Atkinsons Case

Case requirements Atkinson Atkinson have been trading as a department store on the Moor In Sheffield for over 50 years. Two of the directors are friends of your parents. They have asked you and a small group of your colleagues to cast an eye over the business and offer some Impartial advice as to its future direction. You were provided with the publicly available statements of the group, data from FAME Is also available on the Internet through literates.. Whilst passing through the Meadowland Centre you notice that there are some new units being developed.A number of businesses such as Deadbeats and Thornton have outlets In both Sheffield and Meadowland whilst others such as House of Fraser have moved out of the city centre altogether. You have contacted Meadowland Properties PL and have received a letter in return which sets out the availability and costs of leasing a new unit in the Meadowland Centre. You have also acquired information from Sheffield City Council containing demogra phic and other information http:†www. Creditworthiness. Co. UK/ http:†www. Sheffield. Gob. UK/your-city-council/Sheffield-facts-figuresYou are required to attend a meeting with the two directors to make a presentation (power point facilities are available) on your findings. Assessment weighting Learning outcomes Weighting % 1 . Identify subject skills and knowledge appropriate to problem this is reflected In outcome 2 2. Assess difficulties in clearly defining problem areas (Including analysis of position) 30 3. Apply and integrate previously acquired subject skills outcomes 2/4 4. Acquire, classify organist and evaluate Information In a suitable format for the application of decision making techniques 30 5.Communicate proposed course of action and answer questions 40 Meadowland Properties PL Sheffield Dear Sir Thank you for your recent enquiry concerning the leasing costs for the units to be completed at the Meadowland Centre in late 2008. To give you some idea of the s ize of the units, Deadbeats occupies a site of 125,000 square feet. Leases will run to the December 2032 and will be renewable at that date subject to negotiation. All rents will be increased annually in line with the change in the retail price index excluding mortgage payments. Size Annual rent Unit 1 125,000 square feet unit 2 60,000 square feetIEEE,OHO unit 3 40,000 square feet IEEE,OHO In addition to these rental costs, there is a service charge payable to ourselves. At the moment this is EH. 30 per square foot per annum for the first 25,000 square feet, half this rate for the next 25,000 square feet and a quarter of this rate for anything over 50,000 square feet. This charge covers all communal areas, supervision of car parking etc. Tenants are, of course, responsible for the payment of business rates. We thank you for your interest and look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Yours faithfully Alexander Goodyear (Customer Services Director)

Children and adults Essay

The Effective Early Learning Project based at Worcester University highlights two ways in which adults can help children progress; The first is the way the adult encourages the child to be autonomous, to get on and try new things; The second, is the way the adult offers experiences which are stimulating, challenging and interesting. Adults need to be a supporting factor when the child is in a ‘risky’ environment. Children and adults alike enjoy climbing trees; adults know when they are too high as do children. This is a whole other debate in terms of nature or nurture debate. This is where we could explore the idea of children learning to be safe when risk taking or is it already ‘there’. Stephenson (2003) wrote about a child on a swing, ‘Swinging was very popular with these younger children, but more often than the older children their reactions indicated that they felt unsafe and wanted the swing slowed down’. Therefore the child has taken the risk, has agreed a boundary, enjoyed the activity and acknowledged the safety aspect. The adult was there to ensure the safety and also make the activity a positive one by being readily available. Children must face all different kinds of risks in order to support their development and learning. Stine (1997) wrote that to support their learning and development is a complex issue. There always has to be provision for a physical challenge. More and more educational settings are using outdoor play/activity to challenge the children. Although, what is an acceptable risk to one person, may be completely the opposite of another. Bruce and Meggitt (2002) write that ‘outdoor space needs to be available most of the time’; They continue that, safety is the only consideration for keeping children in doors. Children can feel safe in ‘risk taking’ environments and activities in many ways. Initially the adult to child ratio, with a high number of adults’ children can be supported and helped to achieve. Secondly by minimising, if possible, the risk aspect. This could be ensuring the activity is a positive and acceptable environment. Thirdly by giving the children all the opportunities available for physical risk taking, children need a stimulating and challenging environment. And finally, a well maintained balance between the child’s safety and the challenge of the activity. In an educational setting, an adult carer will go to the ‘risk area’ and carry out an assessment. They will check the route to be taken, dangers in the area and also any area that poses extreme concern. An adult carer should also think about the child to adult ratio. A local nursery allows children to climb trees. Due to the child to adult ratio, the nursery feels that the level of risk posed can be curtailed by having by having the children supervised and supported through the activity by adults. The children are therefore enjoying the activity of risk taking, as well as feeling safe in knowing an adult is available to help at any time. Another factor that the adult carer should be aware of is the idea of making a child’s environment completely hazard free. Therefore taking away any risk or danger. Walsh (1993) thought that children in an environment that is completely ‘safe’ could become bored and this could lead to self initiated risk taking that could be dangerous. Durberry (2001) felt that children who grow up in an ultra safe environment would ‘lack confidence in their own physical ability’. This would be due to the poor opportunities for the children to build and extend upon their exiting knowledge. He continued that children had to be both confident and competent physically in order to feel competent emotionally. The ideals on risk taking vary from culture to culture. Although the main aim remains the same. The child needs to remain safe, but feel they are being challenged and stimulated. To minimise hazards there needs to be a high adult to child ratio. Children need opportunities to explore and do so independently. Over the last decade, the child’s freedom of choice has been limited. Adult carers are sometimes over anxious about letting the child experiment with risk taking. The procedures and guidelines that are in place give the adult carer a frame work on which to base their activities upon. The adult carer should exploit and become fluent in the procedures and guidelines in place. This in turn will provide groundwork for safe risk taking. Bibliography Smith, P., Cowie, H. & Blades, M. (2003) Understanding Children’s Development, London: Blackwell Publishing.  Bruce, T. & Meggitt, C. (2002) Childcare & Education, London: Hodder & Stoughton.  DfEE (2003) Early Years (Volume 23, Number 1), London: Taylor & Francis

