Racism in euroropean football Essay

Medieval football matches involved hundreds of players, and were essentially pitched battles between the young men of rival villages and towns often used as opportunities to settle old feuds, personal arguments and land disputes. The much more disciplined game introduced to continental Europe in 1900s was the reformed pastime of the British aristocracy. Other European countries adopted this form of the game, associated with Victorian values of fair-play and retrained enthusiasm. Only two periods in British history have been relatively free of football-related violence: the inter-war years and the decade following the Second World War. Recently it seems more and more becoming that racism is beginning to damage the reputation of the game. Racism isn’t directed at players simply because of their skin colour; players are also targeted because of their nationality, religion or ethnicity. Some players may be targeted by football supporters more because they play for an opposing team rather than their appearance or heritage. However, some players and managers have even been targeted by their own fans. The purpose of this report is to understand the current situation of racism within football, and look at what is begin done to help rid the game of it. With numerous governing bodies contained by sport, it is key to understanding what the main bodies choose to do to help endorse the fight against racism. It seems as though it is becoming more and more of a human rights issue, as players endure the direct racism from not only fans but club management teams.

Google the Best Company Essay

The competition is steep for any company seeking to become one of the Best, and certainly for any company that shows up in the #1 slot. Yet Google chose a great role model to help them create the special culture that has supported their success. While definitely creating and following their own path, leaders at Google also turned to Genentech (#1 on the Best Companies list in 2006) as a source of ideas and wisdom to guide their growth as a company. And they have grown well, with confidence that their unique culture and approach to work life have contributed to the overall suc- cess of the organization. In their Culture Audit (a key component of the Best Com- panies evaluation process) they state, â€Å"There is no hard data that can ever prove that a free lunch and a multicultural, campus-like environment con- tribute to the organization’s success and profit. What can be proven is that Google is growing at an immense pace – retention of employees is high, attrition is low and revenues are strong ($6. 1B in 2005). People are eager to work at Google and applications to our job openings are exceedingly high (approximately 1,300 resumes a day). † Google’s employees confirm what is reported in the Culture Audit, with 95% of the employees who responded to the employee survey part of the Best Companies evaluation process saying, â€Å"Taking everything into account I’d say this is a great place to work. That’s an extraordinary sentiment for a fast paced, stressful yet exhilarating work environment. Even people who leave Google to try something different do so reluctantly (SF Chronicle, 1/7/07). Google’s leaders have figured out the formula that works for them by treating people with respect, supporting their creative endeavors, and working hard to adhere to their motto of â€Å"Don’t be evil†. It’s not magic, or rocket science or paternalism or entitlement. In some ways it is plain common sense. As they explain in their Culture Audit: â€Å"Our employees, who call themselves Googlers, are everything. Google is organized around the ability to attract and leverage the talent of exceptional technolo- gists and business people. We have been lucky to recruit many creative, principled and hard working stars. We hope to recruit many more in the future. As we have from the start, we will reward and treat them well. â€Å"

Person Centred approaches Essay

Understand the application of person centred approaches in health and social care. Person centred values must influence all aspects of health and social care, to maintain their individual rights, to give them choice, promote their independence and to keep their dignity and respect. When we are planning a care plan it should reflect the needs and wishes of the client keeping and maintaining their independence and maintain their rights and choices remembering that their needs and wishes change from time to time. Never make assumptions about a person, find out their likes and dislikes. Each person is entitled to make their own choice to have their say and a right to respect and dignity. Outcome 3 Be able to establish consent when providing care or support 3.1 Analyse factors that influence the capacity of an individual to express consent Our mental capacity is the ability to think and reason, to be able to understand how our choices affect what can happen. There fore a person who has had a stroke can not always understand the simplest of questions, someone who has dementia or has mental health problems may not be make the right choices for themselves. Evan someone who has poor communication skills with English not being their first language can lead to misunderstanding. 3.3 Explain what steps to take if consent cannot be readily established If consent cannot be gained you need to inform your line manager and record that consent could be achieved in their notes. Your line manager can consult with other professionals to help. In some circumstances people are assessed as being unable to give consent. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 outlines the circumstances in which another person can make decisions on behalf to the person who lacks capacity. In many circumstances it is useful to ask family members about the person’s preferences and wishes Outcome 4 Be able to implement and promote active participation 1.1 Describe different ways of applying active participation to meet individual needs Active participation is a way of working with a person that recognises the person’s rights to participate in activities of everyday life as independently as possible it focuses on their wishes and abilities designed to maintain their impendence making them an active partner in their care or support. By working this way we are involving the person in all aspects of their care and needs meeting their wishes and giving them choice e.g. what clothes would they like to wear, would they like a shower or a wash, what would they like for their lunch. The person then feels more valued and involved with their care it also helps to build the persons confidence. Outcome 5 Be able to support the individuals’ right to make choices 5.4 Describe how to support an individual to question or challenge decisions concerning them that are made by others People have a right to challenge a decision that has been made about them. First make sure that the person fully understands what has been decided and by whom and what will happen making sure they fully understand what affect it will have on them. If the person doses not agree with this decision I would advise them on what steps to take to complain. Outcome 6 Be able to promote individuals well-being 6.1 Explain the links between identity, self image and self esteem Self image is the way we look at ourselves – Fat, thin, smart, untidy Self-esteem is about having confidence in ourselves Identity, self-image, self-esteem are all closely linked good self-esteem means a positive out look on life with good self imagine and good confidence in ourselves, having goals which are realistic to obtain. Someone who has low self-esteem will struggle with their sense of identity. Our identity, self-esteem and self-image are influenced by family up bring our friends, life experiences and feed back we get from others. Someone who was abused as a child will grow up with very little self-image can lead to behaviour pattern which leads to self destruct. Having a good level of education, a job involved in a relationship increases someone’s self value. 6.2 Analyse factors that contribute to the well being of individuals A lack of self-worth will lower motivation and reduce the person’s ability to full fill their potential. Always praise the person no matter how small their achievement is as this will improve their confidence and promote their self-worth. Approach everything with a positive aptitude, encourage them, listen to them be non judgemental show understanding and consideration this will boost the persons well being. Outcome 7 Understand the role of the risk assessment in enabling a person centred approach Risk assessments are used for various reasons. They can be used to assess the risk of the environment, risk of the action, risk to the client or member so staff, risk of a new piece of equipment, risk of dangers to others. Risks are a part of daily living for everyone it is part of the job to  minimise the risk to the client and to ourselves, this is why risk assements are carried out and revised regularly. Clients change they go down hill therefore the risks are constantly changing they become greater to the client and the carer so more actions need to be t to take implemented to protect the client and the carer.

Accounting Applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting Applications - Essay Example Value addition allows firms to effectively market their products and services, while putting emphasis on the power of brand rather than the commodity. Through value additions, firms can charge higher prices and enjoy competitive advantage. This is because products and services with higher added value are less price-elastic and difficult to be copied by the rival companies. Addition of value can either enhance the product’s value or price. For example, offering one month of free support on new software would be a value-added attribute (Pramanik 2005).The primary purpose of job functions in MYOB is to group certain transactions into a reportable entry. This is achieved by assigning a job for each profit centers, which for the case of the printing business can be assumed to be the two divisions including Hamilton and Auckland. Henceforth, every transaction that belongs to each division (profit center) is assigned to a job that is associated with it. Job reports, which represent t he profit centers, are used to report the activity of each job. A job function is set up to follow income and expenses associated with service jobs. This function is especially helpful when performing multiple jobs for a particular customer. A suitable job number is allocated to each amount every time the user executes a transaction. This feature allows the user to relate different jobs with different amounts in a single transaction. By creating a jobs budget analysis, a profit and loss statement for each job and actual results can be prepared and compared with the budgeted values, for each profit center. Ideally, job function is useful for companies that perform more than one job for the same customer, for example the printing business could be performing different jobs in the two divisions, but for the same customer. This is made possible by MYOB because it allows such jobs to be created underneath the name of the customer. Furthermore, a printing business can use job function for each service performed or goods transacted in order to track the services and products that are most profitable and those that eventually generate losses. This information can be used to prepare comprehensive reports, which enables the company to analyze all the transactions they have made with the business during a certain period (MYOB 2006). The business of printing can assume each of its two divisions as distinct profits centers, for which it can track income and expanses separately. The jobs function can be used to group transactions belonging to each division (profit centers). The performance of each division can then get tracked and relevant reports generated accordingly. Additionally, to breakdown a job into distinct parts, a firm can use sub-jobs (MYOB 2006). Category function The category function allows firms to track profitability of properties, offices and other segments associated with the business in question. For every time users input a transaction, they are require d to assign the category that suits its description. For the case of a printing business with two divisions, we can take each division as an individual category and then track the profitability of the products they produce: say, product A, product B, and product C for Hamilton and product A, product B, and product C for Auckland division. Thereafter, a profit and loss statement can be prepared for each division. Examples of transaction that can be assigned categories include: general journal entries, receive money, historical sales and purchases, inventory adjustments, inventory transfers, purchases,

