See below Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

See below - Coursework Example The case involves a limited company, formed by three people, and an employee to Heather. The company sends Heather to a computer show and while driving to the show market the company’s products, she negligently causes an accident and injures a pedestrian, Singer. Singer has sued the company, its owners, and Heather for damages. The issue for determination is whether a limited liability company is liable torts committed by its members of employees. A limited liability company is liable for any harm caused by its owners, employees or agents, while in the course of duty, but are not liable for torts such as negligence to which tortfeasors are personally liable. Heather is therefore liable to Singer (Cheeseman 662). Melony is one of the four members of iNet.com, a limited liability company. The members develop a product and agree to purchase a plant for the production in six months time. Melony however sells the idea to a competitor and this leads to a $ 100 million loss to the company. The issue for determination is whether Melony is liable to iNet.com for the losses and morality in Melony’s act. Rules of Limited Liability Company establishes a duty of care among all members of a member-managed company. The case identifies member-management and Melony is liable to the company for her actions into the loss. Melony’s action is also unethical because it leads to financial loss to her co-members (Cheeseman 664-

Engineering and Construction. Four Categories of Construction Research Paper

Engineering and Construction. Four Categories of Construction - Research Paper Example Therefore, construction would encompass activities such as site clearance and preparation, excavation, and landscaping that are related to the construction work. Among the structures that are often constructed are buildings, walls, masts, towers, structural cable, bridges, highways, and telecommunication structures (Hornbostel, 1991). Moreover, public facilities, infrastructures, and underground works such as tunnels and pipelines are also some of the structures that are constructed. Depending on the activities and processes involved and the type of structure developed, construction is categorized into residential, industrial, engineering, and building construction (Auer et al., 2007). For instance, the industrial category of construction entails the installation of industrial plants and facilities such as oil refineries and sugar factories. On the other hand, the residential category of construction refers to the construction of family homes and other family projects. However, there are other minor categories of construction such as infrastructure, institutional, and pre-engineered categories of construction. A vital point to note is that each category of construction has specific requirements in terms of plans, designs, materials, and funding. This paper explores the four main categories of construction, which are residential, industrial, engineering, and building construction. ... Nevertheless, in situations where property owners are experienced and conversant with building construction, careful and detailed planning has always ensured positive outcome of building construction projects. In the building construction of commercial buildings, private or public procurement methodologies such as cost estimation, price negotiation, management contracting and design-build bridging are applied (Hornbostel, 1991). An important characteristic of building construction is that it entails the assembly of structures for the provision of shelters. The construction of building is in fact, an ancient activity that man has undertaken since time immemorial. The adverse effects of harsh climates on man are perhaps the origin of building construction since man had to moderate or eliminate these effects of climate. Building construction is thus a means by which man seeks to adapt to the environment. The different climatic zones that people inhabit on earth have led to the designing of different buildings by man. In addition, there are the economic aspects of building construction and design that have greatly influenced the building construction industry in the world. Just like any other economic products, building construction materials and products command certain ranges of prices/costs and values to customers or clients. The other economic or cost-related elements of building construction are the security systems and protection requirements. Most important in this regard is the physical security of a property. In recent times, it has become a necessity, due to the increased security technologies, for property owners and

Global Warming Past Present And Our Future Environmental Sciences Essay

Global Warming Past Present And Our Future Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming is progressing, and the possible outcome for the future of humans, plants and animals is not clear. Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Climate change is the direct result of global warming. Climate change affects all: people, plants, and animals. We as people need to display and teach the next generation the choices we all have, to live cleaner, healthier, and longer by keeping our environment and atmosphere clean. Global warming is undeniably an ethical issue, and we must face it as such. That means asking hard questions about responsibility, accountability, and the differences between actions; whether political, economic, or personal; questions that are right versus those that are wrong. Greenhouse gases are an important part of life, however the growing concentrate of these gases are causing our life to become extinct. The burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, and the removal of trees over the past 200 years, has caused heat-trapping greenhouse gases to increase in our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere, like a thickening blanket, trapping the suns heat and causing the planet to warm up. Greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping the atmosphere into space, much like the purpose of the glass panels that construct a greenhouse. Tightening efforts to stop global warming will improve lives. Cleaning up air pollution and empower in clean energy, going green and smart energy solutions that get the U.S. economy moving again. In our world today, and the technology that is evolving, we all have choices to act ethically. As of today we have choices, choices to use smart cars, go green with energy efficient offices and homes, and focus on building better communities and transportation networks that are nonpolluting. All human beings need to work together to reduce the emission of toxic gases that are killing our atmosphere. The prospect that humanity will find it harder to grow enough food for the 9 billion humans who are likely to be alive in fifty years time ought perhaps more than any other prediction to cause developed and developing countries alike to seek strenuously to reduce their production of greenhouse gases in order to mitigate the likelihood of dangerous climate change (Northcott, 2007). Greenhouse gases are an important part to life as we know it, because they keep the planets surface warmer than it otherwise would be. However, as these gases continue to increase in our atmosphere, the Earths temperature is climbing to all-time highs. Human activities are the cause of the changing composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planets climate. They are still not certain by how much the climate will change, the speed of the change, or the end results of the effects. Countries in the North, especially the United States, are some of the biggest carbon dioxide polluters, but the burden of disease resulting from climate change is likely to be felt by the worlds poorest people, mostly in the South. Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you. (Chinese Ancient Ought). The United States make up just 4 percent of the worlds population. The U.S. produces 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning. It is the largest of any country. The United States releases more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2010). More than half the energy-related emissions come from large stationary sources such as power plants, while about a third comes from transportation. Industrial processes, agriculture, forestry, other land use, and waste management are also contributors in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. (PlanUSA, 2010) The latest greenhouse gas inventory shows that in 2008 the U.S. emitted slightly less than 7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, a million metric tons of CO2 equivalents (MMTCO2e) is roughly equal to the annual GHG emissions of an average U.S. power plant (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earths average surface temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4Â °F in the last 100 years (2010). The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998, with the warmest year being 2005. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earths surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2Â °F above 1990 levels by the end of this century (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Man induced global warming is not just hurting the human culture. The result of climate change affects innocent animals and agriculture as well. Sea ice is decreasing, sea levels are rising, and the growth of essential food for sea life creatures is diminishing throughout the Arctic range due to climate change. Increasing global temperatures are expected to disrupt ecosystems, pushing to extinction those species that cannot adapt. The first comprehensive assessment of the extinction risk from global warming found that more than 1 million species could be obliterated by 2050 if the current trajectory continues. Recent studies indicate that increased frequency of heat stress, droughts and floods negatively affect crop production and livestock. (Carbon Blueprints, 2010) This is especially the case for life sectors at low latitudes. Climate inconsistencies the change in weather patterns vary the risks of fires, pest and pathogen outbreak, negatively affecting food, fiber and forestry. Cl imate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Climate change affects all: people, plants, and animals. Human health can be affected directly and indirectly by climate change through extreme periods of heat and cold, storms, and climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, and smog episodes. Most agricultural impact studies have measured the effects of one or two aspects of climate change on a particular farming activity. However, only few have considered the full set of predictable shifts and their impact on agricultural production across the country. An increase in average temperature can lengthen the growing season in regions with a relatively cool spring and fall. In regions where summer heat already limits production of crops, the temperature increase can unfavorably affect the crops production also increase soil evaporation rates, and increase the chances of severe droughts. (Carbon Blueprints, 2010) The Federal government has established voluntary and incentive programs to reduce emissions and has created other programs to promote climate technology and science. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a significant role in helping the Federal government reduce greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas intensity. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases.(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) Scientists are trying to acquire a better understanding for future climate change and how the effects will vary by region. Climate change is already occurring, recorded changes are sea level rise, shrinking glaciers, changes in the range and distribution of plants and animals, trees blooming earlier, lengthening of growing seasons, ice on rivers and lakes freezing later and breaking up earlier. Another question being studied is how will societies and the environment become accustomed to or survive with climate change. Scientists in the U.S. believe most areas will continue to warm, and some will warm more than others. It is difficult to determine the regions that will become wetter or drier. Scientists expect increased precipitation and evaporations, and drier soil in the middle parts of the country; Alaska and Northern regions expect to experience the most warming. Current rates of sea-level rise are expected to increase as a result both of thermal growth of the oceans and melting of most mountain glaciers and partial melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice caps. Consequences of this melting include the loss of coastal wetlands and barrier islands, and a greater risk of flooding in coastal communities. Low-lying areas, such as the coastal region along the Gulf of Mexico and estuaries (section of a river meeting the sea) like the Chesapeake Bay, are especially vulnerable. Arctic sea ice level set an all-time record low in September 2007, with almost half a million square miles less ice tha n the previous record set in September 2005, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (2010). Over the past 3 decades, more than a million square miles of perennial sea ice an area the size of Norway, Denmark and Sweden combined has disappeared (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). We as humans sharing this planet need to share in the responsibility of keeping it healthy, we all have choices to choose. The government has and is still keeping it possible for us to act ethically and save our environment. Technologies exist today, making cleaner running cars that burn less gas, modernize power plants and generate electricity from sources that are nonpolluting. Other acts that are simple and easy to demonstrate are: changing the light bulbs in home or office to energy efficient light bulbs, properly inflating tires, cut down energy use by having heating and cooling devices serviced annually, also seal and insulate your home. Global warming is not just going to go away. We need to make everyone aware of the harmful effects of global warming. If action is not taken the results of global warming will be catastrophic. All humans are the cause of global warming and we can be the solution of turn the effects of global warming around. Decisions, of course, are not matters of science, but of ethics. To decide, we consider the harms and benefits of our actions, understanding in this case that our actions will restrict the choices of our young: carbon dioxide lasts a long time in the atmosphere, climate change takes a long time to occur, and loss of species diversity is permanent on human time scales.

