Analyzing Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing Popular Culture - Essay Example Although this trend was not suitable for occasions in the past, it has been taken up by stylish people and stars all over the world and has become trendy and â€Å"chic† in the year 2014 ("Farewell to Faux Fashion." 23). Unlike the thoughts of many, the thesis of this paper is that ripped jeans can look good in many different forms and different styles of dressing. The ripped jeans can be dressed up or down, in different styles as either short or long, or even oversize or skinny, but still maintain its goodness in the different styles. A great challenge comes in trying to maintain the comfort while at the same time aiming at portraying an effortlessly pulled together distressed jeans ("Fashion Trends; Ripped Jeans." n.d.). Ripped jeans are a style of denim jeans that features tears and ripped parts which may include the knees, thigh, elbow and many others. Some think of ripped jeans as a sign of overuse. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, glam metal artists and rock and roll punk artists had begun to appear on stage wearing ripped jeans, in an attempt to create a casual punk statement. A good example is the American Poison band for glam metal music back in the 1980s were known for their ripped jeans fashion. After that, the popularity of the ripped jeans began to increase until it attracted designers and teenage fans. In the past couple of years, we began to find ripped jeans in almost all the designer brands and stores. Those who wear ripped jeans were no longer considered shabby. They are instead considered chic and stylish. Even celebrities such as, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Kendall Jenner who are popular musicians seem to love them, and wear them on a regular basis especially during stage performance s. Various controversies have existed about this kind of fashion. Some people have usually had a thought that ripped jeans has no place in the fashion. The

A case study on the acute leukemia of lilly a cancer fighter Essay Example for Free

A case study on the acute leukemia of lilly a cancer fighter Essay Six months after her 30th birthday, Lilly was diagnosed with acute Leukemia. She and her husband, Jake, have no children together. She has been relatively healthy most of her life, despite suffering from minor medical mishaps. Lilly’s socioeconomic factor is that she is a middle class, a Caucasian woman who was a top ranking salesperson for a cosmetic company. While the case study has no mentioned specific issues, Lilly has hinted past confrontations with her parents. Lilly has been evasive about all aspects of her life that occurred before she came to the clinic. The social worker intern mentioned that Lilly gave up a baby in her early 20’s. Despite the closeness with the social worker intern through the physical and emotional upheavals, her defenses surrounding her past would not budge.   Through the case study, the social worker realized that Lilly’s mental health deteriorated when she lost her ability to speak due to sores in her mouth. The social worker believed that because Lily was a sales representative, losing her ability to speak negatively affected her sense of self-worth. To have that taken away from her, as the intern suggested, is an attack on her ego functioning and can deplete her mental stability in fighting this illness. However, the salient aspects that the intern failed to address is the correlation of emotional distress and the fighting spirit on the survival time for people combating life-threatening illnesses like cancer. Due to Lilly’s socioeconomic background and support of her parents, she was able to pay for her treatments and sustain economic stability despite her health deterioration. After the reading the case, I have several questions: was different modalities of treatments other than ego psychology that could have helped her?   Would expose her parents to relaxation training or stress management have helped alleviate some of Lilly’s anxieties? Why would Lilly keep her past so hidden, and more specifically, why wouldn’t she discuss giving her baby away for adoption?   Would there be different ways of conducting interviews with her in times when she was more relaxed? The narrator of this article articulates the typical issues that any cancer patient faces: death, dying, health, family dynamics, physical changes in appearance, and resentment towards others and projection. The intern discussed common experiences from other patients to help normalize what Lilly was going through. For example, when Lilly said she felt like she was hallucinating, the intern informed her that this was common when receiving a morphine drip. The intern seems very helpless at times. She mentions in her transcript that she feels sad and even guilty for being healthy when talking to sick patient. I feel like this social worker is risking the overwhelming need to figure everything out for Lilly, such as digging up the past and figuring out ways to repair her relationships. Her health decline, Lilly’s emotional functioning is not an optimal state and I feel that Lilly just wanted focus on the future. However, I find myself intrigued at what Lilly has to say in coming t o terms with what has happened to her life and what choices she could’ve done differently. I believe there might be something in her past that Lilly is afraid to confront. I don’t believe Lilly felt marginalization due to her race, class or economic background. I believe the mere fact that this social worker intern is alive, healthy and autonomous could create tension in the relationship. For example, Lilly wants to be home with Jake and her cat, but she is forced to stay in the hospital while this social worker intern has the luxury to go back home and rest in her bed, free from the medical tubes, the chemo, and loss of bodily function. I am a first generation Ecuadorean-American who is also a cancer survivor. I come from a lower-middle-class economic background and my parents did not even finish grade school. They do not know how to communicate in English. I hold privilege in the fact that I am 14 years in remission with cancer that I struggled with combating for 1- ½ years. The implications of my sociocultural location in my identity as a first-generation cancer survivor with the lack of resources can help me understand the implications that it might have in my treatment with this client. Due to my class, race and economic background, I am marginalized from Lilly. On the other hand, she is from a middle class, held an influential position and had supportive parents that knew the language.   These differentials can cause a clash of cultures. On one hand, I am marginalized because I didn’t have the same opportunity in my treatment and care as Lilly did. Some of which were unethical such as translating my whole treatment process to my parents from Spanish to English and telling my parents as an 8-year-old, â€Å"I have cancer†. Yet, I am still here and cancer-free. My identity as a first-generation cancer survivor with the lack of resources could have implications in my treatment with this client. I am aware of my role as a social work intern to not influence economic privileges in the assessment. My case writing would have to focus on her mental health and provide a support system with which I am familiar with as well. My hope is despite our many differences, I would have been a support system for her because the communal understanding of the initial feeling after prognosis, the physical changes, the sickness after chemotherapy, the reactions to medications, the dynamic changes in parents due to being â€Å"sick† and having the utter realization of oblivion is   something that is out of your control. With the dynamic of being cancer-free and dealing with a cancer patient, I am afraid of holding the privilege over Lilly because I have beaten cancer and so far, it hasn’t come back. Although it is not a socio-cultural aspect, it is part of my identity. The word â€Å"cancer survivor† will always play a role in how I interact with people as well as being Latina, born from illegal immigrants of South America. With this fact in mind, I think to have someone that was 14 years in remission would’ve given Lilly a glimmer of hope in those moments when the alienation the person feels when they experience cancer and how little they have in common with their healthier loved ones. The cultural differences such as being Hispanic and White could play a role in how we interact with one another. It is a cultural thing to become â€Å"too caring† for someone that is sick. I witnessed it with how my family has taken care of me and I have witnessed it in my time at the Domestic Violence Crisis Center. I realized that it could’ve been something that Lilly needed but it would’ve triggered a complexity in the relationship with transference and countertransference that would’ve been something to be addressed to my supervisor. I feel that I would’ve grown attached and cared for her too much as I would’ve seen a version of myself in her in a nurturing way.   However, I think having someone understand on a more intimate level of the medical terminology and the cancer treatment process would’ve made a world of a difference on the alienation she felt at times between her family and friends. I feel at the stage of the treatment Lilly’s anxiety when she was in the ICU and facing her fears about the irrevocable reality that she might not get better. The fact that she survived those two weeks was a miracle, yet she didn’t see it as a triumph but a truth that this is going to be her reality from now on. This experience of death, dying and the inevitable decline in death is the juxtaposition to my story of recovery and health. I would experience great sadness and anxiety if she were to die in my stay as a social worker intern and would have to have self-awareness with my identity as a â€Å"cancer survivor† and not a â€Å"cancer-statistic†.   Nevertheless, my cultural way to nurture the sick, care for the helpless and communication can be helpful in this situation. I believe that our social locations of class, race and economic boundaries are diminished when we are both bonded by same harsh reality. The truth is, when it comes to cancer, it doesn’t judge of identities or race. I do believe class and economic factors place a role in treatment. However, handling my case with Lilly, I would acknowledge our differences yet manage to find similarities in our situations. We are both women, who even though at different ages, have a self-esteem issue when it comes to losing our hair. Women identify feminity with their hair and even as an 8-year-old; being bald was a harsh reality of my illness. I resonated with Lilly when she felt disgusted when she looked at the mirror and her baldness. I understand the feeling. Although I did not have the luxury of having my parents pay for my insurance, I did have a support system at the time and it helped with the treatment process. I feel like our differences are profound: I was an 8-year-old, Ecuadorean, lower-income, first-generation cancer fighter and Lilly was a 30-year-old, middle-class, American, cancer fighter. The differences are striking when we tell our stories yet the treatment process is still the same across all boards. The conversations that would have would be reassurance, installation of hope and not just by words but by actually being â€Å"living proof† that there is a chance. Lilly talked about that 50% chance of fighting the disease with the bone marrow transplant.   I had a similar prognosis after my first chemotherapy. Our conversation would have been so profound. I would have given her hope by just being there.

Should there be limits on new drivers? :: essays research papers

There have been many debates on whether or not there’s should be limits oppose to new drivers. New drivers tend to get a little out of hand when first driving. I believe that there should be limits on new drivers. Although this is my point of view, others have an opposite view. One reason is that many teens depend on driving these days. This is the time they begin to depend on their parents for rides, which can become an inconvenience to them. Also if there was a limit then teens would be limited to where and when they can go out, or with whom they go out with. In fact, no one is the perfect driver when they start out. With limitations a teen will gain more experience along with responsibility while behind the wheel. A new driver will be more careful with limitations against the license then a person without limitation. The reason why is because the teen will have something to work towards to get more privileges. Not all things are always handed to anyone. You have to earn it by proving that you can handle more responsibilities, like driving. New drivers at the age of sixteen tend to take driving for granted rather then as a privilege. With limitations on young new drivers it will help them have a clear mind while driving. A sixteen year old with other peers in the car, music pumped up, and so forth tend to get distracted easily. With such distraction it may cause the new sixteen-year-old driver to have a better judgment while driving. In conclusion, the controversial for limitations on new young drivers are very high these days. New young drivers want the same privilege as an older driver. It is common for young drivers to make mistakes as well as

