Ways to Reduce Your Exposure to BPA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical widely used in common plastic products, such as baby bottles, children’s toys, and the linings of most food and beverage cans. Many scientific studies—including the largest study of BPA ever conducted on humans—have found links between BPA and serious health problems, from heart disease, diabetes, and liver abnormalities in adults to developmental problems in the brains and hormonal systems of children. Recent studies have documented negative health consequences, while others find no ill effects. Endocrine disruptors are notoriously difficult to study, as they may be more dangerous at very low doses than at higher doses. Depending on your tolerance for risk, you might want to minimize your exposure to BPA. Given the wide use of BPA in so many products we encounter every day, it is probably impossible to completely eliminate your exposure to this potentially harmful chemical. Still, you can lower your exposure—and your risk of possible health problems associated with BPA—by taking a few simple precautions. In 2007, the Environmental Working Group hired an independent laboratory to conduct an analysis of BPA in many different canned foods and beverages. The study found that the amount of BPA in canned food varies widely. Chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli had the highest concentrations of BPA, for example, while condensed milk, soda, and canned fruit contained much less of the chemical. Here are a few tips to help you lower your exposure to BPA. Eat Fewer Canned Foods The easiest way to lower your intake of BPA is to stop eating so many foods that come into contact with the chemical. Eat fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, which usually have more nutrients and fewer preservatives than canned foods, and taste better, too. Choose Cardboard and Glass Containers Over Cans Highly acidic foods, such as tomato sauce and canned pasta, leach more BPA from the lining of cans, so it’s best to choose brands that come in glass containers. Soups, juices, and other foods packaged in cardboard cartons made of layers of aluminum and polyethylene plastic (labeled with a number 2 recycling code) are safer than cans with plastic linings containing BPA. Do Not Microwave Polycarbonate Plastic Food Containers Polycarbonate plastic, which is used in packaging for many microwaveable foods, may break down at high temperatures and release BPA. Although manufacturers are not required to say whether a product contains BPA, polycarbonate containers that do are usually marked with a number 7 recycling code on the bottom of the package. Choose Plastic or Glass Bottles for Beverages Canned juice and soda often contain some BPA, especially if they come in cans lined with BPA-laden plastic. Glass or plastic bottles are safer choices. For portable water bottles, glass and stainless steel are best, but most recyclable plastic water bottles do not contain BPA. Plastic bottles with BPA are usually marked with a number 7 recycling code. Turn Down the Heat To avoid BPA in your hot foods and liquids, switch to glass or porcelain containers, or stainless steel containers without plastic liners. Use Baby Bottles That Are BPA-Free As a general rule, hard, clear plastic contains BPA while soft or cloudy plastic does not. Most major manufacturers now offer baby bottles made without BPA. However, a recent study published in the journal Endocrinology evaluated an alternative plastic compound (BPS) used in products labeled as BPA-free, and unfortunately, it also was found to create significant hormonal disruptions in a fish species. Further studies are needed to determine how concerned we should be for the effects on human health. Use Powdered Infant Formula Instead of Pre-mixed Liquid A study by the Environmental Working Group found that liquid formulas contain more BPA than powdered versions. Practice Moderation The fewer canned foods and beverages you consume, the less your exposure to BPA, but you don’t have to cut out canned foods altogether to reduce your exposure and lower your potential health risks. In addition to eating less canned food overall, limit your intake of canned foods that are high in BPA.

Nielsen s 7th Heuristic Flexibility And Efficiency Of Use

Part 1 – Jakob Nielsen’s 7th Heuristic: â€Å"Flexibility and Efficiency of Use† The Human-computer interaction (HCI) has evolved through the years, which has set the stage for users to participate in the interaction design process. With the participation of end users, corporations have listened to their issues and concerns in developing a user friendly product to accommodate most, if not all of their preferences and suggestions. This paper will define and discuss the Human-computer interaction (HCI), Jakob Nielson’s 7th heuristic, and introduce three interactive items correlating between the two. Applying the HCI and Neilson’s first heuristic with the three interactive items from the user’s point of view and experience will produce an applicable feedback to focus on further development of future components of similar stature. The Jakob Nielsen’s 7th heuristic is â€Å"flexibility and efficiency of use†. Accelerators -- unseen by the novice user -- may often speed up the interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent actions (Nielsen, J. 1995). In retrospect novice and expert users use systems in a slightly differently, receive the same results. Therefore, the system should be easy and efficient to use by both novices and experts alike. Systems provide â€Å"accelerators† for expert users to proficiently navigate the applications to complete the most recurrent tasks. An example of accelerators canShow MoreRelatedManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 Pagespermission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products

