywood v Brunswick Permanent Benefit Building Society [1881]5, Cotton LJ held that covenants requiring owners to ‘put his hand into his pocket’ was not enforceable.

Ideology in Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ideology in Branding - Essay Example Good ideologies make a business enterprise to prosper despite the strong wave of competition in the world of business today. Thos paper highlights how ideology helps in branding in Apple and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Ideology in Apple Apple Company is among the best performing companies in the world. Its brands such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones continue to dominate the market. There is an increase in usage of the Apple’s products in the world. The Company enjoys a continued flow of loyal customers from all over the globe. Mobile phones such as iphone, ipad, and ipod touch users have a wide range of applications. The secret behind the big leaps of success in Apple lies in its branding strategy (O’Grady, 2008:5). The sound ideology in branding has propelled the Apple Company to enjoy enduring success in the competitive business environment. Apple business strategies and practices adapts to the ever-changing world. The branding ideologies in Apple Company p reserve the core values while stimulating its progress to achieve superior long-term performance. To keep them strong in the market, Apple manufactures products that suits customer demands and preferences. The branding ideologies constantly changes to fit the people’s lifestyles. The branding ideologists have developed a glossy product with a simple advertisement that captures the attention across all ages (O’Grady, 2008:23). ... This has helped the company to monitor and respond to the customers’ demands. Apple Company considers and cares its consumers. The company demonstrates this through taking the product beyond the basic function. It has transformed its products into a status symbol that accommodates the requirement of the customers (O’Grady, 2008:35). Ideology in Understanding Brand and Methods The branding ideology helps the Apple Company to compete in very competitive and vibrant markets. The participants in the electronic markets include personal computer industries and software, the consumer electronic industry that sells ipod. Other players comprise of digital music distribution through the iTunes, smart phone market with the Apple iphone, and ipad tablet-computing device. Apple Company is in the process of establishing an advertising tool in the presence to its competitor Google in the advertising markets through its Appications business and iAd network. Apple has concentrated in cr eating innovative products and services that are in line with technological advancement for a long time. The Apple Macintosh computer products functions as digital for hub for digital services. These include the Apple ipod, cellular phones, digital video, and cameras. The company has advanced and has incorporate customer experience in their strategies. The company offers harmonised, synchronised, and integrated user experience across all its principal products. It uses iCloud as the hub. This is in line with their competence to deliver exceptional experience through quality user interfaces. The company bases its strategy around this goal with the iTunes, the iPhone with touch screen re-used on iPad. The Apple Apps

Human Resource Management in Mercedes-Benz USA Research Paper

Human Resource Management in Mercedes-Benz USA - Research Paper Example The company also provides valuable services as well as depicts professionalism along with fulfilling the needs of the customers. Mercedes-Benz is considered as one of the top companies for the effective management of human resources. There are varied functions which are performed by the HRM of the company. The HRM is entitled with the tasks of ensuring the number of employees or staffs required for the effective performance towards the attainment of the goals of the company. The HRM ensures that the employees who are recruited are provided with proper training facilities for their enhanced performance. The activities are to be performed in accordance with the objectives. The HR department had sorted out the issues for better performance of the employees as well as managing the workforces. The HR department follows personnel as well as management practices as per the regulations and standards of the company. The HRM of the company plays an important part for retaining the brand image with regards to the quality as well as safety along with technological advancement. The HR department recruited outstanding workers for the effective performance of the company towards the attainment of the goals. Therefore, HRM is an important element for leading the company to be considered as one of the top and preferred companies. Mercedes-Benz possesses skilled employees which enable to maintain the competitiveness as along with producing innovative and superior products or services (Daimler AG, 2012). The HRM of the company have to formulate plans for developing competitiveness. The company is competitive with regards to the strategies which will help in having enhanced cost leadership as well as...This paper will discuss the factors had helped the company in maintaining its motive of proving quality as well as differentiated products. Mercedes-Benz US is a corporation entitled with the task of distributing as well as marketing of vehicles. In accordance with the Fortune Magaz ine the company is ranked in the twelfth position among the â€Å"100 best companies to work for in America†. One of the important reasons for acquiring such position by the company is its HRM. The HRM has taken initiatives for providing the employees an environment which will enhance the performance of the employees. There are five dimensions which are â€Å"credibility, respect, fairness, pride as well as camaraderie† that play significant roles for determining the performance of the company. The employees are appropriately trained as well as organized for efficient performance and to attain the goals or objective of the company. The HRM is required to formulate plans and policies which will encourage the employees to perform their tasks in an efficient manner. The HR policies of the company should include all these five dimensions for enhanced performance towards the goal.