Impact of Globalisation on UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impact of Globalisation on UK - Essay Example The ups and down in equity markets is not a new phenomenon, but the UK equity markets have not recovered from the shake ups. This is a direct consequence of the networking of economies and globalisation. Globalisation has made its mark in almost all parts of the world over the last two decades in particular. Globalisation as such, has been in existence for quite a while. In the early ages it was essentially limited to business and trade. But with the beginning of the new form of market driven governments, globalisation has filtered down to almost all walks of life like, media, culture, and of course the trade and business practices remain the key segments impacted by the phenomenon. During the early ages, trading companies, particularly from UK and Europe would arrive in a foreign land, make strategic arrangements with the respective governments and influence the ruling class in order to strengthen their business goals. In a number of cases, gradually these companies also succeeded in capturing power in those countries, thus giving rise to the practice of imperialism. Well, the modern avatar of globalisation appears far more sophisticated and customer oriented, as it gives rise to i ntense competition in the market. While on the one hand globalisation is transforming the face of economic policies, on the other apprehensions are also being expressed about the ill effects. International Monetary Fund (IMF) described globalisation as "The process through which an increasingly free flow of ideas, people, goods, services and capital leads to the integration of economies and societies" (IMF, 2002). UK has been at the forefront of implementing developmental change and played a key role in shaping the world opinion on the issue. Globalisation: More than Transnational Cooperation Trans-nationalism essentially meant a focus on broader areas of cooperation in cultural exchanges, economic exchanges; connecting people, governments, organizations or institutions across the borders of nation-states thus facilitating the flow of people, ideas and goods between different countries and regions. On the other hand globalisation, though implies similar connotations, has become more associated with economic activities and a market oriented attitude of big corporate houses. While trans-nationalization worked with exchanges across boundaries connecting the countries and regions, globalization seems to know no boundaries. Moreover with the advancement of communication technologies spread of globalisation has become more prominent and now it has replaced the word trans-nationalisation. Networking o economies and real time online businesses are just some examples of the borderless regime. While trans-nationalisation effectively meant cooperation and coordination between two or more countries, globalisation works with involvement of many countries in similar practices or trade. Formation of regional cooperation councils like G-8, G-20, EU, Gulf Cooperation Council etc. are an indication towards having similar policies on a range of issues, which in turn results in mutual beneficial proposition for the member countries. The networking essentially meant that the economic factors will experience similar triggers arising out of common policies will be shared proportionately by the members. Under the globalisation regime, economic activities have dominated as the major players in deciding the policies. It is only because of such networking that

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Climate change - Essay Example Climate change The claim that global warming is real centers primarily on speculative theories rather than facts. This is primarily because perpetuators of the global warming hoax base their theories on contrived data, as well as unconfirmed predictions. The evidence provided to prove the reality of global warming is, however, discovered and presented through politically corrupted processes, as well as report conclusions that are driven by corrupted agenda rendered by alleged authoritative institutions such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The originator of the global warming hoax was James Hansen who was the director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a member of NASA (Inhofe 154). Hansen presented his testimony on global warming to the US Senate in 1988, thereby starting a series of false testimonies regarding global warming. The hoax was later exaggerated by mainstream media and reports released by organizations such as IPCC in 1990, 1996 and th e year 2001. Both environmentalists and weathermen increasingly make claims regarding global warming and climate change, for which they do not provide any evidence, and in some instances, such evidence is, without a doubt, fabricated. For instance, in 1996, the IPCC released a report that used selective data and manufactured graphs to enhance the view that climate change was a reality. The report also encompassed textual alterations made after scientists approved the final report before it was printed. Another prominent instance of fraud regarding the issue of global warming was the evidence provided in the publication of e-mail files recovered from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in Britain (Sussman 195). Reprehensible exchanges among leading researchers who stirred up the hysteria surrounding global warming also confirm ancient and largely suspected manipulations of data relating to climate. These exchanges also prove conspiracies aimed at falsifying and withholding information and suppressing conflicting findings in scholarly and peer-reviewed articles. They also provide evidence regarding the exaggeration of the presence of threats of man-made actions that cause climatic changes. A vast majority of these individuals exert immense influence over report findings issued by institutions such as the IPCC. The hoax regarding global warming is perpetuated by the attempts by progressive persons to exert control over the world’s energy industry. The reality is that nothing has changed in the global climate, which can be attributed to human activities that cause carbon dioxide emissions. The hoax continues to threaten the economy while also advancing the agenda of institutions such as the UN in many ways. The reality is that carbon dioxide is quite beneficial as a trace gas, which exists in such minute amounts within the atmosphere, that the notion that it plays a substantive role in influencing the climate is highly nonfactual. Car bon dioxide makes up less than 0.1 percent of the atmosphere. On the other hand, only 4 percent of carbon dioxide emanates from human

The best mistake i ever made was Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The best mistake i ever made was - Essay Example And I had to spend it very carefully. I was proposed two alternatives with comprehensive plan and allocation break down by the company I was working with. As I didn’t have sufficient time and money to experiment on both customers and sales team, I took a crucial decision by depending upon only on the sales force. I knew the importance of sales force feedback since it played a vital role in delivering the messages. Now I was ready with the team of 45 enthusiastic sales representatives for the drive with the target of USD 300,000 to reach in three months1. The product was launched and after a week I got the first email and that was not encouraging. It read â€Å"Dr. A had lots of queries about the messages we communicated. He called me again as he didn’t get what exactly the real benefit of the product was.† The next email read â€Å"Dr. B wants to maintain the same product for the time being. He wants me to come with more details about the product as he sees its possibilities in the market.† Our business unit director went crazy as even after ten days not a single box was sold. Now I realized that I committed a mistake. I should have tested it both externally and internally – first with customers and then with our sales team without cost. In the beginning I thought that I was probably going to fail but I didn’t give up. I went through all the negative feedback and tried to find out what went wrong about the campaign that the surgeons were left indecisive and confused though the product drew their attention. I worked the whole night studying how it could have been done better and I prepared a Product Monograph in one day. I got the approval in two days and in the beginning of the second week of the second month my team started providing all the surgeons they met in previous month with detailed information that they needed to make a favorable decision. By the end of second month we achieved

Second Amendment Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Second Amendment Rights - Essay Example tatement of the Second Amendment of Right to Bear Arms could be considered both general and quite unstable as to saying who is allowed and is not allowed to own a gun. Apparently, the word â€Å"militia† in the context of the released law does not only refer to the federal officials but to anyone who has been trained to handle a gun. In some cases, the explanation of a â€Å"militia† even refers to a community of â€Å"reserved soldiers†.1 These reserved soldiers are members of the community considered as individuals who are ready to fight for the country in case emergency national needs require them to be a part of the country’s defence. 2This is of course a matter of serious consideration; however, noting who these reserves may be has not been specifically stated in the law created about gun ownership guidelines. Apparently, the unstated guideline as to who exactly are plainly allowed to own a gun around the 49 states of America made the Second Amendment rather debatable. Believably, it is through this particular loop hole in this particular law that the owners of guns who are less responsible are able to live away from the seriousness of what they have done despite the fact that somehow, they may have created certain differential analogy of the second amendment giving them quite an easier option of running away from the punishment that they ought to receive in connection with the law in concern. As an upper tier law, the second amendment of rights in the United States gave an allowable bearing upon those who have their own guns as a measure of self defence and response to possible national security threats.3 Although the law allowed even ordinary people to own their arms, they must still be able to register their possessions in an agreeable matter written on paper that they are to use the guns only when necessary such as situations when their safety is under threat or if the national security commission ordered them to be a part of the civilian soldiers as

Data Mining - Questions to answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data Mining - Questions to answer - Essay Example Back-Propagated Delta Rule Networks (BP) is an example for multiple perceptron which contains additional hidden layers. It can function effectively compared to the single layer. In the prediction process of neural networks to make accurate prediction the training cases are increased which eventually leads to overfitting (George N. Karystinos, 2000). This occurs when the number of input variables is large compared to the training cases or when the input layers are highly correlated with each other. In methods like kernel regression and smoothing splines, the under fitting and overfitting of neural networks is usually encountered. The overfitting occurs in more complex networks. This leads to unprecedented predictions or wild predictions. Data cleansing is the process of removing inaccurate and inappropriate data records, which is an integral process of data processing and maintenance. In large data sets, the process of finding error and correcting the same needs interaction with the domain experts which is an expensive and time consuming process. Since it involves a comprehensive assignment of identifying and rectifying errors and hence the task is complex. Initially these operations are carried out manually and later computational means of data cleansing evolved and even this process are time consuming and error prone (Heiko Mller et al ). 3. What is the significance of Bayes Theorem in Data Mining Give an example of how statistical inference can be used for Data Mining. Most of the presently available statistical models in data mining are prone to overfitting and also unstable (sensitive to minor changes in the data). These difficulties can be overcome in the Bayesian methods of statistical mining. The reliability of these algorithms has been reviewed (J. Kolter and M. Maloof, 2003). The Bayesian algorithm facilitates integration of clustering and produces scalable powerful algorithm apt for data mining. Capturing correlation of large number of variables is possible using the Bayesian method. Example: In the search process of similar sequences (gene or protein sequences) in a sequence database, the data mining algorithm works by searching for similar matches which is based on the statistical preferences (e- value). Lower the expected value higher the relationship between the query and the retrieved results. Since the data involved is a mere combination of string only statistical measures ensures comparative account of the data sets. 4. Explain the concept of a Maximum Likelihood Estimator with an example. This is practically applied in prediction of phylogenetic relationships of protein sequences by tree algorithms. The maximum likelihood estimator forms the basis for the evolutionary prediction algorithms. The likelihood function predicts the relative function of all the given datasets (protein sequences). The algorithm eventually finds the most likely relative to the other sequences in the datasets by maximum likelihood estimator and hence it is easy to predict the ancestral route as well as how

World literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

World literature - Essay Example From the epic of Gilgamesh, after the loss of a close friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh learns how to apply wisdom in solving problems at different times and challenges. In addition, he also learns about death as he had a perception of overcoming death. Thus, he fears for his life and seeks to find solution that can overcome death (Bakker, 2013). In his journey, he displays wisdom when dealing with man scorpions. This shows the societal value for wisdom as a virtue in solving diverse predicaments and dilemmas (Bakker, 2013). The epic thus, illustrates human fear of death that compels Gilgamesh to set for a journey seeking immortality. Women are also significant in the transformation of an individual’s characters and roles in the society (Bakker, 2013). From the epic of Gilgamesh, Shamhat played significant roles of transforming Enkidu to human kind (Bakker, 2013). In addition, she also facilitated his friendship with Gilgamesh. This illustrates the role of women in the establishment of peaceful coexistence in the society. Conversely, Odysseus, the hero from the epic Odysseus  expresses outstanding attributes in dealing with his challenges. Some of the outstanding qualities that help Odysseus survive his journey include the following, wisdom, patience, courage, leadership abilities and perseverance (Bakker, 2013). Despites the physical hardship that he faced, he was still determined about reaching home to see his family safely (Bakker, 2013). In addition, his patience and wisdom are importance as it enabled him saved his men from the dangers of Cyclopes’ Island ensuring their safety. This epic illustrates the need of using one’s naturally gifted abilities not just for an individual gain, but for the benefit of others as

Analysis of the Fast Food Industry Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the Fast Food Industry Essay Introduction Airline industry is the topic I researched in this analysis. Companies in this industry provide scheduled domestic and international passenger transportation, mail and freight transportation. Major US companies include American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United Continental, as well as the air operations of express delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS. The industry key survival factors are efficient operations, reliability of services, and safety. The drivers of change are internet economy, globalization, and low cost competition. Based on the key survival factors and drivers of change, large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing and the ability to provide more extensive services. Small airlines can compete by serving local or regional routes. All the information was collected from online journals, news, and research and report papers. The sources include industry reports such as Hoover, Bloomberg, and Forbes. The data was organized by folders and then summarized into Words before putting in the paper. Each source was written in a separate Word file every time it was used. The analysis uses the Porter’s 5 forces and PEST analysis. Key Survival Factors In airline industry, demand depends highly on the health of the economy, which affects spending on business and leisure air travel. Since many costs are fixed, efficient operations act as a core factor to determine the profitability of airlines companies. The basic operations of airlines include acquiring and maintaining airplanes and airport facilities, acquiring passengers and/or freight, managing staff, and operating flights. The flight equipment (airplanes) that an airline uses is crucial to efficient operations. The next key survival factor for airline industry is safety. Air traffic is growing rapidly, airports are more congested, and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"with two million passengers in the United States boarding more than 30,000 flights every day, maintaining that safety record will be a challenge.† Therefore, all airline companies should have a procedures encompassing the theory, investigation, categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulatio n, education, and training. The company could have lost the public image if they don’t have a procedure in advance to response quickly enough in case of emergency. Last but not least, reliability of service is another key survival factor for airline industry. A positive public image could be developed among customers due to a reputation for reliable services, which can lead to more repeat business. Reliability in the airlines industry includes: reports of mishandled baggage, the on-time arrival of flights, involuntary boarding denials from overbooking flights, and passenger complaints. Those airlines that are able to control these elements could provide better service to the customer, and thus offer more reliable service. Drivers of Change The internet and e-commerce has completely altered the airlines distribution (the booking and ticketing of passengers for air travel). Nowadays, travelers can book e-tickets on their flights through the airlines’ websites or a third-party website. This has allowed airlines to eliminate paperwork, reduce operational expenses, and bypass travel agent commissions. Moreover, the potential in the global travel market makes airlines companies focus more on globalization. To facilitate international growth, U.S. airlines are lobbying for â€Å"open skies† treaties between the U.S. and other nations. These treaties are bilateral agreements that essentially deregulate travel between the involved countries, thus opening up certain markets to competition. â€Å"The U.S. currently has signed more than 60 open skies treaties with nations around the globe.† Finally, the rise of the low-cost carriers has forced a change in the competitive environment of the air travel industry. Southwest, and JetBlue implement low-cost strategies that allow them to offer relatively low airfares. These low fares change the entire industry and force rivals to lower their costs and decrease their fares in order to stay competitive. Overall Assessment The airline industry is currently not very attractive. Both business and  tourist travel are reduced when the economy slows. â€Å"Global aviation traffic typically rises and falls at twice the pace of economic output, so a change in the economy can double the impact for airlines.† Because of relatively high fixed costs of airplanes, airport facilities, and labor, airlines cant easily adjust to reduced passenger traffic. Based on the financial results on Hoover’s database, the industry has a very low growth rate of personal consumption expenditures as of 2014, and it was forecasted to grow at an annual compounded rate of 4 percent between 2014 and 2018. Works Cited Mouawad, Jad, and Christopher Drew. Airline Industry at Its Safest Since the Dawn of the Jet Age. The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Competitive Environment of the Airline Industry. Competitive Environment of the Airline Industry. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Good times for the Airline Industry. The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 27 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Fulton, Jeff. Airline Industry Key Success Factors. EHow. Demand Media, 29 July 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. .

Fighting Malnutrition Essay Example for Free

Fighting Malnutrition Essay Malnutrition has been a serious concern across the world which is caused due to lack of vital vitamins and minerals in the diet where in majority of the impoverished or poor people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Tackling malnutrition has indeed been a challenge for the government, donors, and the private sector to give their attention to the developmental effectiveness and providing value for money. Approx. 2 billion people across the globe suffer from anemia which caused due to iron deficiency and iodine deficiency which leads to mental retardation, results in being resistance to the disease, lowering the attention and concentration of children in class rooms, causes death of pregnant mothers, deaths due to diarrhea and million of people go blind each year. As this problem of malnutrition takes away almost 3% of the country’s GDP, companies need to be very much careful of this fact which in turn affects the consumption pattern of the consumers. Companies like Coca-Cola and PG have indeed put much efforts in making their food and beverages rich in vitamins and minerals but the issue in this regards is how firms target the market in terms of the availability of the product, its pricing strategies, the way of promoting and creating awareness among the masses and the convenience of the product. Thus instead of only focusing upon the Product mix, just like Coke and PG have dealt with the problem, the firms should target the other marketing mix elements as well to successfully market their goods. What additional efforts have been taken up by companies to solve this concern of malnutrition, How has the research and development team of the firms focused on their activities to overcome and fight the economic concern has been the questions in most of the organizations watch list. Problems / Issues: Coca-Cola introduced the product named Vitango, which was a powdered drink to be mixed with water and to be consumed as a beverage, the issue was that research did show that there was a huge improvements in certain places where it was introduced but in certain places due to the impurities in the water, it nullified the efforts of the powdered vitango. The firm encountered trouble because of lack of focus in the initial stages of the new product development which it at a later stage went about packaging a ready-to-drink formula for its consumers. PG also came out with their own production of Nutridelight which had an element of vitamin A, iron contents and Growth Plus was the main ingredient. But unfortunately it did not sell well in the market as the prices were non – competitive and it did not meet the present market – going rate of the product’s price. It later came with Nutristar which performed good in the market but it would target only the premium group customers as the product was available at only McDonald’s outlet, and in major instances it is the segment of the poor which actually require the product. Thus again PG had lack of focus in their strategic implementations. In both the cases mentioned above, the firms lacked focus of their marketing mix factors in terms of the product, price, place or promotional strategies. Analysis: Based on the research carried, both over nourished and under nourished leads to malnutrition and hence poverty and lack of food has been an issue under consideration in certain countries which has symptoms of anemia, diarrhea, disorientation, goiter, lack of coordination and loss of reflexes, scaling and cracking of lips and mouth are terrible consequences faced by the people. Companies need to provide fortified foods which have the opportunity of adding value and providing economies of scale by lowering upon the prices, developing quality products to enhance trade and competition and reaching out to newer customers that have not been targeted, there by combating the problem of malnutrition of a huge segment of those suffering. Thus malnutrition is a vicious cycle where in an under-nourished or over-nourished person suffers from various diseases and infections which in turn increases the requirement of energy into the body which needs to be fulfilled. If this demand s not fulfilled it results in malnutrition which further reduces and diminishes the immunity level of the children and elders as well making them more prone to such infections. Recommendations / Solutions to the Problem: To improve the nutritional levels of food, the prior concern should be to increase the income levels where by the quality and the quantitative food intake can be increased. Firms need to focus on consider the following aspects in the formulation of a strategic development in order to combat malnutrition and the poverty line. Companies need to focus upon: ?Creating awareness among the public on nutritional and health issues: This will help the local poor people to understand the value of health and the benefits of having balanced food habits. ?Increase the income levels there by improving the standard of living: If the purchasing power parity of consumers is increased, the consumption level will also increase leading to adoption of the best food eating methods. ?Improve the nutritional and the health status of the society at large, ?Focus on the rural marketing and distribution methods: rural marketing needs focus especially to instill the seriousness of the deaths and weaknesses which result through malnutrition. Making the product available to them at a reasonable price and at their convenient places will create positive sense of belongingness in the minds of the users. ?Organize and develop market surveys to study the general trend of the consumers: Study the market and understand the changing food habits there by promoting the strategies in the manner which clears the issues of resisting and fighting the problem of malnutrition. ?Train the volunteers and create awareness among the rural sectors, ?Setting up production and marketing units to cater to the goals and objectives set by companies there by improvising on the nutrition status of the target village or market taken into consideration. Conclusion: Fighting Malnutrition has been a concern and a serious issue for all the firms whose main objective has been to develop products which are higher in nutrient level with nutritional supplements. The prior focus should be on whether the food or the beverage should be used as a supplement or as a substitute which in turn will help in strategizing the business processes in a manner which suits the target markets requirements and needs. References: Capart. (2008). Promotion of community initiatives to combat malnutrition and provide income generation in the backward regions of India. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from Website: http://209. 85. 175. 104/search? q=cache:PWnXLkls_2sJ:capart. nic. in/scheme/projectm. pdf+marketing+:+malnutritionhl=enct=clnkcd=3gl=in Michael, J. (2007). Fighting Poverty with Markets, Marketing to the malnourished. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from Foreign Policy Website: http://blog. foreignpolicy. com/node/3712