Minority Group Status Free Essays

A minority group refers to a subordinate group whereby the members do not have enough control over their lives and do not have power to effectively fight for their rights. A minority group is inferior and is usually dominated by the rest, who are usually the majority group. The minority group experiences rather few opportunities to pursue their goals since education, success and wealth is limited to them. We will write a custom essay sample on Minority Group Status or any similar topic only for you Order Now Such opportunities are disproportionately very low when compared to their population within the society. (Feagin, 2000) Characteristics of Minority Group Status A minority group has a number of characteristics which distinguish them from the majority group. The characteristics make them stand out from the rest and become easily identifiable. One characteristic of the members of the minority group is that they have distinguishing cultural or physical traits, for example skin color (physical) and language (cultural). A good example is Blacks in countries which are largely dominated by Whites. Another characteristic is that they usually face unequal treatment and have less power and therefore are not in full control of what goes around them. Mostly, the members claim of receiving unfair treatment and are constantly discriminated against. (Peter Trauttman, 2006) In extreme cases, the members may be denied their rights to access certain resources, for, example, having recreational facilities strictly for majority group and restricting the minority group from accessing them. The third characteristic is that the members do not belong to the minority group by choice. The membership is therefore involuntary and no one can be compelled to remain a member or give up the membership since it is through race, power or even law that a person finds himself or herself belonging to the minority group. The fourth characteristic is that there is usually a high degree of awareness of subordination as well as a strong sense of solidarity among the members. The last characteristic is that, the majority group is high characterized by in-group marriages due to their close association and collaboration. (Jacob, 2005) Different Ways in Which Groups Become Minorities There are various ways in which groups become minorities numerically and socially. Numerically the minority group is judged by virtue of being few in numbers, for example, racial whereby the members are classified on some obvious characteristics, such as skin color. These characteristics are visible. For instance, Racial minority groups in US; American Indian, Blacks, Hawaiians and Asian Americans. Socially, the minority group is judged on the basis of inferior culture, faith, or belief as in gender, ethnic and religion. (Jacob, 2005) Ethnically, the groups are classified on cultural basis, such as food and language. Ethnic Minority Groups in US include Latinos and Hispanics such as Puerto Ricans, Chicanos and Cubans. The Jews are also part of the cultural minorities. In terms of gender, males are usually the social majority and women are the social minority. In religion, the minorities are the members who do not have the same faith as the majority group. For instance, Muslims, Mormons, Roman Catholics and Amish are religious minorities in US. (Peter Trauttman, 2006) Consequences of Minority Group Status Some of the consequences are pluralism, assimilation, fusion, segregation, secession, expulsion and extermination. In pluralism, this is whereby the minority and majority groups or individuals maintain their different identities, that is, Whites are represented by Whites and Blacks by Blacks. In assimilation, the minority group identifies with the majority group in terms of culture and consequently is absorbed by the dominant group. In fusion, the majority and minority group merge to create a new group. (Feagin, 2000) Their cultures and physical characteristics are synthesized without intermarrying. In segregation, these two groups are physically separated in terms of work place, residence and social functions. In secession, the minority group moves out to create a new nation or join an established nation, whereby it becomes dominant. In expulsion, the minority group may be forced to leave a certain region or even thrown out of the country by the dominant group. In, extermination, the minority group is wiped out through genocide or systematic, deliberate killing. (Feagin, 2000) Conclusion From the discussion above, the existence of minority group status is not healthy though it cannot be avoided. Many divisions result from such differences making it impossible for a certain group to pursue their common goals and encourage vices such as discrimination against tribe, gender and religion. (Peter Trauttman, 2006) References Feagin, J. (2000) Racial and Ethnic Relations, Palgrave Publishers, US. Jacob, C. (2005) What is a Minority Group, Palgrave Publishers, UK. Peter, Z. Trauttmann, C. (2006) Distinguishing between Minority and Majority Group,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fireside Press, Washington DC.    How to cite Minority Group Status, Essay examples

