Wk2 econ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wk2 econ - Essay Example The slope is usually concave from the origin, which means, that opportunity costs increase with increasing production of a good. In the example above the Production Possibility Frontier is a straight line, which represents constant opportunity costs for different combination of goods production (Mankiw, 2011). Trade plays important role in reducing poverty in developing countries and increasing their growth rates. According to European Commission trade gives the following advantages to the developing countries: it increases commercial opportunities of a country; contributes to improvement of value chain of a product, which makes it more competitive; promotes innovations in the country; increases investments into the country; expands export of local producers to other countries; generates employment opportunities; influences exchange of experience and strengthens economic and social ties between developing and developed countries (European Commission,

A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective Essay Example for Free

A Personalised Induction Will Always Be More Effective Essay Every successful hypnotherapy session must have an induction ensuring that the client is relaxed and is in a disassociated state in order fully experience the process. The type of induction used can be dependent on the personal preferences of the therapist or the type of hypnotherapy being undertaken in the session. There has been some debate as to whether a generic induction will be suitable for all clients or as some hypnotherapists advocate that only a personalised screed to each client will do. Commercial hypnotherapy which is produced for the mass market is widely available in CD, book or e formats. These materials deal with common issues such as giving up smoking, weight loss etc and by their very nature have to be generic as there is no option for personalisation. However as there is no therapist present at these sessions, the success of commercial non personalised screeds cannot be assessed. In my opinion, commercial materials can reach many people but they are more about making money for the person producing them than about making a difference for the individual. It is also impossible to have a personalised induction if the therapist is holding a group session. In hypnosis the therapist relies on verbal communication rather than on body language. Psychology professor Albert Mehrabian studied communication and stated that how humans communicate can be broken down into quantities; ie words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55%. Therefore the vocabulary the therapist uses becomes vitally important to how successful the therapy will be for the client. Therapists who prefer a personalised approach believe that preparation of the client is essential especially if they have no previous experience of hypnotherapy and/or have pre-conceived ideas. Discussion before the session is crucial to discover what the client’s expectations are and when necessary, allay fears and correct their beliefs. During this discussion the therapist can also probe to discover the clients’ preferred or dominant modality. Modalities were defined by Bandler and Grinder the â€Å"Language of our minds†. (Chrysalis, Module 2). The three major modalities are, Kinaesthetic (feeling), Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing) as well as the two minor modalities of Olfactory (smell) and Gustatory (taste). As individuals we all have a preference for the way we perceive and process our experiences and in order to create a personalised induction, the therapist will try to ascertain the client’s preference during the initial interview and discussion. During the induction, the client may have his eyes closed or the therapist may not be within sight, so communication with the client using their preferred imagery will help them feel more comfortable. Kinaesthetic people have a preference for vocabulary which will invite them to feel. For example in an induction where the client is in their special place outdoors, you could suggest the client feels the warmth of a breeze as it moves through the trees. Whereas for those with a visual modality it could be suggested that they imagine leaves moving in the warm breeze in the nearby trees, while those with an auditory modality may feel more comfortable if it is suggested that they can hear the rustle of the leaves when they are moved by the warm breeze. Language and imagery can also have a negative effect on the client, Karle and Boys (1987, p45) suggest that imagery is first planned with the client to ensure it is acceptable and congenial. The example they use is suggesting descent by means of using a lift to a client who is phobic of lifts. Therefore it is important to have some personalisation in the induction. There is, however, a risk of mis-judging an individual during the initial interview and consultation that the therapist must be aware of. The client may present an image that they think the therapist wants to see; also as humans our feelings can change frequently throughout the day which causes us to react differently. And until the therapist gains a deeper understanding of the client a truly personalised induction may not be achieved yet the client has successfully reached a deeper hypnotic state. When creating an induction it is suggested by Karle and Boys (1987) that therapists use a technique known as â€Å"Compounding† which employs all modalities in the sensory descriptions and suggestions. While the content of the inductionis one area which can be personalised, the delivery of the induction is also a major influence on how accepting and comfortable the client will be. During the initial interview and as the relationship between client and therapist grows, the style of induction most suited to the client should be employed. They are referred to today as â€Å"Permissive† and â€Å"Authoritarian†. However as with the modalities, the style preference of the therapist will be a major influence on the style employed in the induction. Sandor Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst who practised in the early 1900s first investigated these styles after moving away from Freudian theory and developing relaxation therapy. He called them ‘maternal’ and ‘paternal’ and used them in his induction delivery. He considered the maternal style to be nurturing, caring, supportive and permissive while he considered paternal to be direct, authoritarian and aggressive. (Chrysalis, Module 2). Dave Elman, a stage hypnotist and entertainer working in 1948, at the invitation of doctors began to work on induction techniques. He continued in this career writing books on the subject and teaching students up to his death in 1968. He is well known for using his preferred authoritarian style of induction which he adapted from the sharp commands used in stage shows. Conversely, Milton Erickson, born 1901, utilised the permissive style of induction together with indirect suggestion. He believed that ‘people must participate in their therapy’ and was skilled at using metaphors to assist his therapy. Erickson believed that it was not possible consciously to instruct the unconscious mind, and that authoritarian suggestions were likely to be met with resistance. He firmly stated that the unconscious mind responds to openings, opportunities, metaphors and symbolic language. He advocated that effective hypnotic suggestion should be artfully vague, leaving space for the client to fill in the gaps with their own unconscious understandings even if they do not consciously grasp what is happening. The skilled hypnotherapist constructs these gaps of meaning in a way most suited to the individual subject in a way which is most likely to produce the desired change (Wikipedia. rg) Authoritarian inductions will be more directional and commanding; they allow the hypnotherapist to be in charge with the client following a set of demands. This can work well on some clients who respond to authority and like set boundaries. An authoritarian induction will be straightforward with no embellishments, for example making commanding statements such as, ‘Close your eyes, you are in control at all times’, ‘You are now feeling relaxed’. Clients who prefer authoritarian styles may have a logical preference; it has also been shown to work well for those individuals who are sceptical. While this approach may seem to be domineering, it only creates an illusion that the therapist is in total control. In fact the client has to be willing to participate and therefore is actually fully in control and can stop the therapy at anytime. Once the client has relaxed into a trancelike state, suggestions and choices can then be introduced. Permissive inductions are gentler where the therapist is the facilitator, allowing the client to make their own choices while in a safe reassuring environment reinforcing the therapist’s initial discussion with the client. Sentences used will be suggestive, for example, ‘You may like to close your eyes now’ or, ‘In your own time choose when to relax the muscles in your arms. ’ This style allows use of imaginative scenarios and metaphors. Clients who will respond to the permissive style are considered to be generally caring, like to please and are imaginative and have strong imagery skills. Direct and indirect suggestion can also be employed in the induction. Indirect suggestion can be beneficial with clients new to hypnotherapy that are resistant either through anxiety or negativity and when the authoritarian approach would not be appropriate. Milton Erikson preferred indirect methods (Chrysalis, Module 2) because he believed that the client should actively participate in their therapy. Erickson created a number of techniques known as ‘techniques of utilisation’ that could be used on people who seem resistant to hypnosis, whether they were resisting through anxiety or stubbornness. † Erickson’s techniques were very manipulative but very subtle, and allowed the individual client to take control of their own healing. He believed that if one technique does not work you must find one that does work. He believed in encouraging the resistance that the individual was exhibiting so that they would feel more comfortable responding within their own boundaries rather than those set by the therapist. In a typical example, a girl that bit her nails was told that she was cheating herself of really enjoying the nail biting. He encouraged her to let some of her nails grow a little longer before biting them, so that she really could derive the fullest pleasure from the activity. She decided to grow all of her nails long enough that she might really enjoy biting them, and then, after some days, she realised that she didnt want to bite them anyway. Indirect suggestion also opens the opportunity to use metaphor and imagery. This is particularly effective with children where storytelling and fantasy is something they can readily associate with. Karl and Boys (1987, p150) state that it is vital that each step should be adapted to suit the age, cultural background, developmental stage and intellectual and educational status of the child. Thus indicating that a personalised induction for children is imperative to achieve success and limit any negative effects. Direct suggestion as with the Authoritarian style will be more effective with clients who prefer this approach; however compounding the two styles as with the modalities will be effective as it ensures you are connecting with the client via their preferred style. Other styles of induction that can be employed is the â€Å"confusion technique†. This is used on individuals who may be very rigid and analytical. They are prone to criticise and would want to pick everything apart instead of relaxing into the hypnosis. By giving a confused message which contains little to understand, the client’s brain will be forced to shut down and go into a trancelike state. In this method there can be no personalisation for the client to focus on. In conclusion I think that in order to build a genuine rapport with the client, the therapist should always aim to personalise the induction, in relation to the reasons the client is seeking hypnotherapy. It is imperative to always carry out an in depth discussion to assess the client’s needs and to identify if there are any underlying factors which may prevent the therapist from treating the client. e psychosis. Also a client’s likes dislikes and phobias must be taken into account, therefore it is important to listen carefully to the client and be respectful of their needs. However it must also be accepted that an individual’s preferences and modalities are not fixed precisely because we are individuals whose reactions can change regularly throughout the day; therefore it would be preferable to compound all modalities and styles into the induction. It is also important to remember that the therapists’ preferences will also have an influence on how the induction is carried out and on the relationship with each individual client. Therefore I conclude that all inductions on a one to one basis are personalised inductions based on what the therapist has learned about the client and by learning what works best for that client.