Successfull marketing strategy analysis

Successfull marketing strategy analysis Marketing  is the process by which companies determine how products or services will be according of interest to customers, and the strategy use to increase in sales, communications and business development.  It is the process through which companies create value for customers and build strong  customer relationships  in order to capture and get good and positive feedback from customers in return. Marketing Planning Process: The planning process for the market can be described as shown in the figure below: For an organisation the target should be specific target, the objective concern as profitability, markets growth, efficiency, financial resources, organizational structure, and social responsibility. 2) Situational Analysis: Before developing a marketing strategy for a company this is important to conduct some analysis. This is form of essential part of any business or preparing marketing plan and should be reviewed over time to ensure that it is according to current situation. The following can be use to assess situational analysis for a company. The elements worth considering include: Product Situation What is current product? We cant break this definition up into parts such as the core product and any secondary or supporting services or products that also make up whats being sold. It is important to observe which different parts in order to be able to relate this back to client needs. Competitive situation To analyse the competitors what their situation and compare the feature/ benefit analysis. What are their competitive advantages? Distribution Situation Its about to Review the company distribution Situation how the product getting to market? Is it possible to get their through distributors or other intermediaries? Environmental factors Which external and internal environmental factors should be taken into account. This can include economic or sociological factors that impact on the companys performance. 3) SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used in to a business to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project. Also specifying the objective of the business venture and identifying the internal and external factors that are in the favour and those which are not in favour to achieve that objective. 4) Assumption Made: While preparing a strategy in a business assumption are very important and need to be focus on that. Its mean we made some assumption while taking any decision. Furthermore to attempt the predict future outcomes from the external and internal things. Some of the assumptions that made when a business plane and process are made, very likely to come true. Assumption-based planning identifies and tests the assumptions made in a business plan, the formulation of hedging actions and the construction of what-if scenarios. 5) Marketing Objectives: These objects should be as follows: Long-term Brand Value New Product/ Innovation and service Clear Product Definition Growth in market share 6) Forecasting results of strategies: Comparison strategies for effectiveness: Comparing promotes development, concept development, and higher level thinking.   Some company didnt compare like-for-like products forever. Some company battle between their products. A comparison strategy is the  process of identifying how things are alike and different. Marketing mix: When marketing their products firms need to create a successful mix of the right product ,sold at the right price, in the right place ,and of course using the most suitable promotion. In order to achieve its goal ,the company has to implement the main four Ps of the marketing mix . mmix Product Strategy: Product strategy is any decision that helps the company continue to develop new products around its signature ,it is very important for a company to implement its plans in a better way by Defining the characteristics of a product or service to meet the customers needs. Ducati failed to maximize sales of its all-new Monster;  Ducati  has added the 804cc engine to the range. The thinking goes that the Monster 1100 is too big, the Monster 696 is too small, but, hopefully, the  Ducati Monster 796  will be, like a bowl of warm porridge, just right. That engine gets pulled out of the Ducati Hypermotard 796 and shares that bikes 87bhp, 58lb/ft and wet slipper clutch. Combined with a low dry weight of 167kg .(369lbs) and the bikes friendly, flat-barred riding position, those new figures could make the Monster 796 the perfect first big bike for target market riders.   Pricing strategy: Identifying the total cost to the user (which is likely to be higher than the charge you make) is a part of the price element. Monster 796 the Urban Icon, as the name suggests is a luxury item launched by Ducati for those who look for brand and status symbol, price hardly matters for them. As per our target market the professional and sports people are going to buy it so following the porters differentiation strategy the pricing strategy will be premium. The Monster 796 will be available in the UK from May 2010 onwards and will be priced at  £6,995, with the ABS version at  £7,695 because our customers look for quality not price. Promotion Strategy: This includes advertising, personal selling like attending exhibitions, and sales promotions like special offers, and also atmospherics such as creating the right impression through the working environment. Public Relations is included within Promotion by many marketing people. Promotion strategy for Ducati: Advertising: The advertising campaign will be focused on the two target markets identified in the target market section, (Males and females).The purpose of the advertising campaign is to increase brand awareness of the Monster 796 the Urban Icon. The sources of advertising are TV, Internet, Magazines, sport websites and the advertisement will show the new looks, features and the style of Monster bike. Sales Promotion:   Ducati will use sales promotion to increase brand awareness, market share and revenue. The use of Point of Sales Displays will be used with a gift coupon for the purchase of Ducati 796. Although, the use of Point of Sales Displays produces a short-term effect in revenue and market share, the brand awareness will have a long-term effect. The use of this sales promotion along with the rest of the marketing strategy will produce a long term increase in both revenue and market share. Direct Communications: Direct communications will be used to measure brand awareness, as well as increase brand awareness and market share.   A survey will be sent out as a focus mailing to Ducatis target markets. The survey will measure; brand awareness of insect repellents, likes and dislikes between Ducati and its competitors, and the outdoor activities of the survey taker.   Place Strategy:. Looking at location and where a service is delivered, in other words, Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual stores on the Internet. Ducati has good relationship with its all dealers throughout the UK. The dealers are contributing a lot to the overall performance of the company. The company is recognising their efforts with the rewards to improve it distribution strategy. Ducati dealers from all over the UK gathered for the annual Ducati dealer meeting during the recent London Motorcycle Show at Excel. The dealers were presented with an overview of 2009 and the plans and strategies for 2010 which should prove to be exciting times for the Ducati dealer network with the launch of the eagerly awaited Multistate and other innovative bikes such as the Monster ABS models. ANSOFFS Matrix: The Ansoff Growth matrix is a tool that helps businesses decides their product and market growth strategy.. It is used by marketers who have objectives for growth. Ansoffs matrix offers strategic choices to achieve the objectives. (Johnson, G. et. al., 2002) Market Penetration Is one of the four growth strategies of the  Product-Market Growth Matrix  defined by  Ansoff. Market penetration occurs when a company enters/penetrates a market with current products. The best way to achieve this is by gaining competitors customers (part of their market share). Other ways include attracting non-users of your product or convincing current clients to use more of your product/service (by advertising etc). Ansoff developed the  Product-Market Growth Matrix  to help firms recognize if there was any advantage of entering a market. Market Development Market development is the name given to a growth strategy where the business seeks to sell its existing products into new markets. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New product dimensions or packaging: for example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New distribution channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Different pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segment Product Development Companies develop new products in existing markets. This is called  product development. An organization that already has a market for its products might try and follow a strategy of developing additional products, aimed at its current market. Diversification The two principal objectives of diversification are Improving core process execution, and/or Enhancing a business units structural position. The fundamental role of diversification is for corporate managers to create value for stockholders in ways stockholders cannot do better for themselves1. The additional value is created through synergetic integration of a new business into the existing one thereby increasing its  competitive advantage Implementing the Ansoffs matrix growth strategies on Ducati Company Market Penetration: The company has to get some more market share buy promoting and selling its new Monster bike, especially in the UK market where its sale decreased by 18% last year. The company has a good brand name so it is easy for them to eat up the competitor market share if they can provide some more customer benefit. Product Development: As far as the new target market is concerned the company has a great opportunity to expand its market share with the launching of Ducati Monster 796 and to produce the similar and more modified models in near future which includes female bikes as well. Market Development: The UK sport market is very large and Ducati is not having the enough market share as compare to its competitors, so the company has to broaden its market in UK. Ducati has to increase the range of dealers and to make sure that every corner of the country is covered by the company. Diversification: Bringing the new vehicles like monster 796 is the good choice for the company in order to meet the customers new and requirements and expectations and the company has to focus on the green technology products soon in order to strengthen its reputation in market and to bring a change in company style. New Marketing Strategies (strategic options) 1-Porters Generic strategy (Differentiation Strategy): According to Michael Porter, the generic strategy is to be unique in the industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. A firm that can achieve and sustain differentiation will be an above-average performer in its industry if its price premium exceeds the extra costs incurred in being unique. (Porter M, 1985) Ducati main target is people who look for quality instead of price; the company adds something more to their products as compared to the competitors. Differentiation strategy will help company to achieve its premium price and to meet the needs of the target customers. Michael Porter has classically defined five forces that drive industry competition, and has described a valuable approach to assessing the overall competitive dynamics of an industry. This approach has come to be known as a five-force analysis. (Colley.J et al, 2007) Managing change ( Kotter,1998) ,According to change management guru John Kotter, fewer than 15 of the 100 or more companies studied have successfully transformed themselves. While the particulars of every case vary, Kotter has identified eight critical stages of successful change management. Mismanaging any one of these steps can undermine an otherwise well-conceived vision. PESTEL ANALYSIS: Macro environment Macro is remote environment of a company comprising economic, social, political, technological and ecological. One way of looking at remote environment is PESTEL framework. http://www.businessmate.org/images/PESTEL.jpg Swot analysis: SWOT  analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues.  SWOT  stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  Strengths and weaknesses are internal  factors. Opportunities and threats are  external  factors. In SWOT, strengths and weaknesses are  internal  factors. For example: Strength  could be: Your specialist marketing expertise. A new, innovative product or service. Location of your business. Quality processes and procedures. Any other aspect of your business that adds value to your product or service. A  weakness  could be: Lack of marketing expertise. Undifferentiated products or services (i.e. in relation to your competitors). Location of your business. Poor quality goods or services. Damaged reputation. In  SWOT, opportunities and threats are  external  factors. For example: An  opportunity  could be: A developing market such as the Internet. Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances. Moving into new market segments that offer improved profits. A new international market. A market vacated by an ineffective competitor. A  threat  could be: A new competitor in your home market. Price wars with competitors. A competitor has a new, innovative product or service. Competitors have superior access to channels of distribution. Taxation is introduced on your product or service. Implementing SWOT analysis on Ducati company The following SWOT analysis will provide insights into Ducatis internal strengths and weaknesses at the end of the turnaround as well as the opportunities and threats posed by the external environment in which the company operates. Strengths Technical Excellence Efficient Value Chain ensure quality Strong Brand Location Advantages Effective management Strategic Alliances Weaknesses Narrow Target Audience Polarized sales Low economies of scale Sparse Dealer Network Limited Growth since yr. 2000 Opportunities Fast growing segment Customers of Japanese motorcycles have low brand loyalty Reduction in international trade barriers Threats Low price of competitors Competitors enjoy lower costs Competitors have high economies of scale and low cost of capital These strategies can be adopted for the best marketing: Branding strategy New product develops plc strategy Market segmentation positioning strategies Sustained marketing strategies with ethics and social responsibility Competitive strategies for marketing Relationship management strategies International marketing Some of the strategies explained below with example. Branding: Company brand is not what thinks of the company, its about what the customer thinks it is. And in an industry where the patent expiration clock is constantly ticking, its vital to make a lasting impression, and quickly, Patricia Malone offers five steps to creating a brand. Example: In the pharmaceutical world, when one considers the enormous pressure from reimbursement sources on providers to prescribe generics rather than brand-name products, the importance of branding prior to patent expiration is clear. Beyond that, the entire branding process has value for a company because it helps the business focus on, enhance and be consistent with its message. In addition, it enables a company to continually test the message and see if its being played back the right way. findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5351/is_200405/ai_n21348846/ Market Segmentation strategy: To compete successfully in todays volatile and competitive business markets, mass marketing is no longer a viable option for most companies. Marketers must attack niche markets that exhibit unique needs wants. Market segmentation is the process of partitioning markets into groups of potential customers with similar needs or characteristics who are likely to exhibit similar purchase behaviour. http://www.s-m-a-r-t.com/Exp_marketseg.htm Product Development Strategy: Effective project planning is critical to implementing new product development strategies. In some cases new product development strategy initiation includes original research but in this case research actually resulted in the formulation of the new product concept Example: Ground breaking research undertaken at Victoria University (VU) showed that children wake up to smoke alarms with familiar voices much more easily than they do with traditional smoke alarms that beep. VU Researcher Dorothy Bruck said: One hundred percent of children tested have woken to the mothers voice message- played at 1am in the morning. This compares to only 57 percent wakening to the current smoke alarm signal, played at the same time of night and at the same volume. This ground breaking new product development research set the stage for KidSmarts intellectual property suite and drove our new product development strategies. From the start, we mapped out our performance requirements, usability strategies and product cost targets. It was also critical early on in the new product development process to identify component suppliers and production strategies for all major components including the actual smoke sensor. bresslergroup.com/process/speed_planning.asp

