Another Day, Another Nickel

Angie Navarro Castillo Composition I Karla Whitehurst Another Day, Another Nickel As I’m driving on Interstate 30 going to work at the restaurant Country Fare, I stare at the beautiful mixture of colors displayed in the sky. Pink, orange, yellow and blue mixed all together in a breathtaking sunset in Arkansas. I get off exit 44. The time is getting closer and I pull over on the parking lot and I see the big sign that says TA. The time has arrived and now I have to work. It may not be the most exciting place for me to be, but if I want to be able to pay my bills, this is where I need to be.I go through the glass door and I say hi to the guys working at Subway right in front of the entrance, then I turn right and walk by the buffet and my shift 4pm to midnight is officially started. Soon after I clock in I must count my drawer, which today is full of different coins, therefore it takes me a while to count it this time. As I am finally ready I start helping customers and taking o rders. The place wasn’t quite busy when I first got there, but half an hour later the restaurant is packed. There are lots of truck drivers starving and anxious to eat and leave.There are no TVs or anything to entertain them, which makes them bored. The dining room is plain and white with few decorations of Saint Patrick’s Day hanging around. All the tables and chairs in the bar are full with customers. I try to help everyone as fast and efficient as possible, the cook in the line is working hard as well. He is yelling the waitresses’ names with every meal when it’s ready to deliver. Tonight there are only two waitresses on the floor; we are both walking back and forth trying to get this dinner rush over with.There are 2 cooks for the buffet and a dish washer guy was not scheduled, consequently the manager is helping with the dishes so we don’t run out of dishes and glasses. I am getting behind, many tables remain dirty and more customers walk in a s soon as some walk out. The atmosphere that once was the background music is now filled with conversations; it’s just blah, blah, and blah. Its only 8 o’clock, and I need to catch my breath for a second, I drink some Pepsi cola. While delivering the steak dinner and pasta to table 12, I just get very hungry.By this time I wish I could take a break, but since there are only 2 of us, I can’t, even though I snack on some crackers while cashing out some customers. I run out of one dollar bills, so I ask the manager on duty to get me the cash. When he comes to the dining room, he realizes how busy we are and finally he helps me bussing some tables. Once I got some help the dining room looks better and less busy. I feel better because I don’t have to run back and forth as much. When it gets as slow as this, it’s time for me to do my side work. I have to sweep, mop, and do fill-ups.Ketchup bottles are almost all empty. I have to fill them up and do so wi th the sweeteners and jellies. Barbara, the graveyard waitress, has arrived, which means it’s time for me to leave. All I have left to do is bring a bucket with ice and fill up the soda machine. I am now ready to count my register and leave. After the shift is over, the restaurant looks calmer and roach free. The only relief that makes my day is to look at my pocket in my apron and see it full of dollars, reward of my hard work. Therefore I say: Another Day, Another Nickel.

Pre Marital Counselling Essay

Premarital Counselling is therapy with two people prior to their marriage, to help give them more realistic ideas of what to expect and how to cope with living with another person as a spouse; relating to each other as a committed pair. By taking the time to explore the reasons you came together, your similarities, your differences, your hopes and your dreams, as well as your expectations of one another, it is sometimes possible to avoid the disappointments that many couples face with the passage of time. Pre-marital counseling offers the opportunity to explore your differences in a relatively safe, supportive, constructive environment. And while some couples may choose to postpone their union until key differences can be resolved, most couples find that pre-marital counseling helps to prepare them for the kind of life they would like to build together. Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship — giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help you identify weaknesses that could become bigger problems during marriage. Through premarital counseling, couples are encouraged to discuss a wide range of important and intimate topics related to marriage, such as: Finances, Communication Beliefs and values Roles in marriage Affection and sex Children & parenting Family relationships Decision making Dealing with anger Time spent together. The initial period of any relationship is called the honeymoon period; and after that fairytale, marriage can be a rude reality check. In most cases, quarrels over money, family and trust break a couple apart. A pre-marital session helps partners accept each other better and avoid future complications or conflict. † Contrary to popular belief, pre marital counseling isn’t only for couples who are going in for an arranged marriage. It is also very important for couples who have had long courtships or have been living together. In arranged marriages, the people going to spend their life together are perpetual strangers, with no idea of what lies ahead of them. In India specifically, arranged marriages are sealed with just one word of advice for the bride â€Å"you HAVE to adjust, and you HAVE to compromise. Premarital Counselling ensures that the couple do not just â€Å"fulfill† the responsibilities of marriage for their family, but also participate in it wholly as individuals. In india marriages are seen as a ‘union of two families’ and the individuals who are supposed to spend the rest of their life together, they get lost in the entire plan. Pre Marital Counselling ensures that doesn’t happen. People who have had long courtships and have been living together, need it perhaps more than than people who’re going in on for arranged marriages . Why? Because once you’re living in with someone ,you think you know everything that there is to know about that person and marriage cant spring any surprises. But guess what? You WILL be surprised greatly by what surprises pre marital counseling will bring for you. Marriage changes the set of expectations two individuals have from each other. More issues have to be dealt with, like children, financial planning etc. Most couples spend more time planning their weddings than their marriages!. If you think about the amount of financial and emotional investment that goes into preparing for the wedding itself, doesn’t it make sense to invest a little in strengthening the relationship at the onset? Many couples preparing for marriage honestly believe they are strong going into the union – and they probably are in a lot of ways. Being caught up with all the loving feelings and other feel-good stuff going on ahead of nuptials, couples often don’t consider the potential pitfalls. Those â€Å"pitfalls† are often times what leads them into a therapist’s office some time down the line. Here six great reasons to get pre marriage counseling: 1) Strengthen Communication Skills:  Being able to effectively listen, truly hear and validate the other’s position is a skill that isn’t necessarily a â€Å"given† for many people. Couples that really communicate effectively can discuss and resolve issues when they arise more effectively. You can tune up your talking and listening skills. This is one of the most important aspects of emotional safety between couples. 2) Discuss Role Expectations:  It’s incredibly common for married couples to never really have discussed who will be doing what in the marriage. This can apply to job, finances, chores, sexual intimacy and more. Having an open and honest discussion about what each of you expect from the other in a variety of areas leads to fewer surprises and upsets down the line. 3) Learn Conflict Resolution Skills:  Nobody wants to think that they’ll have conflict in their marriage. The reality is that â€Å"conflict† can range from disagreements about who will take out the trash to emotionally charged arguments about serious issues – and this will probably be part of a couple’s story at one time or another. There are ways to effectively de-escalate conflict that are highly effective and can decrease the time spent engaged in the argument. John Gottman’s (www. gottman. com) research has shown that couples who can do this well are less likely to divorce in the end. 4) Explore Spiritual Beliefs:  For some this is not a big issue – but for others a serious one. Differing spiritual beliefs are not a problem as long as it’s been discussed and there is an understanding of how they will function in the marriage with regards to practice, beliefs, children, etc. ) Identify any Problematic Family of Origin Issues:  We learn so much of how to â€Å"be† from our parents, primary caregivers and other early influences. If one of the partners experienced a high conflict or unloving household, it can be helpful to explore that in regards to how it might play out in the marriage. Couples who have an understanding of the existence of any problematic conditioning around how relationships work are usually better at disrupting repetition of these learned behaviors. ) Develop Personal, Couple and Family Goals:  It amazes me how many married couples have never discussed their relationship goals – let alone personal or family. I honestly think it just doesn’t cross their minds! This is a long term investment together – why not put your heads together and look at how you’d like the future to look? Where do you want to be in five years? Approximately when would you like to have children? How many children? There are many areas that can be explored and it can be a fun exercise to do together. Pre marriage counseling doesn’t need to be a long process, especially if you feel you’re starting out with a very solid foundation and only need some clarifications and goal-setting. For some people who are poised to start out the marriage as a â€Å"higher conflict† couple or have deeper issues to contend with, the process could take a bit longer. Regardless, be sure to take the time to invest in your marriage as you might in the event itself. The return on your marriage investment has the potential to be life long What you can expect Premarital counseling typically includes five to seven meetings with a counselor. Often in premarital counseling, each partner is asked to separately answer a written questionnaire, known as a premarital assessment questionnaire. These questionnaires encourage partners to assess their perspectives of one another and their relationship. They can also help identify a couple’s strengths, weaknesses and potential problem areas. The aim is to foster awareness and discussion and encourage couples to address concerns proactively. Your counselor can help you interpret your results together, encourage you and your partner to discuss areas of common unhappiness or disagreement, and set goals to help you overcome challenges. Your counselor might also have you and your partner use a tool called a Couples Resource Map — a picture and scale of your perceived support from individual resources, relationship resources, and cultural and community resources. You and your partner will create separate maps at first. Following a discussion with your counselor about differences between the two maps, you’ll create one map as a couple. The purpose is to help you and your partner remember to use these resources to help manage your problems. In addition, your counselor might ask you and your partner questions to find out your unique visions for your marriage and clarify what you can do to make small, positive changes in your relationship. Keep in mind that you bring your own values, opinions and personal history into a relationship, and they might not always match your partner’s. In addition, many people go into marriage believing it will fulfill their social, financial, sexual and emotional needs — and that’s not always the case. By discussing differences and expectations before marriage, you and your partner can better understand and support each other during marriage. Early intervention is important because the risk of divorce is highest early in marriage. In Pre marital counseling, as couples you become aware of so many issues that you never thought existed earlier between you two. Premarital counseling is a way to pull the darkness out from its hiding places so that you can turn it over in the light and see it for what it actually is. Remember, preparing for marriage involves more than choosing a wedding dress and throwing a party. Take the time to build a solid foundation for your relationship.

