CSR in particular industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CSR in particular industry - Essay Example However, in the early days, many researchers were convinced that CSR strategies and activities were homogeneous across different industries. However, advanced research has revealed that CSR is a heterogeneous field. Such heterogeneity means that some industries have to exhibit more effort in developing effective CSR. Therefore, CSR activities vary across industries. Moreover, assessment of effective CSR strategies also varies across the industries. This paper will discuss the reasons why CSR activities, exhibit such variance across industries. Research has identified that CSR strategies depend on several factors for each organization. These factors include the characteristics of the organization, the national framework of CSR, the nature of business activities, the category of labour involved, the risk of harming the environment, and finally the society where the business is located. Different industries exhibit varied characteristics. They depend on different stakeholder groups, have varied proximity to the consumers, and usually have differential potential in causing social or environmental adverse effects. This only means that industries that are likely to pose potential environmental damages or negative social effects have to define more CSR strategies. Moreover, industries exhibiting a close proximity to consumers have to be more focused on SCR that ensure consumer safety (Mullerat & Brennan 2011, p. 113). Moreover, such industries have to be more critical of their supply chains. On the other hand, some industries do not have the compulsion to define numerous CSR activities depending on the nature of their business activities. In order to illustrate the points described above, examples of different industries and the level of CSR activities expected of them will be presented in this section. Financial institutions do not pose great risks to the environment, but are required to promote sustainability and protect the environment

Nursing and Care Essay Example for Free

Nursing and Care Essay The concept of Synergy can be applied to the practice of nursing by means of education and service. To obtain Synergy in nursing the nurse’s knowledge and skills are able to meet the individual needs of the patient population that is presented. Currently in Western Pennsylvania, there is a rising number maternal substance abuse during pregnancy. This epidemic in turn creates a different type of population in infants than other areas of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with specific healthcare needs. One area that is lacking synergy is the care of this rising patient population of infants suffering from Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This creates a gap between nursing education and clinical application. Due to the rise in NAS infants it is important for nurses to be educated in proper care for an infant presenting with this diagnosis, symptom management, communication skills, and the fundamental knowledge Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Poor patient outcomes can be caused by a lack of understanding addiction. The Vermont Oxford Network states, â€Å"Fear of stigmatization, discrimination, child removal, poor treatment, and criminal prosecution has deterred women from seeking care. However, the research suggests that providing substance dependent women with comprehensive healthcare, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, and social support improves pregnancy, birth, and child development outcomes. † (Horbar, Soll Buus-Frank, 2013) When the infant is admitted into the acute care setting, the care needs of these patients should focus less on the immediate outcome, and more on what will create the greatest good for each patient as an individual. There is an essential need for the development of collaborative solutions for care and education in the healthcare setting for the care of this rising population. Often this would be to provide care with a realistic goal of maintaining optimal levels of comfort with minimal side effects of withdraw. â€Å"About 40% of infants who exhibit withdrawal symptoms can be treated without medication. † (White, 2013) Nurses who take time to ensure a level of comfort will help to alleviate symptoms of NAS withdraw and also help support the family in their infant’s care. In addition to providing comfort will help decrease the need to be medicated for withdraw and ultimately will lead to a shorter hospitalization. The manager of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will need to address this issue and implement change in order to improve patient outcomes. The competencies that make up the Synergy model are clinical judgment, advocacy and moral agency, caring practices, facilitation of learning, collaboration, systems thinking, response to diversity, and clinical inquiry. For the NAS population advocacy, clinical judgment, caring practices and facilitation of learning are most important. Advocacy proposes the nurse to serve as a moral agent to work on the infant’s behalf in order to provide the greatest good to help resolve concerns that are both clinical and ethical. Clinical judgment is the ability for the nurse to take on the leadership role to care for their patient. Infants are unable to make healthcare decisions; the nurse must consider the parent’s wishes and what the result the nurses’ actions will yield for this infant. These actions must positively contribute to their plan of care overall. Caring practices creates a compassionate and therapeutic environment for each the patients, recognizing the unique needs of each infant. The nurse acts as a facilitator of learning when he/she incorporates the understanding of the infant’s family into the care. The Synergy mode includes patient characteristics, which are, resiliency, vulnerability, stability, complexity, resource availability, participation in care and decision-making and predictability. For the NAS population the patient characteristics would immediately associate complexity, vulnerability, and participation in care and decision-making. Complexity as referred to as to the multitude of symptoms that are to be considered for proper care of the patient. These infants are unable communicate pain, symptoms needs, and what their desire’s are. For example, these infant’s cry and are inconsolable until the nurse goes through a trial and error until he/she figures out the needs of the child. They do not understand what is happening to them. Vulnerability includes the stressors that these patients will be exposed to that may affect outcomes. The infants depend on the decisions their families and healthcare professionals. Increased length of hospital stay can lead to problems that may decline in their already compromised condition, for example, infection. Lastly, the NAS patients are vulnerable due to the fact that they are unable to make their own healthcare decisions and have to depend on parents and healthcare providers to be speak on their behalf. The parents participate in care as they receive information and help assist in the care for their child. Analyze the Case Nursing education places emphasis on clinical presentation, physical stressors and conditions that affect the patient and their associated treatments. Increased education is needed for nurses on the postpartum and NICU units about the treatment for this specific patient population. With the increase in drug dependent mothers there seems to be little nursing education provided on postpartum and NICU nursing units about the care for these infants, and this issue needs to be addressed. â€Å"Infants with NAS have higher rates of neonatal complications, prolonged lengths of stay and consume substantial NICU and hospital resources. Further, they impose a growing burden on already strained healthcare resources because state Medicaid expenditures are disproportionately impacted. † (Horbar, Soll Buus-Frank, 2013) The administration and education team needs to identify this problem and incorporate teaching and updated research on these units. One competency that lacks synergy in the nursing care of the NAS population is collaboration. â€Å"Collaboration enhances the capacity of a group and increases the potential for success. † (Hardin Kaplow, p. 75, 2005) It is not uncommon when different discipline areas such as the nurse, doctor, social worker etc. identify different goals for the patient. Poor communication causes the team to not work in unison to collaborate and work towards a common goal. â€Å"A key to collaboration is the communication that must exist between the patient, family, and health care team members as well as among members of the health care team. Another synergy lacking competency would be caring practices, which is the unique nursing care provided to the patient and families. Within the NAS population nurses have to recognize the differences and incorporated them into the infants care. Having compassion and creating a calming environment help provide comfort in a therapeutic environment. Often times the NAS population is considered as level II care, this allows for the nurses to take on a multiple patient assignment of three to five infants at a time. The NAS population is unique; they require much coddling and almost constant attention from the nurse. Having greater than three patients causes a great disadvantage to these children due to the nurse having to spread herself thin to meet the basic needs of feeding, changing and medicating, the nurse does not have adequate time to rock and soothe the infants causing greater withdraw symptoms. The rational decision-making model will help identify and implement the appropriate changes that are essential in optimizing care for the NAS population. Improvement in the education of the healthcare staff will create better patient outcomes. This decision making process includes three steps to achieve this objective: identify possible outcomes, determine probability of each outcome, and take action with the highest probability to achieve a positive outcome. The considered actions are increased in-person training, mandatory review of printed materials, or an on-line training course. The greatest positive outcome would come from increased in-person training. Create a Change Proposal Part of the nursing orientation for staff will be to participate in a class specified for the training related to care of the NAS infant prior to working in the NICU. Written material as well as a presentation will be provided. The attending physician will make a statement about services provided to the NAS infant, medications and important facts that the physician would like in report. For the staff nurses’ senior nursing projects are assigned yearly and are presented to maintain their status on the unit. Assigning NAS care to a few nurses each year will keep the most up to date research on the unit. These nurses will participate in Internet presentations that focus on quality, safety and care for infants and families of and NAS infant. Finally, a staff member from the social work team will join and present his/her role in the case of a NAS infant. The unit will provide CEU’s for this training. This proposal will affect the unit internally by involving the management team and multiple staff disciplines. The management team will help aid in this proposal by providing a day that is designated this additional training and appoint the appropriate nursing, physician and social work staff to participate in running the program. Finally obtaining CEU’s approved by the state board of nurses to offer education credits for after the completion of training. The designated nurses assigned to NAS as a senior project must keep up to date with the training information prior to the class of new staff, doing so will ensure they are prepared for questions that may arise. With this proposal the staff has the potential to increase the patient stability, outcome and satisfaction. Also this proposal will be aimed to help the nurses caring for NAS infants to promote patient care through evidenced based research. A change model that applies to this proposal would be the Lewin’s change model. This model is based on unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. First the unfreezing stage, the current beliefs and ideas will change with the desired outcome. The health care team will sufficiently identify the epidemic and need for changes in care for the NAS infant, inspiring the education and treatments needed to move the staff towards bettering practices. Lastly, refreezing, the nursing staff will have a new outlook or attitude towards NAS infants. Changes in the treatment process will be instituted based on the staff’s new outlook. Having the knowledge and resources for the care of the NAS infant will allow the care team to handle each unique case with evidenced based approach. Along with any type of change there will always be positive and negative outcomes on the environment. Positive outcomes will include an influx in nursing knowledge, better patient outcomes and an increased amount of resources for the staff. Negative outcomes may include not having the adequate amount of staff to run this program and the biases formed by individuals prior to participating in this class. A way to follow up with the care provided to these patients and their families would be an optional survey completed by the families allowing the unit to see their strengths and weaknesses. The survey will allow for improvement of care. â€Å"Nurses who have confidence in their ability to positively impact maternal parenting behaviors through education and skill building may impact patient care outcomes. It is imperative that the management and supervisors recognize the issues that nurse’s experience when caring for NAS infants. Educating staff will allow for a balance of practice and the nurses actions. Instituting this educational program will provide synergy to the NICU units and the epidemic of withdraw infants. The unit directors will be able to see that the changes to the unit and education instituted has worked when NAS infants have a shorter hospital stay, a decrease in the use of morphine and phenobarbital and finally patient/parental and nurse satisfaction. In conclusion, with the epidemic of substance abuse mothers on the rise it is imperative that neonatal nursing units properly educate their staff about the treatment and care of NAS infants. With the changes proposed in this case the care of this specific population will be enhanced. These infants are very fragile and require a lot of special attention. The proper care and education could make the world of a difference in a baby’s life.