The Twenties and Thirties :: American America History

The Twenties and Thirties The twenties and the thirties were very unusual time periods in American History. In some ways they are alike, but in most ways they are very different. The twenties were a time of fun and partying. This is probably the reason it is called the Roaring Twenties. All of the thirties were known as The Great Depression. It was probably called that because of the stock market collapse and the millions of people without jobs. In the twenties, industry took a very big step. The automotive industry was the largest industry there was. The assembly line made mass production possible, and the industry boomed. Henry Ford's assembly line, located in Detroit, Michigan, was the largest one in the country and possibly in the world. When Ford first started making cars, the only car he made was a black Model-T. Almost everybody in the United States had a car. Three-out-of-four families owned one or more cars. With the assembly line they made a lot more cars in one day than they did before. Instead of paying for the cars with cash, people could now use credit to purchase items. Since most families didn't have the money, they would buy the car with credit and pay off the debt later. The thirties was a bad time for the automotive industry. By now Ford had made a Model-A and had three new colors: tan, purple and black. All of the companies were making more cars than they could sell. Nobody had enough money to buy a car because of all of the banks going under. Millions of people lost whole fortunes. Since no one had the money for a car, the cars were not being sold. This caused a big problem. The dealers were very optimistic. They continued to make cars hoping that sales would go up. The new credit law was a wonderful idea. It allowed people to purchase items like a television or radio. The invention of the radio united the nation. The news that was heard on the radio was heard by everyone that had a radio. It was the best form of entertainment of its time. Soon thereafter, the television was invented. Once again people took advantage of the credit and purchased televisions. The television still did not take place of the radio. The radio was still used for listening to music. Many people were spending more money than they had.

12 Angery Men :: essays research papers

Twelve Angry Men   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sometimes in life your professions reflect on your personalities. Twelve Angry Men is an example of where this occurs. Twelve men are brought together in a room to decide whether a boy is guilty of killing his father. Whether they brought good or bad qualities from their profession, they all affected the outcome. The leadership skills of Courtney Vance, the compassion of Dorian Harwood, and the opinionated Tony Danza affected the actions and decisions in the jury room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Courtney Vance is a high school football coach; his position in the jury room is a foreman. On the football field, Vance acts as a mediator, a leader, and an organizer. As a foreman for this trial, Vance definitely carries all those traits into the jury room with him. If it were not for Vance, there would not have been any order in the jury room. He acts as a coach in the jury room as he formed fine lines of respect. He acts as a mediator for all of the arguments that went on in the jury room. Every time, Vance is there to calm everyone down and gain back order in the room. His leadership skills also shine in the jury room as well. He controls and leads every discussion, speaking order, voting, and demonstration. Vance takes on the leading role and handles it well. He also brings organization into the jury room by organizing the juries, the discussions, and the votes. With the excellent traits that Vance brings into the jury room, he allows the trial to run smooth ly and effectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dorian Harwood’s profession as nurse also shapes his actions in the jury room. In the jury room, he acts with compassion and respect. As a nurse he does the same. His compassion lies in caring for another. He relates that to the trial by thinking of the boy as one of his patients. He wants him to have a fair chance at life, and therefore wants him to have a fair trial. In the jury room, he acts with respect because he is very unsure about the case, and really does not know how he feels about things. So when it is his turn to talk he passes to hear the others before he makes the wrong assumption. With these actions he shows a lot of respect for not only the boy on trial, but also to the other juries.