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society

A Research on the Changes Brought by Title IX on Sports and Society A Nation Changer: How Title IX has changed sports and society Oftentimes when people think of what has changed this nation’s foundations, they think of the Civil Rights Movement and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Not many people think about a piece of legislation passed in 1972 that prohibits participation, denied benefits, and discrimination based on sex in any education program receiving federal financial aid. This keystone piece in our history is called Title IX and has been under the microscope of scrutiny for nearly four decades, and to be honest, it should not be such the controversial subject it is. [NT1] When people think of Title IX, they often associate it with collegiate athletics. People think that way because they are not aware that it includes academics, support services, clubs, and so on. As a society we have unfortunately become glued to ESPN that we forget there is more to life than who beat the New York Yankees or what NFL superstar got arrested. The Women’s Sports Foundation revealed in a question-answer article that despite the ongoing claims and litigation brought to court by individuals and parents, more people are becoming more accepting of this law, signifying a major shift in society’s views of women in sports (â€Å"Title IX†). We as a society should not need this law, although important, to ensure gender equity. Instead, we should view men and women as equals. Title IX has expanded beyond the athletic fields and courts, beyond what society thinks it only deals with, and is now a major issue in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Since its enactment, women have become empowered and passionate about changing the society’s view of their sex across the board. Take one look at the last presidential election. The United States of America almost had for the first time in history, a female vice president in Sarah Palin. Even more so, look at who is running the State of North Carolina: Beverly Perdue. I found out from the Women’s Sports Foundation website that in order to be compliant with Title IX, a school must pass two parts of a three-part analysis. The first part is to provide athletic participation slots significantly proportionate to total student enrollment. The second part is that federally-funded institutions must show ongoing commitment to athletic opportunity expansion of the underrepresented sex, and lastly, the third part of the compliance analysis is accommodating the underrepresented sex’s interests and abilities (â€Å"Title IX†). I myself have been involved in athletics as a student-equipment manager for about a decade now. I am also majoring in Sport Management with a concentration in Athletic Administration at Western Carolina University. I am familiar with how Title IX works in an athletic department as a result of my curricula. To put the analysis in laymen’s terms, I will use Western Carolina University as an example. There are a total of 287 athletes, 111 being female and 176 being male. That equates to 39 percent and 61 percent respectively. The student body enrollment is 9,429; 56 percent being female and 44 percent being male. Western would not comply with this prong (proportionality test) because the percentages are outside the three percent â€Å"give or take† range. The expansion of athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex prong is commonly referred to as a temporary compliance fix because a school can only use it for so long before they must switch to another prong. Western uses this prong as well as the third prong, the third by including athletic surveys in their admission application. When a student applies for admission, they must list sports they would be interested in playing. This satisfies the third prong of the compliancy test. For the longest time Title IX was only enforced in educational programs and those related. When lawmakers realized that athletic departments are also a part of the educational institution that is when the water really began to boil. One of the most significant examples in history of protesting athletic changes in favor of Title IX is the story of Chris Ernst and the Yale University’s women’s rowing team.[NT2] A member of the 1982 Olympic rowing team, Mary Mazzio produced in 1999, â€Å"A Hero for Daisy†. Figure 1 is a vivid shot of what the young girls did in the Yale AD’s office. According to Mazzio’s film and Ernst’s narrative, it was 1976 when the actual events took place, but the legend lives on: nineteen young women rowers wrote â€Å"Title IX† on their chests and backs and walked into the Yale athletic director’s office and stripped to their waists, revealing the phrase while Ernst read a statement. Before this protest, the women would have to come in after a grueling, sometimes cold, wet practice, and take cold showers. After the protest, the AD put showers in the women’s locker room and the entire story was all over the news†¦all across the country (â€Å"Hero†). [NT3] The main theme behind this film is the girls wanted to stop being treated as inferior to the men and have appropriate shower and locker room facilities. I saw scenes of the women having to get on the bus back to campus with frozen hair the showers were so inadequate. Several of the team members also became ill as a result of to not being abl e to take care of themselves properly. [NT4] Quite simply, the women were fed up with being treated as underdogs to the men and decided to stand up for what they believed was right. In my opinion, these women changed sports and without a doubt, society as well. The result of Chris Ernst’s actions undoubtedly made national news. Of all national broadcasting agencies to put this film on the airwaves was ESPN. The media is the largest form of intelligence transportation known to mankind. Both at Penn State University, Marie Hardin, an associate professor in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, and Erin Whiteside, a student pursuing a doctoral degree in the College of Communications, wrote an article in Newspaper Research Journal titled â€Å"Sports Reporters Divided Over Concerns about Title IX.† The article shows in a series of charts that although most sports journalists are acquainted with Title IX, their beliefs towards the law and homosexual athletes varies according to their own gender and amount of circulation (Hardin 1). Figure 2 gives clear gender-specific views of Title IX and sports: As you can tell from this chart, there is a higher percentage of men that think Title IX has hurt men’s sports than not. Women have a converse view, reporting that they think Title IX has not hurt men’s sports. Again with the second question, more men think that Title IX is just fine the way it is, and a large majority of the women interviewed still think it should be amended. It is a classic example of gender bias; People in this field tend to vote for their own gender no matter what is ethically right in the eyes of society. The media is just as bad, if not the worst, at being fair when it comes to publishing stories on women’s athletics. Hardin and Whiteside’s article states, â€Å"Studies have consistently found that women are positioned as less interesting and capable through both the quantity and quality of coverage. Furthermore, the lack of newspaper coverage devoted to girls’ and women’s sports does not reflect their participation rates, and editors have cited ‘lack of interest’ to justify these decisions† (Hardin 2). Unfortunately, people read more stories about the achievements of male athletes than female. Here’s a classic example: look at how many articles have been written about Shaun White, a professional snowboarder who has only recently made headlines with a spectacular performance at the Winter X Games, and Jamie Anderson, the female equivalent – with not quite the spectacular performance. I said Jamie Anderson and people probab ly had no idea who I was referring to because they did not see her name in quite as many articles explaining how great of a snowboarder she is. I would not say that it is an overall lack of interest in sports amongst females; I think one could unfortunately fault sports journalism for being bias. This biasness among sports journalism is an institutional norm; â€Å"Individuals who choose to resist those institutional norms by supporting women’s sports, for instance, can be ostracized† (Hardin 4). So if I choose to be a sports journalist and chose to go against the common grain of coverage and write about people like Jamie Anderson, I would be considered an outcast. An outcast for doing what I believe is the right thing to do, promoting the achievements of women in athletics. At least that is the mindset of sports journalism more often than not. Title IX is a law seeking to turn the tables of that popular notion. I know that one female in particular used Title IX in her favor and changed the way sports journalism views women. It was Chris Ernst, and when her complaint made the headlines, you can bet it impacted society. The general public might think, â€Å"Title IX sure does seem bias towards women.