Global Environment for Internationalization†MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theGlobal Business Environmentfor Internationalization. Answer: Introduction The global environment is getting affected with various changing factors in the contemporary world of the business. There are various factors behind the change; however, two factors have the highest effects on the changing nature of the world business. Globalization and the internationalization are the two important factors, which are affecting the business practices in major terms. The technological advancement and the desire to enhance the competitive advantages have collectively given birth to the two most important terms such as globalization and internationalization. However, both the terms are different in their meanings and the attracting power (Hill, Cronk and Wickramasekera 2013). The main purpose of this assignment would be to understand the terms globalization and internationalization. Globalization Internationalization Globalization Globalization can be referred to a process, which has narrowed down the gaps in between different cultures and the countries. In the hunt to reach to a global destinations just for the betterment of business problems and acquire the solutions have initiated the significance of going to global countries (Cox, Clegg and Ietto-Gillies 2013). The forms of business have now been changed, which initially was limited only to the exports and important majorly. The rates of merger and acquisition have now become enlarged than before, which is simply because of the growing thirst for the global success. One important factor has also attracted different organizations for the globalization process, which is to acquire success in some other countries. In some cases when companies get stacked with the revenues growth in their parent country, they at that time look for some other options where they could actually find some alternatives to the ongoing problem. For example, Walmart in America has don e the same thing, which has moved to some other potential market simply to find answers for its potentialities (Dunning 2014). Internationalization Internationalization can be understood as the real outcome of a globalization process, which facilitates the exchange of different trades at the international platforms. It can also be understood as the outcome, which renders the integration of different cultures at one place. The highly progressive nature of world business and the different prospects of the different international markets have collectively changed the world business environment. International includes but is not limited to such as opting higher education at some international centres, going to global countries for the expansion of existing business and reaching to the international countries for addressing the business related problems (Wild, Wild and Han 2014). Difference Between Globalization and Internationalization Globalization Globalization is the process, which facilitates the business in global countries It enhances interdependence It is inevitable with the highly incrementing communication modes Internationalization Internationalization is reaching to the international countries by maintaining the same identity It retains the identity of one country Internationalization is need based, which expands after sensing the needs Table 1: Globalization Vs Internationalization Source: (created by author) Global Business Environment Institution Based View An institution resource based view is the governance of sets of rules for the internationalization as it is very important to consider the different requisite works before the assimilation with the different cultures. The internationalization of a business to some other countries attracts and facilitates the integration of different cultures at the same place. At that point in time, it then become important to have an institutional back up for the understanding the institutional understanding of their cultures. The company when move to some other country for the business process it bears some institutional backups behind it. At the same time, it is also coming closer to the institutional beliefs of some different countries. Nevertheless, it is widely useful and hugely important to understand the institutional beliefs of the target business countries. The institution-based views are of two types such as formal and informal (Harrison 2013). Institutions are not one-dimensional; they ar e rather multi dimensional, which can be classified as follows: Formal The formal institution based view is also known as regulative, which deals with the rules and regulations of the different cultures. In an internationalization process, the companies going for some international locations they are bound to adhere to the different sets of rules and regulations of the targeted country. The company had some other kinds of legal proceedings back in his parent country; however, when it reaches to the international location, it has some different sets of rules and regulatory frameworks. Nevertheless, the business practices and every other activity are now affected by the international rules and regulations. This is indeed problematic in some instances as companies might not be able to meet with the requirements of the local government. Companies might have their tendencies to carry with their existing local countrys rules and regulations. This is where the find difficulties in adjusting with the foreign rules and regulations. A very good example of such ph enomena is of Vodafone when the British Prime minister came to India to sort out the issues imposed by TRAI on Vodafone (Attfield 2015). Informal The informal form of institution-based view refers to a behaviouristic approach, which governs the social behaviour of the company or the people working in it. It is about the culture, the social and the custom, which different organizations needs to posses in order to be integrated different culture at the international place. In the internationalization process, socialization is a vital factor, which might even test the feasibility of the highest standard organization. It plays a vital role in the business as it governs the selection of products according to the societal needs and requirements. Someone selling a product in India with high spiciness in it can never be successful amongst the Australian customers as they are highly diet oriented (Ferraro and Brody 2015). Resource Based View Resource based view advocates the importance of internal resources for being competitive in the market. Different experts have believed that looking on the external environment is not the solution the rising competitiveness in the market (Axelrod and VanDeveer 2014). The organizations should rather try to realize the internal resources and utilise them to attain the maximum competitiveness. An organization is never competitive if it has no idea about its own capabilities. External opportunities should be used by utilizing the existing resources, which is the most viable thing an organization can do. The existing capabilities are identified and enhancing the existing capabilities would certainly produce maximum results (Hill and Hernndez-Requejo 2012). Tangible Intangible Resources Tangible things are all those things, which have some physical existence such as machines whereas intangible are those things that do not exist in physicality. However, both the tangible and the intangible things have their own limitations, which can also affect the business performance of an organization. It is advisable to stick to the existing resources as guided by the resource based view; however, it is never inevitable to depend all the time on the available resources. The available resources might not be competitive enough, which makes this necessary to have some change. For example, an organization relying on the traditional form of business might succeed to some extent but to address a larger customer base, it requires some advanced and more technologically advanced system. Nevertheless, e-commerce has established its viability and the importance in the world of business. Companies can now reach to a larger customer base with the usage of e-commerce platform, which was never possible with the traditional format of business (Cavusgil et al. 2014). Capabilities (Skills) Capabilities are another important resource of an organization, which they could use to attain a maximum success. Identifying the hidden potential in employees by conducting some training and development program is a good way to attain the competitiveness in the market. However, the ageing population is a problem in this context, which is putting enormous pressures on the HRM to recruit substantiate amount of replacements (Peng 2016). Issues and Challenges Faced by Managers Based on the discussion in the resource based views and the institution-based views following issues and challenges can be concluded, which the managers of contemporary world are facing (Parhizgar 2013): Managing an ethical business practice Understanding the real requirement of the international customers Identifying the most viable international business location Identifying the most viable actions for the business success in the international locations Ageing workforces Insufficient graduate professionals Unparallel growth of technological advancements Stakeholder relations Business sustainability Dynamic capabilities Elevating graph of revenue generation Incrementing nature of competitiveness in the market Changing demands of consumers Strict rules and regulations of some international government such as China, which mostly favours the local companies High attrition of employees Less motivated employees Investment issues Strategic planning and its implementation Conclusion The global business environment is highly affected by the impact of globalization and the internationalization. The international and the global businesses are being highly influenced by the challenges and the issues, which each of the institution-based and the resource-based views are posing to the contemporary managers. Nevertheless, the global business environment is challenged by various external and internal forces, which are limiting the actual growth, which an organization can have. References Attfield, R., 2015.Ethics of the global environment. Edinburgh University Press. Axelrod, R.S. and VanDeveer, S.D. eds., 2014.The global environment: institutions, law, and policy. CQ Press. Cavusgil, S.T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J.R., Rammal, H.G. and Rose, E.L., 2014.International business. Pearson Australia. Cox, H., Clegg, J.L. and Ietto-Gillies, G. eds., 2013.The Growth of Global Business (RLE International Business). Routledge. Dunning, J.H., 2014.The Globalization of Business (Routledge Revivals): The Challenge of the 1990s. Routledge. Ferraro, G. and Brody, E.K., 2015.Cultural Dimension of Global Business. Routledge. Harrison, A., 2013.Business environment in a global context. Oxford University Press. Hill, C.W. and Hernndez-Requejo, W., 2012.Global business today. Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Hill, C.W., Cronk, T. and Wickramasekera, R., 2013.Global business today. McGraw-Hill Education (Australia). Parhizgar, K.D., 2013.Multicultural behavior and global business environments. Routledge. Peng, M.W., 2016.Global business. Cengage learning. Wild, J., Wild, K.L. and Han, J.C., 2014.International business. Pearson Education Limited.