Biological Effects Of Radiation

Biological Effects Of Radiation Radiation describes a process in which energetic particles or waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing. The word radiation is commonly used in reference to ionizing radiation only having sufficient energy to ionize an atom but it may also refer to non-ionizing radiation example like radio waves or visible light. The energy radiates travels outward in straight lines in all directions from its source. This geometry naturally leads to a system of measurement and physical that is equally applicable to all types of radiation. Both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation can be harmful to organisms and can result in changes to the natural environment. Radiation with sufficiently high energy can ionize atoms. Most often, this occurs when an electron is stripped from an electron shell, which leaves the atom with a net positive charge. Because cells are made of atoms, this ionization can result in cancer. An individual cell is made of trillions of atoms. The probability of ionizing radiation causing cancer is dependent upon the dose rate of the radiation and the sensitivity of the organism being irradiated. Alpha particles, Beta particles, Gamma and X-Ray radiation, and Neutrons may all be accelerated to a high enough energy to ionize atoms. Radiation includes alpha particle, beta particle, and gamma particle. Alpha particle: In alpha particle, the spontaneous process of emission of an alpha particle from a radioactive nucleus. Alpha particle is generally termed as alpha decay. An alpha particle is emitted by a heavy nucleus. The nucleus, called parent nucleus has a very large internal energy and is unstable. An alpha particle is a helium nucleus having two protons and two neutrons. When two electrons orbiting around the nucleus of helium atom are knocked out completely, we have doubly ionized helium atom known as alpha particle. Beta particle: a beta-particle is a fast moving electron. The spontaneous process of emission of beta-particle from a radioactive nucleus is called beta decay. Beta decay is of three types: beta-minus, beta-plus, and electron capture. Beta-minus: beta-minus is like an electron. It is surprising that nucleus contains no electron, then a nucleus can emit electron. In the neutron inside the nucleus is converted in to a proton and an electron like particle. This electron like particle is emitted by the nucleus during beta-decay. In beta-minus decay, neutron in the nucleus is converted in to a proton and a beta-minus particle is emitted so that the ratio of neutron to proton decreases and hence the nucleus becomes stable. Beta-plus: In a beta-plus decay, a proton is converted in to a neutron and a positron is emitted if a nucleus has more protons than neutrons. Electron capture: In electron capture, nucleus absorbs one of the inner electrons revolving around it and hence a nuclear proton becomes a neutron and a neutrino is emitted. Electron capture is comparable with a positron emission as the processes lead to the same nuclear transformation. However, in electron capture occurs more frequently than positron emission in heavy elements. This is because the orbits of electrons in heavy elements have same radii and hence orbital electrons are very close to the nucleus. Gamma ray: Gamma rays are the high energy packets of electromagnetic radiation. Gamma radiations have high energy photons. They do not have any charge and their relative rest mass is zero. Gamma-decay it is the spontaneous process of emission of high energy photon from a radioactive nucleus. When a radioactive nucleus emits a beta particle, the daughter nucleus is excited to the higher energy state. This excited nucleus rays are emitted by the daughter nucleus so it is clear that the emission of gamma rays follows the emission of alpha or beta particle.   Non ionizing radiation: Non-ionizing forms of radiation on living tissue have only recently been studied. Instead of producing charged ions when passing through matter, the electromagnetic radiation has sufficient energy to change only the rotational, vibration or electronic valence configurations of molecules and atoms. Nevertheless, different biological effects are observed for different types of non-ionizing radiation Radio waves: Radio waves whose wavelengths range from than 10^4m to 0.1m, are the result of charges accelerating through conducting wires. They are generated by such electronic devices as LC oscillators are used in radio and television communication system. Infrared rays: Infrared radiations have wavelength ranging from approximately 0.3m to 10^ -4m and also generated by the electronic devices. The infrared radiation energy absorbed by a substance as internal energy because the energy agitates the objects atoms, increasing their vibration or translational motion, which results temperature increases. Infrared radiation has practical and scientific application in many areas, including physical therapy, infrared radiation photography, and vibration spectroscopy. Ultraviolet radiation: Ultraviolet radiation cover wavelength ranging from approximately 4X10^4m to 6X10^-10m. The sun is an important source of ultraviolet radiation light, which is the main cause of sunburn. Sunscreen locations are transparent to visible light but greater percentage of UV light absorbed. Ultraviolet rays have also been implicated I the formation of cataracts. Most of the UV light from the sun is absorbed by ozone molecules in the earth upper atmosphere, in a layer called stratosphere. This ozone shield converts lethal high energy ultraviolet radiation to infrared radiation, which in turns warm the stratosphere. X-rays: X-rays have the range from approximately10^-8 to 10^-12m. The most common source of x-rays is stopping of high energy electrons upon the bombarding a metal target. X-rays are used as diagnostics tool in medicine and as the treatment for certain forms of cancer. Because x-rays can damage or destroy living tissue and organism, care must be taken avoid necessary exposure or over-exposure. X-rays are also used in the study of crystal structure because x-rays wavelengths are comparable to the atomic separation distance in solids. Electromagnetic radiation: The wave nature of electromagnetic radiation explains various phenomena like interference, diffraction and polarization. However, wave nature of electromagnetic radiation, could explain phenomena like photoelectric effect, Compton Effect. The cathode rays consist of negative charged particles called electrons which are the constituent of an atom and hence the constituent of matter. According to the concept of radiation example light waves radio waves, X-rays, microwaves etc. are assumed to carry energy in packets or bundles known as photons or quanta.    Biological effect of radiation: In biological effect of radiation, there are many dangerous effects of our health and body. Biological effects of radiation are typically can be divided into two categories. The first category consist of exposure to high doses of radiation over shots period of time producing acute or short term effects. The second category represents exposure to low doses of radiation over an extended period of time producing chronic or long term effects.   High dose (acute): high doses tend to kill cells, while low doses tend to damage or change them. High doses can kill so many cells that tissues and organs are damaged. This is turn may cause a rapid whole body response often called the acute radiation syndrome (ARS).   Low doses (chronic): low doses spread out over long periods of time dont cause an immediate problem to any body organ. The effects of low doses of radiation occur at the level of the cell, and the results may not be observed for many years.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although we tend to associate high doses of radiation with catastrophic events such as nuclear weapons explosions, there have been documented cases of individuals dying from exposures to high doses of radiation resulting from tragic events. High effects of radiation: high effects of radiation are skin burns, hair loss, sterility, cataracts. Effects of skin include (reddening like sunburn), dry (peeling), and moist (blistering). Skin effects are more likely to occur with exposure to low energy gamma, x-ray, or beta radiation. Most of the energy of the radiation deposit in the skin surface. The dose required for erythematic to occur is relatively high, in excess of 300 radiations. Blistering requires a dose in excess of 1,200 radiations. Hair loss, also called epilation, is similar to skin effects and can occur after acute doses of about 500 radiations. Sterility can be temporary or permanent in males, depending upon the doses. To produce permanent sterility, a dose in excess of 400 radiations is required to the reproductive organs. Cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye) appear to have a threshold about 200 radiations. Neutrons are especially effective in producing cataracts, because the eye has high water content, which is particularly effective in stopping neutrons. High dose effects: Dose (radiation)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   effect observed 15-25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   blood count changes. 50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   blood count change in individual. 100  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vomiting (threshold). 150  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Death (threshold). Categories of effects of exposure to low doses of radiation: There are three general categories of effects resulting from exposure to low doses of radiation. These are: Genetic: the effect is suffered by the offspring of the individual exposed. Somatic: the effect is primarily suffered by the individual exposed. Since cancer is the primary result, it is sometimes called the carcinogenic effect. In-utero: some mistakenly consider this to be a genetic consequence of radiation exposure, because the effect, suffered by a developing is after birth. However, this is actually a special case of the somatic effect, since the embryo is the one to the radiation. Radiation risk: the approximate risks for the three principal effects to level of radiation are: In genetic effect, risk from 1 rem of radiation exposure to the reproductive organs approximately 50 to 1,000 times less than spontaneous risk for various anomalies. In somatic effect, for radiation induced cancer, the risk estimate is developing any type of cancer. However not all cancers are associated with exposure to radiation. The risk from dying from radiation induced cancer is about one half the risk of getting the cancer. In utero: Spontaneous risks of fetal abnormalities are about 5 to 30 times greater than risk of exposure to 1 rem radiation. However, the risk of child hood cancer from exposure in utero is about the same as the risk to adults exposed to radiation exposures. Linear no-threshold risk model: general consensus among experts is that some radiation dose by a linear, no threshold model. This model is accepted by the NRC since it appears to be most conservative. Linear: an increase in dose adults in a proportional increase in risk. No-threshold: any dose, no matter how small, produces some risk. The risk does not start at 0 because there is some risk of cancer, even with no occupational exposure. Exposure to radiation is guarantee of harm. However, because of the linear, no-threshold model, more exposure means more risk, and there is no dose of radiation so small that it will not have some effect. EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON CELLS Ionizing radiation absorbed by human tissue has enough energy to remove electrons from the atoms that make up molecules of the tissue. When the electron that was shared by the two atoms to form a molecular bond is dislodged by ionizing radiation, the bond is broken and thus, the molecule falls apart. This is a basic model for understanding radiation damage. When ionizing radiation interacts with cells, it may or may not strike a critical part of the cell. We consider the chromosomes to be the most critical part of the cell since they contain the genetic information and instructions required for the cell to perform its function and to make copies of it for reproduction purposes. Also, there are very effective repair mechanisms at work constantly which repair cellular damage including chromosome damage. Uses of radiation: Nuclear physics application are extremely widespread in manufacturing, medicine in biology, we present a few of these application and underlying theories supporting them. Tracing: Radioactive tracers are used to track chemicals participating in various reactions. One of the most valuable uses of radioactive tracers in medicine. For example, iodine, a nutrient needed by the human body, is obtained largely through intake of iodized salt and sea food. Radiation therapy: Radiation causes much damage to rapidly dividing cells. Therefore, it is useful in cancer treatment because tumor cells divide extremely rapidly. Several mechanisms can be used to deliver radiation to a tumor. In some cases, a narrow beam of x-ray or radiation from a source such as 60co is used. In other situation, thin radioactive needles called seeds are implanted in the cancerous tissue. The radioactive isotope 131I is used to treat cancer of the thyroid.   Black body radiation: An object at any temperature emits electromagnetic waves in the form of thermal radiation from its surface. The characteristics of this radiation depend on the temperature and properties of the objects surface. Thermal radiation originates from accelerated charged particles in the atoms near the surface of the object; those charged particles emit radiation much as small antennas do. The thermally radiation agitated particles can have a distribution of energies, which accounts for the continuous spectrum of radiation emitted by the object. The basic problem was in understanding the observed distribution of wavelengths in the radiation emitted by a black body. A black body is an ideal system that absorbs all radiation incidents on it. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the black body is called blackbody radiation. Radiation damage: Radiation damage means that electromagnetic is all around in the form of radio waves, microwaves, light waves so on. The degree and type of damage depend on several factors, including the type and energy of the radiation and properties of the matter. Radiation damage in biological organism is primarily due to ionization effects in cells. A cells normal operation may be disrupted when highly reactive ions are formed as the result of ionizing radiation. Large those of radiation are especially dangerous because damage to a great number of molecules in a cell may cause to die. In biological systems, it is common to separate radiation damage in two categories: somatic damage and genetic damage. Somatic damage is that associated with any body cell except the reproductive cells. Somatic damage can lead to cancer or can seriously alter the characteristics of specific organism. Genetic damage affects only reproductive cells. Damage to the genes in reproductive cells can lead to defective cells. It is important to be the aware of the effect of diagnostics treatments, such as X-rays and other forms of radiation exposure, and to balance the significant benefits of treatment with the damaging effects. Damage caused by the radiation also depends on the radiations penetrating power. Alpha particles cause extensive damage, but penetrate only to shallow depth in a material due to strength interaction with other charged particles. Neutrons do not interact via the electric force and hence penetrate deeper, causing significant damage. Gamma rays are high energy photons that can cause serve damage, but often pass through matter without interactions. For example- a given dose of alpha particle causes about ten times more biological damage produced by radiation than equal dose of x-rays. The RBE (relative biological effectiveness) factor for a given type of radiation is the number of rads of x-radiation or gamma radiation that produces the same biological damage as 1-rad of the radiation is being used. Radiation detectors: Particles passing through matter interact with the matter in several ways. The particles can, for example- ionize atoms, scatter from atoms, or be absorbed by atoms. Radiation detectors exploit these interactions to allow a measurement of the particles energy, momentum, or change and sometimes the very existence of the particle if it is otherwise difficult to detect. Various devices have been developed for detecting radiation. These devices are used for a variety of purposes, including medical diagnoses, radioactive dating measurement, measuring back ground radiation, and measuring the mass, energy, and momentum of particles is created in high-energy nuclear reaction.   EFFECT OF RADIATION ON HUMANS A very small amount of ionizing radiation could trigger cancer in the long term even though it may take decades for the cancer to appear. Ionizing radiation (x-rays, radon gas, radioactive material) can cause leukemia and thyroid cancer. There is no doubt that radiation can cause cancer, but there still is a question of what level of radiation it takes to cause cancer. Rapidly dividing cells are more susceptible to radiation damage. Examples of radiosensitive cells are blood forming cells (bone marrow), intestinal lining, hair follicles and fetuses. Hence, these develop cancer first. If a person is exposed to radiation, especially high dose, there are predictable changes in our body that can be measured. The number of blood cells, the frequency of chromosome aberrations in the blood cells and the amount of radioactive material in urine, are examples of biomarkers that can indicate if one is exposured high dose. If you do not have early biological changes indicated by these measurements the radiation exposure will not pose an immediate threat to you. Radiation poisoning Radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or a creeping dose, is a form of damage to organ tissue caused by excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. The term is generally used to refer to acute problems caused by a large dosage of radiation in a short period, though this also has occurred with long term exposure. The clinical name for radiation sickness is acute radiation syndrome as described by the CDC A chronic radiation syndrome does exist but is very uncommon; this has been observed among workers in early radium source production sites and in the early days of the Soviet nuclear program. A short exposure can result in acute radiation syndrome; chronic radiation syndrome requires a prolonged high level of exposure. Radiation exposure can also increase the probability of developing some other diseases, mainly cancer tumors, and genetic damage. These are referred to as the stochastic effects of radiation, and are not included in the term radiation. Radiation Exposure Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or high-speed particles. It occurs naturally in sunlight and sound waves. Man-made radiation is used in X-rays nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and cancer treatment. If you are exposed to small amounts of radiation over a long time, it raises your risk of cancer. It can also cause mutations in your genes, which you could pass on to any children you have after the exposure. A lot of radiation over a short period, such as from a radiation emergency can cause burns or radiation sickness. Symptoms of radiation sickness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, skin burns and reduced organ function. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death.