Can Data Reduce Health Inequalities Health And Social Care Essay

â€Å" Health Inequalities † is a burgeoning field of research that has given rise to many inquiries and arguments about definitions of constructs, analytical schemes, reading of findings, and explanatory theoretical accounts. [ 1 ] The World Health Organization defines Health inequalities as ‘the differences in wellness position or in the distribution of wellness determiners between different population groups ‘ . These determiners harmonizing to W.H.O are â€Å" the conditions in which people are born, turn, populate, work and age, including the wellness system † .What is Data?Harmonizing to Webster ‘s lexicon â€Å" Data is factual information ( as measurings or statistics ) used as a footing for concluding, treatment, or computation. † Data is chiefly of two types i.e. Qualitative and Quantitative. Qualitative information is the type of informations that is non given numerically. Hence it ‘s based on people ‘s sentiment and picks. Quantitative informations on the other manus is purely based on numerical values and is subdivided into Discrete ( specific numerical values ) and a Continuous ( any numerical value ) information.Data & A ; Health Inequalities:The usage of informations records for wellness of population is nil new ; the earliest survey of a entire population was done by Halley, who, by utilizing informations for the metropolis of Breslau, Germany, for 1687 to 1691, calculated the mean life anticipation at birth. [ 2 ] However it was Aaron Antonovsky, a medical sociologist, who foremost shed visible radiation on the inequality in mortality rates in 1967, which finally lead to the usage of informations to enter wellness inequalities Surveillance of inequalities now is done extensively to supervise alteration and to mensurate the indexs of wellness inequalities among the different strata of any part. With every passing twelvemonth the usage of informations to supervise and control wellness inequalities has become more and more of import. Harmonizing to the 2007 declaration of The Measurement and Evidence Knowledge Network ( MEKN ) of the WHO committee on societal determiners of wellness, â€Å" Action on the societal determiners of wellness to better overall wellness results and cut down wellness unfairnesss will be much more effectual if basic informations systems are in topographic point, nationally and internationally, and there are mechanisms to guarantee that the informations can be understood and applied to develop more effectual intercessions. † [ 3 ] The point to foreground in this declaration is that informations should be understood right and applied affectively for it to do effectual intercessions. So the inquiry is does all this collected informations can be the premier ground for alteration and cut downing wellness inequalities? The simple reply would be that natural informations itself can non convey any alteration but the determinations that are taken after treating that informations are the chief agents of alteration.Management of Datas:Datas in itself is merely a aggregation of natural Numberss or characters. The information collected has to be converted into feasible information in order for it to be utile. Here the inquiry arises what the difference is between informations and information? Beynon-Davies used the construct of a mark to separate between informations and information. Datas are symbols while information occurs when symbols are used to mention to something. [ 4 ] It is people and computing machines who coll ect informations and enforce forms on it. These forms are seen as information which can used to heighten cognition. [ 5 ] Thus cognition is the aggregation of information that is stored or memorized with the purpose of doing it utile. For any cognition to go utile it must be analyzed and interpreted. The procedure of understanding the cognition that we have and utilizing it to synthesise new cognition is called ‘understanding ‘ . The apprehension is converted into wisdom when we exercise our innate human nature of morality and moralss. Therefore with the aid of apprehension and the ability to judge right from incorrect the information is eventually converted into wisdom. This transition of natural informations into wisdom is called the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom hierarchy. ( Fig 1 Appendix ) Another method by which information is managed is the simple informations surveillance rhythm ( Fig 2 Appendix ) . In this rhythm the collected information is analyzed and synthesized and is so organized and stored into a information base. This database so aids policy shapers to move as they deem appropriate. By the survey of informations direction it shows that the determination made at the terminal of the procedure is what determines how efficaciously information has been used and whether information has been successful in conveying about a alteration. This determination doing procedure can be influenced by ambiguity, prejudice, desire for short-cuts, resources available and shortage of attending. Any break during the informations processing rhythm can besides hold negative effects on the determination devising. Data itself has many restrictions. It depends upon truth ; if informations is non accurate it can damage a undertaking alternatively of helping it. Data should besides be complete in all respects i.e. it should supply all expected properties. The consistence of information is besides compulsory i.e. informations should be in sync across the endeavor ; sometimes informations is complete but is inaccurate and inconsistent. Data should besides be auditable i.e. it can be traced back to its beginning and can be verified for genuineness. Last, the most of import facet of informations quality is it timeliness. Datas should be fresh and up to day of the month so the steps and actions taken in response to the informations are appropriate.Examples of Data Surveillance in Curbing Health Inequalities:If we take the illustration of a developing 3rd universe state like Pakistan, so it seems as if informations can non assist cut down or alter anything. Here the inquiry arises that why should we ev en take the illustration of a underdeveloped state that is bound to neglect in controling inequalities? The ground for this is that Pakistan, even though being a hapless state, gets ample financess for its health care undertakings by donor administrations and other rich states. The international administrations such as WHO closely monitor the statistics of alteration in the wellness of the population of the state. So, with voluminous financess and aid from international administrations the consequence should demo an betterment in the wellness of the population, nevertheless in Pakistan ‘s instance where limited success has been achieved there has besides been failure, which proves that the regular surveillance statistics of WHO are non plenty for accomplishing success. This failure of surveillance can non be blamed wholly upon the gathered statistics but there is a complex process associated with it that plays an of import function in assisting the information be effectual.The Polio Eradication Campaign:In Pakistan the biggest illustration of the success of informations and so its subsequent failure is the national infantile paralysis obliteration thrust. Launched in 1994, 15 old ages after the planetary thrust against infantile paralysis, the infantile paralysis run started with an purpose to to the full eliminate the disease by the new century. Even after the century arrived and a decennary rolled by, Pakistan has been unable to carry through its promise of full obliteration of the disease by 2010. The run suffered from the legion alterations in authorities over clip. When it was launched, the run was fueled by a media blitz of consciousness plans and ads on Television and in newspapers. This caused the hapless, uneducated multitudes to get down accepting and swearing the authorities to let them to immunize their kids. The figure of confirmed instances of infantile paralysis based on acute flaccid palsy surveillance informations from across the state d eclined from 1155 instances in 1997 to 28 in 2005 [ 6 ] – the lowest of all time recorded in one twelvemonth ( Fig 3, Appendix ) . A really sensitive nationwide describing system was built up to guarantee the sensing of all staying infantile paralysis instances. The system captures all kids aged less than 15 old ages with acute oncoming flaccid palsy, and includes subsequent research lab testing of stool specimens. [ 6 ] The success was short lived as from 2007 the figure of instances came to a standstill, but there was an addition in figure of reported instances from little territories and states where entire unsusceptibility was achieved ( Fig 4, Appendix ) . In Punjab e.g. there were no reported instances in 2007 ; nevertheless in 2008 more than 8 instances were reported. The biggest reverse to the run is due to the on-going war on panic in Pakistan. In 2008, 2009 and every bit recent as February 2010 the instances reported were all from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA ) where the people are highly hapless and uneducated and the next state of N.W.F.P. Two new instances were reported in the past hebdomad both from North West Frontier Province ( NWFP ) , conveying the entire figure of instances for 2010 to ten [ 7 ] . The most recent instance had onset of palsy on 27 February and that excessively was reported in the N.W.F.P. The radical elements in these countries have started a smear run against the infantile paralysis thrust and have warned the people to maneuver clear from immunizing their kids. This includes snatch of the infantile paralysis run workers and warnings of dire effects to the people of the part. [ 8 ] The recent engagement of the National Database and Registration Authority ( NADRA ) in Pakistan to immunize kids against infantile paralysis has met with great success. The NADRA new waves were successful in publishing ID cards to far flung countries and as a consequence of the success the authorities entrusted them with the responsibly of providing vaccinums to remote countries. Equally many as 20,000 kids were vaccinated as a consequence but the NADRA squad was still unsuccessful in embarking to the N.W.F.P and FATA parts. The migration of Afghan nomads into the countries of FATA & A ; N.W.F.P is another ground for failure. Poor sanitation and dirty H2O supply in the rural parts of the state can besides be the ground for the failure, as this causes diarrhea which in bend reduces the soaking up of the vaccinum in kids. [ 9 ] On top of these hurdlings the run is besides marred by corruptness including larceny of financess and vaccinums. [ 10 ]The National AIDS Plan:The national AIDS plan in Pakistan is one illustration of truth of informations and how any alteration can be hindered if the information is falsified. Pakistan ‘s Federal Ministry of Health established National AIDS Control Programme ( NACP ) in 1986-87. The state has received over 2.9 billion rupees as support. In its early phases, the programme focused on laboratory diagnosing of suspected HIV instances, but increasingly it began to switch its focal point towards HIV bar and control intercessions. The development of National Strategic Framework-one in 2001 provided strategic vision to the national response and authorities of Pakistan with support from World Bank launched an enhanced response in the signifier of Enhanced HIV and AIDS Control Programme. [ 11 ] HIV was foremost reported in Pakistan in 1987 with the aid contaminated blood transfusions. [ 12 ] The chief bearers of the virus were non resident workers chiefly working in the gulf part who were deported back to Pakistan in the wake of their diagnosing. [ 13 ] The full fledged outbreak nevertheless occurred in 2004 among the injection drug users ( IDUs ) in distant desert town of Larkana. Between 2003 and 2004 the rate of HIV in IDUs jumped from 0.4 % to an dismaying 7.6 % . Epidemiologic surveies have shown that out of the 100, 00 IDUs life on the streets, about 21 % are infected with HIV virus. [ 11 ] These IDUs do non indulge in the drugs merely for the bang but alternatively comprise of the highly hapless and flush subdivision of the society who are idle and as a consequence become drug users to get away from their problems. Lahore is the 2nd most thickly settled metropolis in Pakistan with over 3000 IDUs of which 4 % have HIV infection. Faisalabad is the 3rd most thickly settled metropolis with over 8000 IDUs of which 13 % have HIV. The most alarming fact is that surveies have found that about 50 % these IDUs are sexually active with their married womans. To do affairs even worse bulk of the married womans of IDUs work as cocottes. [ 14 ] Another demographic involved with the spread of HIV are the female and male sex workers. There are good known whorehouses in the metropolitan metropoliss of the state with up to 100, 000 female sex workers ( FSW ) in Karachi and 75, 000 in Lahore. The authorities organic structures estimate that HIV prevalence among FSW is 0.02 % [ 11 ] which is disputed by independent organic structures who say that it is about 15 % . Research has shown that these FSW have no information about rubbers or other bar methods. Less than half the FSWs in Lahore and about a one-fourth in Karachi had used rubber with their last regular client. In Karachi, one in five sex workers can non acknowledge a rubber, and three-fourthss do non cognize that condoms prevent HIV ( in fact, one tierce have ne'er heard of AIDS. ( UNIADS Update 2005 ) The other demographics for the disease include closeted homosexual work forces and Transvestites moonlighting as sex workers which are estimated to be approximately 30 % of the manner of transmittal. Breast eating female parents are another demographic that constitutes about 3 % of the manner of transmittal of the virus. The fist instance of transportation of HIV via chest eating was reported in 1994 in Rawalpindi. Irrespective of all this data the most lurid fact is the disproof and use of the informations by the National AIDS control plan who have estimated that there are about 3,000 instances of HIV in Pakistan since 1986. If we compare these estimations to the astonishing 70-80, 000 instances reported by the UNAIDS, we clearly see that the authorities enterprises are a frontage. This estimation is flooring plenty to ensue in immediate action by the authorities but that is non the instance. In world the authorities is to the lowest degree interested in turn toing the issue of AIDS as a world in Pakistan. This may be due to the fact that the state is a conservative Muslim state and even now issues like HIV & A ; AIDS are considered as tabu. In the uneducated and hapless rural sector the disease is still considered as a stigma even though there insecure and closeted sex pattern in these countries. The political determination devising in this issue seems to be influenced by the delicateness of the issue. The policy shapers are besides bound by the civilization of the state and they can non openly publicize safe sex patterns as this may be unacceptable to the people and the policy shapers do non desire to be seen as excessively broad by the conservative vote population. In the visible radiation of all this the World Bank in December of 2009 refused to further fund the AIDS plan in the state.Decision:The above illustrations show that informations itself can merely make so much. Astonishing and amazing figures may drive person to believe about the job and take some sort of action but the magnitude of that action is dependent upon the apprehension, reading and finally determination of that individual. In the instance of the infantile paralysis consciousness run the above illustration shows that informations can be used to an advantage in doing public change their beliefs and accepting alteration. But on the other manus informations can be useless, even if it is difficult striking, if no action is taken upon it i.e. in the instance of the AIDS run. If the Pakistani authorities wants it can alter the attitude of people towards safe sex pattern via an consciousness run but they choose to stay deaf-and-dumb person on the issue. Policy shapers can utilize i nformations to their advantage by utilizing the figures and acquiring the populace to believe about the job. Similarly the populace can utilize informations to demand a alteration from the authorities. Not merely determination devising but other societal factors besides stand in the manner of a complete or any success. Purportedly, If the illustration of a 3rd universe state is deemed unequal by person so we can ever take the illustration of Britain where there are beforehand methods of informations surveillance and a immense sum of research and money is being used to control wellness inequalities but a recent authorities study showed that the rates of indexs like life anticipation for adult females and infant mortality are still unchanged. This has prompted the wellness minster Dawn Primarolo to eventually acknowledge, in stead with our statement, that â€Å" wellness inequalities are hard to alter † .Appendix:Fig 1: DIKW HierarchyFig 2: Surveillance CycleFig 3: Graph 1 ( di minution of infantile paralysis over the old ages )Fig 4: Graph 2 ( diminution and revival of infantile paralysis in little territories of Pakistan )