Art- Egyptian Essays - Amarna Period, Atenism, Akhenaten, Aten

Art- Egyptian Fragment Of a Wall Relief As I entered the upper Egyptian gallery at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology I noticed a women giving a lecture to a small group concerning some of the monuments in the gallery. Lucky enough, I got a chance to catch the end of her lecture, and coincidentally it was about this piece entitled Fragment of a Wall Relief. This particular piece is from the Amarna period or 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt, dating from about 1367-1350 BCE. I picked this piece specifically because of the period in which it derives. The armana period has boggled me ever since we learned about it in class. In this paper I hope to uncover the historical significance of this piece and how it relates to this most unusual period. The Fragment of a Wall Relief was presented free standing, but clamped to the floor with metal braces. I believe it stands at about seven and a half feet tall and about eight inches thick and is made out of quartzite. This monument is not placed behind glass or ropes, but simply placed in the middle of the floor for people to view from all sides. This was very surprising for me, not only due to the age of the monument but also it's state of preservation. I observed that at sometime this piece had been broken in two, and has since been repaired. The front Of this piece may be well preserved because it had been lying face down in the sand for quite some time before it had been excavated. This piece in general has been weathered due to sand and wind for some time, but again still is in good condition. This Fragment of a Wall Relief's depiction of the setting at hand is pretty simple. At the very top of this monument, in the upper scene is the god Aten, once the sun god Ra, is shown as a disc shaped object with it's rays shining downward. To either side of Aten are hieroglyphics, most likely stating the scene that's at hand. Atens' rays are shining downwards towards Akenaten and one of his daughters. Akenaten is shown with his hand raised towards Aten, holding some type of bowl. To the right of these two subjects are piled up offerings meant as gifts for the sun god. In the lower scene, again is Aten at the top, and according to the museum, Akenaten is offering a censure of burning incense. This part is unclear to me due to the state of the monument. In both scenes Aten and the hair and clothing of both subjects are sunken relief, which at one time would have been inlayed with glass. Also in both scenes Akenaten is represented with his arms and hands raised towards Atens rays. Aken aten is represented with profile head, frontal torso, and profile legs. In the top scene he seems to be wearing a kilt type garment and in the lower scene it's unclear the type of garment he's wearing but it seems to cover most of his body. Along the right hand side of the monument runs a vertical band containing various hieroglyphics and three sunken relief figures that end up breaking the band into three sections. At the bottom of this piece is the base of the monument, which is handled quite simply. The base is plain, there is nothing written on it, represented on it, it doesn't extend out in any direction. The only point of the base I believe is to raise the subject matter to eye level. Along the side edges are hieroglyphics representing a ruler of another time. This is a later addition to the piece by another artist at a different time, it is said that the piece would have been placed face down and would have served as a base most likely for a sphinx or other statue. The artist who created the Fragment of a Wall Relief, who is currently unknown, must have had a clear understanding of how line breaks up space. The artist uses line two divide the two scenes and also to create the base for the monument. Also, the horizontal line

The Green Mile essays

The Green Mile essays The movie, "The Green Mile" is about Paul Edgecomb who lives in a retirement home, and whose only joy in life is to take long walks, even though he's not allowed to. One day when all the elderly people are watching TV, one of them switch to a channel where they're showing an old movie, and suddenly Paul starts crying, and one of Pauls friends, Elaine, asks him what's wrong, and he starts telling her about when was working as supervising prison warden of E Block on death row in 1935, in one of the southern states. 1935, the year when he was having the worst bladder infection ever, and the year of John Coffey, he tells Elaine. Paul also tell Elaine about his colleagues on E Block, Dean, Brutal, some other guy, and then Percy, where Percy is a real bastard who nobody likes. Paul and the other three (without Percy) believe that it is important to keep the inmates calm during their last time on The Mile, because people under a lot of pressure can snap and go crazy, and that's why they talk quiet to each other, and don't yell. Then, one day Paul gets a new prisoner, his name is John Coffey, whose convicted for having raped and killed two little girls. At first sight they think that he's trouble because of his size, but then John asks Paul if they keep the lights on at night, because he's afraid of the dark when in strange places. later that day Pauls friend Hal tell him that something is wrong with his wife because she's having a headache all the time. A couple of days later, after having to get up in the middle of the night, because of his bladder infection, Paul promise to his wife that he's going to see a doctor right after they've settled the new prisoner. But before the prisoner arrives, John Coffey warns Paul about something, and tell him that he need to talk with him. But then the prisoner, William "Billy The Kid" Wharton, arrives and he causes some trouble, by knocking out a guard, trying to strangle Dean with his handc...

Why growth is good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why growth is good - Essay Example This essay discusses that in the beginning of the article Why Growth is Good, the author frankly asserts, â€Å"Economic growth is slowing in the United States. It’s also slowing in Japan, France, Britain, Italy, Spain, and Canada. It’s even slowing in China.† Apparently, this claim has not been statistically interpreted or supported in the article which may be regarded as a significant drawback. Yet, the claim is simple and has a well defined argument. We can see in our day-to-day experience that in the developed countries, demands are lowering, unemployment is increasing and no significant industrial start-up is taking place. The next important claim is that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a very important standard in measuring the socio-economic situation of a country. Unfortunately, the writer has not provided with a contextual definition of GDP anywhere in the article. Also, the writer is apparently not much worried about the controversies regarding GDP, whi le academicians are debating over it more and more. However, Reich (2010) forthrightly writes, â€Å"Nations with high and growing GDPs have more overall capacity; those with low or slowing GDPs have less.† This argument reflects that the author tries to establish a proportional relationship between the GDP of a country and its overall prosperity. The author argues, â€Å"The United States has the largest capacity in the world. But relative to other rich nations it chooses to devote a larger proportion of that capacity to consumer goods, health care, and the military.†... Further, Reich (2010) has put significant blame on the United States for today’s gloomy economic situation. The author argues, â€Å"The United States has the largest capacity in the world. But relative to other rich nations it chooses to devote a larger proportion of that capacity to consumer goods, health care, and the military.† (Reich, 2010) In this way, the author tries to focus at the irresponsible behaviour of the United States and indirectly regrets that it did not take up a proactive role in handling the global economic slowdown. Evidences The author avoids providing statistical evidences in favour of his claims in the article. However, circumstantial evidences have been put forward. In the context of slowing growth, Reich writes that if the governments continue to hack away at their fiscal policies and budgets while the consumers are becoming more watchful about their expenses, â€Å"global demand will shrink to the point where a worldwide dip is inevitableâ €  (Reich, 2010). This tendency of the governments have sent shockwaves across the corporate sector, who are now trying to downsize their organisations leading to job cuts (Kumar and Pranjal, 2009). Similarly, Howitt (2007, p. 10) points out that â€Å"the speedup of productivity growth since the mid-1990s† is gradually slowing down. Nell (1998) has focussed on the interfaces between growth driven economic models and social economic theories. His rejection to conservative economics has not found much practical implication. Unplanned chasing of profits has finally resulted into a sort of global economic slump, which was gradually becoming evident since the 1960s with plummeting trends of growth. Figure – 1: Falling GDP growth