† They would be right; Title IX is directed more toward providing athletic opportunities for women. Steven Rhoads brings up in his article â€Å"Sports, sex, and Title IX† that this law is supposedly anti-discriminatory, when in fact it is just the opposite. Title IX fails to mention is that in order for institutions to be compliant with the law, some programs dedicated to male involvement must be cut, namely non-revenue earning sports. Take for example wrestling. Each of the three weight classes has a certain number of participants in them; call it twenty for easy math. That brings the grand total to sixty wrestlers. Since wrestling in most schools is not considered a huge ticket sell, it is often dropped due to Title IX requirements. That means sixty young men cannot go after a passion because of a law that tries to get more females active in sports. Rhoads also points out that based on t he interest prong of the compliancy analysis, it is hard to determine what females are interested in. Moreover, he explains that the psychology behind females in sports is much different than males in sports. Males have natural tendency to expend their testosterone-born aggression and competitiveness through sport. Males also make more friendships through involvement in sports. Even a benchwarmer on a football team feels he is a part of the team merely by cheering and being there for his team. Females on the other hand, when they feel they will be cut or see potential for arguments, they quit the team (Rhoads). So going back to the interest prong, could one argue that we are wasting time trying to figure out athletic opportunities for women by doing surveys when they may quit a team at first sign of struggle? Have you ever wondered how the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) schools fare in regard to Title IX? These are schools where the outcomes of football and men’s basketball games make headlines more often than academic research. According to â€Å"Part†, â€Å"Charles Kennedy is a senior instructor of political science at Penn State – York. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer, director of Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Action Center, and assistant to West Virginia’s Secretary of State† (â€Å"Part†). Kennedy came up with a playoff system explained in his article â€Å"Part† to determine compliancy using other factors other than the commonly-used three prong test. His variables come from a 2004 Chronicle of Higher Education gender equity study: participation, scholarships, coaching salaries, and operating expenses. The participation test is quite simple; the number of female student-athletes should be proportionate to the percent age of women in the student body. The scholarship variable is governed by the Office of Civil Rights and mandates that â€Å"colleges must award the same proportions of aid to female athletes as there are women participating in varsity sports. The proportion is to be within one percentage point† (â€Å"Part† 52). Two variables not included in Title IX are coaching salaries and operating expenses. I do believe that coaching salaries should be proportionate and fair because it makes the women coaches just as equal as the men coaches. Although operating expenses are not covered under Title IX, they are of concern with the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act in that the EADA does mandate how much of an athletic budget must be reserved for women’s teams (â€Å"BCS† 53). In Kennedy’s analysis, the BCS Champion of Title IX was Ohio University, outlasting Stanford University 3-1 with individual statistics* of participation (-10.7: 0.0), scholarship (2.55:1. 96), coaching salaries (40.9:38.0) and lastly operating expenses (41.7:39.2). A cheist at the Naval Research Laboratory, Debra Rolison, has done Title IX protesting in the form of holding discussions nationwide in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – STEM – disciplines. [NT5] In an interview report by Toni Feder[NT6] , Rolison feels that these departments should have to maintain a balance of male and female doctorate positions. According to a report given by the Congressional Subcommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, if we want to have better educated graduating classes coming out of our universities and colleges, we need to open the door of recruiting and accepting women in the educational workplace more (Feder). [NT7] Julie Walters is an assistant professor of political science at Oakland University and Connie L. McNeely is a faculty member of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Together they wrote an article addressing gender equity in the STEM fields as well. They shed light on how little Title IX has been discussed in the realm of academics, when in fact academics is probably the more important subject to be discussed than athletics. Women are less inclined to go into STEM fields because â€Å"while both males and females are equally committed to academic careers, women’s higher turnover has been highly correlated with dissatisfaction and lower levels of research support, fewer advancement opportunities, intellectual constraints, and heavier teaching and service workloads† (Walters 1). If that is not sexual discrimination in the workplace, please tell me what is. It is completely unfair to shove more work onto women as retribution for trying to advance in their career. Universities exalt the male by allowing them easier course loads and giving them advancement opportunities quicker than females. I am not a feminist by any means, but I do know where to draw an ethical line, and what some universities do is plainly unethical and purely discriminatory. The worst part of it is that â€Å"an institution may attempt to defend itself by claiming, for example, that all such work is â€Å"voluntary,† but a question arises in the definition of â€Å"voluntary† in practice and application† (Walters 9). Just when people think the institution is the terrible person, take a look at the federal government; â€Å"In 1996, Congress cut or eliminated funding for state Title IX coordinators, and in 2003, cut funding for the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1965, which provided grants in aid in promoting gender equity in educational environments† (Walters 9). What that last quote is saying is Congress basically said that f unding Title IX is no longer important. Schools nationwide need those coordinators to make sure the school is in compliance, and all of a sudden Congress says, â€Å"Gender equity is no longer a big deal to us.† You can bet that Congressional ruling impacted society and quite a few athletic departments. In a report by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, statistics are showing that females are making significant strides in the academic field. According to the report, â€Å"In the last 10 years, the number of girls taking the AP Calculus AB exam has increased nearly 60% and the number of girls taking the AP Physics B exam more than doubled during the same period†¦ And, in 2007, half of the 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search were girls† (â€Å"Science†). Even with a major law in place, women still see the cold shoulder; â€Å"unsupportive classroom environments, a limited peer group and outdated pedagogy; and women scientists and engineers earn less and advance slower than men in both academia and the private sector† (â€Å"Science†). In my opinion, we should accept women and girls not for just beauty, but for the amount of intelligence and other talent they have. In our dismal economy, we cannot afford to be discrimina tory against women, or toward any sexual orientation for that matter. We need the most qualified individuals in the positions, and if the most qualified are women, so be it. Continuing on with the STEM fields, the United States National Aeronautic and Space Administration – NASA – has their own policies on Title IX. NASA grants federal money to universities and other educational institutions for research and development. Since this aid is federal, it makes the entire organization subject to compliance checks. The â€Å"prong† analysis I mentioned earlier does not apply here as much as it does in athletics, but one could argue that the money should be allocated evenly amongst the affected programs. I found out that NASA does conduct random but forewarned interviews and tests among schools that received grants. In comparison to the NCAA punishment policies, NASA is fairly lenient, only bringing down hefty sanctions when the school fails to voluntarily comply[NT8] (NASA).[NT9] In conclusion, I hope that this explanation has left you, the reader, with a better understanding of how Title IX has impacted sports and society. I can only imagine what society was like before Title IX, and I am thankful that we have it today and for the future. Many generations to come will benefit not just in athletics, but in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Without a doubt, the people with passion for reforming society, namely Chris Ernst and people like Debra Rolison, are making the world a more balanced society.