Theory of Evolution :: essays research papers

1809 February 12 - Charles Robert Darwin born at The Mount, Shrewsbury. 1818 - Darwin entered Shrewsbury School. 1825-27 - 22 October Darwin matriculated at Edinburgh University where he studied medicine but operations (without anesthetics) and the sight of blood turned him from that profession. 1827-31 - 15 October Darwin was admitted to Christ's Colledge, Cambridge University, to prepare for a career in the Church. He accepted the Articles of Faith. 1829 Summer - Darwin made an entomological tour of North Wales with Professor F. W. Hope. Darwin's interest in 'bugs and beetles' was longstanding. 1831 - 26 April Darwin received his BA degree. In Spring he began planning a scientific voyage to Canary Islands. 1831 August 29/30 - Darwin received an invitation to serve as unpaid naturalist on the survey ship H.M.S. Beagle, which was to travel around the world. At this point Darwin had no formal training in science. 1831 December 27 - The H.M.S. Beagle sailed from Devonport, England 1832 September 23 - Darwin made his first important fossil find, notably various extinct mammals. 1832 December 16 - Darwin had his first sight of 'Indians' of Tierra de Fuego. 1835 March 26 - Darwin is bittn by Triatoma infestans. 1835 September - Darwin studied geology and the fauna, and flora of Galapagos Islands. Here he made detailed observations, eventually noting of the now-famous 'Darwin's finches' as well as the Galapagos tortoises. 1835 December - Darwin wrote his first known draft of his paper on theory of formation of coral reefs. 1836 October 2 - The H.M.S. Beagle finally returned to England and docked at Falmouth, England. 1837 March 13 - Darwin lives at 36 Great Marlborough Street, London. 1837 May 31 - Darwin read his paper on coral reefs to the London Geological Society 1837 July - Darwin 'Opened first notebook on Transmutation of Species.' 1837 October - Darwin began work leading to Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, edited and superintended by Charles Darwin, published 1840-1843, 5 volumes. 1838 September 28 - Darwin started to read Malthus, and later claimed to have formulated his theory of evolution by natural selection. 1838 November 11 - Darwin propooses marriage to Emma Wedgwood. 1839 January 1 - Darwin moves to 12 Upper Gower Street, London. 1839 January 24 - Darwin elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. 1839 January 29 - Charles Robert Darwin married Emma Wedgwood - Marry, Marry, Marry.

Who I am

As I scroll through the unknown hallways of high school for the first time, anxious and worried of the unexpected I was about to anticipate, my palms start the tip of shaking heavily and sweating uncontrollably. Thinking to It, I knew It was a start, a new start of life as a beginning, new chapter of not just believing in finding myself, challenging more to my limitations, setting high bars, letting myself free to the world of judgments and doubts of others around me, and showing my heart to the world in the creation I knew was forming â€Å"my future† already.As in the future I knew would be he outcome of the things that old chosen to follow or present of today, I knew I would want to become and be the things that I desired or worked for. I was the kind of average teenager that was very practical and simple to my own age, as they describe it. In someone who was Just rousing around life and just living to the very last purpose, but that wasn't the person I wanted to be identif ied as.I was the kind of grown girl that was more prone than to Just being there for living, I was living it to the very Max of how I wanted to create an life that I took advantage of shaping It successfully, happily, and valued more than Just to myself. I am the kind of person who takes a stand in my life and to the opponents of speaking up for what I believe in strongly in whatever take in I have to, whether for the sake of my good, to speak out, or against an disagreement or for someone of any kind who struggles without an example of following, or helped along the way.I am the girl who finds more than an example of following someone In their steps to accomplish, like my mom, and using a motivation and dedication towards life of my own to fully provide the example to the environment and people around of everything I do or am. I am the girl who desires a accomplishment and long and short term goal, and challenge to be overcome and expected a lesson or outcome out of it to allow mys elf to keep improving whether I was defeated by those or won them, I would still keep pressuring myself to doing more each day.I am the girl that fully improves myself to keep understanding and lack of communicating skills, even for the times that many might not understand me in a way, but I am different. Deferent in a sense that nobody will be completely be eke the way I was or Is created today, in the sense of my doing, humor, personality, thinking, writing/ clothing style, or especially the person I made it to be remembered But before beginning.. I was Borneo in a family of strict, traditional, hard workers from Tray Blah, Vietnam. I was raised on books and the Asian doctrine that education Is the only way to success.Shortly being as an elite kid with so much fun filled childhood, life as I knew was going to drastically change. I started school as soon as I arrived at the beginning of second grade. I didn't know any English, I had no friends, and I was constantly picked on for th e way I dressed and talked. I could not complete any of my schoolwork because I didn't understand anything but aside that, my parents got divorced. I was so ashamed of the life I was living with. Worse, I was lonely and overwhelmed, and I felt so utterly lost.I knew In the example that my dad, a new life to provide her children, new house, and transportation, but she made it happen. Meanwhile at home my mom was pushing me to learn English, bringing mom worksheets and books to help me. My shame became my source of motivation, forcing me to work and relearn the basics until I mastered the language. As I began to grasp the mechanics of English, I made friends and my school life greatly improved. With my moms' encouragement and my own perseverance, within a year, by the end of third grade, I was getting straight As and even surpassing many of my classmates.From that day on, the language barrier became nonexistent. Looking back now, I fully appreciate everything that my mom did for me th ose first few months. While I was struggling to learn a language and to fit in, my mom was working even harder to learn a new lifestyle of her past struggle and to assimilate to a country whose values and culture are so drastically different from her own in which she didn't know how to handle individually living out alone. For her, her entire live were in Vietnam. She had grown up in that land, established successful career, and made a name for herself.In moving on to a new beginning, she gave all that up in the hopes that I, and my brother would have a chance at a better life. In which my mom sacrificed so much for me and my brother, she continued to put aside her own interests and wants, to provide for the two of us. She allowed me to live the life of comfort that I do today. From my mom, I have learned the meaning of hard work, integrity, and compassion. I truly believe that my drive, determination, and dedication in everything I do come from my mom, because I see it in her every single day. I respect my mom tremendously and I work hard to become successful to repay her for all she done.Of course, our relationship is not perfect. I am always frustrated and angry with her unreasonably high expectations, endless comparisons, and overbearing protectiveness. However, I have learned to fuel that anger into motivation to try harder and prove to her that I am good enough. Today, I work for my dreams, to provide for myself as an independent woman, and to travel the world and get lost in the chaos of busy cities. I work to give back to my family, to my friends, to my community around me, of all which have made me the person I am. I want to leave my mark on this world, to make a name for myself, and to become a somebody.

Lester B Pearson and the Suez Canal

Canada had many Prime Ministers, some very good and some not so good. Among these members of parliament, there was Lester Bowles Pearson. A Torontonian man who had made many important decisions in the Suez Canal Crisis. Lester B Pearson prevented another world war from occurring with the decisions he made during the Suez Canal Crisis. Pearson prevented the war from occurring by his overall personality, his achievements before the Suez Crisis, and him forming the United Nation Peacekeeping Force. His overall personality helped him mentally prepare for and keep him calm during the Suez Canal Crisis. Pearson had a deep personal reserve that people found difficult to penetrate (Bothwell). It would be hard to persuade him into doing something that he didn’t want to do, in this case anything that might cause a war. Pearson was the most gregarious of men, quick to lighten serious moments with self-deprecating humor and breaking frequently into an irresistible smile (Granatsien and Hillmer). When the Suez Crisis preparation got out of control, all Pearson did was tell a joke or even smile to change the moods of everyone. â€Å"Politics is the skill use of a blunt object. † In his quote Pearson says, to be a politician it takes skill. Pearson’s personality and skill helped him stay calm and relaxed upon making decisions during the Suez Canal Crisis, which in turn helped him think up of the United Nations Emergency Force. Pearson’s achievements before the Suez crisis helped him make decisions toward the Suez Crisis. He helped in stopping the Korean War (Bothwell). Pearson’s dislike of war is shown in the quote, â€Å"the grim fact is that we prepare for war like precautious giants, and for peace like retarded pygmies. † He served on a United Nation commission that helped draw up the plan to cease fire in the Korean War. This gave him experience in handling orld issues. Before he dealt with the UN organization he was involved with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO (Granatstien and Hillmer). Fearful of the soviet but still skeptical of the American, Pearson contributed patience, tolerance, flexibility, and a sense of preparation to the formation of the NATO (Granatstien and Hill mer). Pearson joined the army in 1915 and served in WWI (Waite. ) He says, â€Å"As a soldier, I survived World War I when most of my comrades did not. † Serving as a soldier taught him how horrible war is, and how if the Suez Canal Crisis turned into a war, man lives would be lost. All of these little problems helped Pearson prepare for the Suez Crisis. Lester B Pearson created the UNEF in 1956, which prevented another world war from occurring. When the Suez Crisis erupted Pearson knew something was going to happen. He immediately started to propose the idea of the UN Peacekeeping Force, UNEF (Antony). When he was going through all the preparation to make this force he says, â€Å"As for promotion of peace congresses we have had out meetings and assemblies, but the promotion through them of the determined and effective will to peace displaying itself in action and policy remains to be achieved. He wanted to convert British and French invading soldiers into peacekeepers at first but then decided to make the UNEF out of the volunteered Canadians. When the Suez Crisis was being debated in the Security Council, Pearson couldn’t do anything because Canada lacked a permanent seat (Antony). Since Canada lacked a seat in the debate, Pearson couldn’t add his input to the situation. He worked closely with all his parties across all division and put together a coalition of support over sleepless days and nights (Antony). In the early hours of November 4th, 1956 the General Assembly overwhelming, supports Pearson’s proposal for the world’s first peacekeeping force. Bowing to the international pressure and the arrival of UNEF, British and French forces complete their withdrawal from Egypt by the end of 1956. Pearson is praised at the UN for his brilliant his brilliant efforts but he is condemned by some at home for betraying the motherland. Even though he was condemned and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 1957. His overall personality and skill, his achievements before the Suez Canal Crisis, and the creation of the United Nation Peacekeeping Force were only three of many reasons that helped Lester B Pearson prevent another world war from occurring during the Suez Canal Crisis. The world today would have been different if the Suez Crisis had started a world war, if what happened in World War II where the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan was to of happened because of the Suez Canal Crisis there would be many different effects on the life that is being lived today.