Botox Essay -- Fashion Health Appearance Botox Essays

Botox When people think of new fashion trends they normally think of clothes, but the newest beauty craze that has hit the middle age market is Botox. Botox injection therapy, although not completely new, has come out swinging since being approved for use in cosmetic improvements in 2002. Botox is used to eliminate the look of aging by reducing the appearance of wrinkles on the face, neck and hands. Most commonly, patients use Botox to eliminate crow’s feet around the eyes, wrinkles on the forehead, and frown or laugh lines. It has become such a popular and ‘user friendly’ alternative to traditional cosmetic surgery, many women and even celebrities host Botox parties to share the experience with their friends. Botox parties are held in private homes, in doctor's suites, at hotels and even spas. Celebrities such as Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna and even Sylvester Stallone are rumored to have gone under the Botox needle; but only a few such as Joan Rivers have credited Botox to helping their skin look younger. Although Botox has been promoted as the miracle cure for aging, for many people who suffer from debilitating disorders or chronic pain, it has proven to be a wonder drug. So, what is Botox? Botox is the market name for type A botulinum toxin which is a purified form of the toxin produced by the bacteria, clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is commonly associated with food poisoning and is lethal in large doses. The botulism toxin could paralyze vital muscles needed for breathing. Although related to botulism food poisoning, the amounts of Botox given are so minimal and localized, that the toxin will not spread to any other muscles in the body, thus making it a safe and harmless procedure. When used cosmetically, tiny amo... ...octor to go through voice therapy. The therapy was to help her extend the effects of injection as well as to give her control over her new voice. So although Botox may be the newest beauty craze sweeping Hollywood, it’s important not to overlook its importance as treatment for many illnesses and disorders. It not only has the ability to take years off someone’s face, but it can also save lives. Botox has provided relief for my mom from a disorder that was taking over her life and it has given her the opportunity to communicate again. The first time my mom was able to speak without any interruptions was a special moment; it brought tears to my eyes and it brought a brighter future for her. The ability to talk is something that most of us take for granted. Botox has allowed my mom to keep her job. Botox is a miracle drug and should be given the credit it deserves.