Zora Neale Hurston Essay -- Zora Neale Hurston

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zora Neale Hurston was a phenomenal woman. At the height of her success she was known as the â€Å"Queen of the Harlem Renaissance.† She came to overcome obstacles that were placed in front of her. Hurston rose from poverty to fame and lost it all at the time of her death. Zora had an unusual life; she was a child that was forced to grow up to fast. But despite Zora Neale Hurston’s unsettled life, she managed to surmount every obstacle to become one of the most profound authors of the century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zora Neale Hurston was born January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida, the fifth of eight children to Reverend John Hurston and Lucy Potts Hurston. Zora was extraordinary person. When her mother died she was able to stay strong. Her father, didn’t have enough love in his heart to hold on to his daughter, she was casted out of the house by her estranged father; in addition, to being neglected Hurston, dealt with the periodic moving, against society expectations Hurston survived her harsh childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the age of thirteen, Zora Neal Hurston’s life came to a halt. The woman who she would look to for understanding, support, protection and encouragement, her mother, died. From that point she had no direction in her life. She started writing just to keep herself from emotional and physical loneness. Hurston was devastated by the death of her mother (Howard 3). After the death of Zora’s mother, Hurston was sent to Jacksonville to go to school. Two months after school started Zora received news that her father had remarried. Zora’s father was never close to her, nevertheless she would come to respect and admire him. In her eyes, Hurston saw her father as a remarkable man who had beaten tough odds to make something of himself. Zora was never to return home from school; unfortunately she didn’t have a choice, since the school would not adopt her, as her father wanted them to. â€Å"Without Lucy Hurston to spur him on, he seemed content with what he had already accomplished, not only unwilling to assume new responsibilities but eager to lighten the load† (Witcover 35). With the little interest that the new Ms. Hurston took in the ambition of her husband or his children Zora Neale Hurston left home never to return. Zora found herself being passed from relative to relative. For the first time ... ...erstandings, about marriage and life and life’s possibilities, about selfhood and ultimately nationhood (Howard 6).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between 1934 and 1948 Zora Neale Hurston published seven books. Two Folklore Mules and Men and Tell my Horse, four novels Jonah’s Gourd Vine, Moses, Man, of the Mountain, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Seraph on the Suwanee, Dust Tracks on a Road was her autobiography (Witcover 114). Of all the books that were written by Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God was by far the most famous of her masterpieces. Today it stands as one of the most important pieces of fiction writing by a black woman. Zora was eccentric; she walks brightly among us today as a heroin (Howard 98-99).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zora Neale Hurston was an outstanding woman. Although she had to struggle, Hurston was a hard working young lady that was determined to make it in life. Zora was able to finished high school and attend college. Zora also became a famous writer who wrote and published many plays and books throughout her career. Zora gained fame and lost it all at the time of her death. She was a remarkable woman who will never be forgotten.

Malachi Stacks in the Matchmaker Essay

In the world of business there are always those men and women who are not recognized for the contributions they make to certain products, projects, or works even though without them the result would never exist. Nonetheless, these people go on with their daily lives working hard, knowing that all their dedication is going to benefit others and not them. Yet, they can’t blame the big companies for not being recognized, because these men and women do this willingly. They are fully aware that their actions serve a purpose to the greater rather than a personal one, and for them that is enough. Such people do not need the recognition of others because they themselves know the importance of their actions. One example of such a human being is portrayed in Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker. His name is Malachi Stacks, and though he only shows up on stage two or three times, he is the one who gives the entire production meaning. Malachi is the person who sets into motion a series of events that completely change not only the characters, but also their lives. With this character, Thornton Wilder takes what used to be just a regular farce comedy and gives it meaning which makes all the difference, Malachi Stacks makes all the difference. Thornton carefully crafted the role of Stacks in such a way that made him distinct from the rest of the characters. Even with being in his fifties, sadness and depression are entirely absent from his life. Every line spoken by him has a joyful feeling to, and almost puts a smile on the reader’s face. Even at times when he is being put down by Mr. Vandergelder, joy is felt in his words. Wilder makes Malachi seem like a little adolescent, who has not yet been exposed to reality, and still thinks the world is perfect. However, all this is just an image that Malachi establishes for his own purposes. He makes people believe he can be trusted by pretending to be respectful and following orders. Malachi creates a relationship between himself and the others, especially Mr. Vandergelder, which makes him seem gullible and easy to control when in fact it is he who controls them. This sort of maneuver is portrayed very well in his first scene with Mr. Vandergelder, in which he says â€Å"You’ll never regret it, Mr. Vandergelder. You’ll never regret it.† It is such a simple line, and yet there is so much there. Malachi makes it seem like he is just another man who is happy about getting a job, when in reality he is masking his true intentions behind these innocent words. The real reason Malachi is happy to have gotten the job, is because he now has the ability to fix the inequality which exists between Vandergelder and the others. Truth be told, Malachi is actually the only individual who see this flaw amongst the characters, and he knows it should not be there. Therefore, by formulating this sort of innocent personality, Malachi Stacks gives himself the perfect opportunity to finally bring equality into the lives of the characters. It all happens in Act III when Mr. Vandelgelder is having his coat taken off as his purse filled with money falls to the ground. Malachi, knowing that the primary reason for such inequality amongst the characters is their financial situations, takes his chance to balance the scale. However, he does not make a big deal out of it. Malachi simply takes the purse, asks Vandelgelder if it’s his, and since the response is no he gives it to Cornelius. It’s very quick, subtle, and seems like the right thing to do. Yet, even though what he did was so simple, it was enough to bring equality into their lives and he knew that. By asking Vandergelder whether or not the purse was his, Malachi tested him to check if he deserves the money. For in his short little monologue that he has right after picking up the purse, Mr. Stacks says â€Å"The law is there to protect property, but- sure the law doesn’t care whether a property owner deserves his property or not, and the law has to be corrected†. Therefore when he asked Vandelgelder â€Å"Did you drop something† the real question was â€Å"Are you worthy of all this money that you have†. Vandelgelder responding quickly said no, and that was enough for Malachi to know that the money deserved to be in the hands of someone else, Cornelius. It is also at this point that inequality begins to slowly disappear between the characters. First, Cornelius and Barnaby are able to pay for their expensive dinner and truly impress Mrs. Malloy along with Minnie. Then Mrs. Levi finally tells Mr. Vandergelder what she thinks of him when he cannot pay the bill, and that is when he finally realizes what kind of man he is. Slowly through scenes like these, the balance between the characters begins to even out and by the end, everyone is happy, joyful, and most of all the inequality amongst them completely vanishes all thanks to Malachi Stacks. Though Thornton chose Malachi to be the tool for equilibrium amongst the characters by having him â€Å"redistribute the superfluities†, the part also is important when it comes to the moral of the story. Of course, after reading The Matchmaker it safe to say that there are multiple lessons to be learned from this play, but one of the main ones shows up in Malachi’s monologue. Right after discussing the entire matter of redistributing property, Thornton has the character talk about how one man should not have more than one vice. In fact, he ends his line with the words â€Å"One vice at a time†. Now this entire concept might seem abstract, because after all even in today’s world vices are looked down upon. However, Thornton shows what two vices can do to a man by having Malachi use Vandergelder’s wrongs against him. His first true frailty is that in his own world Mr. Vandergelder sees himself a king, where no one can stop him because he has so much money. The second is his passion for money. In fact, his first vice comes from this one, because to him a person who has more money has more authority. So instead of merely having Vandergelder destroy himself through his vices, Thornton uses Malachi to show how having more than one vice is recipe for destruction. First, he uses Vandergelder’s attitude towards himself to gain his trust, by pretending to be loyal to him. Next, once Vandergelder thinks he has him under his control, Malachi uses the second frailty against him taking that which is most precious, his money, and giving it away. By using both of these flaws in his master’s character, Mr. Stacks brings Vandergelder into a state of despair where he has lost everything that made him, a King in his own mind. One man. Three Scenes. Yet without him, The Matchmaker would never be the same. Thornton Wilder made a smart decision in imgaging such a character, because he is developed in such a way that his importance to the whole play is not realized until the conclusion. For with just a simple action of handing off a purse to Cornelius, Malachi made a ripple effect which changed the course of the entire production and made all the difference. Malachi Stacks made all the difference.