Activation Energy (Ea) Chemistry Definition

Activation Energy (Ea) Chemistry Definition Activation energy is the  minimum amount of energy required to initiate a reaction. It is the height of the potential energy barrier between the potential energy minima of the reactants and products. Activation energy  is denoted by Ea and typically has units of kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) or kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol). The term activation energy was introduced by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius in 1889. The Arrhenius equation relates activation energy to the rate at which a chemical reaction proceeds: k Ae-Ea/(RT) where k is the reaction rate coefficient, A is the frequency factor for the reaction, e is the irrational number (approximately equal to 2.718), Ea is the activation energy, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature (Kelvin). From the Arrhenius equation, it can be seen that the rate of reaction changes according to temperature. Normally, this means a chemical reaction proceeds more quickly at a higher temperature. There are, however, a few cases of negative activation energy, where the rate of a reaction decreases with temperature. Why Is Activation Energy Needed? If you mix together two chemicals, only a small number of collisions will naturally occur between the reactant molecules to make products. This is particularly true if the molecules have low kinetic energy. So, before a significant fraction of reactants can be converted into products, the free energy of the system must be overcome. The activation energy gives the reaction that little extra push needed to get going. Even exothermic reactions require activation energy to get started. For example, a stack of wood wont start burning on its own. A lit match can provide the activation energy to start combustion. Once the chemical reaction starts, the heat released by the reaction provides the activation energy to convert more reactant into product. Sometimes a chemical reaction proceeds without adding any additional energy. In this case, the activation energy of the reaction is usually supplied by heat from the ambient temperature. Heat increases the motion of the reactant molecules, improving their odds of colliding with each other and increasing the force of the collisions. The combination makes it more likely bonds between reactant will break, allowing for the formation of products. Catalysts and Activation Energy A substance that lowers the activation energy of a chemical reaction is called a catalyst. Basically, a catalyst acts by modifying the transition state of a reaction. Catalysts are not consumed by the chemical reaction and they dont change the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Relationship Between Activation Energy and Gibbs Energy Activation energy is a term in the Arrhenius equation used to calculate the energy needed to overcome the transition state from reactants to products. The Eyring equation is another relation that describes the rate of reaction, except instead of using activation energy, it includes Gibbs energy of the transition state. The Gibbs energy of the transition state factors in both enthalpy and entropy of a reaction. Activation energy and Gibbs energy are related, but not interchangeable.

Problems of Reading and Literacy

Problems of Reading and Literacy Abstract The proceeding is a review of ten current articles on reading and literacy. The research paper contains an introduction, review of the articles and a conclusion which summarizes the articles. The paper contains a detailed definition of reading and literacy and how the two interrelate.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problems of Reading and Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ten summarized articles focus on how various factors affect literacy and reading across the society. Several corrective measures are proposed in some articles on how to cope up with the challenges of literacy. It is realized that deficiency in literacy is common to all age groups and segments of the community. Introduction The two terms, literacy and reading, have been used interchangeably in some settings. Literacy is described as one’s ability to read and consequently write. In depth, it refers to the ability to recognize, comprehend, infer, craft, commune, work out and use written and printed materials connected with changeable contexts. Reading is the art of decoding and cognition of symbols with an aim of constructing or deriving a meaning. It also refers to the technique of language acquisition for communication and for sharing ideas. Reading requires a continuous process for proper development and fine-tuning so as to gain proficiency in the act. Summary of Articles Beverly’s article outlines the use of phone text messaging among British children especially the abbreviations and language used. Texting has no negative effect on the literacy or language development as being speculated. Language development depends on the age at which the child receives mobile phones. Those who posses phones at an early age do many texting, thus developing literacy, as opposed to their fellows who do not have phones. Acquisition of texting knowledge is significant in the development of literacy profile in a child (Beverly Clare, 2009). The ability to select and use various words and when to use them gives children metalinguistic and linguistic acquaintance. It was evident that text messaging does not have any negative impact on the reading and literacy. Texting instead increase the pace at which the two can be acquired and internalized. In as much as this mode increases of learning, the question remains on how text messaging among the preteens affects their grammar.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second article explores the long-term impacts of opting for early comprehension interventions. Children who do not know how to read in their year one in school will continue to fall behind their peers, thus requiring the need for recovery reading and phonological training are recommended. The survey explored how different models of interventions may be effec tive in children with difficulties in reading. The two interventions include recovery reading and explicit phonological training. It is clear that the two interventions had significant improvement in a child’s reading in the medium and short term. Recovery reading had more impact than phonological training though the later had a strong impact in improving the spelling. Children who read not only learn letters and words but also learn how to use them in the text (Jane Kathy, 2007). Those who are able to pas this stage usually gain independence in reading and are able to recognize and correct mistakes on their own. The lessons of reading recovery enable children to become self-mentor. It should be realized that the two methods do not have long-term effects; therefore, other tactics like child enjoyment, home encouragement are critical in ensuring improvement in reading among children. Christine and others examined how social network sites (SNSs) affect the lives of teenagers i n high school in terms of reading, literacy and the social life. The current technologies like wikis, blogs, online games; social networking and so on have changed literacy. The technology changes how people communicate information, compose, listen, view, write and read. Networking sites creates relationships, accomplish social education functions and discovers novel communiquà © and imaginative endeavors. In overall, the use of social sites among students exhibit new literacy and reading practices. SNSs provide opportunities for the young people to learn different things online, and from friends thus becoming excellent readers (Christine Beth, 2009). This fourth article entails the experiences students show when writing and reading visual essays, which make use of images as opposed to texts. It explores how non restriction to words may improve one’s ability to gain skills in literacy work. The use of other elements of design such as audio, gestures, texts, and video equall y improve a person’s ability to become a competent reader.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Problems of Reading and Literacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article covers the how, what and when of the visual essays, experiences and how to teach them to improve reading and literacy (Janette Sarah, 2010). The pictures, lyrics and words used in visual essay enable the viewer to draw a conclusion of what the producer or the author implies. People will be so wiling to pay attention to video than they do to essays. This means that the use of visual elements in communicating a point will have an enormous impact because people are lazy in reading, and will want to interpret what the visual element is about. The article concluded that students using visual essays are able to develop essay skills fast. The choice of appropriate visual essay for different groups is a challenge. Ruthanne and Tobin investig ated what teachers can use to cope up with varying needs of the students to learn in Grade 2/3 classrooms. Teachers are aware of the discrepancy in literacy needs of the students, but many do not know how to offer different varieties to benefit all the students (Ruthanne Alison, 2008). Responsive literacy, literacy instructions and various organizational formats are the underpinning factors that bring the variations in literacy delivery. The overall goal of the paper was to help teachers develop a framework for combating instructional differentiations. It is also aimed at providing instructors and teachers with strategies of meeting literacy needs of diverse students. The study made use of a case study design using qualitative research to explore educational phenomenon in a genuine life circumstances. Some of the techniques found and proposed for increasing literacy in a diverse situation include differentiated instructions and appropriate response to the at-risk students during no rmal classrooms. Differentiated instructions assist students in understanding and content application in literacy learning, and to choose the best option among different learning experiences. Other strategies include shared writing and reading, guided reading and setting up literacy centers with excellent texts. The sixth peer review article explores how teachers can improve their knowledge and experience. This is anticipated to help children develop enthusiasm and motivation towards reading among the less fortunate in literacy. Teachers should be readers for themselves thus developing and sharing experiences, acknowledging families, community, and considering reading like pleasure (Teresa et al,. 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The research revealed that personal engagements enable them to recognize the nature of reading and what is entailed of being a reader, hence acting as reading models for their students. The process permits teachers to widen the dexterity of teaching for pedagogic understanding and subject knowledge mutually sanction professional performance. When teachers gain such a vast experience in reading, they are able to understand the reading and literacy needs of children in class. Teachers should, therefore, be encouraged to do inclusive and objective reading both at primary and secondary level so as to cope up with the changing needs of the students. This article analyses how some controlled situations can improve reading and literacy among children and pupils. The program is called Head Start, a research-based development informed, which an enriched intervention is focusing on socio-emotional abilities, literacy skills and language development. It involves teachers using research-based i nstructional equipment and teaching modes whose aim was to improve child talent attainment. The program contains a detailed curriculum for the teachers equipped with exemplary teaching practices (Bierman, K. et al, 2008). Children in the intervention program had improvement in literacy and reading. Properly structured curriculum and improved teaching techniques can improve performance in children towards achieving literacy. The eighth article is about literacy patterns among the children who are excellent in mathematics but have learning difficulties. Lack of phonological abilities is common in children with reading difficulties. This article eases the information processing speed, auditory, visual and memory analysis. The ability of a person to tackle mathematics appropriately means that the person is creative, skilful and committed in completing the tasks. One of the difficulties children face is dyslexia which is a neurological complication and is constitutional in derivation (An ies, 2010) It presents with difficulties in spelling, written language and reading. Visual dyslexia pupils have visual problems while auditory dyslexia people have hearing problems. Children with difficulties experience difficulties in reading and writing, even though they are excellent in mathematics. Cathy Burnett explores the available understanding on the impacts of technology on literacy in the classroom. It employed the Green’s distinction on critical, cultural and operational scope of primary literacy. Print media is highly supported by its legacy and policies, but new technologies are preferred to supplement it. People should be able to understand what it entails like the usage, values, interactions and processes for successful applications in primary class literacy (Cathy, 2009). This last review focuses on adult literacy in a health care setting and its implications. Health literacy is a crucial factor that affects the communication in the process of cancer prognosi s, diagnosis and treatment among the adults. The study asserts that one out of five adults in America lack the obligatory literacy to communicate effectively in the society. It is observed that inadequate literacy complicate matters in the health facilities, hence leading to inappropriate decisions in cancer centers. Clients possessing poor health literacy present problems both in written and spoken communication. It is also cumbersome to identify people with literacy deficiency because some hide it to their family members and to the physicians (Terry, 2006). The problem manifests mostly when the consent is required from the patient since they cannot understand the meaning of the paper. It is, therefore, recommended that adults with a deficiency in literacy be open to the service providers in all sectors, and literacy improvement centers be set up so that adults can improve their standards of literacy. Conclusion It is with no doubt that problems of reading and literacy are prevalen t in the society. Researches have been conducted to find solutions to some of these crosscutting issues. Literacy reviews majorly touch on pre-teenage and teenagers because this is the age that experiences difficulties in literacy. It is evident that the learning environment and health status of a person affects the literacy level of a person. Overall literacy and reading, which are used interchangeably, are affected by sociocultural factors in the society. References Anies, A. (2010). Perceptual skills and Arabic literacy patterns for mathematically gifted children with specific learning difficulties, British Journal of Special Education  · Volume 37  · Number 1, pp 26-37. 3 Beverly, P. Clare, W. (2009). Exploring Relationships between Traditional and New Media Literacies: British Preteen Texters at School. Journal of Computer-  Mediated Communication 14, pp 1108–1129. Bierman, K. et al., (2008). Promoting Academic and Social-Emotional SchoolReadiness: The Head Start R EDI Program, Child Development, Vol. 79, No.6, pp 1802 – 1817. Cathy, B. (2009). Research into literacy and technology in primary classrooms: an exploration of understandings generated by recent studies, Journal of Research  In Reading, Vol. 32, Issue. 1, pp 22–37. Christine, G. Beth, R. (2009). Old Communication, New Literacies: Social Network Sites as Social Learning Resources. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 14, pp 1130–1161. Jane, H. Kathy, S. (2007). Long-term outcomes of early reading intervention. Journal  Of Research in Reading.Vol.30, Issue 3, pp 227–24. Janette, H. Sarah, T. (2010). Engaging students through new Literacies: the good, bad and curriculum of visual essays. Journal for English in Education, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp 5-23. Ruthanne, T. Alison, M. (2008). Accommodating differences: variations in Differentiated literacy instruction in Grade 2/3 classrooms. Literacy, Vol. 42, No. 1. Teresa, C. et al., (2009). Teachers as read ers: building communities of readers,  Literacy, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp 11-18. Terry, C. (2006). Health Literacy and Cancer Communication. Cancer Journal for  Clinicians Vol. 76, Issue 20. pp 134-149.