The Trends in Auto Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Trends in Auto Industry - Assignment Example The total number of cars and commercial vehicles produced in Japan in 2006 was 11,484,233. The same number was 1,508,358 for Russia, 11,263,986 for USA, 5,819,614 for Germany,   7,188,708 for China and 2,572,292 for Canada (â€Å"OICA >> Production Statistics†).The year 2008 will see a rise in the demand for eco-friendly cars especially in the USA which is the leading pollution causing the nation of the world. The infrastructure for supporting hydrogen car is being developed. Car companies like Toyota and Honda are aiming the hybrid markets. Honda has decided to lease more cars to individuals to get feedback for the future. In the year 1916 in Munich, Germany. In 1928 BMW acquired Eisenach vehicle factory and launched its first motorcar. The first car was an Austin Seven built under license(â€Å"Welcome to BMW Company Facts†). BMW is also the world’s largest manufacturer of luxury cars. The brands owned by BMW are BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. The BMW sales of un its in 2006 were 1,179,317 for BMW, 186,674 for MINI and 847 for Rolls-Royce. Its biggest buyers are European Union with 37% and the United States with a 22.8% share (â€Å"Welcome to BMW Company Facts†).

Strategic Management project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Strategic Management project - Essay Example Fahad Al-kaabi, has various objectivities that he is seeking to achieve from the business. The group decided to do an interview with the owner to identify the various objectives he has for the business. The interview was useful in the analysis of the business’s strategic plan and in acquiring the data needed for completion of project. The Maganees cafeteria lacks some official statements such as mission, vision, values, and objectives because it is a new entity in the market. Subsequently, the group developed appropriate statements by matching what the owners said about the business, which guided the project team in building the statements. In addition, food industry in Qatar is characterized by high levels of competition whereby each competitor want to get the largest proportion of the market share; hence, significant for an entity to study the industry by evaluating each competitor in the market. Competitors in the industry include Tea Time cafeteria, Chapati, and Karak, which were selected and compared with Maganees cafeteria in in reference to various business aspects. Maganees cafeteria has strengths such as the innovation of products, providing high salaries for the employees and financial aids to motivate its workers leading to competency within the business. However, the firm is facing a number of challenges including the lack of advertisement, promotional campaign, inexistence of official website, and unable to deliver the products to the customers house. Based on the external environment, the cafeteria has opportunities like the low rent of outside areas and the preferences of customers for the traditional foods. In the other hand, it faces some threats such as the high level of competition in the market. In reference to market competitiveness and market position, Maganees cafeteria adopted focused differentiation method because it offers unique products, which are the traditional foods of Qatar for specific customers living in the northern

Capacity and Forecasting at Green Valley Bakers Research Paper - 1

Capacity and Forecasting at Green Valley Bakers - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that the concepts of capacity utilization and forecasting techniques are very important for any business venture. Indeed, an entrepreneur or businessman will only venture to invest his capital in a business if he knows and understands that it will give him a good return on the capital invested. It takes a lot of time, effort and skills to plan out the start of operations, from where the inventory will come, how and when sales will be made and at what margins, so that some profit is left over to compensate the businessman and other stakeholders of the business, if there are any, after the costs and expenses of the bakery have been paid out. Forecasting must also take into account the current and future environment as regards legal, technological, social and other phenomena such as changes in Government policy regarding taxation on bakeries, prices of inventory items, changing tastes of consumers and improvements in baking technology. The researcher will consider all these as he evolves a strategy for capacity utilization and demand and sales forecasting at Green Valley Bakers. Capacity utilization has been one of the main concerns of entrepreneurs and industrialists right from the very beginning of organized business enterprise. In fact, the start of the Industrial Revolution saw much of the population of villages move to the cities, lured by the prospects of gainful employment and higher and more consistent wages, thereby leading to a better lifestyle and social progress. Imagine their predicament when they were forced to move into often cramped and squalid living quarters, eating meager rations and toiling long hours in factories and mills that sought only to gain the most advantage from this situation. It was only after the refusal of workers in Chicago to continue to work under these appalling conditions that the world has moved towards respecting the rights of the workers. Even the economists of old regarded Labor as but a factor of p roduction. As regards capacity, J.B Say remarked that Supply would create its own demand. And the production concept in marketing so popular in the 1950s enunciated that if one built a better mousetrap (meaning product), people would flock to your door to buy it. Even today there is a debate among economists as to whether Full Employment or Partial Unemployment is better for the economy.