Circuits with Feedback Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Circuits with Feedback - Assignment Example Derivation of Feedback Equation for Inverting Amplifier Let we consider an inverting amplifier as shown in fig. 2. Then if ‘A, is the gain then, as vi+ = 0, there fore vo = A(vin+ – vin ¯) vo = - A vin ¯ Also from Ohm’s Law the current is simply the difference in the voltage across R1 divided R1, i1 = (vin+ – vin ¯)/R1 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(5) Similarly, if = ( vi ¯ – vo)/Rf †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(6) By Kerchief’s current Law at the inverting input, i1 = if + i ¯ where i ¯ is the current entering the amplifier at it’s inverting point, yet for an idea amplifier it reaches to zero hence, i1 = if †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (7) Substituting the values from equations (5) and (6) we have, (vin+ – vin ¯)/R1= (vi ¯ – vo)/Rf †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (8) Or vin+/R1 – vin ¯/R1= vi ¯/Rf – vo/Rf Solving for , = †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (9) This is the required voltage gain expression for inverting amplifier with feedback in terms of open loop gain. Problem 2: Each of the amplifiers shown below incorporate series feedback. The gains, input resistances and output resistances are quoted without feedback. For each amplifier determine: - a) The feedback fraction. b) The gain with feedback. c) The input impedance with feedback. d) The output impedance with feedback. Solution: (i) a) If we consider the given cct. then for feedback fraction ‘Î ², for given cct. is defined as, ... terms of open-loop gain A. Derivation of Feedback Equation for Inverting Amplifier Let we consider an inverting amplifier as shown in fig. 2 (Bogart, 1997, p. 670). Then if 'A, is the gain then, as vi+ = 0, there fore vo = A(vin+ - vin) vo = - A vin Fig. 2(a) Also from Ohm's Law the current is simply the difference in the voltage across R1 divided R1, i1 = (vin+ - vin)/R1 (5) Similarly, if = ( vi - vo)/Rf (6) By Kerchief's current Law at the inverting input, i1 = if + i where i is the current entering the amplifier at it's inverting point, yet for an idea amplifier it reaches to zero hence, i1 = if (7) Substituting the values from equations (5) and (6) we have, (vin+ - vin)/R1= (vi - vo)/Rf (8) Or vin+/R1 - vin/R1= vi/Rf - vo/Rf Solving for , = (9) This is the required voltage gain expression for inverting amplifier with feedback in terms of open loop gain. Problem 2: Each of the amplifiers shown below incorporate series feedback. The gains, input resistances and output resistances are quoted without feedback. For each amplifier determine: - a) The feedback fraction. b) The gain with feedback. c) The input impedance with feedback. d) The output impedance with feedback. Solution: (i) a) If we consider the given cct. then for feedback fraction ', for given cct. is defined as, = (2ia) Substituting the values in equation (2ia) from given cct. we have, == 0.175 2ia Fig. (2i) (2ib) If 'Avf, be the gain