As a Child

Our whole lives, we have been taught to be ambitious and competitive. Getting accepted into a prestigious university and employment in a high-paying job is essential in life, and is the way to be happy. So far, this is what I have tried to follow for the past 10 years, but is that really how one should live their life? Constantly picking faults, looking at the next best thing, earning the most money, does money really buy happiness? The summer of 2009, I flew to Delhi, India with my mother to visit my uncles, aunts and my grandfather as they were in shock because one of my aunts had died. A week after we arrived, we headed for a week-long trip to see the rest of Delhi, with our family. As a child, I always thought of India as a developing nation and I envisioned broken streets and bathrooms everywhere. But as I walked into the hotel, I realized that this place was really professional, much like Toronto is, with clean roads, no bathroom stalls on the streets. The only issue I had was with the mosquitoes; they would visit us every night and became a nuisance! The next few days were similarly surprising and fun. The way they made every day an adventure. In the evenings, after dinner, everyone would start up the karaoke machine and sing along in Hindi to it. They would stand together, holding hands and swaying to the music, and before I knew it, all my worries were gone. The days seemed to fly by quickly. The last night of our trip, we all ate dinner around a big, round table. They all talked about their lives and the hardships they faced. I had known the basics about their past careers as my mother had told me on the way here, but what my grandfather told me, shocked me. He was nowhere near as well-off as I had expected. He explained how many relationships were torn apart because of disputes, divorce and even death. Yet even as my grandfather told me of all his hardships, he smiled like a pug with a face with countless wrinkles, encouraging me to strive for my goals and to value my youth. I couldn't smile back. How could these people still laugh and sing as I had seen them do for the past few days when their lives were so imperfect? I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to go through all that pain; the idea was simply beyond me. â€Å"It is inevitable that life deals you hardships and obstacles†, he explained. â€Å"Sometimes they are big and it may seem im possible to overcome them, but you always have to try.† He pointed to his wallet with a picture of my cousin as an example. â€Å"There is no way to bring her back†, he told me. I thought about myself, and how I used to cry over a bad haircut. I remembered the time when I was in grade 7; I had failed a math test, and thought it was the end of the world. The smallest, most meaningless things used to ruin my day. As I looked around the table at all the smiling faces of my uncles and aunts, I began to realize that what grades you get or what university you go to, is all completely irrelevant. Money, popularity, and all our obsessions for things are so meaningless! Nothing in the world could make me happy if I was constantly looking at the next best thing and continuously picking faults. Yet my grandfather had possessed no material wealth, didn't go to the greatest university, wasn't the smartest student, but seemed like the happiest person on earth. The rest of my trip in India passed by in a blur. Before I knew it, I was sitting in an airplane, watching Delhi fall below me, and for some reason, as I thought of my family and all their joy and passion for life, I was reminded of a quote I had heard somewhere. â€Å"Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.† That was when I realized that there would always be problems in our lives, but beside them are also all the good things; they are simply overshadowed. It is just up to us to find them.