Discrimination in America Essay -- Racial Discrimination

According to research that has been conducted by The Indiana Civil Right Commission (2012) between October 2010 and October 2011, 58% of participants experienced some sort of discrimination. Discrimination can be defined as treating people differently, negatively or adversely without having a good reason. It is an act making distinction in favor of or against a person based on their group, class or category. There are four major types of discrimination which are gender discrimination, racial and ethnic discrimination, age discrimination and disability discrimination. The first type of discrimination is gender discrimination. Gender discrimination involves treating someone unfavourably because of the person’s particular gender. There are three categories of gender which are female, male and transgender. A bad practice of discriminating against female can be seen in most developing countries. In almost all parts of the world, men are more likely to have a paid job. Whereas, women are less likely to be out in the public than men, and when they are, have fewer resources to earn incomes Connell (2009). Female constructed to do another form of work namely unpaid domestic and care work. For instance, women do most of the cleaning, cooking and other household chores. On the other hand, male often face discrimination because of their gender appearance. Male looks stronger, tougher and masculine which make community thought that some work field is not suitable for their gender and may result unfair in employment opportunities. Such as, nursing schools often rejects male applicants because of their masculine appearance which not posses gentle attitudes like women do since nursing schools prefer patience and caring employees. Meanwhi... ...Short Introductions Series. Cambridge: Polity. Department of Fair Employment and Housing. (n.d) Employment discrimination and Harassment. Retrieved from http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/res/docs/Publications/DFEH-184.pdf Disability Discrimination Act. (1995). Guidance on Matters to be Taken into Account in Determining Question Relating to The Definition of Disability. Retrieved from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/guidance_on_matters_to_be_taken_into_account_in_determining_questions_relating_to_the_definition_of_disability.pdf Indiana Civil Rights Commission. (9 March, 2012). In Indiana Governor. Retrieved from http://www.in.gov/icrc/files/Discrimination_Indiana_Results_Survey_Feb2012.pdf National Association of School Psychologists.(2010). In Position Statement. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/positionpapers/RacismPrejudice.pdf

Vulnerable Homeless Population

Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care states that â€Å"Care is the essence of nursing and the central, dominant and unifying focus of nursing (2002). † Leininger observes that culture is linked to every individual and that the purpose of â€Å"care, is to provide culturally congruent care to people of different or similar cultures to maintain or regain well-being and health or face death in a culturally appropriately way (2002). † Even if that culture is the homeless. According to de Chesnay (2008), â€Å"Vulnerable populations are those at risk for poor physical, psychological, or social health.Anyone can be vulnerable at any given point in time as a result of life circumstances or response to illness or events† (2008 pg. 3). In this paper I will focus on the homeless population their assessment, Healthy People 2020 recomendations and intervention strategies for this group. The homeless have the highest level of exposure to social and environmental risk fac tors. This population is at risk for severe deprivations such as hunger and lack of adequate hygiene and victimization such as physical assault, robbery, and rape.Approximately one-third to two-thirds of homeless people are subjected to crime. Sexual assault rate also is higher in homeless population than in the general population. Lack of a protective and safe home, living in unfamiliar environments, and increased vulnerability from mental illness or drug-related problems are the reasons for their traumatic life events. Homeless children growing up in shelters and without a stable home often have unmet educational, social, and emotional needs (Levinson, 2004).Heath risk factors facing the homeless include and are not limited to lack of insurance, permnent shelter, lack of transportation, Where are the homeless living ? NHCHC (2010) ? Homeless youth rely on themselves or peers for survival and for this reason they engage in illegal activities and risky behaviors such as theft, panha ndling, drug dealing, and exchanging sex for food, money, and shelter. Lack of safe environment during adolescence and experiences of trauma contribute to mental illness, substance use, and risky behaviors. Approximately 20% of homeless children do not attend school.Disruption of learning, teacher, and peer supports results from frequent moving associated with homelessness and lead to poor academic achievement in homeless children. Overcrowded living arrangements in shelters result in high infection rates in homeless people. Poor nutrition may result from limited access to cooking facilities and food. Homeless people living in the street have high exposure to cold and hot weather (Levinson, 2004). Healthy People 2020 Objectives ?The goals of Healthy People 2020 homeless population include achieving health equity, eliminating disparities, and improving the health of all groups.Homeless people have high risk for negative health consequences. They have more chronic diseases, mental ill ness, and substance abuse problems. Poverty and lack medical insurance prevent them from obtaining needed health services (Kidder, Wolitski, Campsmith & Nakamura, 2007). Financial and nonfinancial barriers prevent them from accessing the needed services. Nonfinancial barriers include mistrust of health care providers, lack of access to primary care provider, and assault victims’ fear of reporting of assault when seeking treatment.The strategies to eliminate these barriers include education of health care workers about the importance of non-stigmatizing attitudes toward homeless people, primary prevention of physical assault, and establishment of special programs to provide primary care for homeless patients (Hwang, Ueng, Chiu, Kiss, Tolomiczenko, Cowan, Levinson, & Redelmeier, 2010). Treating homeless patients equally with respect will help health care workers to create a trusting relationship with them, which in turn eliminate their hesitancy to seek help and improve their h ealth outcomes.Plan of Care and Interventions ? A plan of care for homeless clients will need to be performed and communicated to team members that can support care. Assessing patient by collecting the data is the first step and will help to determine thy type and depth of nursing that is needed. The nursing diagnosis and plans with rationale of the sign and symptoms presented y will help to formulate a plan that is effective to meet the patient’s therapeutic self care demands and overcome the self care deficits pertaining to knowledge deficit.Nurses can help educate homeless patients, shelter staff and others directly involved with them about prevention, care and management of chronic illnesses, as well as how to access the healthcare services they need (Cotton & Roden, 2006). Community nurses work in homes and places of employment. They have skills and expertise that they can use to implement health promotion strategies that will be sustainable and have enduring outcomes fo r individuals (Cotton and Roden, 2006). Homeless people use emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals as there doctors so when they are admitted, Nurses need to identify the homeless during the admit process.Nurses can work collaboratively with the social work department to help them with necessary resources to control disease, maintain treatment or preventative measure to prevent further deterioration of health on discharge. Educating the homeless families and hospital staff about preventing chronic illnesses is crutial for supporting this population. Community Nurses can teach health promotion strategies. Identify the at risk when Emergency room or Psychiatric department visits are made. Be aware of the patients emotional, physical and psychiatric health to help in holistic care.Advocate for longer hospital stay if necessary for holistic care to be achieved. Homeless families and children have many health risks and nursing care needs that can be addressed once contact and an asses sment is complete. For example, for the nurse admitting homeless family members to hospital, such knowledge pertaining to their emotional, physical and psychological needs and strengths is an important aspect that assessment techniques can bring out so they are addressed. (Cotton & Roden, 2006). References Johnson, D. J. (2001). Understanding culture, learning cultural competence.American Public Health Association. Retrieved from http://apha. confex. com National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2010). Addressing cultural and linguistic competence in the homeless setting. Retrieved from http://www. nhch. org Cotton, A. H. , & Roden, J. (2006,  December). Using patterns of knowing in nursing as a possible framework for nursing care of the homeless families with children.. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 23(2), 331-341. Hwang, S. W. , Ueng, J. , Chiu, S. , Kiss, A. , Tolomiczenko, G. , Cowan, L. , Levinson, W. , & Redelmeier, D. 2010). Univ ersal Health Insurance and Health Care Access for Homeless Persons. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1454-1461. doi:10. 2105/AJPH. 2009. 182022. Kidder,  D. P. ,  Wolitski,  R. J. ,  Campsmith,  M. L. ,  &  Nakamura,  G. V.. (2007). Health Status, Health Care Use, Medication Use, and Medication Adherence Among Homeless and Housed People Living With HIV/AIDS. American Journal of Public Health,  97(12),  2238-45. Retrieved December 4, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Complete. (Document ID:  1392878511). Levinson, D. (2004). Encyclopedia of Homelessness. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 8