5 Basic Principles Of Energy Security

5 Basic Principles Of Energy Security Energy security is put in first place among the priorities facing the European Union. Although the problems of ensuring energy security were standing in front of a united Europe from the beginning of the integration process in recent years they have acquired the greatest relevance and importance for the EU. This is due to the fact that today the EU depends 50% on external energy supplies to its market and on the policies pursued by supplier states. In addition, European countries are concerned about the well-known problems with the energy supply for them against the backdrop of turmoil between Russia, as the main EU energy supplier and Belarus and Ukraine, through whose territory the Russian hydrocarbons are delivered to the West. Russian-Ukrainian standoff on the issue of gas prices and transportation is the major concern of EU member states and compel them to talk about the need to diversify energy supplies. Concentrating 7% of world population, more than a quarter of world GDP an d 20% of world trade, the EU has only 2% of the world’s â€Å"black gold† and 4% natural gas. Limitation of its own resource base in Europe accounts for a significant dependence of the EU on external energy supplies. The European natural gas market is the third largest in the world. The volume of gas consumption in EU countries reached 513 billion m3 (21% of world consumption). Russia is the second largest EU oil supplier and provides 33% of the EU â€Å"black gold† needs. The Russian Gazprom is the leader in EU natural gas supplies with 46% of total. If we talk about security of energy supplies, the main task in this area is the energy sectors geographical and resource diversification i.e. the expansion of supply sources, supply routes and pipelines. The EU security in energy sector NABUKO I EU The European Union is seeking to protect self from energy dependence on Russia with diversification of natural gas supplies policy by agreements with non-conventional en ergy suppliers, the Caspian states (Caspian states have only 4-5% of world’s gas reserves). But due to the unreliability of Russian energy supplies through third countries (Belarus and Ukraine) as well as the possibility of using Russian resources as a political tool, transporting Caspian Sea hydrocarbons (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) to the West has acquired great importance to the EU. Improve supply reliability and energy security EU responsible implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor. The planned corridor is composed of three parts: the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline (the project provides for delivery of natural gas from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan), Baku – Tbilisi – Erzurum (from Azerbaijan through Georgia to Turkey) and Nabucco (from Turkish territory, via Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary Austria). Thus, the reliability of energy supply in Europe is due to the changing geography of supply, increasing the number of exporting countries, th e creation of new infrastructure facilities. In the face of increasing competition from non-traditional suppliers of hydrocarbons Russia is very important to maintain the competitiveness of their energy in the European market, to ensure effective and reliable conditions for their transit to Western Europe.

Measurement, Statistics, and Appraisal Assignment

Measurement, Statistics, and Appraisal - Assignment Example and Marko Margaritoni, a publication of 2010. The research looked at the mental, physical, and social challenges faced by women who have undergone mastectomy. Ideally the issue of breast cancer has been deemed to be a serious healthcare issue particularly to women. Over the years, cases of breast cancer have increased prompting studies aim at understanding the problem (Oluwatosin & Oladepo, 2006). In order to accomplish this task, a number of issues are critically examined including the purpose of the study, protection of human participants, data collection, data analysis, problem statement, and interpretation of findings. Purpose of study The researchers did an excellent job in introducing the study, giving relevant statistics and identifying gaps in research. According to them, little work concerning physical, emotional as well a other effects related to mastectomy has been done in relation to African women especially those living with limited resources, have little education among others. It is against this background that the researchers clearly presented the purpose of the research towards the end of their introduction. ... From the research, it is evident that the researchers managed to identify and describe the participants. They explained how they were recruited and how they obtained informed consent from the subject. More importantly, ethical clearance for the study was granted by Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital. Although it was indicated that participation was voluntarily, it can be deduced that the subjects took part in the study on their own volition since some of them declined to take part in the study and they were not victimized. The greatest benefit for participants in taking part in the study is related to medical advice they received from oncologist (Odigie, et al., 2010). It is worth noting that no risks were identified, however, there was the risk of participant undergoing psychological emotion when recalling their experiences after mastectomy. Nonetheless, this was not a serious issue compared to the benefits. Data collection All studies should clearly identify and describe bot h dependent and independent variables. In this case, the researcher listed a number of variables that were to be respondent to by participants (Burns & Grove, 2011). For instance, demographic data were collected, similarly, the following variables were identified â€Å"feeling of participants’ femininity, self-esteem, body image, the frequency of conjugal relations per week and the reasons for changes, frequencies of separation or divorce, the effect of treatment on sexual interest, ability to care for children, as well as updated marital status after 3 years† (Odigie, et al., 2010, p. 896). These variables were not fully described. The dependent variable according to the purpose of the study is psychological effect of

Retail marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Retail marketing strategy - Essay Example The entrepreneurs behind these ventures risk their capital, invest their time and make a living by offering consumers something they need or want. Most retailing involves buying merchandise or a service from a manufacturer, wholesaler, agent, importer or other retailer and selling it to consumers for their personal use. The price charged for the goods or services covers the retailer's expenses and includes a profit. Each year, this vital sector of the UK economy accounts for about 08 percent of our gross national product--more than $1 billion.. Most are store retailers, though there are other types of enterprises--such as e-commerce, mail order, automatic-merchandising (vending) machines, direct retailing (door-to-door and home party sales), and service providers. There are a considerable number of commentaries on the changing food retailing sector in UK. The sector is seen as being at the fore front of change and the leading food retailers are amongst the largest companies. Growing concentration in the economy has been associated with the increasing power of multiple retailers and a decline in the strength of the co-operatives and independents. The rise of the multiple retailers particularly through economies of scale and replication has produced a situation where only a handful of companies dominate food retailing. Currently the leading food retailers are Sainsbury and Tesco with Safeway in third place.