Global Car Industry Facing Recession

The Global Car Industry Facing Recession and a Credit Crisis Case study Reference no 309-032-1 This case was written by Nick S Potter, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. It is intended to be used as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources.  © 2009, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. No part of this publication may be copied, stored, transmitted, reproduced or distributed in any form or medium whatsoever without the permission of the copyright owner. cch the case for learning Distributed by ecch, UK and USA www. ecch. com All rights reserved Printed in UK and USA North America t +1 781 239 5884 f +1 781 239 5885 e [email  protected] com Rest of the world t +44 (0)1234 750903 f +44 (0)1234 751125 e [email  protected] com 309-032-1 ___________________________________________________ The Global Car Industry: Facing R ecession and a Credit Crisis N. S. Potter â€Å"The change that has hit the world economy is of a critical scale that comes once in a hundred years† said Katsuaki Watanabe, announcing Toyota’s first annual loss in its 71 year history.The firm said it expected a loss of 150 billion Yen (? 1. 1 billion) in yearly operating profits and confirmed that vehicle sales in the U. S. had fallen 37% in December 2008 and that production would halt for a total of 14 days from January to March 2009 in an effort to reduce inventories. Meanwhile, in America, outgoing President George W. Bush threw the struggling car makers a $17. 4 billion lifeline to stave off immediate bankruptcy and Canada became the second G8 economy to bail out its car industry. In the UK, Tata approached the government for up to ? billion to help save Jaguar and Land Rover and announced at the same time that it was sponsoring the Ferrari F1 team in 2009. The Global Car Industry in 2009 – An Overview. Car manufacturing has been described as â€Å"the industry of all industries†. Strong inter dependence therefore exists between the economies of many countries and industry performance. Governments rely on the sector as well as related suppliers and services to a greater or lesser extent in terms of employment, taxation, GDP and balance of payments. Car makers equally, require growing economies with rising levels of disposable income and consumer confidence.The events of 2008 also demonstrated the industry’s reliance on freely available credit to finance the purchase of its products. â€Å"Credit availability has been the biggest issue in our industry this year†, according to Mike Jackson, Chief Executive of Auto Nation, the largest car dealer in America. This case was prepared by N. S. Potter of Birmingham Business School and is intended as a basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate correct or incorrect handling of any administrative situations â₠¬â€œ N. S. Potter, 2009. 2 309-032-1The credit crisis has affected economies globally and reduced activity in a wide range of industries, notably housing and the fall in property values, coupled with the fear of unemployment has reduced consumer confidence around the world. Many analysts now think that car sales will not recover until 2010 and may take until 2013 to return to 2007 levels of 16. 1 million vehicles, (CSM Worldwide, Detroit). Governments must balance these economic considerations with environmental issues, as well as the aspirations of consumers in terms of mobility and materialism.Politicians need to find a compromise between these opposing forces and the ways in which they impact on the voting intentions of different groups in their respective electorates. The effects of oil price volatility, the credit crisis and subsequent recession on the environment appear to be mixed. Some environmentalists are concerned that economic issues will dominate the political agenda, w hile others point out that people are flying and driving less and that the car industry in particular, will be forced to spend heavily on developing more eco friendly products.Core industries base strategic decisions on the car industry as seen in the move by steel makers to site manufacturing facilities in developing countries where car making is starting to take place and demand for commodities was rising rapidly until mid 2008. The car industry may experience only low growth going into the second decade of the 21st century. However, this will be spread unevenly, both between countries and individual companies. One of the key elements driving dynamics in the car industry is ever increasing globalisation.Rapid change is taking place, continually altering industry structure and attractiveness as well as the key success factors necessary for both survival and growth. Japanese companies were forced to manufacture overseas for much of the 1990s due to the continuous appreciation of the Yen and with its currency at a thirteen year high against the dollar in early 2009, Japan has seen exports to America fall by 33. 8% and to the E. U by 30. 8%, (BBC News). 40% of all cars sold by Toyota in the U. S. re currently manufactured in Japan. China and India, with combined populations of two billion, clearly have enormous potential, but appear to be equally vulnerable to world events. Chinese car sales fell by 14. 8% in the year to November 2008, (FT) and sales in India fell by 19. 4%, (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) due to credit problems and high interest rates, beginning to call into question some existing joint ventures as foreign partners scale back investment and concentrate on problems in their own markets. 309-032-1 South America as a whole is set to become a significant market with Brazil now the 6th largest producer in the world, however annual sales fell 16. 9% in the year to December 2008, (Reuters). A new manufacturing facility planned by Honda in Argentina has now been postponed until at least 2010, (Associated Press). Europe has also seen sales plummet during 2008 but has still overtaken the USA to become the largest volume market in the world and East Asian competition has become ever more significant.Tightly defined product segmentation has taken place as traditional markets mature, while the rapid growth of emerging economies has provided opportunities to extend product life cycles on a geographical basis. The pace of globalisation has varied considerably within the triad. Most European car manufacturers have significant positions only within Europe. U. S. companies tend to have major shares domestically and in Europe, while only two major Japanese companies can claim to be truly global.Although the industry is concentrating, no single company is close to dominating the market and in fact seven companies have between 10% and 15% market share. The level of acquisition activity has been reasonably intense but the other ma jor feature of the industry has been the degree of collaborative activity. A variety of alliances and joint ventures have been utilised as a means of growth, as isolating mechanisms and even to circumvent national political issues. In 1980, there were 30 independent car anufacturers, by 2000 this had fallen to 13 and it is predicted that by 2015 the number will have fallen to 10, a situation which could be exacerbated by the global economic situation. The industry value chain is also altering and becoming capability led, as companies focus downstream towards the customer interface where the most explicit value is increasingly being added. The Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) share of total value creation stood at 36% in 2002 and this will fall to 23% by 2015.Despite this, the component manufacturers face similar consolidation pressures with 8000 suppliers in 1998 expected to fall to 2800 by 2015. Technology is changing the upstream supply chain as component su ppliers split into tiers and become total solution providers, often diversifying from previously unrelated industries such as electronics, computer software and aerospace. Companies such as Delphi, Bosch, Continental, Lear, Siemens, Thyssen Krupp and Visteon will become dominant. 4 309-032-1 Summary of main conclusions †¢Demand will fall in Europe and America in 2009 and will be flat in China, although the second half of the year may see a partial recovery. Supply will continue to exceed demand as production capacity currently stands at 90 million units. †¢ Europe and China have become the primary battlegrounds for car manufacturers, with Germany currently the biggest single market. †¢ Eastern Europe and South America offer limited growth as well as high risk but will become significant markets by 2015 †¢ Apart from China and India, the ASEAN countries represent the greatest opportunity and challenge to Japanese, U.S and European manufacturers, as long as structu ral and governance reforms continue. †¢ Significant demand fluctuations will exist between country markets. †¢ Toyota, Honda and Nissan are truly global competitors and this trend will continue, with around seven companies or collaborative groupings eventually dominating the world market, each making between 5-7 million vehicles annually. †¢ The industry is driven by cost and technology with political and ecological issues as a significant underlying factor and this holds for product and process development. †¢Manufacturers will integrate forward vertically into their distribution channels, diversify and out source traditional activities. †¢ Collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers governments will become increasingly prevalent. †¢ Marketing strategies will focus on creating lifetime customer relationships, but in the short term, availability of finance will be a critical issue. 5 and even national 309-032-1 †¢ Time to market for new models w ill continue to reduce from 3. 4 years in 1995 to 2. 2 years currently and this may become a critical issue as companies respond to rapid changes in consumer preferences.Global Car Industry – Major Forces and Impacts It is clearly difficult to generalise due to the enormous variation between countries in the various stages of their development. It is however reasonable to conclude, that the car industry within any given country is subject to opposing political forces. †¢ As a primary industry, it is a major contributor to GNP, balance of payments and employment. Component suppliers and service providers represent important secondary industries. Total global industry employment was predicted to reach 11. million by 2015, prior to the 2008 crash, with 78% of those jobs generated by suppliers. This will heavily influence government policy during 2009/10 with governments across the world expected to support the car industry. †¢ Taxation of purchase and use represents si gnificant government revenue. It is estimated that global industry revenue will have reached 903 billion Euros by 2015. †¢ Transport is a major part of any countries infrastructure and is necessary to the process of wealth creation. †¢ Congestion and safety are becoming increasingly important issues. †¢Pollution and sustainable energy policies could dominate the industry in future. Targets to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are making alternative fuels, such as natural gas and electricity more attractive. †¢ The issues surrounding inward and outward direct investment affect strategies adopted by companies as they seek to invest and grow in new markets. Cost of labour as a factor of mobility is increasingly debated but government’s attempt to attract investment with a range of grant aid as well as subsidising domestic companies for a variety of reasons, including national prestige. 6 309-032-1Demand for cars is very closely linked to a given count ry's economic performance and this can be viewed in two separate contexts :1 – The wider process of the economic development of a country which results first in selective ownership, leading gradually to mass market volumes. 2 – Short term life cycle fluctuations within mass volume markets leading to delayed purchases or customers changing segments. Consumer confidence is a key factor in the purchase decision as the product price is significant in relation to most people's income. For every 1% increase in average earnings, car ownership rises by 2%. 7 309-032-1Table 1 – World Economic Outlook 2009 – IMF 2006 2007 2008 2009 Original World output 5. 1 5. 0 3. 7 2. 2 Advanced economies 3. 0 2. 6 1. 4 United States 2. 8 2. 0 Euro area 2. 8 Germany 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 Revised Current forecast -0. 2 -0. 8 4. 8 2. 5 2. 4 -0. 3 -0. 1 -0. 8 2. 6 0. 3 0. 3 1. 4 -0. 7 -0. 1 -0. 8 2. 3 0. 4 -0. 5 2. 6 1. 2 -0. 5 -0. 1 -0. 7 2. 1 0. 1 — 3. 0 2. 5 1. 7 -0. 8 -0. 2 -0. 8 1. 7 0. 3 -0. 3 France 2. 2 2. 2 0. 8 -0. 5 -0. 1 -0. 6 2. 2 -0. 4 0. 2 Italy 1. 8 1. 5 -0. 2 -0. 6 -0. 1 -0. 4 0. 1 -0. 4 -0. 1 Spain 3. 9 3. 7 1. 4 -0. 7 — -0. 5 3. 2 0. 2 -0. 6 Japan 2. 4 2. 1 0. 5 -0. 2 -0. 2 -0. 7 1. 4 -0. 3 0. 4United Kingdom 2. 8 3. 0 0. 8 -1. 3 -0. 2 -1. 2 2. 9 -0. 9 -0. 5 Canada 3. 1 2. 7 0. 6 0. 3 -0. 1 -0. 9 2. 8 — 1. 0 Other advanced economies 4. 5 4. 7 2. 9 1. 5 -0. 2 -1. 0 5. 0 1. 8 3. 0 5. 6 5. 6 3. 9 2. 1 -0. 1 -1. 1 6. 1 2. 2 4. 4 -0. 1 -0. 8 9. 0 8. 3 Newly industrialized Asian economies China 11. 6 11. 9 9. 7 8. 5 11. 3 7. 9 8. 0 6. 6 5. 1 -0. 3 -1. 0 8. 5 5. 9 5. 7 Africa 6. 1 6. 1 5. 2 4. 7 -0. 7 -1. 3 †¦ †¦ †¦ Brazil 3. 8 5. 4 5. 2 3. 0 — -0. 5 6. 2 3. 9 3. 2 Central and eastern Europe 6. 7 5. 7 4. 2 2. 5 -0. 3 -0. 9 †¦ †¦ †¦ Commonwealth of Independent States 8. 2 8. 6 6. 9 3. 2 -0. 3 -2. 5 †¦ †¦ †¦ 7. 4 8. 1 6. 8 3. 5 0. 2 -2. 0 9. 5 5. 9 5. 8 9. 8 9. 3 7. 8 6. 3 8 . 9 6. 6 6. 0 Emerging and developing economies2 Russia India 8 0. 1 0. 6 309-032-1 The important variable is private consumption. Growth and wage levels are expected to be slower in real terms in the immediate future. Fiscal policies may eventfully result in higher taxation, particularly to service government borrowing, some of which will be indirect and therefore industry specific. Interest and exchange rates are also important as they affect disposable income. Interest rates have been slashed by the majority of central banks in developed countries and at the beginning of 2009 ranged from 0. % in Japan to 2. 5% across the Euro zone. Currency markets will probably continue to be volatile during 2009 as analysts assess which governments are following policies aimed at coming out of recession earlier than other nations without driving borrowing to unsustainable levels. It is likely that persistently high levels of unemployment and reduced job security will keep consumer confidence lo w and lead to an increase in the savings ratio. This could impact in several ways on the replacement patterns of high value consumer durables. Replacement may be delayed, satisfied in the second hand market or by trading down when buying new.Global growth is expected to continue to moderate from the peak in 2004 but the speed of the decline in output will vary from region to region as seen in table 1. World trade will slow down, from growth of 10. 1% in 2004, to 5. 0% in 2007 and a forecast of 2. 4% in 2009. Labour productivity and commodity prices are also key issues. Global demand for oil has exceeded supply for much of 2008 with prices peaking at $147 per barrel before plummeting to $5 in early 2009 and in the longer term, China has gone from being a net exporter of oil in 1995 to a position where it is predicted that 55% of its demand will be imported by 2030.There are clear linkages with economic factors as wealth generally leads to raised expectations. In less developed market s, the consumer's initial aspiration is simply for a convenient means of transport over longer distances and in this respect, the Nano from Tata may provide particular advantage. Increasing levels of wealth and confidence bring demands for more sophisticated equipment, greater choice of versions, niche products, passenger safety and consideration of the environment. 9 309-032-1 The degree of nationalism within country markets can also be significant and clear example of this is the German market where buyers display a clear preference for German cars. It is forecast that subsequent generations of buyers will think less along national lines as education, travel and integration all increase. This process will also be accelerated by local production, as demonstrated by Toyota, Nissan and Honda in the UK and VW in China. The need for transport is almost infinitely flexible in relation to its ease and cost. Governments have the task of balancing this need against the economic and ecologi cal considerations as well as the prospect of increased leisure time for many people.There are currently 500 million cars on the road throughout the world and by 2030 this figure is expected to rise to 1 billion with a further 500 million lorries and motorcycles. Road transport accounts for 20% of the global CO2 output and this figure could rise as traffic increases in developing countries. Technology represents another significant industry specific driver and can be considered under process cost, ecological pressure and increased consumer demands for new products increasing choice, comfort, performance and safety.Smart cards implanted in engine management systems will be capable of measuring the quantity of polluting emissions with the results used to prepare individual tax bills. Road side sensors or global positioning satellites will charge heavily for road use during congested periods with reduced or waived charges at other times of the day. The use of robots for assembly is inc reasing and it is estimated that 40% of the world's 610,000 robot population are used in the car industry. This is already affecting the propensity of companies to relocate in areas of low labour cost, as the cost advantage is being eroded.Product development issues will include fuel source, the balance between design and aerodynamics, automation of driver systems, satellite positioning and matching vehicles or versions to individual lifestyles. Process development will be concerned with flexibility, quality and cost issues. Supplier relationships and internal value chains will change in two significant respects due to these factors :1 – Car manufacturers increasingly lack capabilities in relation to new technologies and are out sourcing total solution provision to first tier suppliers, who are in 10 309-032-1 urn responsible for relationships with second and third tier companies. 