Case Study Real Choices at KFC Essay

Case Study Real Choices at KFC (page 243) Could you imagine eating a sandwich without any bread? At first I found it kind of odd but overall it may be something to consider in your future diet. Next time you are standing in the bakery department deciding on what loaf of bread to buy, flip the loaf over and read the nutritional information. You may be surprised of what you are actually eating. My significant other does a lot of grocery shopping so I wanted to see exactly what she has been having me eat. Four times a day without giving it a second thought I eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich for breakfast and roast beef and cheese for lunch. My findings from Nature’s Own 100% whole grain are that each slice contains 70 calories and 0 calories from fat. I guess that’s not too bad considering you have to have two pieces of bread for something to be considered a sandwich right? Well the debate officially began in 2010 when Kentucky Fried Chicken (as known as KFC) introduced their â€Å"Double Down† to be an additional item to the menu. KFC promoted the new item in its advertisements stating that there is â€Å"so much 100% premium chicken, that they didn’t have room for a bun† The sandwich is an attempt to grow revenue in a very competitive business in a society where every calorie counts. The United States has the largest fast-food market in the world and it continues to advance daily while keeping their current customers happy along with trying to recruit new business. KFC began in a gas station in North Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. The success of the eating establishment original called Sanders Court & Cafà © led to expansion and renaming of what we know it today as Kentucky Fried Chicken. In 1952 the first KFC opened in South Salt Lake Utah, and expanded in Canada in the early 1960’s. Since this time KFC has changed ownership several times and today the brand is owned by Yum Brands and is based in Louisville, Kentucky. There are more than 14,000 KFC restaurants in more than 80 countries around the world, serving 12 million customers each day. According to KFC.com, the Double Down, â€Å"features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (original recipe or grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper cheese, and the Colonels Sauce.† Although it was initially offered on a limited time basis, KFC decide to add the item to its menu permanently. The company’s change of course was related to the string sales driven in part by people eating the sandwich on YouTube and popular TV  personality Stephen Colbert consuming one on The Colbert Report TV show. KFC reports that the launch is one of their most successful ever. From a nutritional standpoint, the Double Down is 540 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 1380 milligrams of sodium. The grilled version is 460 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 1430 milligrams of sodium. The level of sodium in the sandwich is drawing a great deal of concern from customers and health organizations. To put these numbers into perspective every twelve hundred milligrams is equal to  ½ teaspoon of salt. Many critics are questioning why KFC introduced this as an option in the middle of building its brand image as a fast food restaurant offering healthier menu choices. The fast food retail market is in constant state of competition. The dilemma for the company is how to appeal to both the healthy market and the generous market? Many customers prefer healthy choices when considering fast food; however there are numerous customers who find the appeal of fat, salt, and processed carbohydrates simply irresistible. The general issue of obesity is leading to major health problems become front page news. The choice of menu items must lead to long term profits and competitive market advantage and KFC will have to find a way to balance both. 1.What is the decision facing KFC? The decision facing KFC is how to appeal to both the healthy market and to the not so healthy market? I think for starters they could have renamed the sandwich from the get go. When I hear the words Double Down at a fast food restaurant, there is no way it can’t be good for you, but then again maybe that’s why it was such a huge success. I take it more like double your weight and your heart rate slows down while eating the sandwich. I think if they had used another name it may have drawn better attention to health organizations and to the healthy market. My suggestion are Twice is Nice, Two is better. Pure Chicken, or the Real Deal maybe something more appealing to the healthy consumers. 2.What factors are important in understanding their decision situation? Some of the most important factors in this decision facing KFC is to first realize what consumers really want to eat and then even how it looks and sounds to others that may be on the fence of trying the sandwich. They say you judge something within 7 seconds of seeing it whether it is going in your mouth or in any other means of life. I personally think meals like this one is not an option for most consumers in  today’s competitive market while hungry when others have a lot more to offer and healthier. 3.What decision do you recommend? In today’s environment I personally think the idea was there with the chicken, which is one of the cheapest and healthiest things to eat. I think this option would attract more consumers if it was on a wrap or tortilla and smaller portions instead of holding two pieces of chicken in your hand while drinking a big gulp to wash down the salt. 4.Conclusion To sum it up fast food is ongoing competition to entice consumers of all markets to buy their product whenever and wherever. I hope you have learned something from me and my case and the next time you order a sandwich will it be without bread. Regardless of what I think or what others may so, would you order one of these sandwiches, if you haven’t already indulged into the deliciousness? To be honest I never even heard of it? Can you come up with any other ideas that may help out KFC to attractive the healthier market of consumers? Do you feel sandwiches like the â€Å"Double Down† is the future for fast food chains?