COACH INC. case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

COACH INC. - Case Study Example In addition, there have been some difficult points in the economy that have affected business in the bagging industry. This means Coach Inc. has learned from and expanded on what competitors are doing within in industry in order to stay on top of the market and maintain their business. THE BUSINESS OF BAGGING CUSTOMERS Coach Inc. is an American company dealing in leather goods from bags, shoes, jeweler, wallets and many other products. Coach was started in 1941 and has expanded rapidly in leaps and bounds, especially after the turn of the 21st century, and right now it boasts of over 500 branches worldwide. Coach started as a bagging firm back then and specialized in the manufacturing and sale of leather bags. The company was later bought by a bigger company called Sara. Lee Corporations in the 1970s. Sara Lee was diversifying its merchandise leading to the purchase of Coach among others. This diversification strategy did not work out well for Sara Lee and Coach suffered from lack of focused management (Encyclopedia, 2012). The large portfolio proved hard to handle under one management. In 2000, Frankfort Lee, the CEO of Coach, convinced the management of Sara Lee to allow Coach to run independently. This strategy paved the way for the growth and expansion of Coach. In fact, the company's growth was averaged at 51% per annum since 2002. This paper seeks to establish the factors that contributed to this rapid expansion and what exactly is the reason why the company was less affected by the economic downturn in the later part of the first decade of the 21st millennium. This paper, therefore, starts by outlining the reasons why the company could weather the economic downturn storm and the strategies it employed. It then goes ahead to discussed what Coach did that its competitors did not hence giving it a comparative advantage, lastly, it analyses the success of these strategies employed by Coach Inc. In 2008, a global economic depression hit affecting the United S tates of America and the entire world. During this time, many businesses collapsed and Coach was expected to follow suit. However, Coach expanded its operations to wider markets in Northern America and competed with leading brands. Although the company started as a maker of small leather handbags for ladies, it is currently a leader in the sale of handbags, wallets, luggage, briefcases and many other related products. How Coach Has Managed to be Successful in Challenging Economic Conditions Coach managed to be successful despite the economic challenges as a result of several management and marketing strategies. One management strategy was the creation of a business plan with a corporate strategy. The corporate strategy gave Coach the authority to run its activities independently without the interference of the mother company. This proved to be the decisive step. Coach planned to expand and diversify its operations. The company, which had a narrow range of products that were made of leather diversified into jewelry, eyewear and picture frames production and selling. It opened more stores in International markets, including Canada and China, setting up multiple stores in the countries it ventured into. The large population in China gave the Coach Inc. a ready and wide market for its products. By increasing its market share, Coach was in a position to navigate through hard economic times. Coach managed to cruise through the economic downturn through proper analysis of trends in the fashion industry and market at large. Through this analysis,