2 – Process technology is becoming so specialised that manufacturers are having to develo p in house capabilities in order to supply their exact requirements. It is also forecast that differentiation and the complexity of technology will tie customers to authorised service dealers throughout the life of the vehicle. This will alter the relationship between margins made on the sale of a car and those subsequently derived from servicing and the sale of replacement parts. Outlook for the Global IndustryThe production and supply of cars has been concentrated in the three zones of the triad until recently, however there will be a degree of fragmentation over the next ten years as Eastern Europe, South America, China and India develop both in terms of consumption and production. The Chinese government welcomes foreign direct investment and has relaxed rules for setting up businesses and realises that foreign capital and 21st century technology can help the country to industrialise more quickly. There are five major indigenous car manufacturers in China as well as many smaller companies.Their main problem is a lack of both brands and designs. Shanghai Auto is number one in the domestic market and ranked at 373 in the 2008 Fortune Global 500, but still only produces 800,000 cars a year through joint ventures with GM and VW and this provided the rationale for the purchase of MG Rover assets and the 2007 merger with the Nanjing Automobile Company . Table 2 – 2009 vehicle sales forecasts – 2007 versus 2009 (millions of cars) Country New 2009 forecast Original 2007 forecast % Decrease USA 14. 3 18. 6 23. 0% Western Europe 14. 0 16. 9 17. 0% China 8. 0 7. 9 unchanged Japan 4. 8 6. 0 20. 0%Eastern Europe 5. 8 3. 6 India 1. 8 2. 1 14. 0% South Korea 1. 6 2. 1 24% (61% increase) Sources: Ernst and Young, Fortune, SMMT, Business Mirror, FT & Reuters 11 309-032-1 It can clearly be seen that the short term growth opportunities are in Eastern Europe and possibly China. The big European and North American producers face massive structural problems, pensio n deficits, overcapacity, mature markets and falling prices. Emerging markets offer some relief but competition will be at least as fierce and may require a move to smaller, lighter cars and this will favour some manufacturers more than others.Dongfeng Nissan and Geely Automobile in China are both forecasting sales increases during 2009, based on their range of small, inexpensive models. The motor car will increasingly be a target for environmentally motivated taxation and legislation. Industry rationalisation is long overdue, but government and unions in some countries will resist any attempt by manufacturers to cut large numbers of jobs and this tension will be a feature of 2009/10 as governments attempt to counter rising unemployment and balance public finances.Much of the cost pressure being felt by OEMs is being passed onto suppliers or eased by relocating manufacturing and sourcing to Eastern Europe and China. Currently, 33% of all suppliers have manufacturing facilities in Ea stern Europe and 17% in China and this trend will continue with Western Europe and the U. S. adding value through marketing, engineering and design, though this raises the issue of technology theft and intellectual property rights. Russia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are the most important sales markets in Eastern Europe and also represent important manufacturing locations along with Slovakia and Slovenia.China is now VW’s second largest sales market after Germany and General Motors generated 44% of global earnings from the same country, both companies plan a series of new vehicle launches during 2009. Russia is also a potentially large market with 144 million people and car ownership only one third of the level in Germany. Sales have doubled to over 3. 5 million units a year, (P. W. C. ) but the forecast for 2009 is a 15% reduction as the effect of lower oil prices affects the economy.German and Japanese cars are in high demand, though the government has decreed t hat 80% of officials should drive Volgas with the remaining 20% being supplied with BMWs built in Kalingrad and Fords made near St Petersburg. The Russian OEMs such as Moskvitch, Gaz and Ural tend to focus on the largest part of the market which is for cars costing less than $4000. Other manufacturers with plants already there, include Renault, GM and VW, with Nissan, Hyundai, Peugeot and Mitsubishi currently constructing new facilities, (Business Week). Renault has become partners with Avtvaz, paying $1 billion for a 12 309-032-1 5% stake in early 2008 and the next phase, according to PWC will be the emergence of a powerful components industry to supply as foreign brand cars manufactured in Russia are forecast to rise to 2 million by 2012. Ford, VW and Renault have all announced extended plant shutdowns during the early part of 2009, (New York Times), however PWC still forecasts that despite these short term difficulties, sales will continue to rise to six million units by 2014 and analysts at Russian agency Avtostat, predict that Russia will be the third largest car market in the world by 2012, behind only the US and China.Eastern Europe is improving in terms of productivity and competitiveness, is close to major EU markets and combines low wages with a skilled work force. Political pressure will focus on the production of cars suitable for export markets in order to earn currency, but government attitudes to foreign direct investment may improve if Russia joins the WTO. Collaboration between Eastern and Western European companies is growing rapidly, based on the mutual benefits of technology/skills transfer and market entry.Ironically, economic measures aimed at strengthening local currencies in order to reduce inflation, are making it more difficult for exporters to remain competitive. GM and Ford have invested in low volume production but many of the other OEMs have adopted a more cautious approach, although Toyota, Daewoo, Mitsubishi and Renault are succ essfully importing cars. The level of global sales and therefore production in 2009 is very difficult to forecast as it depends largely on how quickly financial institutions make credit available at somewhere close to previous levels. 0. 2 million cars were manufactured in 2007, falling to 67. 9 million in 2008, (J. D. Powers). Honda forecasts that European production will fall by over 12. 0%, but increase by 5% in China during 2009. VW expects the whole year to be difficult, particularly the first two quarters. PWC is forecasting a 17% fall in sales in the US, 12% across Europe and 5% in Asia Pacific. The firm remains upbeat about 2010, predicting a recovery in global sales of up to 15%. 13 309-032-1 Table 3 – Preferred Manufacturing Locations Country Very attractive Attractive Total Czech Republic 0% 44% 94% China 71% 18% 89% Hungary 40% 45% 85% Poland 36% 46% 82% USA 36% 33% 69% Slovakia 40% 28% 68% South Korea 16% 48% 64% Mexico 21% 39% 60% Western Europe 18% 23% 41% Indi a 15% 23% 38% Brazil 14% 21% 35% Ukraine 15% 18% 33% Romania 10% 23% 33% Slovenia 16% 14% 30% Bulgaria 5% 19% 24% 11% 10% 21% Argentina 5% 11% 16% Thailand 5% 8% 13% Vietnam 0% 10% 10% Russia 4% 4% 8% Australia 1% 3% 4% Croatia 1% 1% 2% Yugoslavia 1% 0% 1% Japan Source: Ernst and Young Competitive Analysis The global market leader during 2007 in terms of volume was GM which produced 9. 5 million vehicles compared with Toyota at 8. 5 million, however adding Daihatsu, (a wholly owned subsidiary) brings Toyota’s total production level with GM and as can be seen in the table overleaf, Toyota now produces more cars than GM when commercial vehicle sales are discounted. It is also worth noting that if the production figures for Renault with Nissan are combined, they climb to fifth place ahead of Honda. 14 309-032-1 Table 4 – World Ranking of Manufacturers 2007 Rank Group Total (Millions) Cars Total Vehicle Production 72. 18 56. 30 1GM 9. 34 6. 26 2 Toyota 8. 53 7. 21 3 VW 6. 27 5. 96 4 Ford 6. 25 3. 56 5 Honda 3. 91 3. 87 6 PSA 3. 46 3. 02 7 Nissan 3. 43 2. 65 8 Fiat 2. 68 1. 99 9 Renault 2. 67 2. 28 10 Hyundai 2. 62 2. 29 11 Suzuki 2. 60 2. 28 12 Chrysler 2. 54 0. 75 13 Daimler 2. 10 1. 33 14 BMW 1. 54 1. 54 15 Mitsubishi 1. 41 1. 10 16 Kia 1. 37 1. 29 17 Mazda 1. 28 1. 16 18 Daihatsu 0. 86 0. 71 19 Avtovaz 0. 73 0. 73 20 FAW 0. 69 0. 69 21 Tata 0. 59 0. 24 22 Fuji 0. 58 0. 51 23 Chana Automobile 0. 54 0. 54 24 Beijing Automotive 0. 45 0. 45 25 Dongfeng Motor 0. 44 0. 44Source: International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) It is notable that four firms in the top 50 produce fewer than 100,000 cars a year and fifteen make fewer than 250,000 cars and the top ten Chinese companies only produce around 3 million cars between them, while Tata has a long way to go before it becomes a volume player. 15 309-032-1 Table 5 – World Vehicle Production by Country in 2007 Country Total Vehicle Production (Millions) Japan 11. 60 USA 10. 80 PR China 8. 90 Germany 6. 20 South Korea 4. 10 France 3. 00 Brazil 2. 95 Spain 2. 90 Canada 2. 60 India 2. 30 Mexico . 10 UK 1. 75 Russia 1. 65 Italy 1. 30 Thailand 1. 25 Turkey 1. 10 Iran 1. 00 Czech Republic 0. 95 Belgium 0. 85 Poland 0. 80 Source: International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) Corporate Strategies Diversification is still common within the automotive industry, however the most prevalent strategy is forward integration. Most of the added value is now derived from finance, servicing and the sale of spare parts. Growth by acquisition has been used by G. M. , Fiat, Tata and VW to overcome mobility barriers and gain presence in the upper luxury segments, although G.M. in particular is more focused on the U. S. market in this respect. Toyota and Honda conversely, chose organic growth by establishing the Lexus and Acura brands organically. BMW now has its own range in the important four wheel drive market 16 309-032-1 and it’s acquisition of Rolls -Royce leaves them with a more sustainable portfolio, including Mini, which it retained when it sold MG Rover. Mercedes on the other hand, is relying on brand extension and the rebirth of the Maybach brand to increase volume since the end of its ill fated merger with Chrysler.The successful merger between Renault and Nissan raises question about the two remaining European independents, PSA and Fiat. Collaboration As markets mature, manufacturers are being forced to cut costs and increase scale. The manufacturing process has had most of the possible cost squeezed out in the last ten years. Companies already buy components from each other or share development costs, for example the alliance between PSA and Renault to supply gearboxes. Collaboration is based on mutual need and can either be used to spread costs or as a market entry strategy.There appears to be a shift of emphasis from the interchange of resources towards combining, as well as a more open attitude by Western companies t o close co-operation. It is becoming multi dimensional as manufacturers analyse their value chains, not only with a view to outsourcing, but on a geographical basis. Relocation, rationalisation and new bases for supplier relationships will dramatically alter the profile of the entire industry by 2010 There are a number of parallel developments occurring:†¢ The component supply industry has tiered, with Tier 1 suppliers becoming solution providers.They develop and supply whole vehicle systems such as brakes, engine management, steering and suspension. †¢ These suppliers have becoming knowledge partners and have taken on the role of managing relationships with tiers 2 and 3, who have found themselves isolated from the car manufacturers. †¢ Technology is increasingly complex and from outside the traditional automotive industry. Electronics, currently constitute around 23% of the value of a car, this will rise to 40% by 2010. †¢ As technology becomes more intelligent , components can be tailored to a wider range of applications.Software can now be used to alter the power and 17 309-032-1 torque profiles of diesel engines using inbuilt codes, offering the opportunity to use one engine across a wide range of model sizes. It could also be combined with GPS to automatically limit speed to the legal maximum. †¢ For this reason, specialist suppliers are achieving greater economies of scale than even the largest OEMs can hope to achieve in house. †¢ Car makers are reducing the number of varying components even at platform level, but increasing consumer choice by offering more variants in terms of trim and accessories. They are recognising the concept of â€Å"needlessly unique† components, where the cost of developing many alternatives does not raise customer perceptions of value. †¢ Components which the customer perceives to be invisible will be standardised. These will include chassis, steering, driveline and braking systems. Ot hers will be made common where possible, including instruments, controls and airbags. Only variants required to be different by the customer will be specific to models and examples of these include paintwork, exterior trim, fascia and glass. †¢Component suppliers are being forced to grow, in order to stay within cost targets set by their customers. Suzuki insists that all main suppliers with fewer than 100 employees must merge with other suppliers. Global car makers logically require global component suppliers. †¢ Car companies will increasingly become assemblers as they turn their main strategic attention towards, design, marketing and their distribution channels. Technology and Research and Development It is becoming more difficult to sustain competitive advantage through product differentiation.OEMs however, are continuing to invest heavily in research and development in an attempt to attract customers and no detail is seen as insignificant. Audi claims that its new V10 R8 is the first car in the world with all LED headlamps and rear-view mirrors have become high tech, with power folding, photo chromic glass and vision cameras aimed at pedestrian or occupant detection. It is likely 18 309-032-1 however that the technology focus will increasingly be on new fuel sources and lower pollution levels as firms attempt to anticipate future customer demands.Pollution and Resource Consumption Pollution has evolved from a series of localised problems into a global issue. The range of pollutants is also increasing and now includes CO2, CO, NOx, SO2, CFC, Methane and Nitrates. Automobiles currently have 80% of the global personal transport market and 55% of goods transportation. Their effect on the natural environment is therefore significant and ranges from 5% of total SO2 emissions up to 70% of all CO2 emissions. Noise and waste products also contribute to environmental deterioration.More than 500 kg of every car produced ends up in land fill sites, accounti ng for 4% of total rubbish weight. Companies are beginning to take these issues seriously as it is probable that eventually they will bear responsibility for disassembly and total recycling. Renault for example spends 30% of total R & D budget and employs 1000 people on environment related issues. This is shared between compliance with future regulation and attempting to gain advantage over competing companies.The Euro 96 norms mean much tighter controls over emission levels and these are mirrored by U. S. legislation. No detail is too small to escape attention in this constant search for technological advantage. In Europe for example, 180,000 tonnes of fuel evaporates every year during the refuelling process and fuel tanks are being redesigned to eliminate the problem. Reduction in fuel consumption is a major research area and engines are being developed with reduced friction, more efficient combustion and better ignition.Diesel cars remain an alternative and work also continues on small electric cars. Engines capable of using renewable fuels such as Soya oil have been in existence since the 1970s, but unless governments deliberately favour these alternatives via changes in taxation policy, they will only slowly gain acceptance. There are encouraging signs however, in Sweden 66% of orders for the new Saab 95 are for the version that runs on 85% bio ethanol derived from sugar cane and British Sugar is considering building a bio ethanol plant in the U.K. Hybrid vehicles running on oil 19 309-032-1 based fuel and electricity are gaining in popularity and fuel cell cars will be on the road by 2020 Table 6 – World Commodity Prices – 2000 to 2010 Commodity prices, 2000-2010 Percent change Forecast Commodity 2000-2005 -26. 4 1. 8 33. 9 1. 0 57. 2 -10. 8 -4. 2 3. 1 33. 9 97. 8 -23. 1 -10. 0 29. 1 17. 0 22. 4 -19. 1 -4. 3 12. 7 20. 0 28. 4 -21. 5 -1. 3 10. 0 25. 6 35. 2 -23. 3 -0. 3 18. 4 26. 1 50. 9 -28. 9 2. 6 22. 7