The development of self-awareness and shifts of Locus of self Knowledge

This study examines the theoretical framework of developmental sequences and self descriptions and its proposed idea that children’s sense of self change as they become older and more able to take into account the information about themselves available from other sources such as their social environment. A small-scale investigation into the ways children give self-descriptions and how the characteristics of these change with age was conducted by comparison of short interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years following a similar methodology to Rosenberg’s (1979) study of self description. Analysis of the material show that indeed there is evidence that older children tend to give accounts of themselves by using more inner characteristics and emotional traits then younger children providing support to existing research in the subject. Introduction The subject of development of identity has been a topic of intense debate amongst scholars in the field of child development. The multidimensionality of identity imposes that many external aspects are involved in its development like religious, cultural, social ethnic, therefore in order to develop and identity children must be able to take into account such aspects. Maccoby (as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 p. 131) proposes that for that reason, as sense of self happens by degrees. William James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) introduced the idea that a sense of self is divided in two stages: the self as a subject of experience and the self as an object of knowledge (Miel and Ding, 2005 pg. 131). This means that as children get older, they become more competent at self-awareness and more realistically involved in perception and responses of others in their lives. According to James, this development occurs during childhood by means of interactions between cognitive aspects and Social experiences where children actively use their incoming knowledge about themselves to make a difference in their environment. Subsequently, as children gain increasing levels of self awareness, a second stage emerges defined as the self as an object or categorical self (James 1961 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg. 133) where children begin to be categorized by others and themselves in defining roles in society. Cooley and Mead (1935) further underpinned the importance of social influences upon the development of an identity by coining the term â€Å"looking glass self† and the development of the theory of â€Å"symbolic interactionism† where they stress that a sense of identity emerges from reactions of others in the environment to us and the impressions we make internalize of these judgments (Mead 1934, as cited in: Miell and Ding, 2005, pp. 134-136. More recently, developmental Psychologists such as Harter (1983) and Rosenberg (1979) have used methods of semi-structured interviews and self report measures to investigate children’s developmental sequences in the formation of the self. In Her analysis of interviews with children of various ages, Harter (1983, as cited in Miell and Ding, 2005, pp.128-129) framed a developmental sequence where younger children show tendency to describe behavior and objective facts gradually shifting from traits of physical aspects and ultimately to interpersonal traits. Rosenberg’s findings suggest that younger children tend to rely on physical aspects and character traits observable by others to describe their sense of self whereas older children make more use of inner qualities and emotions only known to them. Rosenberg was interested beyond simple aspects of self description and added to his questions, topics that explored the children’s categorical self and what he defines as Locus of self knowledge. This study aims to investigate children’s accounts in their self concept by using pre recorded semi-structured interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years and applying Rosenberg’s categories of self description, self evaluation, self and others, Ideal self and Locus of self knowledge in slightly altered forms. With view on the relevant theories to the context of this study, the research question in focus is â€Å"Do children acquire a progressive sense of self as they grow older and interact with their social environment?† Method Design The design of this study consists in a comparison of the self-descriptions given by two young people, during semi-structured interviews. Participants The participants that took place in this study were selected from two schools (one primary and one secondary) in the surrounding areas of Milton Keynes. Anne aged 8 yeas and Adam ages 16 years were randomly selected and given informed consent as well as their parents to participate in this research. Materias and procedure The material for this study was collected by the course team of ED209 Child Development at Open University and every step has been taken to ensure its compliance with the British Psychological Society’s ethical guidelines for research with human participants. In order to record the interviews, a microphone was strategically placed in a non intrusive location near the participant. An A4 sheet of paper was used for the participants to complete their self description (â€Å"I statements†) and a recorder was used to record the interviews. The interviews took place during the day in May 2005. The locations of the interviews were in places familiar to the children. The younger participant (Annie) was interviewed by a member of the module team Kieron Sheehy and Peter Barnes conducted the interview with the older participant (Adam). Both children were informed prior to the start of their right to withdraw from the interview at any time as well as to have any data deleted should they feel something was said that they do not want in recording. None of them did so. Care was taken to ensure the best possible quality to the recordings which required such to be stopped at times when background noise was too inconvenient. Near the beginning of the interview the participants were asked to write down a description of themselves on a sheet of A4 paper. At the top were the words ‘Who am I’ and below that were ten numbered lines, each beginning ‘I†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The recording was paused while the children completed these descriptions. Subsequently, the participants were asked questions based on Rosenberg’s questions of self evaluation, self and others and ideal self as well as on the concept of Locus of self knowledge. Results Self descriptions The research question proposed by this study is that younger children rely on physical and character traits when giving accounts of themselves and this should progressively shift with age as they make more use of inner traits for self description. The categories proposed by Rosenberg and used in this study and the results in percentage of the accounts of the two participants are as seen in table 1 bellow. Percentages were rounded to the nearest null The results above clearly show that the younger participant (Annie) relies solely on physical and character traits to describe herself whereas the older participant (Adam) makes much more use of inner characteristics and relationship connections supporting the hypothesis proposed by this study. Locus of Self Knowledge Annie shows internal and external locus when she suggests that both her and her mother would know better about her Maths, acknowledging that her mother might not know that she is â€Å"getting better every day†. Nevertheless in the question of behavior she placed the locus externally saying that her mom would be correct. Adam, the older participant was clear saying that his mother would be correct if asked what subjects he is better at school and about his behavior at home. Self evaluation When describing her weak and strong points Annie pointed out solely to physical traits of herself â€Å"my ears and legs (11:06)† and observable characteristics â€Å"I’ve got lots of friends (9:13)†. Adam equally relied heavily on character traits to describe his strong and weak points, however with a difference that his accounts were mostly related to internal (not necessarily observable) traits â€Å"I think im approachable b anyone†¦I suppose that my personality like just being a relaxed person (20:02)† Ideal self The older participant (Annie) relied on external factors to describe her ideal self like jobs â€Å"for my job I would like to be an actress (13:42)† making no account of any inner characteristic. Adam (16 years) on the other hand showed a capability to project his future in terms of interpersonal traits â€Å"I’d be like a leader, like a leader or something with power, because I like to think that I’d been really strong as a leader† Self and others Annie made comparisons of herself to others in terms of similar or different she is regarding her physical characteristics â€Å"I’m the same as Naomi as we both like Maths†¦(11:24)†. Nevertheless, she shows an ability to reflect on internal aspects of herself and the importance of her uniqueness as a person â€Å"Because if all the people are the same as me then I wouldn’t feel special (13:23).† Most of Adam’s comparisons to others were described in terms of the quality of inner similarities that enables relationships to form and be maintained â€Å"we’ve more or less got the same viewpoints (23:21)† and his inner drives that differentiates him from others â€Å"I like to think that I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working in a shop like some of my friends (25:00)† Discussion The purpose of this study was to investigate by means of comparison of interviews with two young participants (Annie aged 8 and Adam aged 16), the idea outlined in current research that development of identity occurs progressively from an existential self to a categorical self and children’s self descriptions shift gradually from predominantly physical traits in younger children to more interpersonal characteristics in older ones. Equally it aimed to analyze Rosenberg’s suggestion that a transfer in the locus of self knowledge from external to internal occurs as age progresses. In the self description task, Annie made use exclusively of physical and character traits to provide a description of herself where Adam showed a fluent ability to understand himself as an abstract being and use interpersonal and emotional traits when talking about himself. This is consistent with the idea of James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) that a sense of self emerges gradually. In detailed analysis of the questions related to the locus of self knowledge, Both Annie and Adam place emphasis on the other rather than the self contradicting Rosenberg’s findings that a shift occurs to the self as children grow older (Rosenberg 1979 as cited in the Open University 2012 assessment guide). However this could be so for reasons related to the methodology of research itself. For instance both participants did not seem to grasp the meaning of the questions initially, or perhaps confounding variables like power imbalance between researcher and participant could have played a role. On this topic it is therefore impossible to draw a positive or negative conclusion based only on this sample size. Cooley (1902 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg 134) suggests the idea of the self as a looking glass where the person develops a sense of self by gradually undertaking other’s views and reactions of them. This theory can be supported by the findings of this study regarding the locus of self-knowledge where both children seem to see their own selves through the â€Å"looking glass† of others. The responses given in the other themes (ideal self, self and others and self evaluation) provide a strong support to Harter (1983 as cited in Open University 2012 assessment guide) and Rosenberg’s theory of a reliance on physical activities and aspects by younger children and a shift to more inner traits and relation to others in older participants. It is important to note that this study relies on a sample size too small to allow its results to be universalized. Also the context of the interviews and the participants were selected in a Western society where emphasis is strong on individuality and independence (Tobin et al 1989 as cited in Miell and Ding 2005 pp130). Therefore this study should only be interpreted within the limits of its settings; however it gives interest to the possibility of further research with a broader cross-cultural selection of participants. Briefly, some methodological issues came up in the formulation of questions that could perhaps have had an impact however small on the results of this study; At times, both participants showed confusion regarding the questions asked. Perhaps a different wording would have been more appropriate. Conclusion This study supports ongoing theories of a gradual development of self awareness proving the initial research question suggested and the idea that identity is shaped by an interaction of cognitive factors with various external aspects like social, peer, religion etc†¦ Due to methodological issues and small sample size it is impossible to offer conclusive support to the theory of Locus-of-self –knowledge. In future, the field of developmental psychology could benefit from further research involving larger sample sizes of varied cultures as this study can only account for children based in the scope of western society

Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay

In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid uses a variety of literary devices to create the tone of confusion and agitation. By doing so, Mohsin Hamid also develops a theme of change. All these literary features combine to make an enthralling page-turner. One literary device used by the author to create restlessness in the reader is diction. The author intentionally uses words to create discomfort in the reader. â€Å"The twin towers of New York’s World Trade center collapsed. And then I smiled. Yes, despicable as it may sound (4-6). †The fact that the protagonist smiles at America’s misfortune only puts the reader at unease. Furthermore, the author himself suggests that the smile was a despicable reaction. However by making the reader anxious, Mohsin Hamid does only but one thing; lure in the reader to continue reading. This quote also denotes Changez’s change towards America. This is because, although Changez was â€Å"the product of an American university; (he) was earning a lucrative American salary; (he) was infatuated with an American woman (28-30)† his initial reaction to this incident was a smile. The repetition of the word â€Å"American† only creates the motif that Changez has supposedly become American. However after the attack, Changez’s smile only suggests otherwise; thereby creating the theme of change. Another literary device used by Mohsin Hamid to create a sense of confusion is the use of ambiguity through dramatic monologue. â€Å"It is hateful to hear another person gloat over one’s country’s misfortune. But surely you cannot be completely innocent of such feelings yourself (22-24). † Because the American does not speak, the reader is forced to create the personality of the American in his or her own mind. Thus, when the protagonist accuses the American of being guilty of such feelings, the protagonist is essentially accusing the reader of those feelings. The ambiguity of this quote further agitates the reader, yet at the same time forces the reader to continue reading in hope of finding more truths about the reader’s self. One more technique the author uses to develop the theme of change as well as compel the reader to continue reading is foreshadowing. After reflecting on his reaction to the attack, Changez still doesn’t know why he smiled; â€Å"So why did part of me desire to see America harmed? I did not know, then (30-31). † Although Changez is not sure why he smiled at the present time, this quote indicates that later on, the reader will find out why he smiled; another reason requiring the reader to finish reading the book. Simultaneously however, the author also foreshadows a lot of change is about to take place since we already know Changez is back in Pakistan and telling this story to an American at a Pakistani cafe. Literary devices and techniques are abundant in this passage, though they all merge to create a sense of perplexity and irony. At the same time however, they all merge to create the theme of change. Though all this contrariness simply obliges the reader to continue reading the book. Not only will the reader finally understand Changez’s reaction to the attack but the reader will also discover new truths about him or herself as he/she continues to read the book.

Genetically Modified Food Essay Example

Genetically Modified Food Essay Example Genetically Modified Food Paper Genetically Modified Food Paper Definition: Genetically engineered (GE) food refers to any product containing or derived from GMOs. Most recently, biotech companies have inserted herbicide-resistance genes into wheat, fish genes into strawberries, human genes into fish and pharmaceuticals like birth control into corn. Genetically modified food refers to the origin of food from genetically modified organisms, produced by genetic engineer. History: Scientists first discovered that DNA can transfer between organisms in 1946. The first genetically modified plant was produced in 1983, using an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant. In 1994, the transgenic  Flavr Savr  tomato was approved by the FDA for marketing in the US the modification allowed the tomato to delay ripening afterScientist experimenting food picking. In the early 1990s, recombinant chymosin was approved for use in several countries, replacing rennet in cheese-making. In the US in 1995, the following transgenic crops received marketing approval:  canola  with modified oil composition (Calgene),  Bacillus thuringiensis  (Bt) corn/maize (Ciba-Geigy), cotton resistant to the herbicide  bromoxynil  (Calgene),  Bt cotton  (Monsanto), Bt potatoes (Monsanto), soybeans resistant to the herbicide  glyphosate  (Monsanto), virus-resistant squash (Monsanto-Asgrow), and additional delayed ripening tomatoes (DNAP, Zeneca/Peto, and Monsanto). In 2000, with the creation of  golden rice, scientists genetically modified food to increase its nutrient value for the first time. Advantages of Genetically Modified Food Figure Naturally grown food Genetic modification  can produce larger, hardier, tastier, and more nutritious foods. For example, Strawberries are sweeter, less acidic flavor; Soybeans have higher protein content, making them more nutritious for livestock and humans. Better production in lesser time, thereby providing food for more people. Have an increased resistance to spoilage with a better shelf life thus can be transported long distances better shelf life. : They are potentially non-allergenic. Provides medicine and vitamin deficiency. For instance, scientists have discovered Golden rice containing to support deficiency of vitamin A causing blindness for half of the world population who live on rice. Naturally grown food consumed by a kid Provide more resistance to diseases. Nowadays, plants can be genetically modified to be better able to survive abiotic extremes, such as frosty temperatures, heat waves, droughts, and poor soil chemistries. Provides an increased production of eggs, milk and meat. More economical to the farmer in terms of production of food. Provides improved health of the population and thereby reduces the economic burden. GE Saves the wild animals. - Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Food Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a very real risk of out-crossing, which refers to the transfer of engineered genes (transgenes) from genetically modified crops to conventional, cultivated plants or to related crop species in the wild. This may happen by means of wind, insect pollination, or other transfer. The foreign genes can cross with and contaminate these other species, resulting in a hybridization of the genetically modified crop plant with a non-GMO plant. This could radically alter entire ecosystems if the hybrid plants thrived. Out-crossing can also have an indirect effect on food safety and security, as the contaminated species make their way into the food chain. Human health risks: Perhaps the number one health concern over GM technology is its  capacity to create new allergens  in our food supply. Allergic reactions typically are brought on by proteins. Nearly every transfer of genetic material from one host into a new one results in the creation of novel proteins. Genetic engineering can increase the levels of a naturally occurring allergen already present in a food or insert allergenic properties into a food that did not previously contain them. Foreign genetic material in a host can cause other genetic material in that host to behave erratically. One consequence of over expression, for example, can be cancer. Nutritional problems can also result from the transfer.. GM crops have been linked to health problems as diverse as reproductive damage, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. GMO is not supported by many institutions Economic concerns: Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agro-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. - - - - Conclusion Genetically modified food (GMF) will play an important factor in coming years for full filling the demand of increasing population of worlds as the food productions are not increasing as much as the population. In addition to that, GMF foods are more economical and full of nutrients covering the daily need of an individual which cannot be provide by naturally produced food Though, GMFs have faced some crisis by different institution. Though, we cannot deny it’s important as it can prove to be a life saving option for countries in Africa, which natives are facing malnutrition and protein deficiency. Therefore, GMOs should be seen as an alternative food rather than primary food category unless more research and development in this field is conducted. Bibliography 1. care2. com/greenliving/health-risks-of-eating-gmo-foods. html#ixzz2c2VlMEok 2. naturalnews. com/029869_GMOs_dangers. html#ixzz2c2TE1wcs 3. naturalnews. com/029869_GMOs_dangers. html#ixzz2c2Ss2Bp7 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies 5. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

Simple Décrire Verb Conjugations in French

Simple Dà ©crire Verb Conjugations in French In French, to say to describe, you must use the verb  dà ©crire. Admittedly, conjugating this verb to mean described or will describe is not the easiest thing to do. However, a quick lesson and some dedicated practice will help you memorize this tricky verb. Conjugating the French Verb  Dà ©crire Dà ©crire  is an  irregular verb, so it does not follow one of the common verb conjugation patterns found in French. Yet, all  French verbs ending in  -crire  are conjugated this way. You might consider studying a few at the same time to make learning each just a little easier. Conjugations transform the verb into the present, future, or past tense so the sentence makes sense. This is done by identifying the verb stem - in this case,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹dà ©cri- - then adding the appropriate infinitive ending for the subject pronoun. For instance, I describe is je dà ©cris and we will describe is nous dà ©crirons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je dà ©cris dà ©crirai dà ©crivais tu dà ©cris dà ©criras dà ©crivais il dà ©cris dà ©crira dà ©crivait nous dà ©crivons dà ©crirons dà ©crivions vous dà ©crivez dà ©crirez dà ©criviez ils dà ©crivent dà ©criront dà ©crivaient The Present Participle of  Dà ©crire When you add -ant  to the verb stem of  dà ©crire, you form the  present participle  dà ©crivant. It is a verb, of course, yet youll also find it used as an adjective, gerund, or noun at times. The Past Participle and Passà © Composà © The  past participle  of  dà ©crire  is  dà ©crit.  Its used in the construction of the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  for the past tense of described. To use it, you must also conjugate the  auxiliary verb  avoir. The passà © composà © comes together quickly once you know these rules. As an example, I described is jai dà ©crit and we described is nous avons dà ©crit. More Simple Dà ©crire  Conjugations Among the other simple verb conjugations of  dà ©crire  that you should know are the subjunctive and conditional. Each implies some degree of uncertainty or dependency in the act of deciding. In literature, youll come across either the passà © simple or imperfect subjunctive forms. While you may not use them yourself, recognizing them as a form of  dà ©crire  will help with comprehension. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je dà ©crive dà ©crirais dà ©crivis dà ©crivisse tu dà ©crives dà ©crirais dà ©crivis dà ©crivisses il dà ©crive dà ©crirait dà ©crivit dà ©crivà ®t nous dà ©crivions dà ©cririons dà ©crivà ®mes dà ©crivissions vous dà ©criviez dà ©cririez dà ©crivà ®tes dà ©crivissiez ils dà ©crivent dà ©criraient dà ©crivirent dà ©crivissent In short, assertive commands and requests, the imperative verb form is used. When using this, keep the sentence short and skip the subject pronoun: dà ©cris rather than tu dà ©cris. Imperative (tu) dà ©cris (nous) dà ©crivons (vous) dà ©crivez