Second Foundation 19. End of War

QUORISTON, BATTLE OF Fought on 9, 17, 377 F.E. between the forces of the Foundation and those of Lord Stettin of Kalgan, it was the last battle of consequence during the Interregnum†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica Jole Turbor, in his new role of war correspondent, found his bulk incased in a naval uniform, and rather liked it. He enjoyed being back on the air, and some of the fierce helplessness of the futile fight against the Second Foundation left him in the excitement of another sort of fight with substantial ships and ordinary men. To be sure, the Foundation's fight had not been remarkable for victories, but it was still possible to be philosophic about the matter. After six months, the hard core of the Foundation was untouched, and the hard core of the Fleet was still in being. With the new additions since the start of the war, it was almost as strong numerically, and stronger technically, than before the defeat at Ifni. And meanwhile, planetary defenses were being strengthened; the armed forces better trained; administrative efficiency was having some of the water squeezed out of it – and much of the Kalganian's conquering fleet was being wallowed down through the necessity of occupying the â€Å"conquered† territory. At the moment, Turbor was with the Third Fleet in the outer reaches of the Anacreonian sector. In line with his policy of making this a â€Å"little man's war,† he was interviewing Fennel Leemor, Engineer Third Class, volunteer. â€Å"Tell us a little about yourself, sailor,† said Turbor. â€Å"Ain't much to tell,† Leemor shuffled his feet and allowed a faint, bashful smile to cover his face, as though he could see all the millions that undoubtedly could see him at the moment. I'm a Locrian. Got a job in an air-car factory; section head and good pay. I'm married; got two kids, both girls. Say, I couldn't say hello to them, could I – in case they're listening.† â€Å"Go ahead, sailor. The video is all yours.† â€Å"Gosh, thanks.† He burbled, â€Å"Hello, Milla, in case you're listening, I'm fine. Is Sunni all right? And Tomma? I think of you all the time and maybe I'll be back on furlough after we get back to port. I got your food parcel but I'm sending it back. We get our regular mess, but they say the civilians are a little tight. I guess that's all.† â€Å"I'll look her up next time I'm on Locris, sailor, and make sure she's not short of food. O.K.?† The young man smiled broadly and nodded his head. â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Turbor. I'd appreciate that.† â€Å"All right. Suppose you tell us, then – You're a volunteer, aren't you?† â€Å"Sure am. If anyone picks a fight with me, I don't have to wait for anyone to drag me in. I joined up the day I heard about the Hober Mallow.† â€Å"That's a fine spirit. Have you seen much action? I notice â€Å"You're wearing two battle stars.† â€Å"Ptah.† The sailor spat. â€Å"Those weren't battles, they were chases. The Kalganians don't fight, unless they have odds of five to one or better in their favor. Even then they just edge in and try to cut us up ship by ship. Cousin of mine was at Ifni and he was on a ship that got away, the old Ebling Mis. He says it was the same there. They had their Main Fleet against just a wing division of ours, and down to where we only had five ships left, they kept stalking instead of fighting. We got twice as many of their ships at that fight.† â€Å"Then you think we're going to win the war?† â€Å"Sure bet; now that we aren't retreating. Even if things got too bad, that's when I'd expect the Second Foundation to step in. We still got the Seldon Plan – and they know it, too.† Turbor's lips curled a bit. â€Å"You're counting on the Second Foundation, then?† The answer came with honest surprise. â€Å"Well, doesn't everyone?† Junior Officer Tippellum stepped into Turbor's room after the visicast. He shoved a cigarette at the correspondent and knocked his cap back to a perilous balance on the occiput. â€Å"We picked up a prisoner,† he said. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Little crazy fellow. Claims to be a neutral – diplomatic immunity, no less. I don't think they know what to do with him. His name's Palvro, Palver, something like that, and he says he's from Trantor. Don't know what in space he's doing in a war zone.† But Turbor had swung to a sitting position on his bunk and the nap he had been about to take was forgotten. He remembered quite well his last interview with Darell, the day after war had been declared and he was shoving off. â€Å"Preem Palver,† he said. It was a statement. Tippellum paused and let the smoke trickle out the sides of his mouth. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, â€Å"how in space did you know?† â€Å"Never mind. Can I see him?† â€Å"Space, I can't say. The old man has him in his own room for questioning. Everyone figures he's a spy.† â€Å"You tell the old man that I know him, if he's who he claims he is. I'II take the responsibility.† Captain Dixyl on the flagship of the Third Fleet watched unremittingly at the Grand Detector. No ship could avoid being a source of subatomic radiation – not even if it were lying an inert mass – and each focal point of such radiation was a little sparkle in the three-dimensional field. Each one of the Foundation's ships were accounted for and no sparkle was left over, now that the little spy who claimed to be a neutral had been picked up. For a while, that outside ship had created a stir in the captain's quarters. The tactics might have needed changing on short notice. As it was- â€Å"Are you sure you have it?† he asked. Commander Cenn nodded. â€Å"I will take my squadron through hyperspace: radius, 10.00 parsecs; theta, 268.52 degrees; phi, 84.15 degrees. Return to origin at 1330. Total absence 11.83 hours.† â€Å"Right. Now we are going to count on pin-point return as regards both space and time. Understand?† â€Å"Yes, captain.† He looked at his wrist watch, â€Å"My ships will be ready by 0140.† â€Å"Good,† said Captain Dixyl. The Kalganian squadron was not within detector range now, but they would be soon. There was independent information to that effect. Without Cenn's squadron the Foundation forces would be badly outnumbered, but the captain was quite confident. Quite confident. Preem Palver looked sadly about him. First at the tall, skinny admiral; then at the others, everyone in uniform; and now at this last one, big and stout, with his collar open and no tie – not like the rest – who said he wanted to speak to him. Jole Turbor was saying: â€Å"I am perfectly aware, admiral, of the serious possibilities involved here, but I tell you that if I can be allowed to speak to him for a few minutes, I may be able to settle the current uncertainty.† â€Å"Is there any reason why you can't question him before me?† Turbor pursed his lips and looked stubborn. â€Å"Admiral,† he said, â€Å"while I have been attached to your ships, the Third Fleet has received an excellent press. You may station men outside the door, if you like, and you may return in five minutes. But, meanwhile, humor me a bit, and your public relations will not suffer. Do you understand me?† He did. Then Turbor in the isolation that followed, turned to Palver, and said, â€Å"Quickly – what is the name of the girl you abducted.† And Palver could simply stare round-eyed, and shake his head. â€Å"No nonsense,† said Turbor. â€Å"If you do not answer, you will be a spy and spies are blasted without trial in war time.† â€Å"Arcadia Darell!† gasped Palver. â€Å"Well! All right, then. Is she safe?† Palver nodded. â€Å"You had better be sure of that, or it won't be well for you.† â€Å"She is in good health, perfectly safe,† said Palver, palely. The admiral returned, â€Å"Well?† â€Å"The man, sir, is not a spy. You may believe what he tells you. I vouch for him.† â€Å"That so?† The admiral frowned. â€Å"Then he represents an agricultural co-operative on Trantor that wants to make a trade treaty with Terminus for the delivery of grains and potatoes. Well, all right, but he can't leave now.† â€Å"Why not?† asked Palver, quickly. â€Å"Because we're in the middle of a battle. After it is over – assuming we're still alive – we'll take you to Terminus.† The Kalganian fleet that spanned through space detected the Foundation ships from an incredible distance and were themselves detected. Like little fireflies in each other's Grand Detectors, they closed in across the emptiness. And the Foundation's admiral frowned and said, â€Å"This must be their main push. Look at the numbers.† Then, â€Å"They won't stand up before us, though; not if Cenn's detachment can be counted on.† Commander Cenn had left hours before – at the first detection of the coming enemy. There was no way of altering the plan now. It worked or it didn't, but the admiral felt quite comfortable. As did the officers. As did the men. Again watch the fireflies. Like a deadly ballet dance, in precise formations, they sparked. The Foundation fleet edged slowly backwards. Hours passed and the fleet veered slowly off, teasing the advancing enemy slightly off course, then more so. In the minds of the dictators of the battle plan, there was a certain volume of space that must be occupied by the Kalganian ships. Out from that volume crept the Foundationers; into it slipped the Kalganians. Those that passed out again were attacked, suddenly and fiercely. Those that stayed within were not touched. It all depended on the reluctance of the ships of Lord Stettin to take the initiative themselves – on their willingness to remain where none attacked. Captain Dixyl stared frigidly at his wrist watch. It was 1310, â€Å"We've got twenty minutes,† he said. The lieutenant at his side nodded tensely, â€Å"It looks all right so far, captain. We've got more than ninety percent of them boxed. If we can keep them that way-â€Å" â€Å"Yes! If-â€Å" The Foundation ships were drifting forward again – very slowly. Not quick enough to urge a Kalganian retreat and just quickly enough to discourage a Kalganian advance. They preferred to wait. And the minutes passed. At 1325, the admiral's buzzer sounded in seventy-five ships of the Foundation's line, and they built up to a maximum acceleration towards the front-plane of the Kalganian fleet, itself three hundred strong. Kalganian shields flared into action, and the vast energy beams flicked out. Every one of the three hundred concentrated in the same direction, towards their mad attackers who bore down relentlessly, uncaringly and- At 1330, fifty ships under Commander Cenn appeared from nowhere, in one single bound through hyperspace to a calculated spot at a calculated time – and were spaced in tearing fury at the unprepared Kalganian rear. The trap worked perfectly. The Kalganians still had numbers on their side, but they were in no mood to count. Their first effort was to escape and the formation once broken was only the more vulnerable, as the enemy ships bumbled into one another's path. After a while, it took on the proportions of a rat hunt. Of three hundred Kalganian ships, the core and pride of their fleet, some sixty or less, many in a state of near-hopeless disrepair, reached Kalgan once more. The Foundation loss was eight ships out of a total of one hundred twenty-five. Preem Palver landed on Terminus at the height of the celebration. He found the furore distracting, but before he left the planet, he had accomplished two things, and received one request. The two things accomplished were: 1) the conclusion of an agreement whereby Palver's co-operative was to deliver twenty shiploads of certain foodstuffs per month for the next year at a war price, without, thanks to the recent battle, a corresponding war risk, and 2) the transfer to Dr. Darell of Arcadia's five short words. For a startled moment, Darell had stared wide-eyed at him, and then he had made his request. It was to carry an answer back to Arcadia. Palver liked it; it was a simple answer and made sense. It was: â€Å"Come back now. There won't be any danger.† Lord Stettin was in raging frustration. To watch his every weapon break in his hands; to feel the firm fabric of his military might part like the rotten thread it suddenly turned out to be – would have turned phlegmaticism itself into flowing lava. And yet he was helpless, and knew it. He hadn't really slept well in weeks. He hadn't shaved in three days. He had canceled all audiences. His admirals were left to themselves and none knew better than the Lord of Kalgan that very little time and no further defeats need elapse before he would have to contend with internal rebellion. Lev Meirus, First Minister, was no help. He stood there, calm and indecently old, with his thin, nervous finger stroking, as always, the wrinkled line from nose to chin. â€Å"Well,† shouted Stettin at him, â€Å"contribute something. We stand here defeated, do you understand? Defeated! And why? I don't know why. There you have it. I don't know why. Do you know why?† â€Å"I think so,† said Meirus, calmly. â€Å"Treason!† The word came out softly, and other words followed as softly. â€Å"You've known of treason, and you've kept quiet. You served the fool I ejected from the First Citizenship and you think you can serve whatever foul rat replaces me. If you have acted so, I will extract your entrails for it and burn them before your living eyes.† Meirus was unmoved. â€Å"I have tried to fill you with my own doubts, not once, but many times. I have dinned it in your ears and you have preferred the advice of others because it stuffed your ego better. Matters have turned out not as I feared, but even worse. If you do not care to listen now, say so, sir, and I shall leave, and, in due course, deal with your successor, whose first act, no doubt, will be to sign a treaty of peace.† Stettin stared at him red-eyed, enormous fists slowly clenching and unclenching. â€Å"Speak, you gray slug. Speak!† â€Å"I have told you often, sir, that you are not the Mule. You may control ships and guns but you cannot control the minds of your subjects. Are you aware, sir, of who it is you are fighting? You fight the Foundation, which is never defeated – the Foundation, which is protected by the Seldon Plan – the Foundation, which is destined to form a new Empire.† â€Å"There is no Plan. No longer. Munn has said so.† â€Å"Then Munn is wrong. And if he were right, what then? You and I, sir, are not the people. The men and women of Kalgan and its subject worlds believe utterly and deeply in the Seldon Plan as do all the inhabitants of this end of the Galaxy. Nearly four hundred years of history teach the fact that the Foundation cannot be beaten. Neither the kingdoms nor the warlords nor the old Galactic Empire itself could do it.† â€Å"The Mule did it.† â€Å"Exactly, and he was beyond calculation – and you are not. What is worse, the people know that you are not. So your ships go into battle fearing defeat in some unknown way. The insubstantial fabric of the Plan hangs over them so that they are cautious and look before they attack and wonder a little too much. While on the other side, that same insubstantial fabric fills the enemy with confidence, removes fear, maintains morale in the face of early defeats. Why not? The Foundation has always been defeated at first and has always won in the end. â€Å"And your own morale, sir? You stand everywhere on enemy territory. Your own dominions have not been invaded; are still not in danger of invasion – yet you are defeated. You don't believe in the possibility, even, of victory, because you know there is none. â€Å"Stoop, then, or you will be beaten to your knees. Stoop voluntarily, and you may save a remnant. You have depended on metal and power and they have sustained you as far as they could. You have ignored mind and morale and they have failed you. Now, take my advice. You have the Foundation man, Homir Munn. Release him. Send him back to Terminus and he will carry your peace offers.† Stettin's teeth ground behind his pale, set lips. But what choice had he? On the first day of the new year, Homir Munn left Kalgan again. More than six months had passed since he had left Terminus and in the interim, a war had raged and faded. He had come alone, but he left escorted. He had come a simple man of private life; he left the unappointed but nevertheless, actual, ambassador of peace. And what had most changed was his early concern over the Second Foundation. He laughed at the thought of that: and pictured in luxuriant detail the final revelation to Dr. Darell, to that energetic, young competent, Anthor, to all of them- He knew. He, Homir Munn, finally knew the truth.

Discuss the Relationship Between Stress and the Immune System

Discuss the relationship between stress and the immune system (12) Cohen et al (1993) investigated the role of general life stress on the vulnerability to the common cold virus. 394 participants completed a questionnaire about the number of stressful events that occurred the previous year. They were also asked to rate the degree of stress and level of negative emotions. The three scores were combined together to make what Cohen called a stress index. The participants were then exposed to the common cold virus and 82% became infected.The results showed that the chance of developing a cold was significantly correlated with stress index. Cohen et al concluded that life stress and negative emotions reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. However a criticism of this study would be that there was no direct manipulation of the independent variable which was the stress index, so a cause and effect relationship cannot be confirmed. Also, it’s not easy to tell if whether the part icipants who reported sick was due to stress or other extraneous variables.Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984) also investigated the impact of life stressors on the immune system. The participants were 75 medical students who were preparing for final exams. The natural killer (NK) cell activity was measured to use as an index of immune function. Measures of NK cell activity were recorded from blood samples 1 month before exams and one during exam period. Participants also completed a questionnaire on experience of negative life events and social isolation. The results showed that NK cell activity was significantly lower on high stress blood samples in comparison to low stress samples.Additionally, the greatest reductions were in students who had higher levels of social isolation. Kiecolt-Glaser concluded that examination stress reduces immune function thus making people more vulnerable to illnesses and infections. A criticism of this study would be that there was no manipulation of the inde pendent variable so the cause and effect relationship cannot be confirmed. Also, the experiment cannot be generalised as it used medical students therefore the results are specific only to medical students and when used on others the results may be significantly different.