Stereotypes And Fantasies About The Us South Essay

Stereotypes And Fantasies About The Us South - Essay Example Music in itself has been described as an important parameter of culture (Abrams, 2011). What this means is that music is one of the constituent components of culture that can distinguish one culture from the other. Within the varying groups of culture that exists in the United States also, Southern American, or United States South is a core player with much influence in the socio-cultural dynamism of the country. Part of these dynamisms is the type of stereotype and fantasies associated with the South. In this essay, there is a defense for the statement that â€Å"Stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have been a major theme in the development of US popular music.† Common stereotypes and fantasies associated with the US South Historians and cultural experts trace the influence of the South on the socio-cultural dynamism of the US to days before the Civil War when there were accusations and counteraccusations of disparity against the South (Agnew, 2006). They believe tha t the current state of stereotype and fantasies that exists for people in the South is the direct cause of an unresolved conflict that can be traced to the aftermath of the war. Presently, the Southern ethnic heritage can be said to be made up of several cultural identities and differentiations mainly made up of African, Native American and European components (Baron, Hood, and Izard, 1996). Among these people, the commonest form of stereotype that has existed for years is a strong overlook in the US mass media, including literature, theatre and other creative forms of expressions (Kupperman, 2000). In some studies, the percentage of coverage given to this group is only 1% (Agnew, 2006). Generally, the cause of this is due to misconceptions associated with ethnic groups in the South as being cruel, of bad character, and uneducated. This stereotype has also led to a situation of fantasy within the group where they have argued that the Southern is also good for the highest positions o f the land, especially Blacks. How stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have influenced themes of US popular music Indeed, popular music gives a major cultural identity to US as a country. The themes of popular music have somewhat influenced the popularity of this type of music and contributed to its current international status (Kupperman, 2000). Without an iota of doubt, it can be said that the stereotype about the US South, and for that matter, the fantasies that have developed from it therefore has been very influential on the themes of US popular music. Specific examples can be given to how themes of US popular music has for years sought to justify the content of the Southerner’s character, saying that the Southerner is as good as the Northerner for any top decent position within the land. For example in 1983, Blowfly used the theme of his music as a crusade for the possibility of a Black President, titling his album, â€Å"The first black president†. What is more, in 1988, the US hip hop group, NWA made a music video that focused on the theme of a Black person being as fit for the presidency as a White when they had a caption from the White House that read, â€Å"Live from the Black House†

The Use Of Recycled Plastics As Structural Elements In Construction Essay

The Use Of Recycled Plastics As Structural Elements In Construction - Essay Example First the lumber is stated to be molded in one specified size and UV additives are utilized for prevention against deterioration due to UV light exposure. Structural plastic lumber does not experience such as rotting, cracking, splintering or splitting for at least fifty years and is additionally reported to be of the nature that resists such as termites, salt spray, fungus and marine borers. Formation of the plastic and fiberglass mixture involves heating and continuous extrusion and then the substance is formed into the shape that is needed followed by cooling and cutting. An outer layer that is high-density and solid results from the continuous extrusion process and produces as well a cellular inner core that is less dense and which is wanted and needed for adding to the strength and weight of the material. (American Recycled Plastic, Inc, 2006, paraphrased) It was reported by BBC News that a company is building homes made from 18 tonnes of recycled waste plastic. Specifically, Affresol of Swansea is reported to have developed a technology that is useful in building houses that are low carbon from plastics and minerals. It is reported that that Welsh Assembly Government money is backing the firm which has â€Å"launched a range of eco-friendly homes and four-tonne modular portable buildings.† (BBC News, ) The new sustainable process is reported to have great potential for the construction industry and most specifically for promoting ‘green jobs’. A new material has been developed that has been called ‘Thermo-Poly Rock (TPR) which is made from plastics and minerals that have been recycled for the specific use as a structural building product. It is reported that the TPR panels are bolted together to produce the â€Å"load bearing frame of the house which can be externally clad with brick, block or stone, with the interior insulated and plastered as any other house.† (BBC News, 2010) The roof was

Smoking Among the Youth in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Smoking Among the Youth in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example From the most prominent causes of smoking, it was revealed in the paper written by Mandil, BinSaeed, et al. that peer pressure or the apparent need to be perceived as doing what friends are doing, and the strong impact of family members seen to be smoking are most influential. Likewise, other causes of smoking include the lack of governmental restrictions that preclude the youths from easily purchasing cigarettes regardless of age and the apparently low prices of cigarettes (Siddiqui, Ogbeide, and Khalifa). In the article written by Bassiony, the author disclosed the motivating factors and reasons for smoking, as follows: â€Å"desire (32%), idleness (28%), imitation (22%), and enjoyment (20%) are among the motives to smoke. If the problem goes unresolved, more youths and adults would be addicted to smoking due to its nicotine content and would find it challenging to get out of the habit. There are other repercussions that include increased risks to contract health hazards such as h igh blood pressure, higher tendencies for heart attacks, contracting cancer of various organs in the body, especially the lungs, throat, voice box, pancreas, and kidneys. Likewise, health hazards for females were reported to include fertility problems and cancer of the cervix. More importantly, cigarette smoking, if left unabated, is forecasted to result, within the next 20 to 30 years, to â€Å"10 million deaths annually on a worldwide basis, of which 70% will occur in developing countries† (Siddiqui, Ogbeide and Khalifa 367).