Example of a Reaction Paper

Example of a Reaction Paper Example of a Reaction Paper Example of a Reaction Paper: Lets Use the Internet If you have got a task to write a reaction paper but do not know how to do it, you should not be upset. This article will help you solve your problem. An example of a reaction paper is the solution! If you do not know how to write your reaction paper, you may use an example of a reaction paper. Where can you find it? You should search in the Internet. You may find a variety of free academic papers there, in particular different reaction papers. You may ask How may an example of a reaction paper from the Internet be useful for me if I am not going to plagiarize? It will help you very much, indeed, if you do not know what to begin your paper with or, for instance, how to organize your thoughts. Moreover, one should stress that you may make your profit without plagiarizing. Example of a reaction paper: useful help So, in what way may an example of a reaction paper be helpful for you? You may get a lot of useful information when reading online reaction papers in the Internet. For instance, you may:study the main peculiarities of the structure of reaction papers (what parts a reaction paper should consist of, what kind of information each part should contain, in what way a paper paragraphs should be organized); find some interesting ideas about the subject of your discussion (for example, if you do not know what book or movie you should write your reaction paper about); find out in what way a thesis statement is formulated and how it is mentioned in a reaction paper; study the vocabulary of reaction papers: what words and word-combinations are usually used in such papers, what personal forms of verbs are used. Well, as you see the Internet example of reaction papers (that is online reaction papers that you may use as an example in your writing) may be of great use for you. You may use these papers without plagiarizing. Professional help Anyway, if you cannot cope with your reaction paper for some reasons, you are welcome to contact us! Our professional writers whom we cooperate with will be able to provide you with help in writing of any of your assignment papers as soon as possible. The only thing you should do is to place your order on our web-site!

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Write IEP Goals for Healthy Student Work Habits

Write IEP Goals for Healthy Student Work Habits When a student in your class is the subject of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), you will be called upon to join a team that will write goals for him or her. These goals are important, as the students performance will be measured against them for the remainder of the IEP period and their success can determine the kinds of supports the school will provide.   SMART Goals For educators, its important to remember that IEP goals should be SMART. That is, they should be Specific, Measurable, use Action words, be Realistic and theyre Time-limited. Here are some ways to think about goals for children with poor work habits. You know this child.  She or he has trouble completing written work, seems to drift away during oral lessons, and may get up to socialize while children are working independently. Where do you start setting the goals that will support her or him and make them a better student? Executive Functioning Goals If a student has a disability such as ADD or ADHD, concentration and staying on task wont come easily. Children with these issues often have difficulty sustaining good work habits. Deficits such as this are known as executive functioning delays. Executive functioning includes basic organizational skill and responsibility. The purpose of goals in executive functioning is to help the student keep track of homework and  assignment due dates, remember to  turn in assignments and homework, remember to bring home (or return) books and materials. These  organizational skills lead to tools to manage his daily life.   When developing IEPs for students who need help with their work habits, it is important to remember to key in on a few specific areas. Changing one behavior at a time is much easier than focusing on too many, which will be overwhelming for the student. Sample Behavioral Goals Focus attention with minimal supervision or intervention.Refrain from distracting others.Listen when directions and instructions are given.Identify what is needed each work period and each day for homework.Be prepared for assignments.Take the time to do things right the first time.  Think things out on your own before asking.Try things independently without giving up.Work independently as much as possible.Apply successful strategies when involved in problem-solving.Be able to re-state problems, instructions, and directions to help with understanding the task at hand.Take responsibility for all work being done.Participate fully in group situations or when called upon.Be responsible for self and belongings.Remain positive when working with others.Cooperate in both large and small group settings.Be considerate of the opinions of others.Seek positive solutions for any conflicts that may arise.Always follow the routines and rules. Use these prompts to craft SMART goals. That is, they should be achievable and measurable and have a time component. For example, for the child who struggles with paying attention, this goal incorporates specific behaviors, is actionable, measurable, time-bound, and realistic:   The student will attend (sit still with eyes on the teacher, keeping their hands to themselves, using a quiet voice) to a task during large and small group instruction for a ten-minute period, with no more than one teacher prompt in four out of five trials, to be measured by the teacher. When you think about it, many of the work habits lead to good skills for life habits. Work on one or two at a time, obtaining success before moving to another habit.

Enrique's Journey Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enrique's Journey Reflection - Essay Example ain character meets on his way forced me to realize, how precious is the family and what a price should some immigrants pay for to reunite with their families. Before reading this book I never thought that the government should somehow support the immigrants. I thought that the problems of immigrants are the problems of their own countries, ut nit the USA. I’ve heard the terrific statistics telling how many people crossed the USA boundary, but that people were only numbers for me. Earlier I never thought about the fact that those people who immigrate to the USA leave their families on the other side of the boundary. I thought of them as about people who just can’t find a job or don’t want to live in their own country and therefore come to the USA. While reading this book I got deep into the inner world of a boy, whose mother left him in Honduras and went far away to make his and her life better. The move allows her to send money back home to Enrique, due to that he can go to school. Mother promised Enrique that she will return quickly. But she had troubles in America. So due to this very book I saw how difficult it is to survive in the foreign country, where no one is really interested in your being here and someone even want you to leave. Also I saw the inside of the world of poverty, unemployment and hardships I never met in my life. I really reconsidered my opinion about immigrants after reading this book. Now I even think the government has to provide the immigrants children with a humanitarian care, shelter and legal assistance, especially for those children who have faced horrific violence in their native countries. Unfortunately not all he officials and parties are ready to help the immigrants. The book Enriques Journey helped me to open my eyes and see the other side of the both immigrant’s and my own worlds. They differ a lot. I have never been really far from my family, without staying in contact with them, without a smallest opportunity to see

International Etiquette Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Etiquette Paper - Essay Example In-spite of having a well known government, the country was considered powerless during the period of 1912-1949. However, the dominance of the country in the Second World War against the Japanese smoothens the way for China to become a powerful nation. After that period, Mao Zedong, Chairman of the communist party formed PRC. Hence, with the changing time frame, the country established itself as amid the super powers of the globe (The Ohio State University, â€Å"Part 2: Themes in Chinese History†). Business in China is quite different from other nations of the globe. People in this part of the world focus more on conducting business by building effectual relationship. The people of the country provide maximum value to punctuality. Both English and Chinese languages are widely used in this nation while conducting business (The Canadian Trade Commission Service, â€Å"Business Etiquette in China†). In China, business and works are not conducted on national holidays of the nation. The regular business hours in the country ranges from 7-8 hours each day from Monday to Friday and Saturdays along with Sundays considered as off days. The standard operational hours of business comprise 08 hours to 1800 hours each day with lunch period ranging in between 1200 hours to 1400 hours (Travel China Guide, â€Å"Business Hours in China†). In order to analyze this particular section, it can be affirmed that it is quite important that people end or disconnect their phone calls politely while being in a business meeting or having an important conversation regarding business. However, maintaining contacts through emails, phones and fax is highly appreciated by business group of people in China (Travel China Guide, â€Å"Business Hours in China†). As mentioned above, business people in China values maximum punctuality especially when participating or attending in any sort of meeting. Being on time for having business related conversations or

Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Literature Review - Research Paper Example This has opened doors to Taco Bell, KFC and other fast food joints (Weimer, 98). Alarmingly, this has brewed conflict between the anti-hunger reformists on one side and nutritionists / food reformers on the other. Controlling for the socioeconomic status, women who receive the food stamps have recorded a higher estimate in obese numbers than women that don’t benefit from the same. Nevertheless there has been no realization of any probable correlation between food stamps benefit and obesity in low-income men. Studies have been unable to show a similar consistent relationship in children. Several hypotheses explain a correlation between food stamps and obesity in adults. This review suggests a conceptual framework connecting the food stamp program and obesity relationship (Correl, 10) It is important to note that correlation is not causation despite this fact numerous surveys have reflected that obesity and food stamps benefits are strongly related. Food stamps programs have made a considerable effort in battling with hunger but through its expansion in the country it has equally influenced the rates of obesity .More than 40% of women in the U.S.A in the low-income category are obese, the rate is gets higher in the woman populace that participates in the food stamps program (Vosti & Sumner 207). Researchers have consequently been trying to decipher whether this is caused by the provision of food stamps or rather if there is a correlation between obesity and food stamps. It is rightfully assumed that the women susceptible to obesity are the ones that are most riveted in accruing the food stamps benefits. A major contributing factor is that the supermarkets in these poor neighborhoods make junk food available these unhealthy consumption habits choices underwrite an obesity epidemic that affects mostly the poor ( Mullaly, 208). Research seeks to discern the effect of

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends Essay

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that collection agencies are evolving in large basically to cut off the revenues spent on the continuous exercise of supervising and evaluating the task of copyrights both in the local as well as international market. So the member of the music industry should be able to understand the legislation regarding the copyrights as well as a core knowledge should be there about the delivery of the music to the consumers in addition to the basic trends of users of this industry which are all the time changing. Collection agencies also need to develop the latest technology to have a continuous record of the inward flow of the copyright capital and the income related to the royalty. At large, collection agencies are usually playing an important role in the industry, by making lobbies among the policymakers of the music industry, by exploiting the information about the business and these agencies can be beneficial in promoting this talent by awarding sc holarships to the deserving ones. The major portion of the capital in the music industry are created with the help of musical concepts which is done by collaborate effort of the market and the members of the instrument industry. As in all the other industries, these ideas have to be protected and that is done by the means of copyrights creation. But there is one exception in this regard as in the music field the main idea of the artist is not protected rather it is some modified fixed form of that idea which comes under the copyright act. In addition to this, the copyrights are not issued and instead these are kept by the author or the publishing authority. Capitals in the music industry are built through the musical innovations with the aid of specialized institutions and market support. Like in other industries copyrights hold utmost importance for the capital generation but in contrast to other industries, in music field the copyrights does not protect the idea of the artist itse lf rather its expression to certain extent is given copyrights, for example, a certain form of music cannot be protected through copyrights but its expression by certain artist can be protected.