Reading Guide #2, for Augustines Confessions, Bks 7.5 8 Essay

Reading Guide #2, for Augustines Confessions, Bks 7.5 8 - Essay Example A human has to understand what is bad to see what is good. It is impossible to judge without knowing and experiencing. Therefore, God lets people face evil to make them understand what good really is and how valuable it is. People appreciate good after being exposed to evil. Otherwise, they would simply fail to know what good means and why good is essential for them. It is a trivial metaphor but it is very precise: there is no light without shadow and there can be no good without evil. Hence, I do not agree with Augustine that evil does not exist as evil is a part of the multifaceted world. Augustine is strongly opposing sex as he sees it as â€Å"the vileness and the shame† (Augustine Bk 8, Ch. 11, par. 26). The thinker sees attraction to sex as certain kind of return to the life without God, i.e. life without knowledge and enlightenment. He sees people as creatures who focus on their desires that have nothing to do with their souls or a better world. This viewpoint is similar to Cyprian’s views on sex. Both saints stress that people have to be virtuous especially those who devote their lives to God. I agree that the priest and those who devote themselves to God have to keep to celibate. However, people living in the secular world do not need to keep to such strict rules. Otherwise, the humanity will simply cease to exist. At the same time, there should be certain purity and men as well as women have to understand that sex is only a part of their lives given by God. It is not a human’s primary concern. People have to focus on self-development thou gh sex should not become something banned or stigmatic. Clearly, every individual desires to have a good family, a decent job, and loyal friends. It is not a shameful desire. However, this is not the finite goal as this is only certain premise for further development. A man can have favorable conditions to live in and strive for self-development. Self-development and impact on the world are two

Eliminating the Home Mortgage Tax Deduction Essay

Eliminating the Home Mortgage Tax Deduction - Essay Example White argue that taxpayers were now allowed to deduct interest they pay on secured loan by qualified homes, either their main home or a second home. The loans in this case include first and second mortgages, credit’s home equity line and home equity loans. White (1) argues that recreational vehicles and even boats may also qualify as home in case they have cooking sleeping and toilet facilities. White notes that millions of US homeowners depend on the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction as a way of reducing their true cost of homeownership and have more disposable income. This interest is filed on form 1040 of schedule A accompanied with other itemized deductions such as medical expenses, real estate property tax and donations. In this case, taxpayers are expected to fill in Schedule A, to determine if their itemized deductions exceed the standard. If this is proved so, then taxpayers will save more money based on their taxes by itemizing. Over the past years, many issues and cont roversies surrounding Home Mortgage Tax Deduction have arisen as to whether or not it should be scraped. Many economists consider it a waste of money due to concern about the federal budget deficit (Perez 1). They argue that Home Mortgage Tax Deduction does very little to assist in lowering income homeowners make the changeover from renters to owners. These economists say that Home Mortgage Tax Deduction only encourage upper income buyers to buy big homes to take bigger mortgages a view which I also concur with. This paper will discuss why Home Mortgage Tax Deduction should be scraped as a way of cutting the budget. History of the residential housing market Muth and Goodman (1) argue that housing is the most precious and unique commodity. In US for instance, about one-seventh of all personal consumption expenditures are on housing exclusive of other household operations and furnishing. They notes that residential real estate accounts for more than half of the US fixed capital stock and about one-quarter of the country’s gross lending investments are made up of construction of residential estates. Mortgage lending has however varied for one-quarter to one-fifth of all funds raised by Americas credit markets. United States is one country that has faced economic housing bubbles over the past few years affecting many parts of the countries housing market. For instance, the prices of housing peaked at the beginning of 2006 with a decline towards 2007 reaching its low recently in this year. For instance, at around December 2008, the home price index of Case-Shiller reported the largest drop in prices in America’s history. It is argued that increased rates of foreclosure between 2006 and 2007 among homeowners in US is what led to the crisis that hit the country in August 2008 for credit, subprime, mortgage, hedge funds. Leader of the realty and mortgage industries Economy Watch (1) notes that real estate industry emerged as one of the major industries i n the united states over the past few years. It argues that the housing bubble witnessed in Florida, California, and Michigan, and New York brought with it major changes in real estate in US. The housing bubble was the result of an increase in valuation of real estate in the US domestic territory. Economy Watch reports that mortgage lenders, commercial banks and other financial

Enterprise resource planning systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enterprise resource planning systems - Essay Example As well, the literature search involves other organizations with comparable characteristics and using industry-oriented (IERP) system (Kayas, McLean, Hines & Wright, 2008). With this understanding, a comparative analysis to assess the weaknesses and strengths of the architectures of every system and how each system has been or might have been effective in the planning processes is presented from a broad perspective. To start with is the analysis of the first two organizations, which have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. From literature, CISCO and IBM are two organizations with comparable culture; hence they have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system towards realizing organizational objectives and gains in the shortest time possible (Wolfrum & Christopher, 2007). CISCO Systems is one of the organizations known to have efficient and well designed organizational system. CISCO Systems firm has always been focused in keeping a positive business culture in all its business activities through the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Lea, Gupta & Yu, 2005). As well, IBM Inc. is another firm that has implemented this type of system towards managing its business operations and enhancing effective and competent production in the global perspective. Through comparing these organizations, it is quite clear that the architectures of the systems used have some points of weaknesses and strengths, which may be effective in planning. On the points of strengths, the architecture of this systems helps to manage business operations whereas enhancing simplicity in labor force (Huang, Wang, Yu & Chiu, 2004). However, the architecture of the systems brings inconvenience at some points, given that systems are prone to malfunction. Secondly, the other two comparable organizations in terms of characteristics and use of industry-oriented (IERP) system

Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership Paper Essay

Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership Paper - Essay Example But, LLPs still impose certain obligations from each of the partner as a way of maintaining standards of accountability. LLPs differ from other general partnerships in one particular aspect, namely, that each partner is only liable to his/her own debts and obligations and are not required to share the burden of their partners’ debts and obligations. In the United States, there are comprehensive legislations that govern the conception and formation of LLPs. This form of partnership is more suitable to companies offering professional services such as law firms, an accountancy firms, etc. As a matter of fact, a few states within the United States allow only certain professional classes to form LLPs. The primary legislative document that deals with partnership firms is the Uniform Partnership Act, which provides detailed guidelines. Further, many states offer liability protection only against select negligence claims, which implies that for, say, contract claims, a partner can be made liable. LLPs are similar to other partnership arrangements in that the profits accrued are divided evenly among all the members of the partnership. This is essentially to facilitate taxation and to avoid double taxation, which can dent an individual member’s profits. Some state legislation adds more conditions for limited liability. For example, â€Å"Many states provide protection only against tort claims and do not extend protection to a partners own negligence or incompetence or to the partners involvement in supervising wrongful conduct. Other states provide broad protection, including protection against contractual claims brought by the partnerships creditors. It further provided, however, that a partner was personally liable to the partnership and copartners for any breach of duty, and also allowed a creditor or other claimant to pierce the limited liability shield of a partner in

Josephs Story Essay Example for Free

Josephs Story Essay Joseph’s story is a common one of an unsuspected massive heart attack. Even though Joseph had numerous existing factors that put him at risk of heart conditions he continued to live with no fear, or ambition to make changes. While playing ball with his son in the park, Joseph experienced his worst case scenario, a massive heart attack. There were several elements that went into this clinical turn for the worst. Joseph’s heart could now have irreversible damage due to the advanced stage of the condition. When Joseph’s heart stopped working in the park the cells that make up the heart started to use up the remaining ATP that was left in the cells. Because there was no heart function to push oxygenated blood through the vessels the carbon dioxide levels started to increase and PH levels dropped within the cell. The heart was no longer providing blood flow with the rich oxygen and glucose to the mitochondria, which is needed for the production of ATP. Without ATP it was only a matter of a few moments before the active transport pumps in the plasma membrane had stopped. This seize of activity had now allowed for sodium to begin leaking out of the cells and potassium to leak in. Joseph’s lungs could no longer expel harmful carbon dioxide from his body, or bring important oxygen in. Cells were dying. As Joseph lay in the park his son was crying and calling for help. Lucky for them both, some people were nearby who ran to ran to their aid. As one person called for help, another person started CPR on Joseph’s heart. CPR allowed for fresh oxygen to reach his cells and with every chest compression more carbon dioxide was expelled from his body. However, Joseph’s cells were still unable to produce ATP and the structure of the cells were being compromised to say the least. The lack of ATP also meant that special calcium ATPases had stopped moving calcium from the cytosol into endoplasmic reticulum of his cardiac muscle cells. As the intracellular calcium levels rose within the cells, they caused proteases to spill into their interiors of the cell, attacking the cytoskeleton. Lysosomal enzymes as well as mitochondrial organelles are usually contained by membranes or vesicles. A lot of a cell does it contained within that membrane. When a cell starts to die the first to start seize is the membrane, exchanging nothing intentional, but leaking nutrients in and out. The instructions Joseph’s body needs to repair itself and his disposition for vascular disease are both contained within the cell, inside DNA, located in the nucleolus. As the intracellular calcium levels rose, they caused proteases to spill into the interior of the cell, attacking the cytoskeleton. Lysosmal enzymes normally bound safely inside vesicles began to digest the plasma membrane and the membranes of the organelles. Oxygen is required by cells to produce ATP, oxygen, and nutrients, multiple cellular processes affecting hemostasis. Joseph was not treating his body with the care it needed. As a result the cells in his body reacted in a damaging way. Health and disease are ultimately determined at the cellular level.