Fadiamn book, The spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Essay

Fadiamn book, The spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Essay Example Their different approaches and beliefs to Lia Lee’s condition, the miscommunication between the parents and the doctors, partly because of the language barrier, and her parents’ refusal to administer the medication leads to worsening of the condition that leaves Lia Lee brain dead. Since the Hmong culture believed that illness was practically a matter of spirituality and sacrifices, they did not take their daughter to the hospital for diagnosis. It was only after several seizures that they decided to take her to the hospital. The American doctors diagnosed Lia with epilepsy and gave her medication to manage the condition. The parents reluctantly agree to administer the medication but over the next four years, the anticonvulsants do not take effect as the doctors keep changing her prescriptions. This causes Lia Lees parents to doubt the effectiveness of the medication and consequently refuse to administer the drugs to Lia. This decision makes the American doctors take ac tion against Lia’s parents and place Lia in foster care where she could be given the drugs and hopefully get better. However a few months after returning home, Lai has a massive seizure that leaves her brain dead. With death imminent, the doctors allow her to be taken home by her parents, who were still hopeful that they would be able to unite Lia’s soul with her body and hence were organizing a pig sacrifice that was part of the Hmong’s rituals for uniting souls to their bodies. There is an evident cultural dissonance in regards to the Hmong’s view of sicknesses as tied to their culture and the American medical culture. The Hmong tie sicknesses to spirituality and believe that sicknesses are a result of an individual’s soul leaving its body and keep wondering after being possessed by spirits. In order to unite the wondering spirit with its body, the spirit has to be appeased by offering pig

Racial profiling Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Racial profiling - Coursework Example Indeed, it has been increasingly common in light of the perceived threats to the population by Islamic terrorists. Thus, in airplanes, Islamic-looking individuals are subjected to inspections and interviews of an intensity that white people are not normally subjected to. The increasing numbers of crime, and the associations by people that these crimes emanate from race-based communities such as Hispanic communities, are also responsible for the growing trend towards racial profiling. While racial profiling is never really legislated as a policy in its explicit sense, the ever-widening range of methods that a law enforcement officer are allowed to employ allow the use of racial profiling as a legitimate strategy. We now proceed to discussing the costs against the benefits of racial profiling. Those who support racial profiling believe that a utilitarian approach must be taken. The argument is that because it is true that there are crimes which certain racial groups are more predisposed to committing than other racial groups, â€Å"special efforts at crime reduction directed at members of such groups are justified, if not required.† (Risse and Zeckhauser, 2004). This basically means that law and order is a more important consideration than improving racial relations or fighting racial inequality. Because crime has such pernicious effects on society, so the argument goes, the order of the day is to end it. In contrast, those who are opposed to racial profiling dispute the position that some races have a greater tendency to commit some crimes than others. Indeed, in a study conducted, the officers’ behaviour of racial profiling is not supported by any showing that the criminal acts in the predominantly white community were committed by African Americans (Meehan and Ponder, 2002). Of course, the deeper objection to racial

Source of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Source of Finance - Essay Example However interest on overdrafts is usually greater than interest on other loans and banks even charge an overdraft facility fee. The company should therefore put all these in to consideration and make sure that the benefits to be achieved from the overdraft outweigh the costs associated with taking the overdraft. Also, overdrafts do not cover all financing requirements. The company should therefore assess whether its financing requirements are long-term or short-term. If short-term, then an overdraft can be a right source of funding but if long-term then an overdraft would be an inefficient way to raise funds since the overdraft would be required on demand by the bank. If that be the case the company might go into financial distress and subsequently bankruptcy. In addition, collateral security might be needed by the bank in the form of a tangible fixed asset or against personal guarantee provided by the directors. It this case, the company should consider the nature of its fixed assets and asses which assets it can put up as collateral. Another determining factor for the overdraft is the firm's cash flows, timing and receipts of payments, sales trends and other cash flows. By carefully analysing all these information the company would be able to arrive at a better conclusion as to whether to engage in the overdraft or not and if the answer is yes, the amount and when the overdraft is to be repaid. Before engaging in an overdraft, therefore, the company has to carefully study the costs of the overdrafts and benefits from the investment it wants to finance with the overdraft. Should the costs outweigh the benefits then it should not engage in the overdraft. However it should engage in the overdraft facility only if the benefits substantially exceed costs. (http://www.tutor2u.net/business/finance/finance_overdraft.htm). Existing shareholders The company can also raise the much needed 10000-euro through equity finance Finance raised from shareholders in the form of ordinary shares and reserves, as opposed to non-equity and to borrowing. (John and Nicolas, 2005) Handy Andy's corner shop can also raise its 10,000euro by making contact with a business angel.

Virtual Reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virtual Reality - Essay Example The virtual reality systems play an important role in education and training. It provides a solution to some of the challenges that the students may be facing. Virtonomics is one of the existing systems that are widely used by the students during training. It enables the students to test their knowledge and skills in the virtual economy. This has played an important role in providing solutions to the challenges that the students are likely to face in the real world. Virtual reality systems are widely used for military combat training. It enables the recruits to carry out their training under a controlled environment where they can respond to different situations. Head mounted display together with virtual reality weapon is used during the training of the recruits. Virtual reality enables the solders to train under different terrains without necessarily visiting such terrains physically. The existing virtual reality is also used widely for the training of combat pilots. This enables t hem to obtain the skills required in the battle field. Virtual reality systems are also used during the tank drivers. The existing systems, therefore, play an important role in ensuring that different personnel can obtain the required experience. Virtual reality is also used in some of the countries for train firemen. In other countries, it is used for training the doctors to respond to a different live threatening situation of the patients. Virtual reality is also used for gaming. The head mounted display is usually used for gaming.

Source of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Source of Finance - Essay Example However interest on overdrafts is usually greater than interest on other loans and banks even charge an overdraft facility fee. The company should therefore put all these in to consideration and make sure that the benefits to be achieved from the overdraft outweigh the costs associated with taking the overdraft. Also, overdrafts do not cover all financing requirements. The company should therefore assess whether its financing requirements are long-term or short-term. If short-term, then an overdraft can be a right source of funding but if long-term then an overdraft would be an inefficient way to raise funds since the overdraft would be required on demand by the bank. If that be the case the company might go into financial distress and subsequently bankruptcy. In addition, collateral security might be needed by the bank in the form of a tangible fixed asset or against personal guarantee provided by the directors. It this case, the company should consider the nature of its fixed assets and asses which assets it can put up as collateral. Another determining factor for the overdraft is the firm's cash flows, timing and receipts of payments, sales trends and other cash flows. By carefully analysing all these information the company would be able to arrive at a better conclusion as to whether to engage in the overdraft or not and if the answer is yes, the amount and when the overdraft is to be repaid. Before engaging in an overdraft, therefore, the company has to carefully study the costs of the overdrafts and benefits from the investment it wants to finance with the overdraft. Should the costs outweigh the benefits then it should not engage in the overdraft. However it should engage in the overdraft facility only if the benefits substantially exceed costs. (http://www.tutor2u.net/business/finance/finance_overdraft.htm). Existing shareholders The company can also raise the much needed 10000-euro through equity finance Finance raised from shareholders in the form of ordinary shares and reserves, as opposed to non-equity and to borrowing. (John and Nicolas, 2005) Handy Andy's corner shop can also raise its 10,000euro by making contact with a business angel.