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Art - Essay Example And the term Impressionism, was in fact, derived from one of his famous paintings in 1872 entitled, Impression, Sunrise (Krauss 87). This particular artwork vividly captured the everyday life scenes and commonplace interactions of humankind against his own world. The sketchy application of colors seemed to dissolve into a misty, hazy atmosphere of a typical sunrise and had extraordinarily represented even the most ordinary errand in our everyday lives. Monet’s penchant for beautiful things – nature, people and landscapes paved way for him to create offbeat and highly-interesting subjects that are influential and dominant in the current time. And as he was getting older, he gained interest in water reflecting light images such as the Water Lilies art piece (1917) and would often paint the same subject on different seasons of the year, applying different sets of color (Krauss 88). Moreover, the world of Impressionism has led to another significant art movement called Abst ract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock was considered as the most celebrated painter of the American abstract expressionism. Many of his works are represented in heavy layers of dark lines and bold colors that evoked figurative shapes, fluidity and movement.

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends Essay

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that collection agencies are evolving in large basically to cut off the revenues spent on the continuous exercise of supervising and evaluating the task of copyrights both in the local as well as international market. So the member of the music industry should be able to understand the legislation regarding the copyrights as well as a core knowledge should be there about the delivery of the music to the consumers in addition to the basic trends of users of this industry which are all the time changing. Collection agencies also need to develop the latest technology to have a continuous record of the inward flow of the copyright capital and the income related to the royalty. At large, collection agencies are usually playing an important role in the industry, by making lobbies among the policymakers of the music industry, by exploiting the information about the business and these agencies can be beneficial in promoting this talent by awarding sc holarships to the deserving ones. The major portion of the capital in the music industry are created with the help of musical concepts which is done by collaborate effort of the market and the members of the instrument industry. As in all the other industries, these ideas have to be protected and that is done by the means of copyrights creation. But there is one exception in this regard as in the music field the main idea of the artist is not protected rather it is some modified fixed form of that idea which comes under the copyright act. In addition to this, the copyrights are not issued and instead these are kept by the author or the publishing authority. Capitals in the music industry are built through the musical innovations with the aid of specialized institutions and market support. Like in other industries copyrights hold utmost importance for the capital generation but in contrast to other industries, in music field the copyrights does not protect the idea of the artist itse lf rather its expression to certain extent is given copyrights, for example, a certain form of music cannot be protected through copyrights but its expression by certain artist can be protected.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

Law - Essay Example The main feature of the English legal system is that it is living and constantly evolving to work in the future as well as it did in the past1. Thus the single most unique feature of the English legal system is its inheritance from common law2. Most of the characteristics commonly linked to English law and its management of righteousness are traceable to the early on growth in Western Europe of the civil and common law customs. According to Goodman (1995), "several characteristic consequences flow from the fact that law did not emanate from one centralised authority such as papacy, king or parliament. The odd growth of the common law in England developed it appears from a coincidence resemblance of the implementation after the Norman take-over by consecutive monarchs of native customs as the foundation for the governance of justice. Conflict assessment, chiefly concerning land title, was a key function for justice. Judges were nominated by the king to tour the country and decide controversies, aided by a local adjudicator included by the Normans into operational royal courts. The trial accepted a key role in the settlement of disputes. Wilson (1995) states that â€Å"Everyone takes for granted the fact that law and legal systems differ in different countries. But it is also true of legal scholarship. One reason for this is the different responsibilities legal scholars have in different countries for the maintenance and development of the local law...One result is that legal scholars in different countries may have different agendas and this may affect the subject matter, scope and even the form and style of the local legal scholarship.† According to Blackstone and Morrison (2001) common law was "... to be found in the records of our several courts of justice in books of reports and judicial decisions, and in treatises of learned sages of the profession,