Psychoanalysis and the Treatment of Drug Addiction Essay Example for Free

Psychoanalysis and the Treatment of Drug Addiction Essay Drug addiction persists to present major challenge to serving psychoanalysts. There are different techniques used to treat drug addiction however this paper mainly discusses psychoanalysis as a mode of treatment for drug addiction. Even though media hype regarding the issue of drug addiction has augmented in the last few years, there has not been sufficient stress on different methods used to deal with it. Therapists, educationist, and the common public require information on the subject of treatment methods and means that are accessible to them. Gradually more, experienced psychoanalysts are getting employed in drug addiction programs (Hosie, West, Mackey, 1997). In order to be successful, they should be aware of different methods used in drug addiction treatment and try to incorporate them into their daily practice and job. People who are in the field of drug addiction treatment, nonetheless, must try to have clear idea about using different methods of treatment (Schonfeld Morosko, 1997). Among the various modalities used to treat drug addiction are the twelve-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), professional counselling and psychiatric care, family systems therapy, and therapeutic community treatment. In the past, these approaches have often been at odds with one another (Minkoff, 1995). Some of the debates have involved whether drug addiction is a disease in and of itself or is reflective of some underlying psychopathology. The proponents of the disease model have included AA (1995) supporters, who have tended to focus on abstinence as a way of controlling the disease. Adherents to the psychopathology model have mainly been mental health professionals who have advocated psychiatric and professional counselling treatment. Yeager, DiGiuseppe, Olsen, Lewis, and Alberti (1997) noted that therapeutic community treatment has become increasingly popular because traditional and more individually oriented psychiatric modalities have not been very effective. They echoed the argument made by Vaillant (1975) that clients suffering from drug addiction need milieu and group involvement with their peers. External control, containment, and structure from milieu-oriented treatment are needed before meaningful psychotherapy can begin. Stanton and Todd (2000) agreed that peer influence can play a role in less serious drug addiction problems however that long-term drug addiction generally has its origins in adolescence and that serious drug abuse is predominantly a family phenomenon (p. 8). They argued that family therapy is therefore the logical treatment of choice. Psychoanalysis And Drug Addiction To be exact, severe drug addiction is considered as being motivated by contradictory and unsettled relational kinematicsthat drawn from the premature systematizing relations in a individuals lives. As far as drug addiction is concerned, the terms of this disagreement discover solid look in distinguishing actions of using drugs that provide to spread it with the help of the mutual results of reinforcement and disguise. The objective of treatment is for patient and psychoanalyst to uncover the constituents of the relational ties that are embedded in the drug use, to reformulate these forces in figurative expressions, and tore-check them in the kinematics of the change, next to prospects for latest exchange. Seen this way, the treatment requirements of drug users can finely be convened by psychoanalysis, improved by other methods essential for dealing with addiction. In the past drug addiction has been shut out from psychoanalysis and this method of treatment, clearly in its insinuation, might appear merely to validate that standing. Doing psychoanalysis treatment of drug users, comparing with other treatment methods, educates awareness on these desire states and uses replacement as a remedial instrument. No matter what the stress of the theory or character of the foundation, every analysis of addictive disorder that represent on entity associations tacitly contribute to a common principle: that the action of drug use comes into view as a result of desire. Whilst created by a lot of dependent variables, an operation of severe drug use, if intra-psychically inspected, at all times corresponds to an attempt to bring about inner alteration, or outside reaction, in a exacting, approved method. Almond (1997) has described desire as â€Å"a personal condition—a feeling of total control or power—that the person endeavours to bring about with his action and/or fantasy† (p. 3). By these stipulations, an action of excessive drug use signifies a fundamental, desire condition and is a means to implement it, whether with regard to effects desired in the self or others in the outside world. Rik Loose discussed in his book â€Å"The Subject of Addiction† that psychoanalysis and addiction are counterparts of the world of science and techniques. Therefore, since, the logical dialogue centers on the issue and the drug user’s relationship to his reason of desire. In an intelligent approach, Rik Loose depicts the reason of globalization that requires our times and counters to it as a organization governed by desire and ideals. (Loose, 2002) Psychoanalysts who work with drug users know that the act of drug use is an indicative result of a procedure of previous changes. The language of diversity, acknowledged as a modern construction for intellect, allows us to spot the drug user as careworn into specific states of mind— comprising of particular influence, feelings regarding the person himself and others, feelings concerning the world—that augment the desires and cravings that are confined and apparently recognized in typical action of drug use. One might also say that, for a given drug consumer, the action of using the drug provides to intrepidly set the limits of a basic state of oneself. In fact, the preliminary investigative mission with the drug user comprises of extricating the user from attraction with the drug in order to divert the user in its place in the self-state that portends it. Astonishingly, the standing of desire in the addiction is for the most part uncared for in drug treatment. Drug users in this kind of situations are frequently encouraged to talk to other recuperating fellows when they believe themselves to be caught up in desire to take in drug. (Loose, 2002) This suggestion— regularly wielded by twelve-step companionship also, in the shape of a status offer to talk to one’s supporter every time sensing the urge to take drug—is evidently well planned (and, no doubt, useful at times). On the other hand this type of counselling is sightless to the internal truth of the state of desire that not just impels substance users presumptuous in their use of drugs, nevertheless in addition throw away understanding of other individuals in their lives to the periphery of their brain. Moreover, still as conventional treatment programs dedicate significant consideration to the issue of reversion— enlightening drug users in relation to surroundings stimuli and inner feelings (e. g. depression, loneliness) that could encourage desires to use drugs—they pay no attention to the desire aver that the course of reversion usually serve to perform. Due to this rationale, psychoanalysis has a lot to proffer the severe drug user: whilst the majority of drug treatments look forward to putting an end to drug addicting behaviour, the psychoanalytic attempt would take in this objective and stretch further to investigate the desire state that uncovers end result in drug use and in other prototypes of actions in his or her life. In effect, the methodical approach would be to treat the person’s drug use nevertheless look for to disengage such a symptomatic outburst from the original self-state, which has required to be conserved for its background and significance to the person and, for that basis, deserve consideration (Bromberg, 1998). â€Å"transformation come in an analysis,† Winnicott (1960) wrote, â€Å"when the traumatic factors enter the psycho-analytic material in the patient’s own way, and within the patient’s desire† (p. 37). This regulatory statement can also be functional to remedial work with drug users, whose desire intend, usually set free â€Å"out there,† requirement to be completely greeted into the methodical exchange. In fact, it is from the point of view of the functioning coalition— nevertheless effectively realizes with a drug user—that the analyst may sense another exchange transpiring in the transference. In it, the analyst is excluded from all events eventuating in the patient’s drug use and is left to feel helpless. Not only is the patient’s move to a state of emotional cut-off a marker of desire, so is the analyst’s helpless state. (Loose, 2002) For it is these feelings of helplessness in the analyst that point to the history of pain or trauma in the patient that may have showed the way to the user’s need for desire to start with, and to such severity. Nonetheless, certain new trends in investigative way and the significance of a relational viewpoint in understanding drug use, the ability of psychoanalysts, amplified by understanding of addiction, can be of utmost advantage to them. That is why a relational model of psychoanalytically based treatment has significance for severe drugs users. This statement may seem surprising on two accounts: psychoanalysis has often been considered useless for active drug users, and drug users have often been judged unsuitable for psychoanalysis. (Loose, 2002) Both assumptions are false, though accepted as truths in the mental health and drug addiction treatment worlds. Recent changes that have taken place in the understanding of the psychoanalytic process make relationally informed psychoanalysis an ideal therapeutic venue for drug users. These shifts in psychoanalysis have reversed its previous lack of fit for drug addiction. Any Psychoanalyst who has spent time working with drug users has heard, first-hand, accounts of the disrepute of psychoanalysis from the standpoint of addicted patients. (Loose, 2002) The traditional analytic stance that emphasized observation smacked of passivity to drug users, and the priority given to aetiology over symptoms often left patients’ drinking and drug use unattended to. However contemporary psychoanalysis has shifted its style of investigation; as Mitchell (1997) stated, it has moved away from reliance on interpretation and insight as the primary tools for achieving therapeutic change. Rather, psychoanalysis today places emphasis on an analyst’s ability to enter into a patient’s dynamics, mobilized in transference–counter transference form; together with the patient to arrive at an understanding of these experiences; and, in the process, to find new forms of relating for the patient to trust, in the place of old, constraining patterns (Mitchell, 1997; Bromberg, 1998). In short, today’s psychoanalyst is every bit an engaged participant. How does this development serve the substance-using patient? The drug user tends to be a do-er and act-er, and, on technical grounds alone, needs an active approach to feel meaningfully engaged, even adequately â€Å"gripped† by the therapeutic process. However, on another level, it is precisely the drug user’s recourse to action to express conflicting relational needs that is the target of treatment. (Loose, 2002) Reliance on action is a cornerstone of the drug user’s characterologic makeup (Wurmser, 1977, 1978). It is typically this reliance that has earned him disfavour with psychoanalysts, whose work depends so on reflection and delay. Action serves many purposes for the drug user, however it is usually its defensive function that has been highlighted by theorists. In this view, as articulated by Wurmser, action gives the drug user a powerful alternative to, or, more accurately, means of flight from, painful affects and inadequate tools of symbolic expression. Drug users are notable for limitations in their symbolic functioning: Wurmser termed their difficulties â€Å"hypo-symbolization,† describing deficits that range from a specific inability to recognize and label feelings to a more sweeping failure to engage in fantasy or exploration of their inner lives at all. In such a view, again elaborated by Wurmser, action serves as a special form of externalization, offering the person its magical, problem solving properties and the appearance of narcissistic control. However if, instead of emphasizing its defensive role, we view action as the vehicle drug users have for communicating un-symbolized experience, then it is to their actions we must look for the initial outlines of their conflicts. Drug use is then far from unwelcome in undertaking analytic treatment of a person taking drugs. It is the signature act of such a patient and, as such, contains the components of his unconscious and as yet un-symbolized life; it is the starting point of treatment. The intended course of that treatment would then be for analyst and patient to begin to uncover the relational deadlock embedded in the drug use. (Loose, 2002) Their aim is to discover that deadlock anew in the kinematicsof the transference, often at first still involving instances of drug use, and eventually to locate it within the organizing relationships of the patient’s early life, ultimately replayed and addressed free of reference to drugs, within the experience of the treatment relationship. In other words, the aim of therapeutic action would be to track, and deconstruct, the symptom from its extra-psychic form, concretized in drug use, to its intra-psychic life in the patient’s object relations (Boesky, 2000). It is here that the needs of the person consuming drug and the current state of psychoanalytic practice converge. Enactments, whereby patients draw their analysts into jointly realizing fantasized aspects of their object relations, play a recognized role in analytic practice today. Though theorists of various schools differ in their understanding of enactments, view of the analyst’s role, and sense of their therapeutic value, there is general agreement in the field that enactments are inevitable manifestations of transference–counter-transference forces at work in the analytic process (Ellman and Moskowitz, 1998). In relational theory, in particular, enactments are regarded not only as unavoidable, however also as the central medium of the work. They are the means through which patient and analyst are afforded the opportunity to revive old relational patterns jointly, as well as to reopen them to observation, understanding, and possibilities for change within the analytic relationship (Mitchell, 1997; Bromberg, 1998). By placing enactment at the heart of analytic work, relational practitioners have opened the door of psychoanalysis to substance using patients. This is so for several reasons: first, enactments provide drug users with a mode of communication tailor made to their needs to actualize, rather than reflect on, inner experience (Boesky, 2000). More important, enactments are a conduit for experience whose transitional properties uniquely serve the drug user—offering not only a bridge between the patient’s symptomatic behaviour outside the consulting room to his conduct within the treatment, however also, more generally, a bridge between action and meaning, drug and object, act of drug use and underlying relational needs. In theory and approach, then, the relational model provides the basis for the desired course of treatment for drug users. To be sure, no treatment of drug addiction could be effective by attending to the relational underpinnings of drug use alone. Severe drug use is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening problem; however derived, it nonetheless is sustained by the powerful pharmacological effects of drugs and the operation of the laws of conditioning on people’s behaviour. (Loose, 2002) Any Psychoanalyst working with a person taking drug must have a working knowledge of a range of ancillary treatment modalities commonly needed during the course of their treatment. Such approaches include use of cognitive-behavioural interventions, referrals to residential or intensive outpatient programs, support for participation in 12-step programs, use of toxicology tests, and use of pharmaco-therapies designed to counteract or inhibit drug effects (for example, disulfiram for alcoholics, naltrexone for opiate addicts). Purely speaking, then, any treatment of active drug user is, by force, integrative in practice, if, ultimately, psychoanalytic in design. However, if appropriately used, such supplementary therapies do not necessarily compromise the analytic task; in fact, it is my argument that the particular tools summoned during the course of any one patient’s treatment are—like his drug use—uniquely customized to fit his relational needs and are therefore best understood within a psychoanalytic framework.