Nutrition for Children Essay

If a parent or carer says that their child cannot eat a particular food it is important that the practitioners take note of this and make sure they respect the parent or carer’s instructions. Quite often there will be a noticeboard with the details of what children can and can’t eat, and it is usually kept in the kitchen. There could be numerous reasons as to why the child is not allowed to eat a particular food, so any wishes should be followed regardless of the reason. For example, it may be against the family’s religion or culture to eat particular foods; some religions believe that certain animals are sacred so eating the animal would be extremely offensive. This is important to respect because if a practitioner tries to feed a Jewish child pork, for example, when the parents find out they will be extremely offended that the practitioner went against their religion, as that is what they believe in. It may also be a personal choice; the parent or carer might just prefer their child not to eat particular foods. For example, in my setting one boy is not allowed to have sweets or chocolate because the parents have decided they don’t want their child to have a sweet tooth. Therefore the parents have been respected in their decision, because again they may get offended if the practitioners decide not to listen to them. Another, very important, reason a child will not be able to eat something is if they are allergic or have an intolerance to it. Therefore, if a child with an allergy or intolerance eats something containing the particular food it would mean the food will cause harm to their body, and sometimes very severely. For example, another boy at my setting is severely allergic to nuts; he must not come into any kind of contact with any kind of nut, because it will cause his throat to swell up and stop him from breathing. As a result of this any food that is provided for their snack must be approved by his mother, and if there is anything new the practitioners do not risk giving it to him, as they are not absolutely certain if it is completely nut free.

The First Battle of the Marne

The First Battle of the Marne From September 6-12, 1914, just one month into World War I, the First Battle of the Marne took place just 30 miles northeast of Paris in the Marne River Valley of France. Following the Schlieffen Plan, the Germans had been moving swiftly toward Paris when the French staged a surprise attack that began the First Battle of the Marne. The French, with the aid of some British troops, successfully halted the German advance and both sides dug in. The resulting trenches became the first of many that characterized the rest of World War I. Because of their loss at the Battle of the Marne, the Germans, now stuck in muddy, bloody trenches, were not able to eliminate the second front of World War I; thus, the war was to last years rather than months. World War I Begins Upon the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, by a Serbian, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia on July 28- a month to the day from the assassination.  Serbian ally Russia then declared war on Austria-Hungary.  Germany then jumped into the looming battle at the defense of Austria-Hungary.  And France, who had an alliance with Russia, also joined the war. World War I had begun. Germany, who was literally in the middle of all this, was in a predicament. To fight France in the west and Russia in the east, Germany would need to divide its troops and resources and then send them in separate directions. This would cause the Germans to have a weakened position on both fronts. Germany had been afraid this might happen. Thus, years before World War I, they had created a plan for just such a contingency- the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan was developed in the early 20th century by German Count Albert von Schlieffen, chief of the German Great General Staff from 1891 to 1905. The plan aimed to end a two-front war as quickly as possible. Schlieffen’s plan involved speed and Belgium. At that time in history, the French had heavily fortified their border with Germany; thus it would take months, if not longer, for the Germans to try to break through those defenses. They needed a faster plan. Schlieffen advocated circumventing these fortifications by invading France from the north via Belgium.  However, the assault had to happen quickly- before the Russians could gather their forces and attack Germany from the east. The downside of Schlieffen’s plan was that Belgium was at that time still a neutral country; a direct attack would bring Belgium into the war on the side of the Allies. The positive of the plan was that a quick victory over France would bring a swift end to the Western Front and then Germany could shift all of its resources to the east in their fight with Russia. At the beginning of World War I, Germany decided to take its chances and put the Schlieffen Plan, with a few changes, into effect.  Schlieffen had calculated that the plan would take only 42 days to complete. The Germans headed to Paris via Belgium. The March to Paris The French, of course, tried to stop the Germans. They challenged the Germans along the French-Belgian border in the Battle of Frontiers. Although this successfully slowed the Germans down, the Germans ultimately broke through and continued southward toward the French capital of Paris.   As the Germans advanced, Paris readied itself for a siege. On September 2, the French government evacuated to the city of Bordeaux, leaving French General Joseph-Simon Gallieni as the new military governor of Paris, in charge of the defense of the city. As the Germans advanced rapidly toward Paris, the German First and Second Armies (led by Generals Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bà ¼low respectively) were following parallel paths southward, with the First Army a little to the west and the Second Army a bit to the east. Although Kluck and Bà ¼low had been directed to approach Paris as a unit, supporting one another, Kluck got distracted when he sensed easy prey. Instead of following orders and heading directly to Paris, Kluck chose instead to pursue the exhausted, retreating French Fifth Army, led by General Charles Lanrezac. Kluck’s distraction not only did not turn into a quick and decisive victory, but it also created a gap between the German First and Second Armies and exposed the First Army’s right flank, leaving them susceptible to a French counterattack. On September 3, Kluck’s First Army crossed the Marne River and entered the Marne River Valley. The Battle Begins Despite Gallieni’s many last-minute preparations within the city, he knew that Paris couldn’t withstand a siege for long; thus, upon learning of Kluck’s new movements, Gallieni urged the French military to launch a surprise attack before the Germans reached Paris. Chief of the French General Staff Joseph Joffre had exactly the same idea. It was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up, even if it was a surprisingly optimistic plan in the face of the ongoing massive retreat from northern France. Troops on both sides were utterly and completely exhausted from the long and fast march south. However, the French had an advantage in the fact that as they had retreated south, closer to Paris, their supply lines had shortened; while the Germans’ supply lines had become stretched thin. On September 6, 1914, the 37th day of the German campaign, the Battle of the Marne began. The French Sixth Army, led by General Michel Maunoury, attacked Germany’s First Army from the west. Under attack, Kluck swung even further west, away from the German Second Army, to confront the French attackers. This created a 30-mile gap between the German First and Second Armies. Kluck’s First Army nearly defeated the French’s Sixth when, in the nick in time, the French received 6,000 reinforcements from Paris, brought to the front via 630 taxicabs- the very first automotive transport of troops during the war in history. Meanwhile, the French Fifth Army, now led by General Louis Franchet d’Esperey (who had replaced Lanrezac), and Field Marshal John French’s British troops (who agreed to join in the battle only after much, much urging) pushed up into the 30-mile gap that divided the German First and Second Armies. The French Fifth Army then attacked Bà ¼low’s Second Army. Mass confusion within the German army ensued. For the French, what began as a move of desperation ended up as a wild success, and the Germans began to be pushed back.   The Digging of Trenches By September 9, 1914, it was apparent that the German advance had been halted by the French.  Intending to eliminate this dangerous gap between their armies, the Germans began to retreat, regrouping 40 miles to the northeast, on the border of the Aisne River.   German Chief of the Great General Staff Helmuth von Moltke was mortified by this unexpected change in course and suffered a nervous breakdown.  As a result, the retreat was handled by Moltke’s subsidiaries, causing the German forces to pull back at a much slower pace than they had advanced.   The process was further hampered by the loss in communications between the divisions and a rainstorm on September 11 that turned everything to mud, slowing down man and horse alike. In the end, it took the Germans a total of three full days to retreat.   By September 12, the battle had officially ended, and the German divisions were all relocated to the banks of the Aisne River where they began regrouping.  Moltke, shortly before he was replaced, gave one of the most important orders of the war- â€Å"The lines so reached will be fortified and defended.†1 The German troops began digging trenches. The process of trench digging took nearly two months but was still only meant to be a temporary measure against French retaliation.  Instead, gone were the days of open warfare; both sides remained within these underground lairs until the end of the war. Trench warfare, begun at the First Battle of the Marne, would come to monopolize the rest of World War I. The Toll of the Battle of the Marne In the end, the Battle of the Marne was a bloody battle. Casualties (both those killed and wounded) for the French forces are roughly estimated around 250,000 men; casualties for the Germans, who had no official tally, are estimated to be around the same number.  The British lost 12,733.   The First Battle of the Marne was successful in halting the German advance to seize Paris; however, it is also one of the main reasons that the war continued past the point of initial brief projections.  According to historian Barbara Tuchman, in her book The Guns of August, The Battle of the Marne was one of the decisive battles of the world not because it determined that Germany would eventually lose or the Allies ultimately win the war but because it determined that the war would go on.2 The Second Battle of the Marne The area of the Marne River Valley would be revisited with large-scale warfare in July 1918 when German General Erich von Ludendorff attempted one of the final German offensives of the war.   This attempted advance became known as the Second Battle of the Marne but was rapidly halted by Allied forces. It is viewed today as one of the keys to ultimately ending the war as the Germans realized that they lacked the resources to win the battles necessary to win World War I.