Market Equilibration Process Paper Essay Example for Free

Market Equilibration Process Paper Essay Market Equilibration Process provides a balancing market opportunity for a business organization to adapt to the various changes occurring in the market in their field. To guide the Department in adapting to the demands of adjustment to balance the market. This will enable producers and buyers to be on the same equal price and products. Law of demand balance to exist there must be a request from the product or products or services. There must be willing buyers with the resources available to purchase products or services at the agreed price. Once the need has been established, these products can be produced or developed. Law of supply this product is supplied to the market the price the consumer is willing to pay, and this in turn creates a balanced market. In case there is a bug in one side, influenced by the balance and shift over to one side. In place of this type there may be a shortage in supply caused the price increase that would result in the competition coming in to fill the void. Other possibilities are to have excess supply in the market, and this will drop the price of the goods that may cause a significant decline in prices, would create an imbalance in the balance in the market. Efficient markets theory all participants in the market and all relevant get information as soon as it becomes available. The surplus in the market occurs when there is a surplus of the inks that are displayed is greater than quantity ordered quantity. In this case, some producers will not be able to sell all their goods. This prompted them to lower their prices to make their products more attractive. For many companies the competition and thereby reduce prices reduce the market price of the product. In response to low prices, and consumers increase the quantity demanded, move the market towards balance price and quantity. In this case, excess supply has been downward pressure on the price of the product. Shortage of market occurs when there is excess demand that is the quantity ordered is greater than the amount offered. In this case, consumers will be able to purchase as much of a commodity as they would like. In response to the demand of consumers and producers alike raise the price of the product and the amount they are willing to provide. The increase in price will be too high for some consumers; they will not demand  the product. At the same time increase the amount of available products that satisfy consumers others. Here we show an equilibrium price of Pe. What if the price were P1, which is higher than Pe? The quantity supplied would exceed the quantity demanded at the price. The result would be an excess quantity supplied at price P1, or a surplus. But given D and S, there will be forces pushing the price back down toward Pe. Suppliers will attempt to reduce their inventories by cutting prices, and producers, seeing a lower price, will cut back on the quantity supplied. As the price falls, demanders will offer to purchase morethat is, the quantity demanded will increase. If not prevented from moving, the price will eventually reach its equilibrium at Pe again. What if the price is, for some reason, at P2? At this below-equilibrium price, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied. There is an excess quantity demanded at P2, or a shortage. Market forces will cause the price to rise. Demanders will bid up the price and suppliers will raise the price. The point of this analysis is that any disequilibrium situation automatically brings into action correcting forces that will cause a movement back toward equilibrium. The equilibrium price and quantity will be maintained so long as demand and supply do not change. When we refer to a stable equilibrium, we mean that if there is a movement away from the equilibrium price or quantity, there will be forces pushing price or quantity back to the equilibrium level or rate. An unstable equilibrium is one in which, if there is a movement away from the equilibrium, there are forces that push price and/or quantity farther away from equilibrium (or at least do not push price and quantity back toward the equilibrium level or rate). (Stable And Unstable Equilibria, n.d). Market Equilibration Process Paper Market equilibrium is the point in which industry offers goods at the price consumers will consume without creating a shortage or a surplus of goods. Shortages drive up the cost of goods while surpluses drive the cost of goods down, finding the balance in the process is market equilibrium. A good example of a market equilibrium commodity would be the price of gasoline. Currently a barrel of oil is around $81.00USD. This has resulted in an increase in the price of a  gallon by about $1.00 from one year ago to an average of about $3.00 per gallon of gasoline. While driving habits have not started to change, people are taking notice and may be looking to make changes should price continue to rise. The sector of the market that is taking notice and making a changes is those homes that use oil for heating. The recent cold snap in the mid-west and east has increased the need and usage of oil. The $1.00 increase in price per gallon of gas from a year ago is resulting in a larger percentage of increase in home heating. Consumers are starting to make changes in their live style in order to achieve a personal equilibrium in their budget. The dollar increase may not seem like much but the bottom line result is in increase of about 3% 5% in homes heating costs. The reasons sighted for the increase in oil is increased consumption by China, colder than normal temperature is Europe and shortages in Europe due to their unseasonable amount of snow fall in the large cities (2010, 07). With all the commotion going on in the Middle East and the ever increasing demand for Oil by countries such as China and the U.S it is very easy to see why price of crude oil and gasoline keeps climbing. According to Rodney Schulz of Schulz Financial, â€Å"One may argue that the oil market is not efficient because a few large players, such as some of OPEC’s largest producers, have the ability to move prices. And that is true, as well as the fact that insiders in those organizations can take advantage of certain information† (2012, 03). He stated further that Looking at the oil and gas industry, one immediately finds evidence of market efficiency with oil and gas prices. First, if the market were not efficient, firms that did nothing but trade oil and gas futures would be as ubiquitous as independent producers. Moreover, they would perform as well in down markets as in up markets. This would be an easy business to start, as there are almost no barriers to entry. However , firms that do nothing other than trade oil and gas futures are practically nonexistent (2012, 03). Reference (2010, 07). Market Equilibrating Process Paper. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 07, 2010, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Market-Equilibrating-Process-Paper-359014.html (2012, 03). Market Equilibration Process Paper. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 03, 2012, from  http://www.studymode.com/essays/Market-Equilibration-Process-Paper-932326.html Stable and Unstable Equilibria. (n.d). Retrieved from http://wps.aw.com/aw_miller_econtoday_13/29/7556/1934389.cw/content/index.html