Greenwich Printmakers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Greenwich Printmakers - Essay Example It serves as the home of a number of significant artists in a national level, promoter of several art clubs, developer of new commercial galleries and annual exhibitions and center for a major art training facility. Majority of its tourist attractions can be found in Central London while one may also find them outside the city centre. The city of London serves as home to St. Paul's Cathedral, where one can find just outside its official boundary the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Visitors are brought to the City of Westminster to the west with the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey, and the Buckingham Palace, which possesses several of London's top museums and galleries. Amongst its attractions are the British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, Madame Tussaud's, and the Tate Britain. Tourist attractions and heritage sites such as palaces remain popular for both visitors and the local people. Often, tourists take some poses with the amazing Horse Guards Parade for a ceremonial photo opportunity, whilst the nearby Downing Street serves as home to the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown who replaced Britain's former, Tony Blair. Meanwhile, the London Borough of Camden, situated at the north of the City of Westminster, features the famous London zoo and the northern end of Regent's park, which are both located inside Central London. Camten Town is located just outside it, serving as a home to the well-known market, which serves as a north attractor. Further to the west are the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where one may find the museum district of South Kensington, which serves as home to the Kensington Palace, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and Victorian and Albert Museum. Many hotels are also mounted in this area, ready to take in a visitor who wants to take a rest from a day's visit of London. The regeneration of South Bank and Bankside areas across the river from the City and Westminster was witnessed by the recent years. In these areas, one may contemplate visiting the Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, the London Eye, and the London Aquarium. In West London, in the other side of the city, the London Borough of Richmond, featuring Kew Gardens, and Richmond are situated. The Hampton Court Palace may be found on the other side of the river in the southwestern edge of the borough. Also outside the center, in the eastern area of South London, is the Greenwich, a popular tourist destination with the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, and the Cutty Sark. It is common for many of London's museums to offer free entry while cultural or historic attractions charge an entry fee of anything between '5 to '20 per adult like the St. Paul Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, and the Tower of London. The London Sightseeing Pass offers entry with one ticket to several London Tourist Attractions, which one has to purchase in advance. The Greenwich

Analysis Of Pete Thamels Writing Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis Of Pete Thamels Writing Style - Essay Example Thamel makes use of the proper grammar and syntax to make his writings more logical and comprehensible. The general ethos evident in Thamel’s writings points out that he is knowledgeable about his field and knows what he is talking about. He tends to use an informal sentence structure to reach out to a maximum number of people which shows his consideration towards his audience. He does not mess with fancy words and difficult sentences, rather he writes in a way to get his message through to his audience. The sentence structure he chooses to display in his column is the loose sentence form mainly. Thamel uses a relaxed and casual tone in his writings mixed with a playful but serious take on the issues he is addressing. Thamel’s writing style does not demonstrate much of pathos. He has however often shown distress over the issues he discusses in an offhanded way.  He has made use of informal diction in all of his columns. Thamel’s literary techniques include fram ing, imagery, irony, and a narrative hook. Students can and do share their writings, projects, and assignments through such medium. Another Californian high school teacher states that the students are more willing to share with each other rather than with their teachers which are yet another step towards learning and sharing. If organizations such as the CTA have their way and get the school boards to lift the ban from social networking, this may yet be the greatest revolution the world would ever see. It would change the meaning of education.

Write about movies with solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Write about movies with solution - Essay Example In as much as the movies might be fascinating, keen considerations should be the theme of the movies as they pass extremely relevant as well as pertinent information. The first movie Soylent green is a fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer, which highlights police genres and procedural investigations into a murder of a dystopian wealthy businessperson due to environmental problems. The environmental threats covered in the movie include overpopulation, pollution, poverty, depleted resources, dying oceans as well as the green house effect. The movies find a basis on the survival of people on the many-processed food that people relay on, including Soylent green. With a high population of over 40 million in New York, the housing conditions are unreliable and dilapidated. The city has a characteristic of homeless people found in the streets, which only survives on portions of food produces by Soylent Corporation. The corporation produces a new product in the market Soylent green made of high-energy plankton, more palatable and nutritious than other varieties. In the movie detective, Robert Thorn investigates the murder of William R. Simonson a director of the Soylent Corporation. As the investigations proceed, many things unfold when the New York Governor Joseph Snatini a onetime collaborate to Simonson; orders the closing of the case. When thorn disobeys, he sends him an assassin in a ration distribution facility; unfortunately, the assassin cannot accomplish the task successfully. Thorn then takes oceanography reports together with other researchers such as the exchange corporations. After a thorough research, they find out Soylent green is made from processed human remains. To a further surprise, he also finds out; it is the dead people, which make Soylent green. He survives from an attempted murder spreading the gospel that Soynet green is not food but dead people. Secondly

Starbucks corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Starbucks corporation - Essay Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is Starbucks. Founded in 1971 and operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, Washington based Starbucks is the largest coffee retailer in the world at present. Starbucks has more than 16000 outlets all over the world. Out of these 16000 stores, nearly 12,000 stores are located across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and the Pacific. In America, they have coffee outlets virtually in every corner. In other words, America is a saturated market for Starbucks now and they are looking for overseas markets as part of their expansion. In addition to coffee, Starbucks has other products such as tea, cake, cake filling leather goods, beverages, food, confections, coffee related machineries such as expresso machine, stainless steel coffee filters etc. Starbucks Corporation is a profitable organization, earning more than $600 million in 2004. The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year . Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. In 1992, Starbucks listed on the stock exchange. Since then, its growth was phenomenal. Its annual average growth rate is 20% and profit growth is around 30%. Its share price marked a record 3500% increase, since its listing on the stock exchange. In other words, the market value of Starbucks shares from increased from $400 million to $15 billion recently. Starbucks is a reputed company with huge brand value and enormous resources. Its major strength is the ability to forecast market trends correctly and to make changes in business strategies. It should be noted that Starbucks was one among the few American companies which was unaffected by the recent recession. Starbucks top management team is extremely smarter in guiding the company even in unfavorable market conditions. Not even a single management decision went wrong for Starbucks in the last decade. Satisfied employees are another strength of Starbucks. à ¢â‚¬Å"They always treat the employees as their partners as mentioned earlier. Firm strategy, executive compensation and the performance of the firm can be divided into different streams and fit between firm strategy and compensation system is one among them† (Rajagopalan, n.d., p.4). Moreover, Starbucks is a socially committed company which gives something in return to the communities in which it operates. They are eager to recycle all industrial wastes produced by their activities. Smart business strategies, good suppliers, efficient leadership, talented employees are some other major strengths of Starbucks. Through the selling of coffee-related products such as brewing equipment and accessories, many consumers can enjoy high quality coffee at home rather than traveling out of their way. The equipment available includes Expresso machines, stainless steel coffee filters, and Starbucks cleaner and canisters. This is another example of how Starbucks is meeting the needs of curre nt customers as well as increasing its attractiveness to potential customers (Kembell, 2002). Weakness â€Å"Starbucks products are expensive compared to their competitor’s products (Starbucks Swot Analysis, n. d)†. One of the major weaknesses of Starbucks is the heavy pricing of their products. Starbucks never bothered to reduce the prices of their products irrespective of the market conditions. They do believe that for quality products, heavy pricing may not affect the customers very much. Starbucks is trying to implement the same price which they charge in America for coffee products, in international markets also. They are forgetting the fact that America is a wealthy country and the per capita income of Americans is more than that of the people in other countries. In other words, they are thinking that same product needs same pricing everywhere in the

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Final - Research Paper Example The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, students of Stanford University willing to create a web database that would help in listing webpages according to their requirements. Till date, Page and Brin hold 16 present of the total share of the company. The project was initially known as â€Å"BackRub† that used links to determine the importance of individual webpages. The company was incorporated as a private company in the year 1998 and was subsequently made public in the year 2004. The main mission of the company is to consolidate the world’s facts and figures and to make them universally available and accessible by the common people (1Google, n.d.). The rapid growth of the organisation is determined to be resulting from its continuous introduction of innovative products, procurement and cooperation outside Google’s basic search engine business. In addition, Google also provides online productivity software along with services such as email (Gmail) an official suite (Google Drive) and social networking sites such as Orkut and Goggle+. Furthermore, along with the mentioned products and services, Google also offers a wide range of desktop products like image editing and instant message service (Barr, 2013). It is worth mentioning that android considered to be one the most used mobile Operating Software (OS) is also owned by Google. The main objective of this paper is to provide a detailed evaluation showing the major reasons behind the rapid strides taken by Goggle in the IT industry. Additionally, it would also provide evidence and data that would reveal why the company is recognised as one of the world’s most secretive organisations (2Google, n.d.). Historical Performance of Google With the increasing internet users around the world, Google has become one of the most popular Information Technology (IT) based entities. Every individual who has been a regular under of Google tends to study the history on how the company w as established and what were the major reasons behind creating such a search engine that has unified every kind of vital information into a single place. The history of Google started in the year 1995. Larry Page and Sergey Brin were two individuals who met each other at University of Michigan, where both of them went to peruse their PhD degree in computer science. The idea of creating Google as a web page started in the year 1996 as a research project by Brin. In the year 1996, both Page and Brin collaborated to create a search engine which was first started by Page and named it as BackRub (3Google, n.d.). The website was developed in the same year and is believed to have operated on Stanford servers for more than a year. However, it has been viewed that the search engine eventually took up much bandwidth in comparison with other search engines available on the World Wide Web (WWW). Considering the growing issue of bandwidth as well as to convert the data gathered by BackRubâ€℠¢s web crawler assumed greater measure of importance for a given webpage. It was then when Page and Brin both developed the PageRank algorithm and realized that the platform can be used to build a search engine which could be far more superior to the entire users in the web. PageRank is a set of rules developed by Page that analyses the relevancy of the back links of a webpage and list them accordingly. The first version of Google webpage was launched in the