7 jobs that are incredibly underpaidÂÂ

7 jobs that are incredibly underpaid   We live in a world where not all jobs- or salaries- are created equal. While some jobs are glamorous and come with equally glamorous paychecks, others offer more humble salaries- and some of them just might surprise you. According to a recent article on Glassdoor.com, the average American worker is underpaid by approximately $7,500- this translates to salaries that are roughly 13% less than their potential market values. This is attributable to a variety of factors, from job market conditions and supply vs. demand of available talent to the tendency of some new employees to not negotiate for higher salaries when starting new jobs.Let’s take a closer look at 7 jobs that are incredibly underpaid, often despite having very important responsibilities.1. Medical assistantMedical assistants work directly under the guidance of doctors and nurses, and have a host of important responsibilities including maintaining medical records, prepping patients for exams, and administering medicat ions. That said, they don’t typically command large salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for medical assistants is $32,850.2. Web developerIf you’re looking to break into the web developer profession, you may find a wealth of opportunities across industries, and even across borders as international projects abound. That said, the growing supply of talented web developers both around the United States and abroad has adversely impacted salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for web developers is $72,150.3. Social workerSocial workers are typically dedicated and qualified individuals who provide important support services to populations in need. Despite being a rewarding and commendable profession, the average social worker is not earning a huge payday. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for social workers is approximately $59,410.4. Licensed practical nurse (LPN) Nurses are incredibly important professionals who handle a wide array of critical tasks in a variety of healthcare settings, and are essential personnel for handling patient needs. That said, they typically make far less than their colleagues who are doctors or registered nurses (RNs). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for LPNs is $44,840.5. Pharmacy technicianWhen you’re purchasing prescription medications at your local pharmacy, you’re likely to encounter a pharmacy tech at the front lines. These workers mix, measure, count out, and label medications as well as interact directly with customers. However, pharmacy techs don’t command the same salaries as the pharmacists they work beside. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for pharmacy techs is $32,170.6. Veterinary technicianWhen your pet needs a checkup or isn’t feeling well, you can count on a vet tech to help you out when you first arrive at the veterinarian’s office. They’re responsible for a host of things that help keep veterinarian practices running smoothly, including performing medical tests, preparing serums and vaccines, taking and preparing samples, and maintaining charts and medical equipment. Vet techs likely aren’t in the field to get rich quick; the mean average wage according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics is $33,870.7. Emergency medical technician (EMT)Few can argue about the importance of EMTs- when an accident or medical emergency occurs, they are often the first on the scene, and assess injuries, administer aid, and transport individuals to hospitals and medical facilities. Despite their incredible importance in saving lives, they just don’t command big salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean average wage for EMTs is $36,110.As you can see, not all employees are compensated equally. The 7 jobs listed here may offer professional fulfillment and satisfaction, depending on one’s job-related goals, but they will probably not set you on a road to riches. If you’re on the hunt for a new job and salary is a big factor for you, use this information to help guide you towards- and away- from certain positions.

The History of Juneteenth Celebrations

The History of Juneteenth Celebrations Abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth worked tirelessly to free blacks from bondage in the United States. And when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, it appeared that the peculiar institution known as slavery had met its end. For many African Americans, life remained the same, however. That’s because fierce racial discrimination prevented them from living autonomous lives. More shockingly, some enslaved African Americans had no idea that President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which mandated that they be set free. In Texas, more than two-and-a-half years passed before slaves received their freedom. The holiday known as Juneteenth Independence Day honors these slaves as well as African-American heritage and the contributions blacks have made to the United States. History of Juneteenth Juneteenth marks the date of June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, to demand that the slaves there be set free. Texas was one of the last states where slavery endured. Although President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, African Americans remained in bondage in the Lone Star State. When Gen. Granger arrived in Texas, he read General Order No. 3 to Galveston residents: â€Å"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.† Following Granger’s announcement, the formerly enslaved African Americans broke into celebration. Today that celebration, said to be the oldest black American holiday, is known as Juneteenth. African Americans not only celebrated their freedom, they exercised their new rights by buying land across Texas, namely Emancipation Park in Houston, Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia and Emancipation Park in Austin. Past and Present Juneteenth Celebrations The first massive Juneteenth celebrations kicked off the year after Gen. Granger appeared in Galveston. Historic Juneteenth celebrations included religious services, readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, inspirational speakers, stories from former slaves and games and contests, including rodeo events. Many African Americans celebrated Juneteenth in the same way that Americans generally celebrate the Fourth of July. Today, Juneteenth celebrations feature similar activities. As of 2012, 40 states and the District of Columbia recognize the Juneteenth holiday. Since 1980, the state of Texas has observed Juneteenth as an official holiday known as Emancipation Day. Contemporary celebrations of Juneteenth in Texas and elsewhere include parades and street fairs, dancing, picnics and cookouts, family reunions and historical reenactments. Moreover, President Barack Obama pointed out in his 2009 proclamation of the holiday that Juneteenth â€Å"also serves as a time for reflection and appreciation, and an opportunity for many people to trace their family’s lineage.† While African Americans widely celebrate Juneteenth today, the popularity of the holiday has waned during certain periods, such as World War II. Holiday celebrations of Juneteenth resurrected in 1950, but by the last years of that decade and in the 1960s, Juneteenth celebrations declined once more. Juneteenth became a popular holiday again in a variety of regions during the 1970s. In the early 21st century, Juneteenth is not only a well celebrated holiday, there’s a push to have the 19th of June become a National Day of Recognition for slavery. Call for National Day of Recognition The Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., founder and chairman of the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, has asked President Barack Obama to â€Å"issue a presidential proclamation to establish Juneteenth Independence Day as a National Day of Observance in America, similar to Flag Day or Patriot Day.† As an elected official in Illinois, Barack Obama supported legislation for his state to recognize Juneteenth, but the president has yet to make a move that would make Juneteenth a National Day of Recognition. Only time will tell if Juneteenth and the slavery of African Americans is ever acknowledged by the federal government in such an official capacity.

The association between the derivatives products and the financial Dissertation

The association between the derivatives products and the financial risk management is quite substantial and significant - Dissertation Example In order to operate in an effective manner, the banks need to manage their assets and liabilities from the various risks prevailing in the economy, one of which is the interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from movement of interest rates. The need to manage the interest rate risk is very crucial for any bank and it has generally been observed that the interest rate risk management form the integral part of the risk management policies of all major global banks. This dissertation analysis the effectiveness of â€Å"interest rate swaps† in managing the interest rate risk faced by the UK banks and also how these derivatives product improves financial outlook of these banks. For the purpose of conducting the study, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted on a sample of 12 major UK based banks. Through this analysis the conclusion is drawn that interest rate swaps is quite an effective hedging tool for the management of the interest rate risk and also for improving the financial outlook of a bank. Problem Statement In the global conventional economic environment, it would be quite interesting to evaluate the usage of the interest rate swaps by the financial institutions of UK, particularly multinationals banks. In this study 12 major banks of UK are selected and through both qualitative and quantitative research, the effectiveness of interest rate swaps is evaluated in managing and curtailing the financial risk. Research aim and objective The association between the derivatives products and the financial risk management is quite substantial and significant. The purpose of this paper is to conduct research on the basis of an expected analytical outcome, based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the financial statements of UK banks, that how they have implemented the interest rate swaps in their risk management strategy. In this dissertation proposal the aims and objectives are as follows: To cla rify the influencing impact that the interest rate swaps in the global financial market in terms of managing and curtailing risk. Through quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, evaluate how giant UK banks are safeguarding their risk of being exposed to interest rate fluctuation in both the local and international financial market. Through a questionnaire, conduct an interview with the major finance personnel of these banks in order to obtain their views about the effectiveness of interest rate swaps in managing interest rate and financial risk. Research Questions Is there any positive significant association between interest rates swaps and financial risk management process? How interest rate swaps works in the global financial market? How effective are interest rate swaps in managing and curtailing the interest rate risk and financial risk faced by the UK banks? Dissertation Layout The first Chapter ‘

Research for Registered Nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research for Registered Nurses - Essay Example Two relevant skills are important for making contribution in the clinical care in such scenarios. These are ability to examine the evidence in support of the proposed course of treatments and the ability to use the evidence in practice. However, extracting evidence from research is not easy so it can be used straightforward for clinical decision making. Although it is a commonly held idea that comprehending the research finding is what is necessary, but those who have tried this in practice know very well that finding a relevant evidence for facilitating decision making is not that easy (McDonnell, 2004). Usable evidence must support a proposed clinical activity and clinical intervention so the course of treatment can be modified. Familiarity with research process and research methods are two important requisites for a healthcare professional, and they should at the baseline be able to search the requisite information through a comprehensive, rigorous, and methodologically valid sear ch ultimately assisting them to select and deliver the most effective care. Stone and Rowles (2007) indicated that as far as nursing is concerned, most research has demonstrated that there are barriers to use research findings in practice, and the main reason is a gap of knowledge in research methods and deficiency in critical appraisal skills. A realistic, problem-based structured approach to find and evaluate research could solve the problem. Along with that, there must be approaches to have academic learning on research methodologies. Although there has been argument that evidence is lacking in all fields of nursing and in many cases review and implementation of evidence is not straightforward, it is clear that nurses most often do research for finding evidence with less than optimal methodological rigour. It has also been complained that the workload prevents the nurses to have adequate time to engage in research activity. Nursing as a profession is nascent, and lack of maturity of the science might have prevented practice guided by robust evidences fro m research (Stone and Rowles (2007). Focus Question Given these different views, it is necessary to find out the truth about nursing research, and consequently, doing a systemic literature review would be the best possible option with the focus question, what are the barriers of evidence based practice in nursing What could be the possible solutions Methodology Based on these focus questions, there were a set of inclusion criteria developed for finding relevant articles for this review. The articles which were included were all on evidence based practice in nursing, which identified the barriers to implement a process of finding relevant literature, evaluating and extracting evidence, categorizing evidence, and applying them in practice. It was expected that there would be certain number of studies in each of these themes along or in combination. The literature available in the University database will only be included which were relatively recent published within the period of last 5 years in English language will be included. It was also expected that many of these studies will also focus on evidence based nursing in different specialities. Since specialty-oriented nursing research evidence may have specific pitfalls or positive points specific