Surface Antigen of Apicomplexan Parasite, Eimeria Tenella

Surface Antigen of Apicomplexan Parasite, Eimeria Tenella INTRODUCTION Intestinal coccidiosis is caused by the intracellular growth and replication of coccidian (Shirley Schnitzler, 1999; Belli et al., 2006; Lim et al., 2012). Chicken has become the host to seven species Eimeria which are E. tenella, E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. brunette, E. necatrix, E. praecox, E. mitis and each species is responsible for a different form of coccidiosis. The three most pathogenic Eimeria species which cause the most economically significant are E. tenella, E. acervulina and E. maxima. Each parasite is responsible for a different form of coccidiosis (Shirley et al., 2004). Eimeria tenellacause coccidiosis in chickens which is a serious intestinal disease leading to impaired nutrient absorption, weight loss, diarrhea and severe cases of death (Belli et al., 2004). Ceacum is the part of intestinal tract location that will infected by E. tenella (Barta, 1997). On the other hand, three different phases of the life cycle of Eimeria are sporogony (the unsporulated oocysts s hed in the faeces of the host undergo sporulation in the environment to become infective), schizogony (an expansive form of asexual reproduction) and gametogony, a sexual phase (which leads to the formation of female and male gametes, and end with the formation of oocysts) (Shirley Schnitzler, 1999). The control of coccidiosis depends on prophylactic chemotherapy and also vaccination (Shirley et al., 2004). Whereas Mcpherson-K. J. L (2008) state that the current strategies to control coccidiosis in commercial poultry include anticoccidial medication, vaccination and also the use of probiotics. For a long-term control of coccidiosis, the identification of new targets within Eimerian parasite is required and this imperative underpins the need for the genome sequencing (Shirley et al., 2004). 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT Coccidiosis is one of the most important and common diseases that affect poultry, it results in a great economic loss all over the world (S. Al-Quraishy, A.S. Abdel-Baki,  M.A. Dkhil, 2009). It is caused by the genus Eimeria of an apicomplixa protozoan parasite (Shirley, 1995). This parasitic infection occurs in the epithelial cells of the intestine, despite the advances in nutrition, chemotherapy, management and genetics (Jamal Gharekhani, Zivar Sadeghi-Dehkordi, and Mohammadali Bahrami,2014). Most Eimeria species affect birds between 3 and 18 weeks of age and can cause high mortality in young chicks(McDougald and Reid, 1997). Eimeria typically infect defined regions of the gastrointestinal tract leading to impaired nutrient absorption, weight loss, diarrhea and in severe cases mortality (Belli et al., 2004). The poultry industry incurs major economic losses since chemoprophylaxis, the preferred method of preventing and controlling the disease, is ineffective because the resilient parasites do not respond to therapy. Infections of chickens begin after the uptake of oocysts when sporozoites penetrate the epithelium of the villi. They enter crypt epithelial cells after passing through the lamina propria, where they will undergo several rounds of asexual and sexual proliferation, resulting in formation of merozoites and later, gametocytes (Jeurissen SH, Janse EM,  Vermeulen AN,Vervelde L, 1996). When macrogametes are fertilized by microgametes, forming zygote that will develop into oocysts and eventually shed in the faeces. In contrast to the malaria parasites, Eimeria spp. has not been proved pathogenic for man. The organism has never been found in intestinal tissue and no specific lesion has been demonstrated. Many therapeutic agents have been used, including bismuth, iodide, quinine, gentian violet, emetine, anthelmintics and others without conclusive evidence of results (R. M. Kiskaddon, M.D.; R. J. F. Renshaw, M.D.,1945). Nowadays, coccidiosis is prevented by anticoccidial drugs that are added to food, but continuously usage of these drugs will leads to unavoidably emergence of resistant Eimeria strains (Jeurissen SH,  Janse EM,  Vermeulen AN,  Vervelde L, 1996). This prolonged use of drugs have many side effects such as decrease fertility (Joyner, 1964) and encourage to the development of drug-resistant strains (McLoughlin and Gardiner, 1963). It will also interfere with immunity (Davies and Kendall, 1955; Reid, 1960), Moreover, the present drugs that available do not offer effective protection against all Eimeria parasitic species in chickens and most of the current coccidiostats are not suitable to use for prolonged periods intended for human consumption. In spite of the high efficacy of modern coccidiostats, upsurge of coccidiosis may occur due to high levels of contamination in the environment, the development of drug-resistance strains as well as reduced the usage of the drug and a high de gree of susceptibility (Joyner, 1970). 1.2 OBJECTIVES To amplify and sequence the surface antigen from apicomplexan parasite, Eimeria Tenella. To clone the surface antigen of apicomplexan parasite, Eimeria Tenella. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 APICOMPLEXAN PARASITES The Apicomplexa are a phylum from the group of diverse obligate intracellular parasites containing Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum which are the opportunistic pathogens of immunocompromised individuals, Plasmodium spp., the parasites that cause malaria and also Eimeria spp. and the Theileria spp., the parasites that consider as agricultural importance(Naomi S. Morrissette and  L. David Sibley, 2002). Parasitic protozoans of the apicomplexa are the most frequentt and successful pathogens known to the world. Infection by this parasites causes incalculable morbidity and mortality to humans and agricultural animals(Aikawa, M, 1988). Presently, more than 50 billion livestock for food production especially for the poultry, suffer from debilitating intestinal diseases that caused by many species of apicomplexan parasites such as Eimeria, Theileria, and Babesia (Tomley and Shirley, 2009). Besides, half of the world’s population is at risk of getting malaria that caused by Plasmodium species (Guerra et al., 2006). Eimeria is the cause of of coccidiosis in chickens while Theileria, the cattle parasite is characterized by anemia and high death rate especially in pregnant cows. Plasmodium infects red blood cells in bird species and cause malaria as well as in several other vertebrate including human. In Africa, almost one million human died because of malaria each year, which mean that a child dies every 30 seconds of this disease (Coombs and Muller, 2002; Shirley et al., 2005). All of those apicomplexan parasites share distinguishing morphological features, cytoskeleton organization and the way of motility, invasion and also replication(Naomi S. Morrissette and  L. David Sibley, 2002). These parasites have an elongated shape and a clearly visible specialization of the apical region (Aikawa,M., 1998). Many of the distinct characteristics compose of a collection of unique organelles termed the apical complex(Naomi S. Morrissette and  L. David Sibley, 2002). Theapical complexis the flag trait required for classification asApicomplexa (Lee et al., 2000, Levine, 1973). It is a components found at the anterior end of certain stages, most notably at the infective stages, replacing the nucleus and mitochondria towards the posterior end (Aikawa et al., 1978). Upon contact with a suitable host cell, apicomplexans can invade within seconds, with minimal apparent disturbance of the infected cell (Boris Striepenmail, Carly N Jordan, Sarah Reiff, Giel G van Dooren, 2 007). Figure 2.1 : The morphology of apicomplexan parasites Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology 2.2 THE ROLE OF GLIDING MOTILITY OF THE APICOMPLEXA IN CELL INVASION The members of Apicomplexa invade host cell by substrate-dependent forward locomotion known as gliding motility(Pinder et al., 2000; Opitz Soldati, 2002). Apicomplexa does not possess cilic, flagella, type IV pili or other locomotory organelles (Russell Sinden,1981), nor do they crawl like amoeba (Mitchison Cramer, 1996) or deform their membrane. The gliding movement is actin–myosin motor dependent (Hakansson et al.,1998; Pinder et al., 2000)which coupled with the substratum, presumably by transmembrane proteins such as circumsporozoite-and-TRAP related protein (CTRP) and thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP) which have cytoplasmic sequences (Menard, 2000). Motility can be visualized in real time with video microscopy (Russell Sinden, 1981; Morisaki et al., 1995) or by the formation of surface membrane traits that can be labelled with immunofluorescence assays (Arrowood et al., Stewart Vanderberg, 1988; Hakansson et al., 1999). Circular gliding occurs when a paras ite lies on its right side(where the apex is defined as the top of the parasite and dorsal is defined as the convex surface of the parasite) and moves around in a counter clockwise circle. Upright twirling takes place when a parasitic stands on its posterior and spins in a clockwise circle. Furthermore, helical gliding occurs when the parasite begins on its left side and initiates a clockwise revolution around its long axis while moving forward one body length. The parasite then flips onto its left side while undergoing little forward motility. Helical gliding allows a curved parasite to propel itself straight across substrate (Hakansson et al., 1999). Host-cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites involves the successive exocytosis of three different secretory organelles which are micronemes, rhoptries and dense granules. Rhoptries, dense granule and micronemes are unique secretory organelles containing the products that need for motility, adhesion to host cells, invasion of host cells, and formation of the parasitophorous vacuole (N. S. Morrissette, A. Mitra, D. Sept and L. D. Sibley, 2004). Micronemes are used for host-cell recognition, binding, and possibly motility. Rhoptries are used for parasitophorous vacuole formation whilst dense granules used for remodeling the vacuole into a metabolically active compartment (Dubremetz JF et al., 1998). Attachment to the host cell is started via interaction of the surface protein of the parasites with the plasma membrane of the host cell(Grimwood and Smith, 1996). The apical region of the infecting parasite which is called zoite connects to the host cell, creating a depression in the cell plasma membrane and taking the shape of the zoite while forming a condensed, electron-dense area at the point of attachment (Aikawa et al., 1978). Rhoptry ducts extend from the apical complex and through the junction formed between the two cells (Aikawa et al., 1978). This step is proceed by the microneme and rhoptry that release vast array proteins which have the capacity to encourage formation of the protective parasitophorous vacuole that surrounds the parasite once inside the host cell (Bannister and Mitchell, 1989). As conclusion, the actual invasion of the parasite is intervene by the formation of a moving junction around the infecting parasite which is so named because it moves along the len gth of the parasite resulting in the engulfment of the parasite within the host cell (Besteiro et al., 2009). Figure 2.2 : Current model of the motor protein complex driving gliding motility. (Adapted from Soldati et al (2004) Current Opinion in Cell Biology 16, 32-40.) 2.3 EIMERIA TENELLA Eimeria Tenellais one of seven species that cause coccidiosis in chickens (Shirley MW, Smith AL, Tomley FM, 2005). It is one of the most pathogenicEimeriaspp. that inflicts economic losses on the poultry industry all over the world (Dalloul RA, Lillehoj HS, 2006). Eimeria tenella can be found in the feces of the infected chicken (Michael G. Wallach mail, Udi Ashash, Amnon Michael, Nicholas C. Smith, 2008) and they have complex developmental life cycles with an exogenous phase in the environment during which oocysts excreted from the chicken undergo sporulation and become infective while the endogenous phase in the intestine during which there are two or more rounds of discrete depending on the species, expansive asexual reproduction (schizogony) followed by sexual differentiation, fertilization and shedding of unsporulated oocysts (Kalpana Lal, Elizabeth Bromley, Richard Oakes, Judith Helena Prieto, Sanya J Sanderson, Dominic Kurian, Lawrence Hunt, John R Yates, III, Jonathan M Wastl ing, Robert E Sinden, Fiona M Tomley, 2009). The unsporulated oocyst will develops by the deposition of proteinsfrom two visible wall forming bodies becoming a multi-layered oocyst cell wall (Ferguson DJ, Belli SI, Smith NC, Wallach MG, 2003). After shedding, the unsporulated oocysts will make contact with moisture and air then rapidly undergo meiosis and mitosis to produce 8 haploid sporozoites (Ryan R, Shirley M, Tomley F, 2000). In the case of Emeria tenella, sporozoites will migrate to the caecum where they invade villus enterocytes and undergo their entire endogenous development within enterocytes of the crypts (Rose ME, Lawn AM, Millard BJ, 1984). Eimeria tenellaundergoes two distinct and massive waves of schizogony in the crypts, which produce large numbers of first and second generation merozoites. A third round of schizogony, begin by invasion of second generation merozoites and characterized by much smaller schizonts, is known to occur and may be mandatory although it is possible that invasion of second generation mer ozoites can also initiate gametogony (McDonald V, Rose ME, 1987). Sporozoites and merozoites ofEimeria tenellahave many features related to their invasive natures including micronemes that release protein, which are very important for host binding and invasion (Periz J, Gill AC, Hunt L,Brown P,Tomley FM, 2007) , the use of actin based ‘glideosome’ to power up the host invasion(Bumstead J, Tomley F,2000) and the secretion of rhoptry proteins to form the parasitophorous vacuole within which the parasite resides during the invasion (Greif G, Entzeroth R,1996). As a conclusion, the life cycle can be divided into three distinct phases which include sporogony (the unsporulated oocysts shed in the faeces of the host undergo sporulation in the environment to become infective), schizogony (an expansive form of asexual reproduction) and a sexual phase, gametogony (which leads to the formation of female and male gametes and terminates with the formation of oocysts) (Shirley Schnitzler, 1999). Figure 2.3 : The life cycle of Eimeria (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2.4 SURFACE ANTIGEN Surface antigens are those expressed on the surface of infected cells that can induce a cytotoxic phenomenon leading to a destruction of host cells or to activation of the killing mechanism in the host cell itself. However, little is known about their role in parasite development (Tabarà ©s et al., 2004). Some of these surface antigens have been associated with a variety of functions in host cell invasion, pathogenicity as well as the immune avoidance and also known to draw out strong immune responses (Jung C, Lee CYF, Grigg M, 2004). Many research has been carried out to study the role of surface antigens in the growth, development, and also the survival of the parasites. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface antigens (SAGs) of Eimeria Tenellaare among the major surface molecules of the parasite and many of the SAGs are expressed during the development of second generation merozoitesmaking them good targets for host innate and adaptive immune responses. Other apicompl exan parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum,  Sarcocystis neuronaand Toxoplasma gondii also have the GPI-linked antigens expressed on their surfaces (Gilson PR, Nebl T, Vukcevic D, Moritz RL, Sargean T, 2006). Besides, SAG proteins may be used by Eimeria tenellato confuse the host immune system and improve the survival of the parasites. The chicken immune response might be misdirect towards the antibody production because of the simultaneous expression of multiple SAG proteins rather than the cellular mediated immune responses required to eliminateEimeria Tenella, therefore, allowing the parasites to avoid the first line defense mechanisms of the host and multiply more easily (Yock-Ping Chow, Kiew-Lian Wan, Damer P. Blake, Fiona Tomley, Sheila Nathan, 2011).