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

Biomarkers - Essay Example In aquatic environment, biomarkers depend upon the physical environmental conditions such as temperature, pH or salinity, as well as toxic concentrations of chemical pollutants or any combination of these. Biomarkers can be categorized as non-specific and specific according to their responses to a particular element or a group of environmental factors (Mayer et al., 1992). non-specific biomarkers, for example ribonucleic acid/deoxyribonucleic acid, radiolabelled amino acid or nucleotide incorporation, and adenylate energy charge, give direct information on the growth rate or potential of an organism but they can not be used to determine the particular toxicant. Specific biomarkers can be again categorized n to two sub-categories, organ, and toxicant specific according to method of their recognition. Organ specific biomarkers are analyzed by examining changes in concentration specific enzymes in organisms whether as Toxicant-specific biomarkers are analyzed according to the exposure and effects on an organism due to a chemical or group of chemicals. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), transaminases, creatine phosphokina... criteria with which to assess results should be available Biomarkers can be categorized as non-specific and specific according to their responses to a particular element or a group of environmental factors (Mayer et al., 1992). non-specific biomarkers, for example ribonucleic acid/deoxyribonucleic acid, radiolabelled amino acid or nucleotide incorporation, and adenylate energy charge, give direct information on the growth rate or potential of an organism but they can not be used to determine the particular toxicant. Specific biomarkers can be again categorized n to two sub-categories, organ, and toxicant specific according to method of their recognition. Organ specific biomarkers are analyzed by examining changes in concentration specific enzymes in organisms whether as Toxicant-specific biomarkers are analyzed according to the exposure and effects on an organism due to a chemical or group of chemicals. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), transaminases, creatine phosphokinase, lysosomal enzymes, alkaline phosphatases and mixed function oxidase are the examples of organ specific biomarkers while as inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by organophosphates and inhibition of cytochrome P monooxygenase, methallothionein and metal binding proteins by metals are some of the toxicant specific biomarkers (Mayer et al., 1992; Gagn and Blaise, 1993). There are basically two parameters for biomarker assessment: global reference values and comparative values. global reference values can be developed for DNA adducts, ALA-D, AChE, scope for growth, CEA, PAH-metabolites, GST, lysosomal stability, micronucleus formation, vitellogenin, MT biomarkers and comparative values can be used for ethoxyresoroufin-o-deethylase (EROD), antioxidant enzymes, peroxisomal

The Power of a Magnifying Glass Essay Example for Free

The Power of a Magnifying Glass Essay The magnification of a magnifying glass depends upon where it is placed between the users eye and the object being viewed, and the total distance between them. The magnifying power is equivalent to angular magnification (this should not be confused with optical power, which is a different quantity). The magnifying power is the ratio of the sizes of the images formed on the users retina with and without the lens.[3] For the without case, it is typically assumed that the user would bring the object as close to the eye as possible without it becoming blurry. This point, known as the near point, varies with age. In a young child it can be as close as 5 cm, while in an elderly person it may be as far as one or two metres. Magnifiers are typically characterized using a standard value of 0.25 m. The highest magnifying power is obtained by putting the lens very close to the eye and moving the eye and the lens together to obtain the best focus. The object will then typically also be close to the lens. The magnifying power obtained in this condition is MP0 =  ¼ÃŽ ¦ + 1, where ÃŽ ¦ is the optical power in dioptres, and the factor of  ¼ comes from the assumed distance to the near point ( ¼ m from the eye). This value of the magnifying power is the one normally used to characterize magnifiers. It is typically denoted mÃâ€", where m = MP0. This is sometimes called the total power of the magnifier (again, not to be confused with optical power). Magnifiers are not always used as described above, however. It is much more comfortable to put the magnifier close to the object (one focal length away). The eye can then be a larger distance away, and a good image can be obtained very easily; the focus is not very sensitive to the eyes exact position. The magnifying power in this case is roughly MP =  ¼ÃŽ ¦. A typical magnifying glass might have a focal length of 25 cm, corresponding to an optical power of 4 dioptres. Such a magnifier would be sold as a 2Ãâ€" magnifier. In actual use, an observer with typical eyes would obtain a magnifying power between 1 and 2, depending on where lens is held. Using this principle, a magnifying glass can also be used to focus light, such as to concentrate the suns radiation to create a hot spot at the focus.