Literature review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature review - Research Paper Example 119). In light with this, Cauffman suggested that effective prevention efforts should be put in place in a bid to meet the mental health needs for at-risk female offenders. Cauffman advocated for community-based treatment programs that would improve individual outcomes. However, although such a program would be effective towards this effect, a more comprehensive approach needs to be deliberated upon. In fact, it is true to argue that a community based program can be a good accompaniment of prerelease programs. Prerelease programs help incarcerated persons realize that it is their mistakes that have lead to their incarceration. Therefore, through these programs, they get advice on how to abstain from crime. When they get out of prison, community based programs enhances good behavior and highlights on various ways through which they can coexist with other members of the community without committing crimes. In their article, Barbara, et al (2010) noted that studies have documented that incarcerated persons have high rates of psychological disorders. In fact, they contended that nearly 70% of female offenders are affected by depression. In this regard, it is apparent that there therefore an obvious necessity to have a variety of treatment programs. However, according to Barbara, et al (2010), available treatment options do not seem to favor female offenders with physical and psychological problems. This can be argued to be correct because, for example, while cognitive behavioral therapy is used with male offenders, it is incomplete on the side of female offenders who have multidimensional issues ranging from emotional to relational factors. Rationale for effective behavioral modification programs for female offenders Studies have documented that women tend to generally show positive responses to most intervention methods that have been specifically designed to decrease some negative feelings such as guilt with the intention of increasing their levels of self esteem . One of such methods is group counseling. This can be used to address issues such as gender-specific addiction, family relations, and self esteem among many others. Group counseling seems to be effective for female offenders because females are intrinsically motivated to connect with others. Many female offenders have a sense of disconnection, marginalization, isolation, something that lead to hopelessness (Gaines & Miller, 2011). In this regard, group counseling in the prison setting would help female offenders to share different experiences that can help in motivating them. Valerie, et al (2009) in their article noted that many cases of delinquency have histories of exposure to violence, abuse, and neglect. Valerie, et al (2009) also acknowledged that over 60% of girls in the juvenile justice system have at one time been victims of several forms of abuse. In addition, they also noted that a study carried out in the California juvenile justice system found that 92% of female offen ders had unfortunately been victim to some form of not only emotional abuse, but also in some cases, they were also victims of physical and/ or sexual abuse. Therefore, with such deliberations, group counseling would offer emotional support in the effort to manage stress. Delinquency behavior acquired as a result of exposure to such issues would be challenged in group sessions whereby each member of the group expresses their

Disparity and Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Disparity and Discrimination - Essay Example Disparity means the â€Å"difference between the ratios of a cognizable group in one population when compared to the ratio of that same group in another population† (Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, 2004, p. 6). This means that if for example, 15% of women in the USA are arrested, but that 40% of the women arrested are from one racial or ethnic group, disparity is evident. The one racial group (the 40%) is therefore overrepresented, and the other racial groups may be underrepresented. Disparity, however, does not always mean that discrimination is taking place. Discrimination occurs when disparate treatment – when one group is being treated differently from others for â€Å"invalid reasons such as gender, racial and/or ethnic status† (Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, 2004, p. 6). When disparity is caused by discrimination in the Criminal Justice System, it is of great concern, as the Constitution of the United States of America is contradicted. Therefore, if people from minority groups are more likely to be arrested, or to appear in court, or imprisoned, discrimination is clear, and the situation has to be addressed. Both disparity and discrimination remain characteristics of the Criminal Justice System in the USA, even though the law is meant to prevent especially discrimination. This is true of all levels of the Criminal Justice System: law enforcement, court procedures, and in correction populations. The ratio of African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans found in every stage of the Criminal Justice System is higher than the ratio of any other ethnic or racial group in the USA (Johnson & Widder Heilman, 2001, website). While it is clear that the proportion of particular race groups does differ from area to area, which would explain the disparity of arrests, it is also clear that nationally,

Consumer Borrowing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Borrowing - Essay Example On the other hand, there are users whose spending needs exceed their current income levels so they have a deficit. Therefore, they require additional funds to make up the difference. These funds can be trasferred from suppliers to demanders of money in two ways. First is through Financial institutions that are of two types including depository insitutions such as commercial banks, saving and credit unions (also known as financial intermediaries) and non-depository instituions such as life insurance companies, pension funds and finance companies. Depository institutions especially banks accept deposits from savers (lenders) of money that they can withdraw on demand. They pool customer deposits and use these funds to make loans or investments to demanders or borrowers of money (consumers and businesses). These institutions make money because of interests rate that they charge from demanders, which is higher than what they to pay to savers or depositors of money. On the other hand, non-depositry institutions such as insurance companies accept business risks of their customers in return for a series of payments called premiums. They then invest their excessive funds after meeting their operating expenses (insurance claims, salaries etc). Finance companies offer short-term loans to borrowers. They usually sell securities or borrow funds from commercial banks therefore they tend to charge higher interest rates as compared to banks. Second is through financial markets where people and organizations wanting to borrow money are brought together with those having surplus funds. Financial markets are primarily divided into primary and secondary markets. Primary market are those in which corporations raise funds by issuing new securities. In Secondary markets, on the other hand, previously issued securities such as mortgages, bonds and stocks are traded among investors. Stock exchanges are perhaps the best example of these type of markets.

Disparity and Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Disparity and Discrimination - Essay Example Disparity means the â€Å"difference between the ratios of a cognizable group in one population when compared to the ratio of that same group in another population† (Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, 2004, p. 6). This means that if for example, 15% of women in the USA are arrested, but that 40% of the women arrested are from one racial or ethnic group, disparity is evident. The one racial group (the 40%) is therefore overrepresented, and the other racial groups may be underrepresented. Disparity, however, does not always mean that discrimination is taking place. Discrimination occurs when disparate treatment – when one group is being treated differently from others for â€Å"invalid reasons such as gender, racial and/or ethnic status† (Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System, 2004, p. 6). When disparity is caused by discrimination in the Criminal Justice System, it is of great concern, as the Constitution of the United States of America is contradicted. Therefore, if people from minority groups are more likely to be arrested, or to appear in court, or imprisoned, discrimination is clear, and the situation has to be addressed. Both disparity and discrimination remain characteristics of the Criminal Justice System in the USA, even though the law is meant to prevent especially discrimination. This is true of all levels of the Criminal Justice System: law enforcement, court procedures, and in correction populations. The ratio of African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans found in every stage of the Criminal Justice System is higher than the ratio of any other ethnic or racial group in the USA (Johnson & Widder Heilman, 2001, website). While it is clear that the proportion of particular race groups does differ from area to area, which would explain the disparity of arrests, it is also clear that nationally,

Outraged moms, trashy daughters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outraged moms, trashy daughters - Essay Example The author describes the generation gap between todays mothers and their teenage daughters also as a gap between how the two generations differ in terms of valuing equality and female empowerment. She also expressed her concern over "heightened sexual activity," and the "sexualization of young girls" but also mentions the lack of depth and reflection among teenagers today. The above observations are a feminist concern and in this reaction paper, I agree with the observations of the author. Feminists earlier opposed the vulgar representation of female images in magazines and advertisements because of their strong protest in visualizing females as a commercial object rather than an individual. On the other hand, current female teenagers like to see people enjoying their sexy bodies. In fact, they are doing everything possible to wear dresses, which expose their body maximum. This is not because of their inherent traits, as we all know that their mothers strongly protested against the f emale objectification, but because of the changing life styles and philosophy of life. The teenage girls are made to dress in this manner because it is the norm of the society. Female teenagers of the current generation are witnessing the enormous publicity of celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Angelina Julie, and Salma Hayek etc. They know that these people enjoy great publicity not because of their talents alone, but because of their beautiful bodies also.