The Relationship Between Food Concentration, And Respiratory Activity :: essays research papers fc

The Relationship Between Food Concentration, and Respiratory Activity In this experiment different concentrations of sucrose were tested to determine which leads to the most respiratory activity in yeast. Yeast is a heterotrophic anaerobic fungus which lacks chlorophyll. Yeast is used commercially to ferment the sugars of wheat, barley, and corn to produce alcohol, and in the baking industry to raise or expand dough. Yeast or alcoholic fermentation is the anaerobic process of respiration by which sugars, such as glucose and sucrose, are converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide (CO2 ). This process is illustrated in the following equation: yeast C12H22O11 + H2O ---> 4 CH3CH2OH + 4 CO2 sucrose + water (yields) ethanol + carbon dioxide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to determine what concentration of sucrose and water leads to the most respiratory activity, ten large test tubes were set with different concentrations by the process of serial dilution. The first test tube was filled with 40 ml of 60% sucrose solution. Then, the nine remaining test tubes were serially diluted, so that the sucrose concentration ranged from 30% to 0.12%.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hypothesis in this expriment was that the most respiratory activity would take place with 60% sucrose concentration. Since yeast fermentation requires sucrose and water, aproximately equal proportions of both would yield to the most respiratory activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the sucrose concentration was serially cut to the desired level, the experimenter added 5 ml of yeast suspension to each one of the ten test tubes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, ten small test tubes were placed invertedly into each one of the large test tubes, making sure no air bubbles remained within the small tibes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The test tubes were left 24 hours, allowing for fermentation to take place. But, no respiratory activity was detected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In previous experimentation, it was found that yeast fermentation did take place in different molasses concentrations. Since, molasses contains large quantities of sucrose, it was assumed that different concentrations of

A Massive Project For The Benefit Of Mankind: A Look At The Human Geno :: essays research papers fc