Supercomputing Exaflop Target Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supercomputing Exaflop Target - Assignment Example Data delivery and correction of errors might reduce the speed of the application despite the superb programming. The GPUs has allows enormous calculations of numbers in parallel as they constitute more cores as compared to the CPUs and current is applied to various data-intensive calculations. The GPUs was originally for tasks that are of graphics such as rendering every pixel in an image. This is because the graphics problem resembles the supercomputing problems (Geller, 16). In the modern world of supercomputing, the GPUs relies on the CPUs for other tasks despite being able to provide the highest calculation power. The speed is not a matter of throwing more cores in the given mix given that it is not easy to avail all the power used in the processing. The data ought to be managed for their proper intake and managing of the outcome. For the data to move appropriately between the CPUs and GPUs and attainment of better performance, the problem has to fit in the GPUs itself. Before th e benefit is attained the speed of the moving data and that of computing are so mismatched and therefore the GPU has to undertake a number of computations (Geller, 16). The Asian researchers are well positioned to the GPUs more parallel supercomputing that is massive. It is believed that economics that favors such innovations may be brought about by China’s isolation from the western influences. This is because of the vendors from the US who holds different perceptions. Whereas the potential bang for the buck is in Asia, if an application works effectively on this kind of accelerator technology, it might turn out to be very cost effective. China’s recent entry into HPC may be of help in this regard. In contrast, it is argued that programmers in more experienced nations may have to undergo re-education (Geller, 16). Historically Hybrid architectures have had an upper hand over the parallelism. They have used less energy than comparable CPU-only systems. The new Top500 l ist showed that the architectural battle over energy efficiency is on. The U.S.’s CPU-based IBM Blue Gene/Q Prototype supercomputer is the most energy-efficient system with the efficiency of 1,680 Mflops/watt. The K Computer consumes enough energy to power nearly 10,000 homes and costs $10 million a year to operate. These costs would significantly increase in an exaflop world. Major changes in the hardware will require major changes in the algorithms and software. Supercomputing is already widely used in fields as diverse as weather modeling, financial predictions, animation, fluid dynamics, and data searches. Each of these fields embodies several applications. While exaflop computers will spawn now-unimagined uses, any current increases in speed as we race toward that goal will greatly benefit many existing applications (Geller, 16).

Critically appraise the relevance of general principles of EU Law, Essay

Critically appraise the relevance of general principles of EU Law, such as the principles of proportionality or non-discriminati - Essay Example Defining General Principles The general principle of law is identified as a overall proposition of law of some prominence from which concrete rubrics are derived. The term ‘general’ in overall principles of law discusses, first, the fact that the particular standard of law is inherent in a sequence of unlimited applications of the law1. Accordingly, it is this particular characteristic that is the inconclusiveness in respect to the quality and capacity of the cases upon which the respective principle can be applied, which differentiates a general principle of law from an ordinary principle of law. Contrastingly, the general principle of law bears a more general nature, and is applicable to a wider range of different legal proceedings2. Second, the term ‘general’ also denotes the fact that the corresponding principle of law should be perceived as containing some universal mission. In other words, what characterises a general or universal principle of law in t he framework of EU law is the notion that the respective principle of law is also existent in other national or legal international systems. For instance, when the ECJ3 identifies the proportionality principle as a general principle of law, it supposes that the proportionality principle is also fundamental in other legal systems of law and, it respectfully surpasses the fateful obstacles established between them. Case in point, the ECJ has derived backing for its proposal that proportionality is a general principle of law with specific reference to select EC Member States’ legal systems. Accordingly, the proportionality principle is thereby also existent in the German constitutional and administrative law and French administrative law. General principles of law can be expressly specified such as in constitutional texts or deduced by a procedure of interpretation with regard to legislative texts, the existing legislative objectives, or the fundamental values of the legal syste m. Accordingly, in areas where general principles of law are referred to as sources of law in domestic or international legal systems, such reference usually indicates the principles derived by those courts from explicit rule or the entire legal systems and which exist further than that written law4. In essence, principles offer justification for existing rules. According to Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, a ‘principle’ of law, is defined to be a rule inherent in the implication of a rule-of-law, which epitomises an ideal of reason and/or of justice, and which is thought to constitute the foundation of the actual institution of law5. Indeed, the principle provides an answer to the question â€Å"why† as compared to the rule which only answers the question of â€Å"what†. Further, a principle of law is different from procedural rules since it is more explicitly defined in the facts of a court’s decision6. Notably, according to Dworkin, the overtness of the p rinciple of law indicates that it is formed as a part of the thought process of a court decision, also referred as the ratio decidendi. Consequently, principles are public, which also implies that they can establish the basis of expectations regarding the manner in which a court will resolve identical cases in future. Indeed, the precedent