Determining Operating Systems Essay Example for Free

Determining Operating Systems Essay This paper will describe how Barnes Noble (BN) uses an operating system and software applications to help the company reach its objectives (see appendix A). This paper will also describe the functions of computer hardware components used in the organization and how they aid BN in achieving its goals. Barnes Noble’s objective is to be the â€Å"World’s Largest Bookstore,† and it is. BN’s operating systems and software applications have also helped Barnes Noble â€Å"offer the largest in-stock selection of in-print book titles with access to approximately one million titles for immediate delivery† (Barnes Noble, Inc. , 2012). In addition, Barnes Noble has the world’s largest eBookstore which has partnered with Microsoft to offer a wide selection of college textbooks. Almost every organization or business benefits from a reliable database. â€Å"Databases are a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access generally in a computer† (Dictionary.com, 2014). Until 2004, Barnes Noble used an Oracle operating system. The Oracle System database was able to hold all of the inventory statistics BN needed, but the information was difficult to input and extract. In order to access sales data and inventory, the stores had to suspend all business operations and shut down once a week for four hours. Information Technology professionals or programmers were required to produce reports, which created additional and unnecessary personnel costs. Barnes Noble needed a new database system to store and keep track of essential data; and, a new database management system to make the data useful. In 2005, Barnes Noble participated in a joint project with Microsoft to create a new data warehouse. They used the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition operating system to run the  Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Barnes Noble’s databases include customer information, such as book genre likes/dislikes, purchase history, and personal information, such as methods of payment and contact information. Another function of BN’s database is to maintain inventory statistics, a record of best-selling books, prices, and order information. A third aspect of BN’s database is to record employee and payroll data like, salary per hour, hours worked, sick days/vacation, and overtime. Databases are imperative for the success of Barnes Noble, but the raw data in the databases is not very useful on its own. Therefore, BN uses a database management system (DBMS). â€Å"A DBMS is a program used to create, process, and administer a database† (Kroenke, 2013, p. 113). Barnes Noble needed a DBMS that could easily create reports, so executives had fast access to sales st atistics, inventory, and membership information. They could then use this readily available information to target customer demographics or promote seasonal sales events. Due to its participation with Microsoft, Barnes Noble uses a DBMS called, â€Å"Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services† (Microsoft, 2005). â€Å"Structured Query Language (SQL) is an international standard language for processing a database† (Kroenke, 2013, p. 114) that all of the most common DBMS’s use. Microsoft’s SQL Server enables BN to manage critical information and run applications that may be too complex for other programs. SQL Server also provides tools, features, and functionality to construct classic and innovative extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) applications that are used to relay millions of rows of data. This DBMS includes database administration that can be used to set up a security system involving user accounts, passwords, permissions, and limits for processing the database. Online Analytical Processing Cubes (OLAP) is one of the database applications that Barnes Noble can use. The program is simple enough for most people to learn, and it is a relatively easy means of creating reports and viewing data based on varying criteria without having to hire programmers for help. Another database application is ‘Litespeed’ by Quest Software. Barnes Noble uses Litespeed for the backup and recovery of data, which is something every database needs. Although Microsoft’s SQL Server is costly and can have limited compatibility, almost anyone in the company can learn how to use it. There are also security enhancements, embedded reporting and data analysis tools that allow BN to gain greater  insight from its business information and achieve faster results for a competitive advantage. In conjunction with its need of databases, Barnes Noble extensively uses hardware components for data input, output, and storage. Input hardware is any device used to supply information into a computer such as a keyboard, mouse, barcode scanner, or display. â€Å"Barnes Noble, Inc. is a bookselling company. The company is a content, commerce and technology company that provides customers access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform† (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2012). Barnes Noble operates more than 1,350 bookstores across the entire United States, and close to 700 bookstores on college campuses. Input devices at each location allow employees to enter customer information into an individual terminal that is then sent to a central server for storage. â€Å"Hardware for the project was a 64-bit HP Integrity Superdome Server equipped with 20 1.6-gigahertz Intel Itanium 2 processors and 84 gigabytes of RAM† (Microsoft, 2005). â€Å"Output hardware is an electronic or electromechanical equipment connected to a computer and used to transfer data out of the computer in the form of text, images, sounds, or other media† (Dictionary.com, 2014). One example of output hardware used at Barnes Noble is a printer for producing r eports. Executives at the company often need â€Å"Current sales data as well as historical information, which could be used to understand trends, such as in seasonal or regional sales. That kind of information could be used to shape promotions and marketing campaigns† (Microsoft, 2005). Another important output device from Barnes Noble is an eReader, named ‘Nook,’ that allows customers to purchase and download publications from BN’s library via WiFi. BN’s eCommerce division offers The Nook in several models and with varying features, but was primarily designed to give customers an alternative to traditional forms of written media. Customers can choose from millions of digital books, periodicals, movies, and music. The Nook is also environmentally friendly because it saves space and reduces paper waste. In addition, Barnes Noble’s eReader offers a backlit display that claims to have â€Å"resolved the number-one problem couples have in bed – having their sleep interrupted, or being prevented from falling asleep, when their partner reads with the light on† (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2012). In conclusion, this paper described how Barnes Noble uses the Microsoft  Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition operating system to run the Microsoft SQL Server 2000. The HP Integrity Superdome Server is a more effective and efficient mode of storage, and information from databases is easier to access. Now, â€Å"Because of the rapid extraction and loading of sales and inventory data, company employees and managers no longer have to wait to get information that can help them make business decisions† (Microsoft, 2005). The database administration security system also effectively uses account controls to allow customers access to the database of digital publications, which has greatly increased Barnes Noble’s eCommerce division. References Barnes Noble, Inc. (2012). Barnes Noble Booksellers. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.barnesandnobleinc.com Dictionary.com, LLC (2014). Dictionary. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.dictionary.reference.com Kroenke, D. (2013). MIS Essentials 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Microsoft Case Studies (November 11, 2005). Bookseller gains business insights across sales channels with new data warehouse. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.microsoft.com/casestudies Microsoft Corporation. (2005, October). Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Customer Solution Case Study. Retrieved from http://download.microsoft.com//barnes_noble.pdf.