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China Coursework

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China - Coursework Example China is such market. In the past, the Chinese market was quite attractive for organizations in different industries; the specific market has been very popular especially for firms operating in the manufacturing sector. This market has attracted the interest of Japanese firms, which have been aware of the market’s prospects, mostly because of its size. However, through the years, the terms of operations in the Chinese market have been differentiated. The increase of wages and taxes has reduced the level of profit. Still, the Chinese market is quite important for firms operating in the manufacturing industry. Toyota has entered the Chinese market about 30 years before. Initially, the growth of the firm in the specific market has been impressive. However, gradually, the firm’s performance in China has been declined, a fact which has been mostly related to the failures in the firm’s operational strategy. The recent efforts of the firm to upgrade its operational stra tegy and develop a research and development unit in China are expect to highly benefit the organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals.Introduction Because of the continuous expansion of globalisation, the decisions of firms to expand their activities internationally are highly depended on the perspectives available in regard to business activities in each country. China can be characterized as one of the strongest countries worldwide in terms of its financial perspectives. The last decade, the rapid development of entrepreneurial activities across China has led to the increase of the country’s competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the fixed exchange rate, which the country’s policy makers have initiated, has further supported the development of the country as a popular destination for businesses of all types (Horch 2009). However, the fixed exchange rate in China has not helped towards the control of inflation, which in 2008 has reached the level of 8.5%, the highest level since 1996 (Rongala 2008). The relationship between the fixed exchange rate and inflation in China explains the following phe nomenon: firms and capital from many countries worldwide have entered the Chinese market in order to enjoy the benefits of the country’s fixed exchange rate policy (Horch 2009). However, through the years, the increase of inflation, which resulted because of the above policy, led to the increase of manufacturing costs across the country (Rongala 2008). As a result, manufacturing cos

Starbucks corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Starbucks corporation - Essay Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is Starbucks. Founded in 1971 and operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, Washington based Starbucks is the largest coffee retailer in the world at present. Starbucks has more than 16000 outlets all over the world. Out of these 16000 stores, nearly 12,000 stores are located across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and the Pacific. In America, they have coffee outlets virtually in every corner. In other words, America is a saturated market for Starbucks now and they are looking for overseas markets as part of their expansion. In addition to coffee, Starbucks has other products such as tea, cake, cake filling leather goods, beverages, food, confections, coffee related machineries such as expresso machine, stainless steel coffee filters etc. Starbucks Corporation is a profitable organization, earning more than $600 million in 2004. The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year . Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. In 1992, Starbucks listed on the stock exchange. Since then, its growth was phenomenal. Its annual average growth rate is 20% and profit growth is around 30%. Its share price marked a record 3500% increase, since its listing on the stock exchange. In other words, the market value of Starbucks shares from increased from $400 million to $15 billion recently. Starbucks is a reputed company with huge brand value and enormous resources. Its major strength is the ability to forecast market trends correctly and to make changes in business strategies. It should be noted that Starbucks was one among the few American companies which was unaffected by the recent recession. Starbucks top management team is extremely smarter in guiding the company even in unfavorable market conditions. Not even a single management decision went wrong for Starbucks in the last decade. Satisfied employees are another strength of Starbucks. à ¢â‚¬Å"They always treat the employees as their partners as mentioned earlier. Firm strategy, executive compensation and the performance of the firm can be divided into different streams and fit between firm strategy and compensation system is one among them† (Rajagopalan, n.d., p.4). Moreover, Starbucks is a socially committed company which gives something in return to the communities in which it operates. They are eager to recycle all industrial wastes produced by their activities. Smart business strategies, good suppliers, efficient leadership, talented employees are some other major strengths of Starbucks. Through the selling of coffee-related products such as brewing equipment and accessories, many consumers can enjoy high quality coffee at home rather than traveling out of their way. The equipment available includes Expresso machines, stainless steel coffee filters, and Starbucks cleaner and canisters. This is another example of how Starbucks is meeting the needs of curre nt customers as well as increasing its attractiveness to potential customers (Kembell, 2002). Weakness â€Å"Starbucks products are expensive compared to their competitor’s products (Starbucks Swot Analysis, n. d)†. One of the major weaknesses of Starbucks is the heavy pricing of their products. Starbucks never bothered to reduce the prices of their products irrespective of the market conditions. They do believe that for quality products, heavy pricing may not affect the customers very much. Starbucks is trying to implement the same price which they charge in America for coffee products, in international markets also. They are forgetting the fact that America is a wealthy country and the per capita income of Americans is more than that of the people in other countries. In other words, they are thinking that same product needs same pricing everywhere in the

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China Coursework

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China - Coursework Example China is such market. In the past, the Chinese market was quite attractive for organizations in different industries; the specific market has been very popular especially for firms operating in the manufacturing sector. This market has attracted the interest of Japanese firms, which have been aware of the market’s prospects, mostly because of its size. However, through the years, the terms of operations in the Chinese market have been differentiated. The increase of wages and taxes has reduced the level of profit. Still, the Chinese market is quite important for firms operating in the manufacturing industry. Toyota has entered the Chinese market about 30 years before. Initially, the growth of the firm in the specific market has been impressive. However, gradually, the firm’s performance in China has been declined, a fact which has been mostly related to the failures in the firm’s operational strategy. The recent efforts of the firm to upgrade its operational stra tegy and develop a research and development unit in China are expect to highly benefit the organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals.Introduction Because of the continuous expansion of globalisation, the decisions of firms to expand their activities internationally are highly depended on the perspectives available in regard to business activities in each country. China can be characterized as one of the strongest countries worldwide in terms of its financial perspectives. The last decade, the rapid development of entrepreneurial activities across China has led to the increase of the country’s competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the fixed exchange rate, which the country’s policy makers have initiated, has further supported the development of the country as a popular destination for businesses of all types (Horch 2009). However, the fixed exchange rate in China has not helped towards the control of inflation, which in 2008 has reached the level of 8.5%, the highest level since 1996 (Rongala 2008). The relationship between the fixed exchange rate and inflation in China explains the following phe nomenon: firms and capital from many countries worldwide have entered the Chinese market in order to enjoy the benefits of the country’s fixed exchange rate policy (Horch 2009). However, through the years, the increase of inflation, which resulted because of the above policy, led to the increase of manufacturing costs across the country (Rongala 2008). As a result, manufacturing cos

Physics color Essay Example for Free

Physics color Essay There are many more colors in the world around us, these colors are all erived from mixing two or more visible colors. The process of understanding the colors in the world allows us to understand cultures , behaviors, emotions, and even state of mind, this process is called Color psychology. Color psychology is a science which allows us to unlock secrets of colors and the affects that colors have on us, as well as, allowing us to use colors in ways most suited to human life. The four main colors in color psychology are red, blue, green, and yellow, these colors are primary colors that relate to the body, mind, emotions, and balance of human beings. Each color holds many secrets and connotations behind it; the color red is one of the most powerful color because it has the longest wavelength, it can affect us in more than one way; it can be considered as a sign of friendliness and simplicity, as well as, being a sign for aggressiveness and dominance. Red is a physics color that can easily capture our attention and raise our pulse rate, when used in indoor painting it can reflect certain senses and refract specific attitudes, red painted rooms can evoke string emotions, encourage appetite, passion or intensity, it can also ymbolize love, for those reasons many brands, like KFC, McDonalds, and others, use Another powerful color is yellow, it has the longest wavelength and is considered one of the most emotional colors, which makes it one the strongest colors physiologically. Just like red, yellow can evoke a multiple range of emotions, the right yellow can help with confidence and allows our state of mind to become more optimistic, but the wrong pitch of yellow can be a reason of fear and concern. 2 Blue, the most productive color, is always considered for the color of the mind; it ffect our minds more than any other color. Like red and yellow, ranges of blue arouse different behaviors; Strong blue will stimulate clear thought, light blue will help us in reaching a clam and eased state of mind. Unlike red, blue is considered unfriendly, unemotional, and cold. Also blue objects do not seem apparent to us unlike red objects. Blue painted rooms evokes calmness, serenity, curbs appetite, and in most cases is associated to peace, they can be offices and corporate business rooms. Lastly, green, the color of nature. Green is always accompanied with calming nd restfulness attitude and behaviors. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the color of balance a more important concept than many people realize Color effects. The ranges of green as any other color can affect us in negative and positive ways; it can help us feel rested, balanced, and peaceful, but it can also make us feel bored, enervated, and bland. Green can be used in painting bedrooms; because it gives a sense of tranquility and health. To sum up, color psychology affects our daily life, whether we know it or not; it can be ou red bedroom that makes us wake up every day feeling angry and overdosed with emotions, or it can be your blue office that makes you feel most productive when working in it.