Analysis of Nike Inc Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Nike Inc Essay The brand name â€Å"Nike† is one of the most recognized around the globe. The name is synonymous with high-quality athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories in the minds of many people worldwide. Perhaps it is the compelling marketing that commands attention. Or maybe it is the association between the brand name and its famous endorsers, such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Alternatively, it may be Nike’s cutting-edge sporting vision and technology that entrances multitudes of consumers. Quite conceivably, it is a combination of these factors that has propelled Nike to the top of its industry. However, not the entire of Nike’s story is ideal. In recent years, the company has faced criticism in connection with its use of contract labor in developing nations. The purpose of this case is to provide an understanding of the company’s background, its general business strategy, and its use of contract labor. The Athletic Apparel and Footwear Industry The athletic apparel and footwear industry experienced steady growth for more than two decades, beginning in the early 1980’s. For example, the volume sales in the footwear market are projected to reach 13. 3 billion pairs by the end of 2012, and by the year 2015, the world footwear market is forecast to reach $195 billion. Consumers were not just professional athletes, but ordinary men, women, and children who wore athletic apparel for both sports and leisure. The industry became more fashion-oriented, resulting in higher levels of innovation and cutting-edge technology. As a result of the emphasis on style and fashion and customers’ demands for improving performance and comfort, the industry experienced short life-cycles for individual products. The industry was characterized by fierce competition in global markets. Industry leaders jousted for supremacy in the professional, female, and youth segments. By 2005, the U. S. market was considered to be mature, and global markets were likewise rapidly approaching maturity, resulting in intensified competition for market share. There also was heated competition for advertising and promotional licenses, particularly between the two industry giants, Nike and Adidas. For instance, Adidas sponsored one of the world’s premiere soccer clubs, Real Madrid, while Nike sponsored Manchester United, also a world class soccer club in Great Britain. Adidas was also the Official Supporter of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the Germany 2006 World Cup in soccer. However, Nike’s presence was very evident in the World Cup: many teams in this tournament wore uniforms emblazoned with the unmistakable swoosh. The athletic footwear and apparel industry has enjoyed a measure of stability beginning in the 1980’s, due in part to the high barriers to entry that new firms faced. There were high start-up costs due to expensive raw materials; costly innovation, technology, and advertising; and the high market share held by the industry’s leaders. Existing companies achieved economies of scale that were not available to potential new entrants. In addition, established companies had distinct identities and brand-loyal customers. New entrants would have needed to match these companies in research and development and advertising expenditures to win over customers loyal to the other brands. The world economic recession has affected the world footwear market with sales witnessing erosions in developed countries and growth slowing down considerably in developing countries. The decline in income levels have reduced the spending on clothing especially apparel and footwear (including casual, outdoor, sports, and formal footwear). Tight liquidity and financial constraints have redefined value and have induced simplicity in lifestyles and this marks the beginning of shifting consumer focus towards value for money bargains. The recession induced price sensitivity, and trading down to lower price points, has therefore constricted revenues in the marketplace, even though expanding opportunities to value brands and private label brands. Premium priced branded athlete footwear market, which exhibited resilience at the start of the recession, has witnessed quick deterioration in business opportunities, with the number of sports participants and enthusiasts declining. The economic pressures of the recession impacted consumers interest in taking up sports, and the drop in sports participation is reflected in the widespread postponement of renewal of club membership fees. Against this backdrop, the global market for athletic footwear is expected to increase at a modest pace during 2007 through 2015 period. Nike, Inc. – From Humble Beginnings†¦ Although headquartered in Oregon, U. S. A. , Nike operated around the world. As of 2006, the company employed approximately 26,500 individuals worldwide. From humble beginnings, Nike had risen to lead the athletic footwear and apparel industry. Nike began life in 1964, co-founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. Bowerman was an Olympian, then an Olympic coach, then head track coach at the University of Oregon from 1948 to 1973. On a trip to New Zealand during the early 1960s, he noticed people running for and for the sheer joy of running. The concept intrigued him, and upon his return to the United States, he started the country’s first running club. He also wrote a book entitled â€Å"Jogging† in which he explained how to run for fun and fitness. During Bowerman’s tenure at the University of Oregon, he had coached a young middle distance runner named Phil Knight. Knight wrote a research paper arguing that cheaper, high-performance Japanese shoes could overthrow German dominance of the U. S. athletic shoe industry. On a trip to Japan, Knight contracted with the Onitsuka Tiger Company to sell its quality athletic shoes in the U. S. He made up the name Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) in 1962 and formed a partnership with Bowerman in 1964, each partner investing $500 in the business (Nike Timeline, 2006). Bowerman designed most of the prototypes and made suggestions for improvement to the Tiger Company, while Knight distributed the shoes from his father’s basement and out of the back of his car at track meets. In 1965, Jeff Johnson, Knight’s former track competitor at Stanford University, became the first full-time employee of BRS. Under his guidance, BRS opened its first retail outlet in Santa Monica, California, in 1966 (Nike Timeline, 2006). In the following year, the company was incorporated. In 1971, Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student that Knight met at Portland State University, designed the swoosh for $35. Later that year, Jeff Johnson devised the name Nike, after the Greek goddess of triumph and victory. â€Å"Nike† edged out Knight’s idea of calling the company â€Å"Dimension 6† (Nike Timeline, 2006). In 1970, Bowerman created the first running outsole by pouring liquid rubber into his wife’s waffle maker, an innovation that forever changed the design of running shoes (Nike Timeline, 2006). In 1972, Nike and the Onitsuka Tiger Company parted company. Later that year, Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase became the first professional athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Nike. Nike’s signing of American record-holder track athlete Steve Prefontaine in 1973 led to many athletes converting to the new brand. In 1974, the waffle trainer was introduced and quickly became the best-selling training shoe in the nation. Subsequent endorsement contracts, advertising campaigns, and athletic footwear innovations (such as Nike air cushioning shoes in 1979) established Nike as a force to be reckoned with. In 1986, corporate revenues exceeded $1 billion for the first time (Nike Timeline, 2006). To Industry Leader In 2005, Nike generated total revenues of $13. 7 billion, an increase over 2004 of 11. percent. Nike held 40 percent of the global market for athletic shoes and apparel (Nike, Inc. , Datamonitor, 2005). Adidas’ acquisition of Reebok in January 2006 made that company a serious rival to Nike’s industry dominance, cornering 20 percent of the worldwide market (Nike, Inc. , 2006, Hoover’s Company Records). The remaining 40 percent market share was divided among other industry contenders, such as Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport, K-Swiss, Adams Golf, Callaway Golf Company, and Columbia Sportswear. Nike continued to lead the industry, largely due to its strong international presence. In 2003, Nike’s international sales outstripped its U. S. sales for the first time; in 2005, international sales generated 62. 7 percent of all revenues. Nike sold about 200 million pairs of athletic shoes, and the footwear division contributed 53. 1 percent of all sales for 2005. In 2007, Nikes revenue totaled $16. 326 billion, making a total gross profit of $7. 16 billion. In 2012, for the quarter ended 29 February, Nike’s net income rose 7% to $560 million from the same period last year. Nike said that worldwide future orders for its footwear and apparel, scheduled for delivery from March to July 2012, came to $9. billion up 15% from the same period last year. In North America, Nike’s revenues surged by 17% to $2. 15 billion, and in China, gained by 25% to $694 million. Revenues in Western Europe, which has been suffering from sluggish growth and a debt crisis, rose by 4% to $962 million, but these are expected to increase prominently this summer, with the European football championships in Poland and Ukraine and the 2012 Olympics in London. Finally, the total revenues rose 15% to $5. 8 billion. In January, Nike agreed compensation in a dispute with workers in Indonesia over unpaid overtime. Its Indonesian subsidiary will pay $1 million to about 4,500 workers. Nike’s Vision, Mission and Values An effective and successful Vision statement is powerful and compelling, conveying confidence and inspiring views of the future. The importance of a Vision Statement should not be underestimated. One good paragraph will describe the values, services and vision for the future. The main reason for an organizations existence is to follow through on the mission, vision values, and goals taking into considerations all key stakeholders. However, every company has different set of stakeholders varying in power and significance. The Nike organization uses the collaborative process in functional areas identifying the key stakeholders to facilitate appropriate interactions. In defining the company, strategic managers must identify all of the stakeholders groups and weigh their relative rights and their relative ability to affect the firms success (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Resourcing the key stakeholders to recommend strategic action plans that support the organizational structure and facilitate the organizations success. The Nike Mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world and if you have a body you are an athlete (Nike, 2010). This refers to the fact that Nike exists to supply everyone in the world with the shoes, equipment, or apparel that if anyone has a body then anyone has the potential of becoming an athlete. From the start one understands that Nike intends to merchandize to the world of athletes or people who have a body. That is a huge undertaking, which involves various sets of stakeholder groups. The mission is the catalyst that drives the organization. The stakeholders have power to influence the process of accomplishing the mission, vision, values and goals. However the stakeholders groups have varying ideas, goals, objectives and expectations on how to accomplish the mission. Thus claims must be reconciled in a mission statement that resolves the competing, conflicting and contradicting claims of stakeholders (Pearce Robinson, 2009). The mission must be clear and concise with a solitary purpose that represents the firms goal. Nikes vision is to help Nike, Incorporated and our consumers thrive in a sustainable economy where people, profit, and planet are in balance (Nike, 2010). By integrating information from the various stakeholders roups, rethinking pass mistakes and processes will allow Nike to continue, implementing sustainable principles. This information enables Nike to make changes in the industry and in the company. Identifying challenges, brainstorming solutions, deciding and acting to evaluate, monitor, and reevaluate if the vision is in line with expectations. Nikes values are formed by the strategy teams whose primary focus is to work repeatedly on each part of the vision, strategy, factories, environment, community people, and culture the process keeping Nike in line with working toward the goals of Nike organization. The goal for Nike is believing in the partnerships formed valuing the opportunity to work together with all stakeholders in the apparel industry and to share best practices. Nike has built a stronger relationship with the European governments by considering legislation that will form the future of the clothing industry in areas such as recycling, environmental labeling, consumer awareness, and sustainability. Nike supports the goal of partnerships that bring solutions to enhance sustainability throughout its supply chain and helping the world. Nikes mission, vision, values and goals take on the responsibility living up to these stated purposes. Working together to provide inclusiveness, and diversity inventing ways for people, products and profit to thrive for the Nike organization. Creating systems that work together with partners to rethink, reshape, and analyze challenges. Each component builds upon the other to accomplish primary reasons that Nike exists, for the athlete, the planet and to profit. A company’s core philosophy has the power to influence, inspire and challenge employees on a daily basis. Nike, being the progressive company they are, employs an emergent strategy, one that originates in the interaction of an organization with its environment. Nike’s philosophy is of an extremely importance, not only because of the great success it has garnered Nike and their products, but also because of the continuous call to creativity and innovation it facilitates. The Nike core purpose, experiencing the emotion of winning and crushing your competition, is also important in developing the foundation of a brand promise and value proposition.