The Purpose of Feathers in Non Avian Dinosaurs

The Purpose of Feathers in Non Avian Dinosaurs There is a significant body of evidence within the scientific community over the past fifteen years to suggest-contrary to depictions in blockbuster movies and mass media-that dinosaurs, both avian and nonavian, had feathers of some sort. Recent spectacular discoveries have suggested that modern day birds are descendents of dinosaurs, suggestions of the origin of such feathers, and the discovery of various types of filamentous fibers and feathers that were prevalent in various species of both avian and nonavian dinosaurs throughout their history. Paradoxically, there is no abundance of research and hypotheses regarding the function these feathers and filamentous fibers had for nonavian theropod dinosaurs throughout history. This paper will be exploring-using existing research-that gap of knowledge and seeking to make an informed hypothesis regarding the purpose of feathers in theropod dinosaurs. More specifically, I will explore the role latitudes played on the presence of feathers i n these creatures. Before one can talk at length about feathers, we must define what feathers are and more specifically, what we define as feathers in relation to dinosaurs. In their paper titled, The Early Evolution of Feathers: Fossil Evidence From Cretaceous Amber of France, by Vincent Perrichot et al, they define feathers on dinosaurs as, complex integumental structures of a three-level branched structure composed of a rachis (primary shaft), barbs (secondary branches) and barbules (tertiary branches) (Vincent Perrichot et al. 1). Paleontologists report finding filamentous fibers as well as true feathers on various species of dinosaurs from various epochs. In a recent study done by Xing Xu et al, An Integrative Approach to Understanding Bird Origins, Xu cites, numerous specimens of most theropod groups and even three ornithischian groups preserving feathers have been recovered from the Jurassic and Cretaceous beds of northeastern China and from the Jurassic and Cretaceous beds of Germany, Russia, a nd Canada. (Xu et al 6). According to Prado et. al., in their study, New Occurrences of Fossilized Feathers: Systematics and Taphonomy of the Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin (Cretaceous), NE, Brazil, Feathers are the most complex integuments of vertebrates, due to their variety of forms and roles. This structure is responsible for the thermoregulation, display, protection against radiation, toxicity, buoyancy and even to produce sound (Prado et al 1). Experts have even found feathers in the form of bristle scales an intermediary character between scales and feathers, placodes, follicles, scales attached to the epidermis of the fossil, and in many other forms on all types of dinosaurs. With an understanding of how scientists today define feathers and where they have been found on dinosaurs, we can begin to explore what the existing hypotheses are regarding their purpose when found on nonavian dinosaurs. Christopher Dimond et al, in a study exploring the visual cues behind adaptive feathers in nonavian dinosaurs states, The three predominant hypotheses are 1) flight, 2) thermoregulation, and 3) visual display (Dimond et al 1). Additionally, Dimonds study cites other sources that hypothesize feathers could have been used for, insulation, water repellency, courtship, camouflage and defense (Prum and Brush, 2003), parental care and brooding (Clarke and Middleton, 2006; Grellet-Tinner, 2006), shielding nests (Turner et al., 2007), flight or lift while running (Dial et al., 2006), and male-to-male competition (Cowen and Lipps, 1982). (Dimond et al 1). While all these hypotheses have been thoroughly researched and written about, I hypothesize that the major determining fa ctor regarding the presence or absence of feathers in nonavian dinosaurs throughout history is the latitude in which the dinosaur lived. Nonavian theropod dinosaurs are known to have lived from the Late Triassic through the end of the Cretaceous. In A Review of Mesozoic Climates, Anthony Hallam definitively states, there is overwhelming evidence, based on the distribution of distinctive sediments and fossils and oxygen isotope data, that the climate of the Mesozoic world was appreciably more equable than that of today (Hallam 1). With Hallams findings in mind, it can be assumed that even in the tropical hot earth world many scientists have described, nonavian dinosaurs might have needed feathers for colder nights and periods of darkness for insulation. Smaller species, that would require insulation for survival are an obvious hypothesis as to the types of fossils found, but in another study done by Xing Xu et al, they postulate that Yutyrannus huali [a new gigantic basal tyrannosauroid] bears long filamentous feathers, thus providing direct evidence for the presence of extensively feathered gigantic dinosaurs and offering new insights into early feather evolution (Xu et al. 1). Found in China, Y hualis longer filamentous feathers could have been an adaptation to a much colder environment than the rest of the planet. Xu further explains, Most gigantic Late Cretaceous tyrannosauroids, by contrast, lived in a warm climate that was conducive to the loss of an extensive insulative feathery covering, although popul ations inhabiting cold environments such as the land that is now Alaska would have been a notable exception (Xu et al. 1). Xus findings concur our previous misconceptions that dinosaurs didnt have feathers or filamentous structures. Why, for so long did we believe this to not be so? Until the first dinosaur fossil with a feather like structure attached was discovered in Brazil almost thirty years ago, humans and popular culture portrayed dinosaurs as reptilian. Leathery skin, sometimes scaly, sometimes not, Dinosaurs appearance has varied little over the course of human study until the very recent future. The reason for this disparity in scientific reporting was due to how difficult it is to find a fossil that preserves both the bone as well as the filamentous integument attached. The soil conditions upon death have to have been just right in order for preservation of this type to occur. Prado argues, Because feathers are very delicate features, they rarely survive the physicochemical process that follow their burial. Thus, they are usually found as: (i) carbonized and iron traces, (ii) inclusions in ambers and coprolites, (iii) and as imprints (Prado et al 1). Many of the most well preserved fossils with feather integuments still attached have been found in amb er deposits recently, often perfectly preserving the skin attached to the feather. This can occur in a few circumstances. According to Prados research on feathers found at the Crato Fossil Bed in Brazil, the Crato Member was laid down under clear and relatively shallow waters during an arid and dry climate, where the carbonate sediments were deposited in a low energetic input with formation of halite and anhydrite minerals (Prado et al. 1). An alternative suggestion by David Martill and Gunter Bechly in their work, The Crato Fossil Beds: A Window into the Ancient World, argue once an anoxic and hypersaline bottom water body was established, the organic matter produced in the surface waters was no longer broken down by heterotrophic bacteria accumulated in the sediment (Martill 60). Due to the fragility of the structure of a feather or filamentous structure, conditions had to be just right to ensure preservation. Due to the conditions in which these fossils must be preserved, there can be a case made for why they are only found so well preserved in the locations above. The hypothesis above that mostly all dinosaurs had some type of filamentous coating could still hold true as the locations in which they have been found are not ideal for feather preservation. It appears that in order for a feather integument to be preserved, the conditions in which the initial preservation occurred and where the fossil migrated to must be precise. Prado cites, that lithology itself may not be a sure factor for skin preservation dinosaurs, it may be an important factor, and perhaps decisive, factor in feather preservation (Prado et al 1). While there is a great amount of literature on lithology, what remains to be talked about is lithology with specific reference to geography. My hypothesis tends to focus on the importance of latitudes to explain why certain types of dinosaurs contained feathers, but another im portant factor to consider is the speed of burial near riverine environments. Hadrosaurids could provide a window into this phenomena. Mary Higby Schweizer, in her paper Soft Tissue Preservation in Terrestrial Mesozoic Vertebrates, argues, it could be that hadrosaurids were more likely to preserve skin than other dinosaurs because, during life, hadrosaurids preferred an environment conducive to rapid burial and preservation of soft tissues (Wegweiser et al. 2006). This is a fascinating argument, as it brings to light a host of various factors that could potentially cause the feathers on other species of dinosaurs to not be preserved. Essentially, if a dinosaurs natural environment was not conducive to a perfect fossilization of delicate integumentary structures, these records would be lost forever in nature. Christopher Dimond et al, in their paper, Feathers, Dinosaurs, and Behavioral Cues: Defining the Visual Display Hypothesis for the Adaptive Function of Feathers in Non-Avian Theropods, claims that initial forms of feathers in theropod dinosaurs were mainly utilized to signal. Whether it was sexual signaling for mating, deterrence of predators, or camouflage while hunting, these feathers served the purpose of sending a message to a receiver. Throughout the paper, Dimond posits that feathers in theropods were utilized to trigger a behavioral response in the receiver (Dimond et al 2011). While they do not rule out feathers for thermoregulation in theropods, their focus on visual display as an adaptive feature is marvel. While I agree with their position that signaling could have been an ancestral form of feathers in these types of dinosaurs, I believe that the main purpose for filamentous integuments on these types of dinosaurs was for thermoregulation in a climate that vastly varied in temperature. Even today, which by and large is considered to be colder, the variation in temperature on a given day-even in the tropics-is enough to make a hairless creature rapidly lose body heat. This loss of body heat in an environment less forgiving than a tropical one might have spurred an adaptation such as feathers over the course of history. The study of dinosaurs is ever evolving as our technological ability to analyze every aspect of their world grows by the day. Specifically, when studying feathers and filamentous integuments, our technology has caught up recently enough to detect the most minute details that for years, we were unable to identify. This has provided the scientific community with a window into what I believe, is a common character in nearly all dinosaurs-similar to mammals today. Just as in mammalia, dinosaurs adapted over millions of years to be as fit as possible for their respective environments and for the changes occurring on Earth at the time. Our ability to detect these adaptations, while much improved, is mainly contingent upon the environment in which they are interred. With the advent of new technology, science will continue to explore the relationship between feathers in theropods and similar dinosaurs and the latitudes in which they cohabitated. WORKS CITED Dimond, Christopher C., Robert J. Cabin, and Janie S. Brooks. Feathers, Dinosaurs, and Behavioral Cues: Defining the Visual Display Hypothesis for the Adaptive Function of Feathers in Non-Avian Theropods. Bios 82.3 (2011): 58-63. Web. Hallam, Anthony . A Review of Mesozoic Climate. Journal of the Geological Society of London 142.3 (1985): 433-55. Web. Martill, David M. The Crato fossil beds of brazil: window into an ancient world. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Press, 2011. Print. Prado GMEM, Anelli LE, Petri S, Romero GR. (2016) New occurrences of fossilized feathers: systematics and taphonomy of the Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin (Cretaceous), NE, Brazil. PeerJ 4:e1916 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1916 Perrichot, Vincent et al. The Early Evolution of Feathers: Fossil Evidence from Cretaceous Amber of France. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 275.1639 (2008): 1197-1202. PMC. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. Schweitzer, Mary Higby. Soft Tissue Preservation in Terrestrial Mesozoic Vertebrates. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 39.1 (2011): 187-216. Web. Xu, X., Z. Zhou, R. Dudley, S. Mackem, C.-M. Chuong, G. M. Erickson, and D. J. Varricchio. An integrative approach to understanding bird origins. Science346.6215 (2014): 1253293. Web.

Hip Hops Effect on American Culture Essay -- Rap Music and Pop Cultur

Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Because it has become the fastest growing music genre in the U.S., companies and corporate giants have used its appeal to capitalize on it. Although critics of rap music and hip hop seem to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers a new paradigm of what can be (Lewis, 1998.) The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. Hip hop has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals across a rich ethnic spectrum. This art form was once considered a fad has kept going strong for more than three decades. Generations consisting of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians have grown up immersed in hip-hop. Hip hop represents a realignment of America?s cultural aesthetics. Rap songs deliver a message, again and again, to keep it real. It has influenced young people of all races to search for excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity by exploring the black underclass (Foreman, 2002). Though it is music, many people do not realize that it is much more than that. Hip hop is a form of art and culture, style, and language, and extension of commerce, and for many, a natural means of living. The purpose of this paper is to examine hip hop and its effect on American culture. Different aspects of hip hop will also be examined to shed some light that helps readers to what hip hop actually is. In order to see hip hop as a cultural influence we need to take a look at its history. Throughout American history there has always been some form of verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes within the Afro-American community. Signifying, testifying, shining of the Titanic, the Dozens, school yard rhymes, prison ?jail house? rhymes and double Dutch jump rope rhymes, are some of the names and ways that various forms of raps have manifested. Modern day rap music finds its immediate roots in the toasting and dub talk over elements of reggae music (George, 1998).... ... 3. Fernando, S.H., (1994). The New Beats. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday. 4. Foreman, (2002). The Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip hop. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press. 5. Rose, Patricia (1991, Summer). ?Fear of a Black Planet: Rap Music and Black Cultural Politics in the 1990s,?. The Journal of Negro Education, 60 (3). 6. Potter, (1996, Jan.). ?Black by Popular Demand,? Premiere, 9, 39. 7. Kakutani, (1998, Feb.) ?Common Threads: Why Are Homeboys and Surbanites Wearing Each Other?s Clothes The New York Times Magazine, 18. 8. Lewis, (1998, Dec.). ?Hip Hop Gives Birth to Its Own Black Economy,? The San Francisco Examiner. , 1998. 9. Hilburn, Robert (1998). Year in Review/ Pop Music; in the shadow of Hip Hop; Rap is Where the Action is, and its Popularity Still Hasn?t Peaked. Could Rock ?N? Roll Be Finally Dead The Los Angeles Times, December 27, 1998, 6. 10. Chideya, Farai (1997, Mar. 4). ?All Eyez on US Time, 147 (10). 11. Farley, C. (1996, Feb. 8). ?Hip Hop Nation Time, 153. 12. Hip Hop Nation Is Exhibit A For America?s Latest Cultural Revolution, (2004), Time, 201.