Commercial Contracts in International Oil and Gas Industry

Commercial Contracts in International Oil and Gas Industry This paper aims to address the issues associated with long term petroleum contracts concluded between the state and international oil companies in terms of the political risks investors tend to face in such contracts as well as the risk of change of circumstances brought about not by the act of the parties but rather by the time. In doing so, the efficiency of both stabilization and renegotiation clauses, as means of mitigating these mentioned risks, are critically examined. It argues that stabilization clauses are highly problematic with regard to their validity and effect as they would normally conflict with the very well established principle of international law of state sovereignty, also these clauses are limited only to the change of regulatory framework and does not take into consideration the effect of change of other circumstances which may have a considerable impact on the parties obligations. Whereas, renegotiation clauses can be useful to reduce the impact of changes not only the legal framework of the host state but also other circumstances which are beyond the control of the parties should proper and clear mechanisms and criteria for implementing these clauses be provided for within the clause. It is widely recognized that regulatory stability of any given state is an essential element of promoting and encouraging investment in general and to attract and secure the confidence of potential foreign investors in particular.[1] This is certainly the case for energy projects where investors are vulnerable to wide variety of risks throughout the projects life, given the long duration and the capital intensive characters of these projects. In addition, the vurnablity of petroleum contracts to the change of circumstances, which may be beyond their control such as price fluctuation in the international energy market, can make the contractual arrangement that was once profitable becoming highly undesirable a few years later.[2] Not to mention the very fact that one of the parties of these contracts is state or its agency may well raise the investors concerns that the contractual arrangements once have been secured at the time of negotiating can be disregarded by unilateral states act later. Therefore, it has been the tendency of oil and gas investors to seek protection against these risks by providing for legal mechanism in the contract in order to mitigate their impact throughout the project period. These legal mechanisms tend to be in the form of stability guarantees offered by the state, either stabilization clauses or renegotiation clauses, as well as providing for arbitration to be the manner of dispute resolution. However, while the latter has become a stable and widely recognized clause aiming to ensure the netiaulty and fairness of resolving disputes arising between the states and IOCs, the former has generated much concern over their legal validity and effect, simply because of the fact that the main objective of these clauses is to fetter the states right to legislate and regulate for reasonably long period of time. It is the aim of the second chapter to critically analyze the different views given to stabilization clauses in scholars writing and the relevant arbitration awards in terms of their legal validity under both national and international law and the extent to which these clauses can prevent the state from exercising its sovereign power within its territory. Arguing that the sharp divide among scholars and arbitrators in this regard proves the insufficient and uncertain nature of these clauses, which in turns makes the capability of these clauses to provide absolute protection to oil and gas investor questionable. Chapter three goes on to further affirm the conclusion reached in the second chapter through using the example of the Russian petroleum experiment, where the existence of stabilization clauses led to decreasing cooperation between the state and the industry and resulted in disrupting the parties relationship as the petroleum activities went on, given the fact that the Russian Petroleum Law concerned only encouraging the exploration activities while lifting many essential aspects unregulated with the view that if the oil was to be found, new legislation would be enacted. It is from this chapter where this paper comes to the conclusion that not only does stabilization clauses conflict with the principle of state sovereignty and may well be held invalid as a result, but also these clauses have appeared to be inconsistent with the parties needs to flexible mechanism in order to mitigate the risk of changes of circumstances brought about by time rather than parties acts. Finally, chapter four aims to advocate the recent trend of inserting renegotiation clauses into oil and gas contracts as the proper manner to mitigate not only the political risk of state behavior but also other commercial risks associated with petroleum projects, which in the latter case even the host state can enjoy the protection offered by this device. On the other hand, this chapter also recognizes the fact that renegotiation clause may be too flexible, and thus run the risk of the contract being open-ending. Therefore, this chapter argues that the success of this clause depends, to very large extent, on the specific drafting agreed by the parties and whether a clear mechanism and guidance have been provided to address potential disputes. Thus, this paper argues that the states right to legislate and to regulate should not be subject to negotiation, nor to be used as an incentive for the purpose of attracting investment as such commitment is difficult to be fulfilled in the long term. Furthermore, stabilization clauses have proved to be inefficient and difficult to predict as well as inconsistent with the parties needs in such a long term contract. Whereas, renegotiation clauses can achieve the parties aims and objectives of sustaining the agreed contractual arrangements and encouraging cooperation needed in long term contracts through flexible legal mechanisms. 2. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Primary Sources 1.1 Judicial decisions PreussenElektra case (PreussenElektra AG vs Schleswag AG) ECJ C-379/98, European Court reports 2001, I-02099 Stardust Marine case (French Republic v Commission of the European Communities) ECJ C-482/99, European Court reports 2002, I-04397 1.2 European Union secondary legislation Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity, OJ L176/37, 15.07.2003 2. Secondary Sources 2.1 Books Cameron P. D., Legal Aspects of EU Energy Markets, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). Helm D., Energy, the State, and the Market: British Energy Policy since 1979 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). Hunt S., Making Competition Work in Electricity (New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc. 2002). 2.2 Articles Meier, G.M., Impact of the power-market liberalization on the operation of CHP-plants securing the competitiveness on the district heat market, 29(4) Euroheat and Power/Fernwarme International (2000). Klinge Jacobsen, H., Fristrup, P. and Munksgaard, J., Integrated energy markets and varying degrees of liberalisation: Price links, bundled sales and CHP production exemplified by Northern European experiences, 34(18) Energy Policy 3527-3537 (2006). 2.3 Other 2.3.1 Internet sources European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration (GOGEN Europe), Financial and Regulatory Support for Cogeneration in EU (2007) http://www.cogeneurope.eu/publications/reports_and_studies.htm (last visited on 31 November 2008) Lowe, Ph., Applying EU Competition Law to the new liberalized energy markets, (13 May 2003) http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/speeches/text/sp2003_012_en.pdf (last visited on 1 December 2008) [1] L. Cotula, â€Å"Reconciling Regulatory Stability and Evolution of Environmental Standards in Investment Contracts: Towards a Rethink of Stabilization Clauses†, Journal of World Energy Law and Business, vol. 1 (2008), p164 [2] P. Thomas, â€Å"Evaluating Stabilisation Clause in Venezuelas Strategic Association Agreement for Heavy-Crude Extraction in the Orinoco Belt: The Return of a Forgotten Contractual Risk Reduction Mechanism for the Petroleum Industry† p.1