Telecommunication in the 21st Century

Telecommunication in the 21st Century Telecommunication in the 21st century have improved over the decade by the introduction of better techniques through which signals can be transmitted from a transmitter through a medium to a receiver. These techniques have improved mobile communications, satellite transmissions and helped to improve data security. Some of these techniques are amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), sampling and link analysis (SLA) and PCM. The acronym PCM represents ‘Pulse-code modulation’, which is used for digitizing analogue data, for instance, audio signals. This is carried out by sampling analogue signals at uniform interval and then quantized to a series of symbols in a digital code (e.g. 10001).Its technically a way in which analogue signals are converted to digital form. PCM technique has its advantages; It makes processing of signals cheap since PCM is digital. It helps to filter off frequencies above the highest signal frequency. Pulse-code modulation has been a form used for some compact disc formats, digital video and for digital audio in computers. In PCM, there are series of processed to be followed; Filtering Sampling Quantizing Binary coding Companding Filtering This is a process where frequencies above the highest signal frequency are removed. The reason for this is that if this frequency is not removed, problems would occur when going to the next stage of sampling. Sampling This stage of the PCM is performed through PAM (pulse amplitude modulation).It answer the question of how signals change from one form to another (analogue to digital). It makes use of the original analog signal and uses it for the amplitude modulation of a pulse which has constant amplitude and frequency, this constant frequency is known as the sampling frequency (i.e. the number of samples per second ).The sampling frequency have to be more than the maximum frequency of the analogue signal. To work out the sampling rate, Nyquist theorem is used; â€Å"That in order to be able to reconstruct the original analogue signal, a minimum number of samples had to be taken†.It could be stated as: Fs > 2(BW) Fs = Sampling frequency BW = Bandwidth of original analog voice signal Quantizing and Coding This basically means the converting of each of the analogue sample into a discrete value (in the form of a binary code) that can be given a digital code word. It is done by assigning each sample a certain quantization interval. The instantaneous amplitude is been rounded off to certain levels, this thereby introduces some uncertainties (quantization noise).This is given by this expression; Number of levels = 2 ^ Bn (Bn is the number of bits used in the encoding) It was proven from the experiment that the higher the number of quantization levels the lesser the amount of quantizing noise. However this process of increasing the quantizing level to lower the quantizing noise introduces complexity into the system as the PCM system would need to be able to handle more code word. Companding It is a word derived from the combination of compressing and expanding. This is another stage in pulse–code modulation. It is a process of compressing a given analogue signal and this signal is expanded to its original size on getting to destination. In this process, the input signal is compressed into logarithmic segments and then quantized and coded. The more the signals increase the more the compression increases. Since the larger signals are compressed more than the smaller signals, the quantization noise increases. This indirectly keeps the SNR (signal to noise ratio) constant. EXPRERIMENTATION AND OBSERVATION Apparatus Oscilloscope PCM ENCODER module Connection cable The experiment was carried out by sending an input (analogue message) into the PCM ENCODER module. This input is constrained to a defined bandwidth and amplitude range in order to make sure the Nyquist criterion is observed. The PCM ENCODER module looks like the diagram below: A suitable encoding scheme for the analogue sample is selected. For example a 4-bit or 7-bit encoding scheme. The analogue signal is fed through the Vin. For this experiment, the clock rate us 8.33 kHz TTL signal from MASTER SIGNAL module. Time frame is also very essential as each binary word is located in a time frame. It’s 8 clock periods long and has 8 slots of equal length (i.e. 0 – 7). The LSB (consisting of 1’s and 0’s) are embedded in the encoder itself. This is useful in determining the location of each frame in the data stream. Initially the 4-bit linear coding scheme is selected and patched up with the 8.33 kHz TTL sample clock.CH-2A displays the clock signal on the oscilloscope. The display below shows a 4-bit PCM output for zero amplitude input; Quantization in PCM ENCODING is the next stage after sampling. The quantization level is rather transmitted instead of the sample value. The quantization levels are binary coded (i.e. binary ‘1’ in the presence of a pulse and binary ‘0’ in the absence of a pulse) RESULTS AND OBSERVATION The output of the variable DC is connected to Vin and sweeping the DC voltage slowly forward and backward shows discrete jumps in the data pattern, e.g. The maximum voltage is recorded as -2.51V.Also increasing the amplitude of the DC input signal looks like the diagram below; Changing the DC voltage from the maximum to minimum gave a range of binary code variations as listed below; The following measurements were later made after recording the quantizing levels and associated binary numbers; Sampling rate – 16.6 kHz Frame width – 950 µs Width of a data bit 120 µs Width of a data word 480 µs Number of quantizing level – 16 From the measurement above it could be concluded that the quantizing levels are linearly spaced .The same process would be applicable to a 7-bit linear encoding using the toggle switch on the front panel, though it would take longer than the 4-bit linear encoding done earlier. The Companding stage in a PCM is the process by which an analogue signal is been compressed at the source and then expanded back to its original size when it gets to its destination. During this process, the signal is compressed into segments which are quantized using uniform quantization. As the sample signal increases, the compression increases (i.e. the larger samples gets more compressed than the smaller samples). The standard of companding used in this experiment is the A-law .The equation is; Where A = 87.7 in Europe and X is the normalized integer to be compressed. RESULTS AND OBSERVATION The toggle switch is changed back to a 4-bit companding and the TIMs A4 companding law pre-selected is selected from the switch board. This gave the measurement below; In PCM decoding, the TIMs PCM DECODER module is used for decoding. This is the first operation in the receiver towards regenerating the received pulses. Amplitude of the pulse generated is the linear sum of all pulses in the coded word. In other to be able to recover the information on the PCM decoder, the knowledge of the sampling rate used to encode the signal is essential. RESULTS AND OBSERVATION The setup is similar to the earlier setup with CH-1A connected to the scope selector to the PCM output of the PCM ENCODER.A large negative DC is used for the message, the alternating ‘0’ and ‘1’ bits produced are measured to be 1920ms apart. The 4-bit linear decoding scheme is now selected to carry out the decoding process. The 8.33 kHz TTL signal is stolen from the transmitter and connected to the clock input. Time division multiplexing (TDM) is an alternative to the method of multiplexing using frequency sharing. Each channel is allocated a specific time slots, and each slots contain frames which must be repeated at the sampling rate. It can only be used for pulsed signals and not for analogue signals because they are continuous in time. The importance of TDM is that it enables many independent signals to be transmitted. RESULTS AND OBSERVATION A PCM TDM signal could be generated using PCM ENCODER; each driven by the same clock ( one the MASTER and the other SLAVE).Interconnecting in this way eliminates other frames and gives room for the two output to be added together to form the TDM signal. The display on the oscilloscope is shown below; The connection of the MASTER and the SLAVE generates the diagram below; Patching up the two PCM data outputs generates the display below; The next step which is shown below is to confirm that the frame synchronization bit is a ‘1’ for the MASTER and ‘0’ for the SLAVE The last stage of this experiment is to separate the two messages that have been multiplexed earlier. The PCM demodulator is patched up, with each module receiving the same clock stolen from the transmitter and each module also receives an external FS signal. The diagram below confirms the two messages have been recovered and appear at the correct outputs; CONCLUSION Pulse Code Modulation is however a very effective way of conveying audio signal by sampling the signal and transmitting binary coded pulse representing the sample values. It has emerged the most favored modulating scheme for transmitting analogue information such as voice and video signals. The advantages of PCM over the other forms of modulation (e.g. analogue modulation) are; PCM suppresses wideband noise. It is effective in the regeneration of the coded signal along the transmission path. It enables digital multiplexing. It enables the efficient exchange of increased channel bandwidth for improved signal-to-noise ratio. All these advantages however come at the expense of increased system complexity and increases channel bandwidth. REFERENCES http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PCM.html [last accessed 25/03/08] http://cbdd.wsu.edu/kewlcontent/cdoutput/TR502/page13.htm [last accessed 25/03/08] http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/788/signalling/waveform_coding.pdf [last accessed 25/03/08] http://www.comlab.hut.fi/opetus/245/2004/09_PCM.ppt#20 [last accessed 25/03/08] Rodger E.Ziener and William H.Tranter, â€Å"Principles of Communication†, Chapter 3, John Wiley and sons, NY, 2002. Simon Haykin, â€Å"Communication Systems†, Chapter 3, John Wiley and sons, NY, 2001. David Petersen, â€Å"Audio, Video and Data Telecommunications†, Chapter 2, McGraw-Hill, Cambridge, 1992.

Artificial Intelligence in William Gibson’s Neuromancer Essay -- Neuro

Artificial Intelligence in William Gibson’s Neuromancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Artificial Intelligence is a term not too widely used in today’s society.   With today’s technology we haven’t found a way to enable someone to leave their physical body and let their mind survive within a computer.   Could it be possible?   Maybe someday, but for now it’s just in theory.   The novel by William Gibson, Neuromancer, has touched greatly on the idea of artificial intelligence.   He describes it as a world where many things are possible.   By simply logging on the computer, it opens up a world we could never comprehend.   The possibilities are endless in the world of William Gibson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This world of artificial intelligence has the power to produce many questions and theories because we don’t understand something that isn’t possible.   â€Å"How smart’s an AI, Case?   Depends.   Some aren’t much smarter than dogs.   Pets.   Cost a fortune anyway.   The real smart ones are as smart as the Turing heat is willing to let ‘em get.†Ã‚   (Page 95)   This shows that an artificial intelligence can be programmed to only do certain ...