A Massive Project for the Benefit of Mankind: A Look at the Human Genome Project Scientists are taking medical technology to new heights as they race to map all of the genes, nearly 100,000, in the 23 chromosomes of the human body. Along the way, they hope to understand the basis of, and maybe even develop methods of treating certain genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Muscular Dystrophy. They plan to do this by identifying the DNA sequence of an abnormal gene in which a disease originates and comparing it with the data of a normal or healthy gene. The entire research project is entitled "The Human Genome Project." "The Human Genome Project" is a large scale project being conducted by more than 200 laboratories, with even more researchers and labs having joined in. Most of the labs and researchers are located in France and the United States. The project started in 1990 and was slated to take 15 years and cost $3 billion in U.S. money for the entire project coming to roughly $200 million per year. Federal funding for the project is nearly 60% of the annual need. This has created some funding problems for the project. There also have been technological advances and discoveries that have helped to speed up the project. This automation may help to reduce the cost and help the project to meet its objectives ahead of schedule. The project was estimated to have detailed maps of all of the chromosomes and know the location of most of the human Genes by 1996. Researchers have successfully located the gene and DNA sequence for Huntington’s Disease on Chromosome 4 and have created a genetic test to determine if a person carries this gene. "The child of a person with Huntington's has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene, which inevitably leads to the disease." Once an individual acquires the gene, it is only a matter of time before they acquire the disease. Because the medical costs of treating such persons in terminal illnesses are extremely high, insurance companies who want to stay in business see this genetic test, and others like it, as an opportunity to screen prospective clients for the probability of such diseases. Some people feel that this information gives insurance companies unfair advantage over those covered by medical insurance and point out that release of genetic information to insurance companies puts a severe disadvantage on the person who is screened, as well as violates the patients right to privacy. If this genetic information is not safegua rded as confidential for the patient’s and doctor’s knowledge alone, then the patient can be labeled as undesirable and

Comparing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy In 1967, Tom Stoppard wrote his famous play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead after getting the idea while watching a production of Hamlet. Four years later, Douglas Adams got the idea for his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while lying drunk in a field in Innsbruck, Austria. In 1978, he would use this idea to produce a BBC radio show, which would be published as a novel in 1979. How can these two works be compared in their use of satire and cynicism? There are many instances of satire in Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Adams begins his novel by describing the sun and goes on to say, "Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-eight million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea." (1) By saying this, Adams shows that he does not think much of how humans are using technology, or their intelligence because they are so amazed by something fairly simple. According to Whissen, "Adam's message . . . is that too much thinking about things like the vastness of eternity and space and time can drive one mad. But instead of worrying about it, he takes control of it." (113) By presenting actual numbers, Adams puts the earth into the universe's perspective. Though humans tend to make themselves the center of the universe, they are actually a small insignificant speck in everything. Adams goes on to explain more about the humans and their plight. "Most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because . . . it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy." (1) While making a joke about humans and their general discontentedness, Adams takes a different look at the monetary system. People feel that money will make them happy, but it does not really work. Money is constantly being moved, yet that is not what is unhappy. People try to change other things to make themselves happy, but by this, Adams is suggesting that people should try to change themselves, rather than everything else.

Niche Bakeries Essay

Niche bakeries are becoming more popular though the last few years. These types of bakeries specialize in a certain type of baked goods and showcase them for their customers as well as having other types of more common baked goods available. This is the type of business that I would create. My niche bakery would specialize in individual cupcakes and pies as well as baking larger cakes and pies to order. Local customers will consist of area residents, business owners and students that can easily walk over to the bakeries location while on lunch break or after school and work to purchase what they want, and with the Internet available, I can expand my consumer base and ship my goods all over the United States. Customers can place their orders online, and I will be able to ship the product to their door. The area in which I reside does not have a type of bakery like this. We currently have a Wal-Mart and a Kroger’s Grocery if we want to purchase baked goods. While they are both good and they are also cheap considering their product, my bakery would offer a fresh home baked quality of product that could offer them some competition. I would say in this area, my niche bakery would be a monopoly market as that it would be the only one in this location. I would be able to set the prices for my product but would still need to keep in mind that if the price is too high, my potential customers will go back to purchasing their goods from the grocery chain bakeries. Looking at a broader area as with the Internet, I could say that I am in a monopolistic competition. Each niche bakery that sells baked goods such as this have relatively the same pricing, no one business sets the price for the other businesses. It is still a smaller industry but there are others in which I must compete for business. So advertising and a well made website will figure prominently in showcasing the goods I am selling in the best possible light. Elasticity of demand in a bakery is very important to know. If the price of ingredients goes up, the bakery owner must adjust for this increase. The higher the price elasticity of the product the less volume of the product that will be output, if for instance the demand for the product was highly elastic, then it wouldn’t make sense to increase the price of the product. The company would lose business because of this. Below in figures 1A and 1B is data that has been taken from the Bureau of Economic analysis from three different industries that are related to the niche bakery business. Between the years of 2007 to 2011, there shows a decrease in the earlier years but an increase within the year of 2011of growth in the food service and food and beverage industries. The retail industry has show a sharp increase and decrease in these years. Taking into consideration the growth in each of the food industries though, I can make the assumption that this is a business that could flourish and grow with the right type of marketing, promotion, and sales products. In looking at this type of business for my area, I have talked to some of the local residents and have found that they were amenable to a new specialty bakery in the area. This impromptu survey showed that the residents in the area expressed an interest in purchasing baked goods that were of homemade quality rather than mass produced market products. Increasing Revenue In order to increase revenue in this business, there are several things that would be necessary. Below are charts and tables regarding costs and revenues showing where breakeven points are and where profits can be made. However, one way to increase revenue, is to offer something the bigger superstores in the area are not. Make the product stand out by creating those special items like fruit compote filled cupcakes, special flavors not normally offered by the larger stores like Orange flavored cupcakes. Even offering some gluten free and vegan types of baked goods can bring in increased  revenue. Another way to increase revenue is to offer free samples; welcome customers in with a smile and offer them a free sample of some of the products available. By doing this, the customer can get an idea and a taste of the product and if they like it they may turn into a return customer and bring others with them. Also, offering a loyalty program can help to keep repeat customers coming in. Using a stamp card that offers a free product after so many purchases is one such loyalty program that other bakeries have used in the past that have worked. And in a small town region such as the one I live in, being a part of the community can go a long way to getting the name of my business out there and creating a customer base that can increase my revenue. People are more apt to purchase products from someone they know in order to help support businesses in the community. Profit maximizing Determining the profit maximizing quantity shows the incremental changes in profit for a company’s product. In calculating the profit maximizing quantity I will need the sales and expense reports for my proposed business. From this is can gather the profits at each level of sales. These numbers can then be calculated to show the marginal profit for each incremental change in profit. The marginal profit is defined as the change in profit for each additional unit sold. We can then use this information to determine the maximizing quantity. This is the amount that can be sold before the marginal profit starts to recede into the negative. By doing this I can figure out how much of a discount I could give on my products if they were bought in a bulk batch. For example if someone wanted a several dozens of cupcakes or miniature pies for a party. Marginal Costs and Marginal Revenue Marginal costs and revenues are used to find out how much it will cost to product additional units of goods for a company. I could use this as a way to figure out my total costs I would need to produce a product in my bakery. For instance below in Figure 1C I have created a chart to calculate the total revenue, marginal revenue, marginal cost and profit of different quantities of one type of cupcake. For this data I used a fictional total cost of 0.91 cents. This is what I figured it would cost to make just one  cupcake. From there I was able to calculate each of the columns using the formulas in Figure 1D. Figures 1E shows the startup costs and the estimated monthly costs of running a niche bakery of this kind. Figure 1F and 1G show the total fixed costs, total variable costs, the total cost and total revenue as well as the profits to be made in a table and a graph. The chart and graph also show the breakeven point. This is the point where that the production of a certain quantity of cupcakes will allow me to break even and then after that be able to show a profit. The breakeven point for the quantity of cupcakes is 6.5 cupcakes which means a profit will start showing at 7 cupcakes with a profit of 31 cents. Pricing and Non-pricing Strategies Pricing strategies that I could use for my bakery would be to offer lower prices on my website to customers that I will be shipping my product to, in location I can keep my prices competitive with other bakeries that are in larger cities. As a way of keeping waste to a minimum I can offer goods that are left over to the next day at half the original price. This was something I saw as a child at a local doughnut shop. The proprietor offered the day old goods at a fraction of a price. He was still making a profit,  but also there was less unnecessary waste because people would buy these up quickly. For non-pricing strategies I would rely on advertising of my product as one that is made with quality ingredients. As well as letting the customer base know that each of the goods available are made from scratch. I do not believe that a barrier can be created or increased because the bakery business has been in the market for a number of years. Also, because it is a niche bakery, it is a branch off the traditional type of bakery. Product Differentiation Some ways to introduce product differentiation would be to make my product with seasonal items and local produce. Where I live we have raspberry and strawberry farms as well as apple, and other fruits. It would be easy to have the produce shipped to the store when it was in season from the local farms, or even picked up to create fillings, jellies, and other sundry items that I could sell in my bakery to the local residents. Cost Minimization Cost minimization would be hard to do in this instance, because I want to retain a quality product from good quality ingredients. I could minimize cost by purchasing my ingredients in bulk. This would give me a lower price per unit of measure. I could also purchase lower end products. However, if I were to purchase lower end products like margarine instead of real butter, this would be a significant drop in cost; however it would also be a significant drop in quality. I believe minimizing cost may not be feasible given the quality of the product. Conclusion Creating a business is a large endeavor not to be thought on lightly. There are many avenues to pursue in order to figure out and find the data needed to find out if the business a person wants to create is the right one for their location and meets the needs of their community. If they do create a business, there are different ways to figure out how to keep revenue coming in and finding ways to create more revenue. Each of the sections of this proposal allowed me to take a better look at the type of business I would consider opening. References Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=5&step=1 Gaines, M. (2012). Guide to the Bakery Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/guide bakery-business-2400.html Isidro, I. (2009). Starting a Bakery: Success in the Niche Food Business. Retrieved from http://www.powerhomebiz.com/blog/2009/10/starting-a-bakery-success-in-the-niche-food-business/ Kimmons, R. (2012). Pricing Vs. Nonpricing Strategies. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/pricing-vs-nonpricing-strategies-14166.html moffatt, M. (2012). Marginal Revenue and Marginal Cost Practice Question. Retrieved fro http://economics.about.com/od/coststructure/ss/revenue_costs.htm