Becoming an Effective Leader

Becoming an Effective Leader After serving in the Navy for 20 years, I can honestly say that being a manager does not make you a leader. For me, there is a big difference. An effective leader is someone who can motivate people to do things that they would not normally do by themselves. Furthermore, what makes a leader great is their ability to bring out the best in people no matter what the situation may be. After watching the movie, 12 Angry Men, I will present to you in this essay how different leadership styles displayed by three prominent jurors were both ethical and unethical. Additionally, I will show how the consequences of these leadership styles affected the other people in the room regarding the guilt or innocence of a young man and conclude with what can be learned about leadership from these very men. To be an effective leader, it must start from within oneself. Hence, to be an ethical leader, one must be an ethical person first. By combining this class to what I already knew about being a leader, it strengthened my values and my conviction of effective leadership, and that is allowing your people to grow and be successful. Leadership is not about my way or the highway, that is a dictatorship. Leadership is about valuing you people and seeking their contributions. In the movie, this was not the case with jurors #3 #10, which demonstrated the most unethical leadership style for that situation, the authoritarian. Although there are times when authoritarian is needed and will work, in a jury deliberation is not one of them. These men had one goal, and that was to impose their beliefs and convictions upon others in the room, especially the jurors who were easily manipulated. These two men allowed their biased views to prevent them from doing their civic duty which leads to their attempt to indoctrinate the other jurors into thinking like them; they refused to listen to reason or consider any reasonable doubt presented by the other jurors. In chapter eight, Bowie wrote about this unethical leadership style and how Burns rejects what #3 and #10 were doing to the followers in the room. Bowie writes, [Burns] rejection of the indoctrination shows that he respects the autonomy of the followers, (Bowie pg.142) whereas #3 #10 do not. When it comes to pe ople in any situation, self-worth and self-respect are vital to ones autonomy and should be respected by other people. In the movie, juror #3 #10 routinely use unethical authoritarian leadership to prevent other jurors from having any capacity to decide for themselves. By doing so, it gives way to Fonda and his ethical leadership style. To be an effective leader, one must influence followers to work towards a common goal regardless if it is a company, a sports team, or a murder trial. In my experience, how this is achieved is through empowerment of your people. By doing so, you create an ethical environment that allows the people to grow both professionally and personally because they feel that they are part of the team. When it comes to human nature, everyone wants to belong and feel important in some way, that is why you praise in public and reprimand in private. When you value the opinions of people, it creates a high degree of respect within the group that brings out the best in people. That is why Henry Fonda was such a great ethical leader. He sat quietly and listened while observing how the others acted and what they said. By sitting quietly, Fonda noticed that only three people were doing most of the talking and how they were trying to persuade the other jurors. In Fondas case, he brought forth a different p erspective, one that was unbiased. In fact, he repeatedly stated that he has no idea if the boy was guilty or innocent, but it was his social responsibility to ask questions to determine that answer. He was not going to allow other individuals to persuade him or his ethical beliefs.ÂÂ   In fact, when he asked the other jurors, who felt pressured by the authoritarian group what they thought, he was demonstrating effective leadership. By valuing their opinion, he empowered them to open up and provide their perspective, and by doing so, he made them feel important which in turn made them more willing to contribute. For example, Juror #9, Joe Sweeney is the one that provided critical information, the eyeglasses, that no one had ever thought as being relevant or important, turned out to be the key to finding the boy innocent. If it were not for Fondas ethical leadership and belief in autonomy, Juror #9 might not have spoken up like he did. Fonda use of transformational leadership he lped the other men look at the case from a perspective of serving justice by appealing to their higher values. His goal was simple, bring everyone onboard so they could deliberate through participation. By doing so, he explains that the jury should have some form of human dignity and use rational moral decision making to collaborate to determine the boys fate. By doing so, he empowers the weaker jurors to voice their opinion. In regards to the consequences of the two leadership styles, Fondas ethical leadership style inspired others to stand up for what was right and not give in to the pressure of others. For me, the one juror that was most inspired by Fonda was George Voskovec, juror #11. When Voskovec finally had enough, he began to stand up against the authoritarian figures because some were not taking this deliberation serious, telling them that it is our civic duty and social responsibility to listen to all the facts and give a fair verdict, not one based on biased prejudice. Fondas inspiration ignited a flame within Voskovec, and that erupted into an inferno that eventually spread throughout the room and gave the men an ability to perceive ethical truths during a chaotic experience. However, this was not the case for jurors #3, and #10, their unethical authoritarian leadership style and outright bigoted views that were once unchallenged by most of the group were eventually smothered like a cigarette . The once calm and timid jurors that were easy prey for the authoritarian leadership at the beginning of the film could not be pushed around anymore and turned their backs on juror #10 and left him cowering in the corner like a scared little boy. When it comes to this movie and what we can learn about leadership and ethics, it is simply, understanding the leader and follower relationship that exists between these two entities. Henry Fondas character showed us that transformational leadership is an excellent example of combining leadership and ethics because it holds people they lead to a higher standard and expects more from them. By being an ethical leader, you inspire people to do great things even when they do not think they are capable, and in doing so, these subordinates become leaders themselves who learn to share information and ideas. Additionally, this movie shows us that leaders do not have all the answers, such as the case with the glasses. This evidence did not originate from Fonda; it took someone else to bring up the information. What this shows is the more ideas introduced into a situation through group discussion leads to a better decision-making process. For this to happen, it takes an ethical leader to allow other people to provide their perspective. By doing so, people feel empowered and valued. Finally, the movie shows us that to be an ethical leader your intentions must be ethical in nature when you allow your biased views to dictate your actions and beliefs you end up with leaders like juror # 3 and # 10. Work Cited Bowie, N and Werhane, P. (2005). Management Ethics. Oxnard: Blackwell Publishing