Death of a Salesman Essay -- Arthur Miller Exposes Willy Loman

â€Å"Death of a Salesman† written by Arthur Miller in 1948 attempts to give the audience an unusual glimpse into the mind of a Willy Loman, a mercurial 60-year-old salesman, who through his endeavor to be â€Å"worth something†, finds himself struggling to endure the competitive capitalist world in which he is engulfed. Arthur Miller uses various theatrical techniques to gradually strip the protagonist down one layer at a time, each layer revealing another truth about his distorted past. By doing this, Miller succeeds in finally exposing a reasonable justification for Willy’s current state of mind. These techniques are essential to the play, as it is only through this development that Willy can realistically be driven to motives of suicide. The very first section of the first scene, already defines the basis of Willy’s character for the rest of the play. The stage directions on page 8 identify him as being an exhausted aging man, whose work seems to be wearing him down. â€Å"†¦lets his burden down†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Miller, 8). Although this makes Willy appear uninteresting, he soon contrasts this characteristic when he shows an optimistic determination towards his own failures. â€Å"I’ll start out in the morning. Maybe I’ll feel better in the morning.† (Miller, 9) Another aspect of Willy that makes him more interesting to the audience is his already visible complexity of layers: â€Å"I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts.† (Miller, 9) This of course leads the audience on to wondering what exactly is taking place in a man’s head to make him say such a thing, evoking a mild fascination in Willy’s character. Another character that is developed almost immed iately within the first two pages of the play is Linda. Again the stage directions on page 8 introdu... ...me period without using artificial â€Å"memorable speech†. This conveyance of realism to the audience is vital for Willy’s motives to seem plausible, and for Willy to be believed in as a character. On the other hand however, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† offers the audience another aspect of the play in which the inner mind of a character is symbolically represented in an expressionistic way on stage. Arthur Miller however succeeds in combining theses seemingly contradictory techniques, by conveying a sense of realism in the way the protagonist’s mind is portrayed, creates what sets it aside from anything alike it. Work Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. U.K.: Penguin, 2013. Works Consulted Bloom, Harold. Arthur Miller. New York: Chelsea, 2008. Griffin, Alice. Understanding Arthur Miller. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1996.

High Gas Prices Threaten Northern Nevada’s Economy

The article ‘Oil costs threaten Nevada's economy’ in the Reno Gazette-Journal is about how the rising gas prices are expected to cause economical hardship for Northern Nevada.The problems stem from the fact that tourism is very important in this area with most of the tourism business coming from people driving from California (Cox, 2007).   With the high gas prices people are not expected to travel as much, meaning that the tourism is going to be lower in this area.Less tourism means less money coming in and that is not good for the economy of this area.   The effects are expected to be seen over the next couple of years and will likely affect Northern Nevada only since the rest of the state gets most of its business from tourists traveling by air.   The overall conclusion of the article is that rising gas prices are going to cause a drop in tourism in the northern parts of Nevada, but the likelihood of this impact is going to be something that can be overcome and should not devastate this area of the state.The impact on the state of Nevada, according to the article, is one of a short term nature that is a localized issue and will not affect the whole state.The cause of the issue is that high gas prices are causing people to travel less and the economy in northern Nevada relies heavily upon people visiting, mostly from those driving in from California (World Now, 2001-2007).   The fact that the economy of the area is so dependent upon travel means that when travel decreases, business decreases (Cox, 2007) and money is lost.According to the article, it is likely to be a problem that will surface over the next couple of years, but it something that can probably be handled and will not cause long term problems with the economy of Northern Nevada.   Nevada has seen such hardships before and managed to survive through them, so it is predicted that the state will come through this just fine, too (World Now, 2001-2007).Based upon the information given by the expert in the article, the whole state is not going to impacted just the northern part (World Now, 2001-2007) and basing my opinion on this, I believe this is not a huge issue the state will need to deal with.Las Vegas is the biggest attraction in the state and it is located in the south, so it is really doubtful that the economy of the whole state is going to see a huge impact by gas prices.   Overall, the effects will likely be minimal on a state wide level and mainly concentrated to the northern area.   Ã‚  With that in mind it really does not seem like a major issue that should worry people in Nevada.   It is not going to cause the economy to take a nose dive or anything of that nature.It seems Nevada has handled such problems before and the businesses should be able to survive despite the issues (Cox, 2007).   While it may be hard for the next couple of years, Northern Nevada will bounce back.   It is a popular tourist destination and is bound to stay th at way despite the cost of gas.   Perhaps the only downfall is going to be the effect on small businesses, which may not be able to survive the hard times.  Ã‚   A little loss over an extended period of time could make it hard for a small business to afford to be able to operate.In my opinion, gas prices are hurting business and people all over the country, so the problem is not really unique to Nevada.   However, as it states in the article, Northern Nevada is a big concern due to the fact that the majority of business comes there from people who are driving into the area (Cox, 2007).   It would make sense that as gas prices rise, people are going to be using cheaper methods of travel and may go elsewhere that they can get to by air.So, in the long run, it is likely that this impact will be felt pretty hard by those businesses in the north, but with all the information and opinions expressed on the past occurrences of rough economic times, there is little doubt that this ar ea will not have problems bouncing back.   It is a short term problem that will probably not cause long term effects.   Additionally, it is not going to effect the whole state, but rather just business in the north.   

From Bretton Woods to Global Finance

Eric Helleiner’s paper, â€Å"From Bretton Woods to Global Finance: A World Turned Upside Down,† discussed the major causes of the globalization of financial markets, were surprisingly attributed to the Bretton Woods system that opposed a liberal, international financial order. In addition, Helleiner also expounded how the states played an essential role in the globalization process despite the widely-believed fact that they were not major factors in the global development of financial markets.In general, the central issues discussed by the author were the actual processes of globalization and how com/the-causes-of-the-collapse-of-the-bretton-woods-system/">the Bretton Woods system brought about a global process that it never intended to create. His central argument was that the state played three major roles that caused the rise of global financial markets. In addition, he also argued that the Bretton Woods system unknowingly helped the creation of these markets due it s system of trade and finances. Before he outlined his arguments, he first discussed the process of the development of the Bretton Woods system.First was that capitals controls were established to protect the new macroeconomic planning mechanisms from speculative financial movements that could disrupt the equilibrium. Second, due the increase in expenditure, the state was not capable of allowing their citizens and corporations to move funds abroad to avoid being taxed. Third was that the local financial regulatory structures established during the 1930s and 1940s would collapse if the domestic borrowers and savers were given access to the markets of finance abroad.Lastly, the state had to be protected from â€Å"hot money† or illegal transactions and financial flows that were caused by political motives and moves towards legislation. Meaning to say, under the Bretton Woods system, access to international or foreign markets were limited during that time because it did not bene fit the state as much as it did the foreign markets. In addition, the system also believed that a liberal financial order was not compatible with system of exchange rates and liberal trading system that were considered as highly stable.Speculative or uncertain financial flows were one of the major causes of disturbances in foreign exchange rates. In trade, capital movements threatened to force painful and adverse adjustments on the current account which was less flexible and as a result would raise the demands for protectionist measures. In other words, financial liberalism was sacrificed in order to pave the way for a liberal trading order and stable exchange rate that were vital to the growth and development of a country.However, the Bretton Woods system was significantly changed after the globalization of financial markets. Helleiner noted that that the post possible causes of the emergence of global financial markets were market pressure and the significant advancements in techn ology. In terms of technology, the various advancements and creation of highly sophisticated devices made moving money around the world much easier and less costly. In terms of market however, Helleiner noted five causes.These included: the restoration of the market confidence and the assurance that international financial transactions were safe; the swift expansion in the demand for international services in the market which happened alongside the growth of multinational corporations; the OPEC states’ deposition of major surplus funds in international banking markets; the beginning of floating exchange rates which prompted markets to diversify their assets; and the last was that conservative local markets pressured the financial operators to the international stage in order to keep up with the rising competition in the domestic markets.Although Helleiner did not discount the roles that technology and market pressure played in the globalization process, he also argued that th e states also played key roles. These roles are: the states’ failure to implement effective controls, its liberalization activities, and the prevention of major financial crisis. He noted that during that time, when the U. S.rejected abolished the Bretton Woods system of capital controls and created a liberal financial order, European countries and Japan, failed to implement control measures that would counteract America’s new stance due to the major costs it entailed. As a result, most countries also adopted a more liberal financial order similar to the U. S. The states’ second role, which was the liberalization of the market, Helleiner argued, involved the enabling of domestic banks and corporations to operate offshore or internationally.This eventually disrupted the fixed and controlled exchange rates that were established by the Bretton Woods system. Lastly, Helleiner claimed that the states prevention of major financial crises, such as the United States res cue of the Franklin National Bank in 1974 and Mexican debt in1982, eventually paved the way for countries, which were regulated by the Bretton Woods system of capital controls, to embrace a more liberal financial system in order to avert a crisis.In short, Helleiner vividly illustrated how the Bretton Woods system contributed to its own undowing. In general, all of the author’s points were very true as Helleiner made use of actual historical events to substantiate his claims. While the Bretton Woods system of capital controls was effective during that time, it only had temporary effects. Today, the market is too diverse and too flexible to be controlled by a single regulating system.Moreover, I also believe the fact that the states, due to their dependency on international financial flows during that time, unknowingly played crucial roles in the globalization of financial markets, which eventually resulted in a free market that is being enjoyed by most parts of the world toda y. In addition, I also believe that international trade and globalization are essential factors in the growth and development of any country because it involves penetrating markets all over the world.In short, the Bretton Woods system can be considered truly obsolete and should never be implemented again especially today as the global market is highly volatile and is subject to various changes. The placement of capital controls under the Bretton Woods system also means limiting the capabilities of the market, which would prove to be disadvantageous in the future. References Helleiner, E. (2007). From Bretton Woods to Global Finance: A World Turned