The Car Rental Industry In The Us Economics Essay

The Car Rental Industry In The Us Economics Essay The car rental industry is a multi-billion dollar sector of the US economy. The US segment of the industry averages about $18.5 billion in revenue a year. Today, there are approximately 1.9 million rental vehicles that service the US segment of the market. In addition, there are many rental agencies besides the industry leaders that subdivide the total revenue, namely Rent-A-Car, Dollar Thrifty, Budget and Vanguard. The rental car industry is highly consolidated which naturally puts potential new comers at a cost-disadvantage since they face high input costs (since companies in this industry have revenues of billions of dollars), with very low possibilities of economies of scale. Moreover, most of the profit is generated by a few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. For the fiscal year of 2006, Enterprise generated $7 billion in total revenue. Hertz came in second position with about $3.9 billion and Avis with $2.75 in revenues. During this year, revenues were about $20 billio n, with the top six companies having combined market shares of over 90 percent. Competition in this industry goes beyond nationally, companies are expanding globally, and for example Rent-A-Car is operating in the U.S, Canada, U.K, Ireland and Germany. In the U.S market there is a strong competition between the six largest companies, especially between Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz for the rental facilities in airports. The level of vertical integration in the industry has been reduced in the last decades, by letting these companies more flexibility in the market and leading to higher profit margins. In fact, among the industry players only Hertz is vertically integrated through Ford. The market size of this industry is large so there is high demand for renting, but due to the very strong competition, the profit margin is not so high or attractive, moreover, it is best attained by economies of scale. Competitiveness has risen to such an extent that, according to Business Travel Ne ws, vehicles are being rented until they have accumulated 20,000 to 30,000 miles until they are sent for sale to the used car industry. What is competition like and how strong are the competitive forces? There are many factors that shape the competitive landscape of the car rental industry. Competition is fierce not only because the market is saturated and well guarded by industry leader Enterprise, but competitors operate at a cost disadvantage along with smaller market shares since Enterprise has established a network of dealers over 90 percent the leisure segment. On the corporate segment, on the other hand, competition is very strong at the airports since that segment is under tight supervision by Hertz. Competitively speaking, the rental car industry is a war-zone as most rental agencies including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the major players engage in a battle of the fittest. The five competitive forces Competitive Rivalry Among Sellers There are many factors that drive competition within the car rental industry. Over the past few years, broadening fleet sizes and increasing profitability has been the focus of most companies within the car rental industry. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the leaders have been growing both in sales and fleet sizes. In addition, competition intensifies as firms are constantly trying to improve their current conditions and offer more to consumers. Hertz, for example, integrates its Never-Lost GPS system within its cars. Enterprise, on the other hand, uses sophisticated yield management software to manage its fleets. The Potential Entry of new Competitors Entering the car rental industry puts new comers at a serious disadvantage. Over the past few years following the economic downturn of 2001, most major rental companies have started increasing their market shares in the vacation sector of the industry as a way of insuring stability and lowering the level of dependency between the airline and the car rental industry. On one hand, this action has ensured the success in the long run of the existing firms; on the other hand it has made it much more difficult for new entrants to join this market. Existing firms such as Enterprise, Hertz and Avis carefully monitor their competitive radars in order to be ready to attack any potential new entrant in the market. Another barrier to entry is created because of the saturation level of the industry. In 2006, Enterprise had a rental location within 15 miles of 90 percent of the US population. Because of the network of dealers Enterprise has established around the nation, it has become relatively s table, and most importantly, less reliant on the airline industry compared to its competitors. The Threat of Substitute There are many substitutes available for the car rental industry. From a technological standpoint, renting a car to go the distance for a meeting is a less attractive alternative as opposed to video conferencing, virtual teams and collaboration software with which a company can immediately setup a meeting with its employees from anywhere around the world at a cheaper cost. In addition, there are other alternatives including taking a cab which is a satisfactory substitute relative to quality and switching cost, but it may not be as attractively priced as a rental car for the course of a day or more. While public transportation is the most cost efficient of the alternatives, it is more costly in terms of the process and time it takes to reach ones destination. Finally, because flying offers convenience, speed and performance, it is a very attracting substitute; however, it becomes an unattractive alternative in terms of price relative to renting a car. On the business segment, car rent al agencies have more protection against substitutes since many companies have implemented travel policies that establish the parameters of when renting a car or using a substitute is the best course of action. Generally, the threat of substitute is reasonably low in the car rental industry since the effects the substitute products have do not pose a significant threat of profit erosion throughout the industry. The Bargaining Power of Buyers An interesting trend that is currently underway throughout the industry is forcing car rental companies to adapt to the needs of corporate travelers. This trend significantly reduces supplier power or the rental firms power and increases corporate buyer power since the business segment is extremely price sensitive, well informed about the industrys price structure, purchase in larger quantities and they use the internet to force lower prices. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier power is low in the car rental industry. Because of the availability of substitutes and the level of competition, suppliers do not have a great deal of influence in the terms and conditions of supplying the rental cars. Because the rental cars are usually purchased in large quantities, rental car agents have significant influence over the terms of the sale since they possess the ability to play one supplier against another to lower the sales price. Another factor that reduces supplier power is the absence of switching cost. That is, buyers are not affected from purchasing from one supplier over another. What forces are at work to change industry conditions? One of the most important forces in the car renting industry is the use of internet in companies. Internet has made possible instant linking between renting stores in different locations and provides a lower distribution and inventory cost. What is more, improvement in technology and the installation of different tools, including the GPS system in rented cars has made this industry more competitive for customers. The installation of specialized software in the facilities where cars are given for rent, for checking preferences of customers in different regions, gives details about what cars are mostly preferred and how many of them should be in that store, reducing storage costs. Which companies are in Strongest/ Weakest positions? As a moderately concentrated sector, there is a clear hierarchy in the car rental industry. From an economic standpoint, disparities exist from a number of dimensions including revenue, fleet size and the market size each firm holds in the market place. For instance, Enterprise dominates the industry with a fleet size of approximately 600,000 vehicles along with its market size and its level of profitability. Hertz comes in second position with its number of market shares and fleet volume. In addition, Avis ranks third on the map. Avis is among one of the companies that is having issues recovering its revenue margins from prior to the economic downturn. For instance, in 2000 Avis returned revenues of approximately $4.23 billion. Over the course of the next several years following 2000, the revenue of Avis has been significantly lower than that of 2000. As a way of reducing uncertainty most companies are gradually lowering the level of dependency on the airline industry and emerging t he leisure market. This trend may not be in the best interest of Hertz since its business strategy is highly linked to the airports. What strategic moves are rivals likely to make next? Since this industry operates in very narrow profit margins, it is very important to predict what the competitors next moves will be in order to be as prepared as possible. In 2007 there were some developments in this industry which were concerning Rent-A-Cars executives. These developments included a possible merger between Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and Vanguard Car Rental as well as direct attacks on Enterprises off-airport rental markets and insurance company clients by Hertz, the second rental company in the industry. Avis uses its OnStar and Skynet system to better serve the consumer base and offers free weekend rental if a customer rents a car for five consecutive days. What are the key factors for competitive success? There are many key success factors that drive profitability throughout the car rental industry. Capacity utilization is one of the factors that determine success in the industry. Because rental firms experience loss of revenue when there are either too few or too many cars sitting in their lots, it is very important to efficiently manage the fleets. This success factor represents a big strength for the industry since it lowers if not completely eliminates the possibility of running short on rental cars. Efficient distribution is another factor that keeps the industry profitable. Despite the positive relationship between fleet sizes and the level of profitability, firms are constantly growing their fleet sizes because of the competitive forces that surround the industry. In addition, convenience is one of the crucial attributes by which customers select rental firms. Another key success factor that is common among competing firms is the integration of technology in their business proc esses. Through technology, for instance, the car rental companies create ways to meet consumer demand by adding the convenience of online rental among other alternatives. Furthermore, firms have integrated navigation systems along with roadside assistance to help their customers find the desired location easier and faster. Is the industry attractive or unattractive and why? There are many factors that impact the attractiveness of the car rental industry. Because the industry is moderately concentrated, it puts new market entrants at a disadvantage. What is more, existing companies in the industries can take measures to attack new entrants. Because of the risks associated with entering the industry among other factors, it is not a very attractive sector of the marketplace. From a competitive standpoint, the leisure market is 90 percent saturated because of the active efforts of Enterprise to dominate this sector of the market. On the other hand, the airport terminals are heavily guarded by Hertz. Realistically speaking, entry in the industry offers low profitability relative to the costs and risks associated. For most consumers, the main determining factors of choosing one company over another are price and convenience. Because of this reason, rental firms are forced to offer more to the consumers for less just to remain competitive. Based on the impact of the five forces, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry to potential new market entrants.