The Chasm between France and the United States Essays -- Foriegn Polic

The Chasm between France and the United States France and the United States have a long history of alliance. In the recent past cooperation has been limited, if not reluctant on both parts, and the relationship is evolving. On some levels, the two are not called to deal directly with each other, instead, there is an American identity versus a European identity, as well as an American identity versus a French identity. However, the special relationship between France and the United States is far from being over, and good relations between the two are vital to both countries in order to pursue the national interests of each. This research will consider the differences in foreign policy perspective between the US and France during the Bosnian crisis, the war in Afghanistan, and the International Criminal Court issue, attempting to illustrate the awkwardness of the synchronization of policy between France and the United States. The important changes that have taken place in each nation’s government over the last 200 years have been the driving cause of the evolution of the relationship between the Americans and the French in their passage from two infant democracies conceived in the idealism of the late 18th century to the current world powers that each currently has become. From the beginning of its independence from Great Britain, the United States has had a sort of marriage with France, if for the wrong reasons, which lasted until perhaps WW2, before France’s post WW2 humiliation and De Gaulle’s attempts to restore national power. The separation came during the cold war, during what could be called a mid-century crisis, in which France sought to prove their independence from the increasing... ... Alliance Since World War II. Maxwell MacMillan Canada Inc., 1992. 4. Dempsey, Judy. â€Å"Europe’s Divided Self.† Financial Times 09 July 2002. 5. Hagund, David G.â€Å"The France-US Leadership Race,Closely Watched Allies,†Queens Quarterly Press (Kingston,Ontario: 2000). 6. Holmes, Stephen. â€Å"Liberalism in the Mirror of Transnational Terror† The Tocqueville Review Vol. XXII No: 2-2001Philippe Roger, quoted in John Vincour, â€Å"Why France Disdains America,† The International Herald Tribune 9 Oct. 2002 7. Kagan, Robert. â€Å"Power and Weakness.† Policy Review, No. 113. 8. Rà ©my, Daniel. Qui Veut Tuer la France? (Paris: Jaques Grancher Editeur, 1999) 9.Shapiro, Jeremy, et al. â€Å"The Role of France in the War on Terrorism.† (The Brookings Institution, 2002). 10. Vincour, John. â€Å"Why France Disdains America.† The International Herald Tribune 9 October 2002.

Poetry is often written as a result of reflecting on an intense emotional experience or a significant event