Cleft Lip and Palate and its Effect on Speech Essay Example for Free

Cleft Lip and Palate and its Effect on Speech Essay Introduction on Speech and Phonetics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phonetics and phonology are concerned with speech – with the ways in which human produce and hear speech. Talking and listening to each other are so much part of normal life that they often seem unremarkable. Yet, as in any scientific field, the curious investigator finds rich complexity beneath the surface. Even the simplest of conversations – an exchange of short greetings, for example – presupposes that the speaker and hearer make sense to each other and understand each other. Their ability to communicate in this way depends in turn on proper bodily functioning (of brain, lungs, larynx, ears and so on), on recognizing each other’s pronunciation a bewildering jumble of unpronounceable and unintelligible noise only underlines the extent of our organization and control of talking and listening within particular social and linguistic conventions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once we make a decision to start with an examination of speech, we can come up to it on a range of steps. At one step, speech is an issue of anatomy and physiology where we can examine the organs of speech such as tongue and larynx and their role in the creation of speech. Taking another perspective, we can focus on the speech sounds produced by these organs – the units that we commonly try to identify by letters such as a ‘b-sound’ or an ‘m-sound’. But speech is transmitted as sound waves themselves. Taking yet another approach, the term ‘sounds’ is a prompt that speech is proposed to be heard or supposed that it is then probable to concentrate on the manner in which a listener understands and process a sound wave (Clark, Yallop, Fletcher, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phonetics is the study of the sounds of natural language. The use of sounds in speech involves three distinct phases: 1) the production of sounds by the speaker, 2) the transmission of sounds between the speaker and the hearer, and 3) the reception of the sounds by the hearer. Each of these phases especially 1) and 3), which clearly involve the human brain, is an extremely complicated process, each needs to be understood if we wish to have full understanding of the workings of human speech, and each requires its own methods of study. The science of phonetics thus consists of three main branches, each devoted to the study of one of the phases of speech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Articulatory phonetics is the study of the way in which speech sounds are produced or ‘articulated’ by the speaker. It includes a description of the organs of speech, such as the vocal cords, the tongue and the palate, and how they are used to produce sounds. The description of speech in articulatory terms has a long history, going back to ancient times, and is still considered the most useful type of description for language teaching purposes. Acoustic phonetics is the study of the transmission of speech sounds through the air in the form of air waves. Precise studies of the transmission stage of speech rely heavily on electronic equipment which has only been available since the 1930s and 1940s, but in the relatively short space of time since then great strides have been made in our understanding of the transmission of speech sounds. Acoustic phonetics is not as important in pronunciation teaching as articulatory phonetics, but it can be of valuable assistance in certain areas such as the description of vowel sounds or intonations, which are not easily described in articulatory terms. Auditory phonetics, finally, studies the processes in the ear, auditory nerve and brain which lead to the perception of sounds by the hearer (Hall, 2003). Organs of Speech   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first essential for the student of Phonetics is to have a clear idea of the structure and functions of the various parts of the organs of speech. The term organs of speech is used to refer to parts of the body in the larynx and the vocal tract that are involved in the production of speech. It is a misleading term in that it suggests that we have special physical organs for speaking. This is not so: all our so-called ‘organs of speech’ have primary biological functions relating to our respiratory system and the processing of food (Gussenhoven Jacobs, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The organs of speech are all bodily structure composed of a variety of tissue types (such as bone, cartilage and skin) which are specific to their biological (rather than linguistic) function. Bodily organs are generally grouped into systems which have particular functions in the life of the organism. These include the respiratory system, the digestive system, and the reproductive system and so on. While it can be argued that the organs of speech form a system, they do not contribute to life support in the same way as other systems, and they are generally not thought of as performing their primary biological function when they are used in speech production (Clark et al., 2006). Nature of Speech Defects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Speech is a motor act that requires little concentration once it is learned. The energy source for speech is air. The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration and air is inhaled and exhaled through the vocal tract, the diaphragm contracts and flattens; this enlarges the thoracic cavity by displacing the abdominal contents downward and expanding the thoracic volume. The external intercostals assist the diaphragm in increasing the size of the thoracic capacity. If these movements are not coordinated, the supply and control of air may be reduced. Lack of coordination occurs during inhalation when the abdominal muscles contract simultaneously with the diaphragm and push the abdominal contents upward. This upward movement decreases the size of the thoracic cavity, which reduced the amount of air available for the production of speech. Restriction of the air supply may lead to reduced loudness, illogical breath groups, limited pitch range, decreased intelligibility and increased expiratory effort. Respiration for speech should be effortless and coordinated with phonation and resonation. Adduction of the vocal folds in a stream of air produces phonation. During quiet respiration, the vocal folds are abducted to an intermediate position by the poster cricoarytenoid muscles. Changes in the vibration pattern may result in altered voice quality, pitch, and loudness and decreased speech intelligibility Communication is a closed loop system. When individuals speak, others hear them and respond to their speech. In addition, individuals hear themselves speak and monitor their speech production. If speech production does not match the specific intention, then speech os modified. When speakers have a speech disorder, they may compensate for the impaired speech production by changing their respiration, phonation, and articulation. If this compensation is carried out in an effortful way, the compensation may be counterproductive and may worsen the symptoms (Brin, Comella, Jankovic, 2004). Speech Assessments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Speech assessments proper are established from the age of 4 years and allow objective evaluation to take place over a long period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The articulation of phonemes is routinely evaluated during sessions of repetition as well as free speech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speech-language pathologist (SLP) will also evaluate the child’s speech production and some of the aspects of phonology. The SLP will ask the child to say various syllables or words and evaluate the â€Å"correctness† of what the child says. The SLP is trained to listen and compare all aspects of speech to a criterion of correct production. The SLP will comment on the child’s voice quality. Does the child’s voice sound like a typical child’s should at that age? Is it too high-pitched, strained, or too nasal? The SLP will comment on fluency, or the relative ease with which the child talks. Does the child stutter or stammer? The SLP will also perform oral-motor exam. In this exam, the SLP asks the child to do some movements incorporating his tongue, lips, teeth, cheeks, soft palate, and jaw. These movements are checked to see if the child has any weakness or coordination problems with the muscles and structures of the mouth that would influence the child’s ability to produce the speech sounds correctly. The SLP will also do an articulation test. In this test the SLP asks the child to say a group of syllables or words that contain all the sounds of English. The SLP makes a judgment about how correctly the child produced the sound. Sometimes the SLP marks whether the error was an omission (the child did not say the sound at all), a substitution (the child substituted one sound for another; for example the child said â€Å"pish† instead of â€Å"fish†), or a distortion (the child said a sound that was not the correct speech sound and did not sound like another sound). The SLP will list which sounds were produced incorrectly and make suggestions for follow-up therapy (Easterbrooks Estes, 2007). Cleft Lip and Palate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the term applied to a fissure in the roof of the mouth (palate) and/or the lip which is present at birth. It is found in varying degrees of severity in about 1 in 700 children. Modern plastic surgery can greatly improve the appearance of the baby and often further cosmetic surgery later will not be necessary. The parent of the child who has cleft lip and/or palate will be given detailed advice specific to his case. In general the team of specialists involved are the pediatrician, plastic surgeon, dentist or orthodontic specialist, and speech therapist (Havard, 1990).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The deficiencies associated with cleft palate depend on the location of the defect in the palate. In the normal palate, the tensor veli palatine and levator palatine muscles within the soft palate insert into an aponeurosis at the midline raphe. In the cleft palate, the muscle fibers follow the medial margin of the cleft and insert into the medial cleft edges and the posterior edge of the lateral bony hard palate. Clefts involving the alveolus can disrupt normal dental development, eruption, and retention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The subject of normal human facial growth is extremely complex and incompletely understood; and superimposing a cleft defect complicates an already complex process. Many children with clefts will develop collapse of the alveolar arches, midface retrusion, and resultant malocclusion as they approach their teenage years. The underlying cleft deformity itself, as well as the surgical procedures performed to correct the defect, has been implicated as possible contributing causes of these developments. Currently, controversy exists regarding the relationship between surgical procedures and maxillary growth in terms of the sequencing of the surgical procedures, the timing of the cleft repair; whether or not the cleft repair itself has an effect on maxillofacial growth, and the various surgical techniques of lip and palate repair. Of interest, it is common in nonsyndromic older children whose cleft is unrepaired to have relatively normal midfacial projection and occlusion (Bailey, Johnson, Newlands, 2006). The Effects on Speech and Resonance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dental problems in children with cleft lip and palate or craniofacial syndromes can be quite complex. These problems frequently require dental specialists to coordinate treatment with other health care providers in order to properly manage the patient. The specialists involved usually include a pediatric dentist, an orthodontist, an oral maxillofacial surgeon, and a prosthodontist. Together, they monitor and treat problems of the developing dentition, occlusion, and facial growth of the cleft lip/palate patient. As dental professionals reconstruct the oral environment, the speech pathologist leads to a more holistic management of the structural and functional effects of dental and speech abnormalities (Kumme, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Speech may be difficult to understand and have a muffled nasal quality, the greatest difficulty being in the pronunciation of consonants. This type of inadequate closure leads to the diagnosis of ‘cleft-palate’ speech, even though the palate is anatomically closed. In some cases adenoid tissue helps to close the space, so its removal by surgery or its decrease at the time of adolescence leads to further deterioration of speech. There may be associated, non-specific neurological symptoms (Baird Gordon, 1983). Cleft Palate Repair   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The reasons for cleft palate repair are improved feeding, speech development and protection of the Eustachian tube, and effect on the growth of the middle third of the face. Not enough attention was paid to the hearing in cleft palate patients and, in the earlier years, the speech was also not given important consideration. All the attention was focused on the growth of the middle third of the face but if one misses the hearing and the speech, the damage is irreversible. The timing of cleft palate repair has always been governed by geographical location. In the European Centers, the repair is delayed for considerably longer, even up to six to seven years. In the English speaking countries, the repair is done around one year of age, but why leave these repairs till so late as speech usually develops by seven months? Physiologically, it is better to repair the palate before speech starts developing, so that postoperative edema and scarring settles down, it is then better to operate in the cleft palate at four months. Traditionally, the treatment of cleft lip and palate was to repair the cleft lip and anterior palate (single layer closure) between six to 12 weeks of age and repair the palate at about 18 months (Desai, 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Currently, the majority of surgeons around the world who treat many of these children prefer to operate around 3 months of age for physiological and technical reasons. A 0.25mm error in alignment in a 1-day-old- child will show noticeable 1 to 2mm malalignment by age 1 year. The cleft palate is repaired best at around age 12 months. This is a compromise. Earlier repair may be an advantage for speech, but it is a disadvantage to subsequent facial growth. Late repair has an opposite effect. It is subsequently easier today to correct an underdeveloped midface in the 10% to 20% of patients in whom it may occur, rather than trying to correct bad speech in nearly all patients so treated by late palate closure. Cleft lip and palate need no longer be devastating deformity that it was 30 years ago, if untreated by an experienced team (which needs to see at least 40 new patients a year), the child should be expected to have normal speech, a symmetrical lip with a fine scar, a nose close to normal in appearance, and a full set of well-fitting teeth. To achieve this requires good patient and parent cooperation. In most cases, further surgery will be required by age 5 years to improve the nose shape. The wearing of orthodontic braces is almost inevitable but should be limited to 1 session in early adolescence. With good psychosocial support and good parenting, such children should grow into normal well-adjusted adults. However, if the quality of the surgery is bad and repeated operations are carried out, the speech and hearing are ignored and the teeth are not treated, then a very different psychological outcome will be present. Unfortunately, this still occurs even in the most advanced countries, if children are treated by either inexperienced or inadequately trained people, or without the benefits of a team approach, or where the team does not have a big enough population load to maintain its expertise (Eder, 1995). Surgical Management of the Primary Deformity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lip Adhesion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the child presents with a very wide cleft lip and a palate, it may be advantageous to â€Å"help† the cleft to become narrower, thereby facilitating the surgical outcome of the cleft lip repair. Most commonly, presurgical orthopedic molding of the wide cleft palate and lip can be accomplished with a process called â€Å"taping.† In taping, a strip of hypoallergenic tape is applied with tension across the cleft and secured to the child’s cheeks. The tape is worn 24 hours a day and reapplied as needed. Taping causes molding of the bony tissues by applying gentle pressure onto the protruding bony portions of the maxilla. This simple technique can be extremely effective in reducing the width of the cleft in a nonsurgical manner. When taping a ineffective or not tolerated by the infant, a lip adhesion can be considered. The goal of a lip adhesion is to surgically convert a complete cleft lip into an incomplete cleft lip, allowing the definitive lip repair to be performed with less tension. The lip adhesion also orthopedically molds and improves the alignment of the underlying maxillary segments before definitive lip repair. Lip adhesion, if indicated, is the initial procedure and it is performed at 2 to 4 weeks of age. Definitive lip repair follows the adhesion at 4-6 months of age, which allows the scar to mature. The following criteria are used to determine if lip adhesion is needed (following failure of the taping technique): Wide, unilateral complete cleft lip and palate where closure with conventional lip repair might produce excessive tension on the incision Symmetric, wide bilateral complete cleft lip with a very protruding premaxilla Introduction of symmetry to an asymmetric bilateral cleft lip A disadvantage of lip adhesion is the introduction of scar tissue, which can occasionally interfere with the definitive lip repair; although not usually a major concern, this has prompted some surgeons to limit its use. Cleft Lip Repair If no medical contraindications exist, and a lip adhesion has not been performed previously, definite lip repair is accomplished at 8 to 12 weeks of age. In the United States most surgeons follow the â€Å"rule of tens†: lip repair is performed when the infant is at least 10 weeks old, weighs 10 pounds, and has hemoglobin of 10 g. Cleft Palate Restoration Historically, the exact timing of surgical closure of the cleft palate has been controversial. The desire to facilitate velopharyngeal competence for adequate speech favors relatively early closure of the palate, whereas the possible negative influence on maxillofacial growth and occlusion favors relatively late closure. Anatomic factors to consider when evaluating the palate include the extent and width of the cleft (between both the alveolar ridge and palatal shelves); position of the maxillary segments; and, in the bilateral cleft, the size, position, and degree of protrusion of the premaxilla and prolabium. In both unilateral and bilateral complete cleft palate, collapse of the lateral maxillary segment can occur following the lip repair. In some cases, preoperative orthopedics can be used to realign the maxillary segments in a more normal position before the palate is repaired. In bilateral cleft, presurgical orthopedic treatment consists of molding the nasoalveolar process with progressively modified splints, and achieving lengthening of the deficient and short columella tissue, leading to an improved nasal appearance with a single stage procedure. Other groups favor techniques that allow for intranasal correction of the deformity and malposition during the lip repair. Although insufficient space exist to describe all the commonly used techniques, the principles of bilateral lip repair are common among them, including creation of the philtrum from the prolabium and midline tubercle from the lateral vermilion. A symmetric, bilateral complete cleft lip and palate with an adequate and moderately protruding prolabium and premaxilla are used as an example. Asymmetric, bilateral cleft lips and those with a rotated premaxilla can be treated with a one or two-stage closure (using the lip adhesion as the first stage). For children with an extremely protruding premaxilla, presurgical orthopedics may be required before definitive lip repair to move the premaxilla posteriorly, either surgically or via molding with appliances or tape (Bailey et al., 2006). Clinical Alert   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Daily use of folic acid before conception decreases the risk for isolated (not associated with another genetic or congenital malformation) cleft lip or palate by up to 25%. Women of childbearing age should be encouraged to take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid until menopause or until they’re no longer fertile (Kumme, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Use of a contoured speech bulb attached to the posterior of a denture to occlude the nasopharynx helps the child develop intelligible speech when a wide horseshoe defect makes surgery impossible. Special nipples and other feeding devices are available to improve feeding patterns and promote nutrition in infants with a cleft lip or palate (Eder, 1995). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no comparable series of routine cleft lip repair in newborn within 48 hours over a long period using the same technique; it is extremely difficult to fulfill such requirements as the temptation to alter the technique or timing is so great.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every now and then, ideas about the treatment and techniques are reported in the literature or at conferences. There was considerable opposition to, and criticism of, our work at every level, nationally as well as internationally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If one contemplates surgery in the newborn, then a proper team should be assembled. A surgeon should only undertake such a project if he feels it will help the child, not to impress other surgeons. A time will come when there will be fewer surgeons undertaking the treatment of these children in specialized centers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is a safe procedure in the hands of dedicated clinicians and surgeons. Pediatricians and the anesthesiologist should have a final say in the decision for surgery. It is possible to do a formal repair. The scar revision in unilateral cleft is comparable to any other series. In bilateral clefts the plan is to lengthen the columella, repair the orbicularis and narrow the philtrum at the same time at about four or five years of age. It may be worth looking at the technique of palate repair. One has to find a way to achieve repair early on in order to maintain hearing and speech results while achieving excellent maxillary alignment (Desai, 1997). References: Bailey, B. J., Johnson, J. T., Newlands, S. D. (2006). Head Neck Surgeryotolaryngology (4th ed. Vol. 1). Tokyo: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Baird, H. W., Gordon, E. C. (1983). Neurological Evaluation of Infants and Children. London: Cambridge University Press. Brin, M. F., Comella, C. L., Jankovic, J. J. (2004). Dystonia: Etiology, Clinical Features, and Treatment. New York: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Clark, J., Yallop, C., Fletcher, J. (2006). An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology. Victoria, AU: Blackwell Publishing. Desai, S. N. (1997). Neonatal Surgery of the Cleft Lip and Palate. Hongkong: World Scientific. Easterbrooks, S. R., Estes, E. L. (2007). Helping Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students to Use Spoken Language. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. Eder, R. A. (1995). Craniofacial Anomalies: Psychological Perspectives. New York: Springer. Gussenhoven, C., Jacobs, H. (1998). Understanding Phonology. London: Oxford University Press US. Hall, C. (2003). Modern German Pronunciation: An Introduction for Speakers of English. New York USA: Manchester University Press. Havard, C. W. H. (1990). Blacks Medical Dictionary. Savage, Maryland: Rowman Littlefield. Kumme, A. W. (2000). Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies: The Effects on Speech and Resonance. San Diego, Canada: Thomson Delmar Learning.