Colgate Max Fresh: Global Brand Roll-Out Essay

Executive Summary The United States, Mexican and Chinese markets all took very different approaches to the release of Colgate-Palmolive’s (CP) newest oral care product in 2004-2005. The new toothpaste is called Colgate Max Fresh (CMF). It is a cavity preventing gel with breath-freshening strips suspended in it that dissolve while consumers brush their teeth. The technology behind the breath strips is patented, and Colgate was hoping the product would be a big success by providing unique freshness. In the United States, research was done and new bottling was designed to optimize the appearance of the new toothpaste. The advertising was also focused on the freshness that result from the breath strips and the product was very successful. CP then decided to release the product worldwide. In Mexico the ad campaign was changed as well as a few other minor changes, but not much was spent on altering the marketing mix for CMF. Colgate Max Fresh proved popular in Mexico and profits were seen in the firs t two years. In China, millions were spent on reconfiguring the marketing mix, and sales were not high enough to make up for the expenses in either of the first two years. In the first year alone, CMF saw a net loss of over $10 million. I have evaluated three options for reducing costs and increasing sales and have determined that the Chinese marketers decided to change the marketing mix too quickly. Instead of looking into what aspects of the U.S. marketing mix would and would not work in China, they made assumptions. The advertising campaign that they came up with was expensive and ineffective. Chinese consumer preferences should have been highlighted in the promotional campaign, and more elements from the original U.S. marketing mix that were costly to â€Å"improve† might not have needed to be changed at all. Current Situation Colgate-Palmolive (CP) is a worldwide company that specializes in oral, personal, and home care, as well as pet nutrition. Of particular interest in this case is oral care. Colgate is an oral care name that is known around the world. Colgate-Palmolive has the majority value share in the  United States, Mexico, and China. In each country, Procter and Gamble’s (P&G) Crest toothpastes are ranking second in market value share. In Mexico, the difference between PC and P&G is huge – PC has market share above 80%. However, in the U.S. and China the market shares are very close: In 2004, Colgate had 34.8% and Crest had 31.6% value shares in the U.S.; in China Colgate had 23.6%, Colgate through partnerships had an additional 8.5%, and Crest had 21.2% shares. CP management was pressured to compete hard against Crest’s new product called Crest Whitening Expressions (CWE). In August 2004 CP launched a new toothpaste product called Colgate Max Fresh (CMF) in the United States. CMF was advertised as premium toothpaste that would provide a â€Å"whole new dimension of freshness.† The product was so successful that CP decided to launch it worldwide. Colgate-Palmolive’s organizational structure is split up by geographic lines, each region having its own management. However, there is another split by category – there is one group responsible for oral care product strategy, resource allocation, and best-practices transfer between regions. This case focuses on the launches in the U.S., China and Mexico. In all three countries flavors varied and different strategies were used in packaging and promotion of Colgate Max Fresh, as described in the table below. Rock-star Jay Chow and â€Å"extreme living.†| â€Å"Snowsurfer† extreme living; provides â€Å"a joy ride for your mouth.†| Additional costs beyond initial product development and standard market testing| Base costs – first country to launch the product.| New flavors cost $200,000 to research and develop. New graphics, aesthetics, advertising campaign cost $1.5 million. New packaging (that failed) cost $1.5 million, and would have increased variable cost by 20%.New green color developed for $7,000.| New advertising campaign cost $500,000 total.Not many other expensive changes were mentioned. Package  size is different from the U.S., but with similar packaging types (and probably similar to other Colgate toothpaste packages).| In Mexico the promotional campaign was completely changed from the U.S. campaign and a third product flavor was introduced. The original two flavors were not changed, reducing costs compared to China. Costs in Mexico were kept low, and in the first two years Colgate saw a net profit in the Mexican market with Colgate Max Fresh. In China, however, many aspects of the marketing mix were changed, increasing costs tremendously. The product was changed by eliminating one of the two original flavors, changing the color of the other, and adding two new flavors. CP China’s management also tried a variety of packaging styles before choosing to use one that would increase the variable cost by 20% per unit. It turned out, however, that the design they chose was not up to CP’s global standards and after spending $1.5 million the idea was thrown out. The advertising campaign was changed to a riskier campaign – that could have been cancelled at any time at CP’s expense – that cost $1.5 million. Even the product name was changed in China. After all of these changes and additional costs, Colgate Max Fresh (Icy Fresh) was not profitable in its first two years. Instead, huge net losses were seen from this product. Problem Identification While CP Mexico made some minor changes to adapt Colgate Max Fresh to their market, CP China redesigned almost every aspect of the product besides the one feature that made it unique – the breath strips. These changes were costly and the product failed to make profits in its first two years in China. Instead, the expenses heavily outweighed the revenues. Instead of marketing like one company, CP China behaved as if it had purchased the rights to use the patented design of CMF and then created a marketing plan from scratch. Alternative Solutions Solution A: Test U.S. marketing plans. Start by testing the unaltered U.S. marketing plans. From the results of that testing, decide what areas need to be altered for the Chinese market. Instead of choosing to change a large variety of aspects of the marketing mix for the Chinese market (as described above), the CP Chinese marketing team could have selectively altered aspects that would have big impacts on sales. Solution B: Cut back on marketing research. Eliminate designing a brand new bottle to put the toothpaste in. Either use a slightly altered version of the U.S. packaging developed for CMF, or use a packaging type that has proven successful in China for previous Colgate toothpastes. Also scale back on color design. Instead of developing ten shades of green, develop only three. In every step of redesigning the marketing plan, try to cut costs by being reasonable. Solution C: Emphasize therapeutic attributes. Emphasize the therapeutic benefits of the Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste. CMF is designed to provide extreme freshness, and instead of focusing on the extremeness, focus on the freshness first and cavity-protection and other therapeutic advantages. These are the two most important features for toothpaste to the Chinese market. Although the concept statement mentions the cavity protection, it is overshadowed in the advertising by the â€Å"cooling crystals.† Breath strips have already proved unsuccessful in China, so the advertising should not focus on them. Instead, the focus should be on the features and aspects that make sense to consumers – freshness and cavity prevention. Evaluation of Alternatives Solution A: Test U.S. marketing plans. By evaluating the effectiveness of the already-produced marketing plan for Colgate Max Fresh, the marketing team would get insight into what works and what doesn’t – what enhances the product in consumers’ eyes and what needs to be re-done for the Chinese market. Money would be saved on marketing areas that can be directly transferred from the U.S. to China. If the ad campaign proved successful in test groups, up to $1.5 million could be saved. The down side to this plan is that only a finite amount can be saved, and this does very little to address sales (revenues). Solution B: Cut back on marketing research. Just by eliminating the packaging scheme, $1.5 million would be saved. A few  thousand may be saved by reducing the re-coloring efforts for the mint flavored toothpaste. Like solution A, this is a plan that would reduce costs, but that does not address revenues. It is unlikely that these reductions in cost would lead to a profitable first year in the Chinese market. Solution C: Emphasize therapeutic attributes. Although freshness is a growing market in China, breath strips never caught on and therapeutic toothpastes are big sellers. By emphasizing preferred features to the Chinese market, sales may be higher and the product may be successful. Of course, the marketing scheme would need to be tested first. In Exhibit 10A, Colgate Max Fresh ranked lower in the â€Å"Importance of Main Message† category. The main message should be important, so that people will remember it and in turn will remember to buy the new Colgate toothpaste. This solution does not address reducing costs, but instead addresses changing the message and increasing sales. Recommendation I recommend solution C, to change the advertisement message. The first two options would both decrease initial costs but would not decrease costs enough to make up for the low sales. According to Exhibit 13 in the case, in its first year Colgate Max Fresh had net sales of about $20 million and net expenses of about $30 million, leading to a $10 million loss. In the second year sales increased by about $3.5 million, expenses were reduced, and the net loss was only about $1.5 million. Any loss is bad, but at least there was a significant reduction in cost and the product was increasing in popularity. If the product had been more popular the first year, that would have made a big difference. I also recommend solution A, but I think C is more important. Reducing costs by eliminating unnecessary changes to the marketing plan already developed in conjunction with a promotion plan that emphasizes the product features that are most highly sought-after would be ideal for CP China. By reducing expenses and increasing sales, CMF may have been profitable in its second (if not first) year. Implementation An attitude change would need to be addressed first. It seems like the  Chinese Colgate-Palmolive oral care management team does not trust that anything the United States team creates will work in China. They created new, expensive schemes for various aspects of the marketing mix without first checking to see if it was necessary or even advisable. Corporate CP needs to get their Chinese team to understand that as part of a global brand, many features can be directly transferred from one country to another – especially successful ones. Next, the Chinese team must evaluate numerous aspects of the marketing mix for Colgate Max Fresh. A few things were evaluated properly, like the name of the product and the way the breath strips are described. CP China did their research to find out if the name â€Å"Colgate Max Fresh† with â€Å"breath strips† would mean anything to the Chinese market. Because it did not translate well, they changed the name. This is the approach the team should take to each aspect of the marketing mix. For instance, when evaluating the advertisements, they should first determine the effectiveness of the United States commercials. If the results are not favorable, they should change the ads to focus on that aspects that the Chinese consumers seek when choosing toothpastes – freshness and cavity prevention. After evaluating each aspect, the unsuccessful ones should be remade by the Chinese marketing team. Once the newly developed plans have been evaluated, they should be compared to the original plans. After that, the product should be ready for the market.