Hollywood Dominance of the Movie Industry

Hollywood Dominance of the Movie Industry There are many contributing factors to how Hollywood became such a dominant business. Most of these factors rely on the history of Hollywood and how the film companies that founded it adapted. Hollywoods dominance stared to grow in 1915. This was when the foundations were laid for studios such as: Paramount, Fox, Universal, MGM and Warners. These companies would form the core of the Studio System from 1930s onwards. During this time Hollywood promoted itself by promoting the war. January 1916, the Hollywood film community made an alliance with Washington, DC to try and raise awareness of the war through film.  Hollywood was able to get involved in the War effort by making films to educate the community, producing entertainment features with patriotic, morale-boosting themes and messages about the American way of life. After World War 1, Hollywood put a structure in place that would dominate for 40 years and more. Influential producers like Adolph Zukor set up vertically integrated companies. He was part of Paramount Pictures of which he served as president until  1936  when he was made chairman. He revolutionized the film industry by organizing production, distribution, and exhibition within a single company. Zukor was also an accomplished director and producer. He retired from Paramount Pictures in  1959. Also after the war, budgets rose 10 times pre-war levels, so Hollywood then became a national industry. During the so-called  Golden Age of Hollywood, which lasted from the late1920s to the late 1950s, thousands of movies were issued from the Hollywood studios. The start of the Golden Age was arguably when  The Jazz Singer  was released in 1927, ending the silent era and increasing box-office profits for films as sound was introduced to feature films. Most Hollywood films stuck closely to this method -  Western, slapstick comedy,  musical,  animated cartoon and biographical picture. After  The Jazz Singer  was released in 1927,  Warner Bros gained huge success and was able to obtain their own army of movie theatres.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  By the 1930s, most Americas theatres were owned by the Big Five studios -  MGM,  Paramount Pictures,  RKO,  Warner Bros and  20th Century Fox.   These Major studios owned 75% of first-run cinemas. The  studio system  was a means of film production and distribution dominant in  Hollywood  from the early 1920s through the 1950s. Some have compared the Hollywood studio system to a factory. Their product output in 1937 surged to over 500 feature films. By the 1980s, this figure dropped to an average of 100 films per year. During the Golden Age, the studios were remarkably consistent and stable enterprises. The rise of the studio system also relied on the treatment of the stars of Hollywood, who were created and exploited by the studio to reflect their image and agenda. Actors and actresses were bound by contracts to one studio for several years, and the studio usually had all of the power. These stars were loaned out to other studios. Studios also had the power to force actors into bad roles and control their image. [Directors were] to make sure the actors hit their marks while the camera was running (Biskind, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, p.19) However, studio heads realized that they couldnt repeat movie storylines and roles and still make a profit. This resulted in different studio styles as they tried to differentiate themselves from other studios. Falling attendance and the  Paramount  decision broke apart the studio system, depriving the studios of the financial controls that made sure of regular profits, paid the studio overhead, and thereby restructured their factory-based operations. The major studios survived by adapting the system, fundamentally changing the ways they did business and establishing methods (still in use today) that reduced their controls of production. This stopped the system of mass movie production that had occupied Hollywood for decades. Essential to the studios survival was their collective control of distribution, the one aspect of their monopolistic operations not affected by the  Paramount  decision, and their willingness to share control of filmmaking with independent producers, top talent, and talent agencies. Simply stated, the studios became primarily financing-and-distribution entities, reviewing projects that were developed and packaged by the growing ranks of inde pendent producers, then in the event of a green light, leasing their production facilities and providing a portion of the production cost in exchange for the distribution rights-and, frequently, for the eventual ownership of the completed film. The studios themselves began producing fewer, big pictures-biblical epics and big-screen westerns-during the 1950s, precursors of the blockbusters that now rule the industry. The studios shared control of film production not only with independent producers and freelance directors, but also top stars whose marquee value gave them tremendous leverage. And because most filmmaking talent operated freelance by the 1950s, talent agencies like William Morris and MCA (Music Corporation of America) also became a major force in postwar film (and television) production. The major studios initially resisted but soon came to terms with television in the 1950s, selling or leasing their older films to TV syndication companies while revamping their factory-based production operations for telefilm series production. By the 1960s, movies were running nightly on prime time television and the studios were turning out far more hours of telefilm series than feature films. Meanwhile, movie attendance continued to erode, despite rapid population growth, and the studios gambled on high-stakes blockbusters like  Cleopatra  (1963) and  The Sound of Music  (1965) but relied primarily on television to pay the bills. Studio fortunes by the late 1960s were at an all-time low, rendering them prime acquisition targets, and many were swallowed up by large conglomerates like Gulf + Western (Paramount), Transamerica (United Artists), and Kinney Services (Warner Bros.), as well as real estate tycoon Kirk Kerkorian (MGM). The MCA-Universal merger i n 1962 was the first and by far the most successful alliance at the time, due to its savvy integration of film and television operations and its maintenance of at least a semblance of the old studio-based mode of production. After the fall of the studio system and the influence of Television, Hollywood adapted to become New Hollywood, a term used to describe a new generation of directors who had taken inspiration from Europe in the 1960s. These new directors influenced the types of films that were produced, how they were produced and how they were marketed. This impacted the way major studios approached filmmaking. Jaws was devastating to making artistic, smaller films. They forgot how to do it Peter Bogdanovich One of the films that changed Hollywood forever was Jaws. This film raised the bar for New Hollywood. Released in June 1975, at 460 theatres simultaneously, on an unprecedented wave of TV advertising, Jaws was everywhere at once. The film needed only 78 days to surpass The Godfather as the top-grossing movie of all time (at least until 1977, and Star Wars). Jaws  was regarded as the father of the summer  blockbuster film  and one of the first high concept films. Due to the films success in advance screenings, studio executives decided to distribute it in a much wider release than ever before.  The Omen  followed in the summer of 1976 and then  Star Wars  one year later in 1977, cementing the notion for movie studios to distribute their big-release action and adventure pictures (commonly referred to as  tentpole pictures) during the summer.   By making Jaws, Universal spurred the movie industrys recovery with its phenomenal success that spawned a new breed of blockbusters like  Star Wars  (1977),  Grease  (1978), and  Superman  (1978), summer releases launched via nationwide marketing that resulted in record box-office profits and were the dominant, defining products of the New Hollywood. The success of these blockbusters reinforced an economic recovery in the industry that continues today, and it enabled the studios to regain some of their lost authority as well, as they became increasingly adept at transforming blockbuster hits into entertainment franchises-multimedia product lines comprised of movie sequels, TV spinoffs, video games, theme-park rides, soundtrack albums, music videos, and an endless array of licensed merchandise. Hollywoods recovery accelerated during the 1980s, fueled by a range of factors that complemented the studios burgeoning blockbuster mentality. One fact or was the rapid growth of new media technologies and new delivery systems, most notably home video and pay-cable television (i.e., subscription movie channels like HBO), which proved to be as hit driven as the box office. Foreign markets were equally receptive to Hollywood blockbusters, and thus the studios international distribution operations grew steadily during the 1980s, going into high gear in the 1990s, when the fall of the Soviet Union and the concurrent economic reforms in China created a truly global market for Hollywood films. The Hollywood that we know today has been shaped by its history, the drive to produce movies that make a profit. Studios now focus on relying on very expensive blockbusters to remain profitable. Studios now also rely on star power and large advertising campaigns to market every new up-coming movie and attract a huge audience. In conclusion, Hollywood has become the dominant cinema producer in the world and has retained its pre-eminence by changing and adapting to its audiences. It must also be remembered that Hollywood is a business, therefore to survive it has had to make good business decisions to continue making a profit.