Q: Poetry is often written as a result of reflecting on an intense emotional experience or a significant event. Examine the techniques used by one poet to convey the significance of an experience or event which gave rise to a poem or a sequence of poems. â€Å"Daddy†is a very emotional poem by Sylvia Plath. She wrote it just before she committed suicide in the early 1960's. It is a very angry poem which is centred around Plath's relationship with her father, who died when she was much younger. Much of her anger and emotion arises from this event. Despite the fact that he has been dead for some time, it is still certain that she feels affected by it. The first verse of the poem creates the tone followed throughout, and helps to set the rest of the poem in context: â€Å"You do not do not do, you do not do Anymore, black shoe In which I have lived like a foot For thirty years, poor and white, Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.† Here, the poet is stating that they have â€Å"†¦lived like a foot for thirty years†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , a simile that is giving the sense that she has felt oppressed for her whole life, as living â€Å"like a foot† is a claustrophobic image, showing how she cannot break free of the â€Å"black shoe† which it is made apparent is representing her â€Å"daddy† figure. The opening line, â€Å"You do not do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is similar to how a parent would tell a child off, but the poet is reversing the role here, and so her anger at her father is shown straight away. The whole of the first verse is an extended metaphor, to convey the poet's anger at feeling trapped all of her life by the death of her father. The line â€Å"Barely daring to breathe of Achoo.† shows how this has given her a sense of claustrophobia, not being able to escape from a â€Å"black shoe† â€Å"black† appearing throughout the poem, giving connotations of evil, the poet exag gerates in order to express her feelings on her father, and her anger at his death. In verse two, she refers to him as â€Å"marble heavy, a bag full of God†, which represents how he has been weighing her down. The use of the word â€Å"God† is to give the sense that her father has been the all-powerful force in her life until now. â€Å"Daddy, I have had to kill you.† reveals the intent behind her writing the poem, to enable her to â€Å"purge† her father out of her life at last. For the poet, â€Å"Daddy† is a cathartic experience, and this is communicated to the reader because her anger is apparent in the accusing tone used, she's addressing the problems in her life and pointing the finger at him. She describes him here in the second verse as a â€Å"Ghastly statue† saying that there is something sinister about him, â€Å"statue† refers to how he has been immovable, ever-present in her life even after his death. The image of him described in verses two and three focuses on the scale of him. â€Å"One gray toe, big as a Frisco seal/And a head in the freakish Atlantic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – he is continental. It's almost as if he is too much, and the poet cannot handle the amount that she has built him up in her mind, so much that it almost takes over. But, not all of her fe elings towards her father are negative: â€Å"I used to pray to recover you, Ach, du.† The note of longing present here prevents the poem from simply becoming an angry rant, it's clear that she poet is conflicted on how to feel. The fact that she uses the German language also helps to emphasise how much he has impacted her life, as he was German-American. The tone of the poem is enhanced by the harsh, building rhythm, and the fricative language used. The rhythm builds into a sort of crescendo, and the language used contains a lot of words with an â€Å"oo† sound, similar to the word â€Å"you†, the accusation coming through, her anger at him showing. The repetition of certain words like â€Å"†¦wars,wars,wars†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"†¦ich,ich,ich,ich†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦back, back, back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  add to the marching rhythm which drives the poem. By the time we get to the heart of this long rant of a poem the imagery relating to her father deliberately becomes confused with that of Nazi atrocities. Furthermore, sometimes Plath's attitude towards her father seems to be more suited to that of a lover; how for instance she sees him as the â€Å"†¦black man who/Bit my pretty red heart in two.† The experience of her father's death had led her to identify with victims of Nazism, which could be seen as particularly self-indulgent on her part, as the comparison seems to be out of balance. â€Å"An engine, an engine Chuffing me off like a Jew. A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen. I began to talk like a Jew. I think I may well be a Jew.† And similarly, her comparisons of her father to a Nazi: â€Å"I have always been scared of you, With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo And your neat mustache, And your Aryan eye, bright blue. Panzer-man Panzer-man, O You–† This dynamic she paints of her, the victim, and her father, the oppressor is clearly an exaggeration. Her father's death, however, has made her so angry at him that she sees it fit to draw such comparisons. Her experience of her father's death has forced her to identify with Jews, oppressed by Nazis, the way she has felt oppressed by her father for her whole life. But, this aspect of the poem is juxtaposed with the poet addressing her father in an intimate way, she describes him here as a â€Å"Panzer-man†, representing the glamour of the Second World War, a sort of figure of longing. She refers to father as â€Å"daddy† – â€Å"You stand at the blackboard, daddy/In the picture I have of you.† This emphasises how she has been unable to move on, he has never become a â€Å"father† to her, he is frozen in time as her â€Å"daddy†, although he is still a figure of authority to her. It is because of this inability to move on from the death of her father that she states she has â€Å"made a model† of him, in her husband, â€Å"A man in black with a Meinkampf look.† It's almost as if her husband has been a substitute for her father being absent in her life, and in the end, he does her no good either, she says he â€Å"drank my blood for a year.† referring to how he drained life from her, and in marrying a man that reminds her of her father, it did not offer a solution at all. The poem acts as a way of exorcising her father from her life, but she also refers to her husband in this aspect – â€Å"If I've killed one man I've killed two.†, the poem has been a stake through the heart of both her â€Å"daddy† figure and her husband, referenced to in the last verse (â€Å"There's a stake in your fat black heart† – the poem is the stake, it has killed him). By the end of the poem when she claims â€Å"Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.†, it can be interpreted in more than one way. The first, that she is through with her â€Å"daddy† that she has exorcised him from her life at last. But secondly, that it has been too much, that the burden has killed her – Sylvia Plath committed suicide soon after the poem was written. â€Å"Daddy† is full of emotion. It allows the poet to exorcise her father from her life, and so it is conflicted and features anger, love and the accusing tone highlights the poet's feelings towards her father, how she hates him for his death early in her life, but there are hints of longing throughout. The Nazi imagery used in the poem could be said to be self-indulgent of the poet, but it is perhaps justified in that she has carried the burden of mourning for her father for the majority of her life. The poet shows her father as an evil figure, so it is easy for the reader to sympathise with her, although it is important to remember that the image she paints of him is exaggerated and so the only â€Å"bad† thing he did was to die too early in Plath's life. And so, the poem could be interpreted as a rant at her dead father, but to the poet, he's been present in her mind throughout her life, and â€Å"Daddy† was how she was able to rid herself of him.

South African Breweries Essay Example

South African Breweries Essay Example South African Breweries Essay South African Breweries Essay In 2001 South African Breweries (SAB) finds itself as the fifth largest brewer in the world. SAB has brewing operations in 21 different countries around the world with an annual output of 77 million hectolitres of beer. South African Breweries also holds a chain of 77 Southern Sun hotels throughout Southern Africa and also owns three casinos.( sabmiller.com/ ) South African Breweries (SAB) has grown on the basis of its strength in developing markets, first in Africa and then in other parts of the world. SAB has become one of the major beer and beverage companies in the world. It was registered in London by a syndicate of investors from the UK and South Africa in 1895. Castle Large was launched in Johannesburg in 1898 and in same year SAB was listed on the London stock exchange. In South Africa, SAB leads the beer market with Castl Larger. However, its wider portfolio included: * SAB: beer- south Africa and continental Africa with breweries for both larger and sorghum and brands such as Castle, Carling Black Lable, hansa Pilsner, Lion, Amstel, Heineken, Hoftbrau, Dakota Ice and 24 other brands. * SABI Asia: breweries in china and India; with 18 major beer brands in China and purified water and Soya milk. * SAB Europe: breweries in the Canary Island, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia and brands including Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast, Keller, Ursus, Redds, lech and Tyskie. * Other beverage interests: butting plants in Africa of spring water, soft drinks, juices and sparkling water, including the Coca-Cola, Schweppes, and Appetiser range. * Southern Sun hotels (77 hotels throughout Southern Africa) and 3 casinos. ( Jonson, G Scholes, K, 2002 PG 898) The 1998 annual report of SAB explained the Groups strategy: SABs International focus has been on countries in which it believes it could use it expertise, which has been gained over 100 yeas in south Africa, to develop beer markets in emerging economies. SAB has invested significantly in its core business, and has commenced brewing operation in a future 5 African countries, 3 Chinese provinces, and 4 Eastern European countries since 1995. SAB intends to continue to protect and further develop its South Africa operation This start with upgrading quality and consistency to create a beer for which people are prepared to pay more and which can give us a healthy profit margin. Then comes improvement to marketing and distribution. Next we improve productivity and capacity South Africa was the original market for SAB and remains centrally important. However, here, the company had experienced mixed fortunes. In 2000 it had suffered a2 per cent decline in volume, but could report an increase in its margins as a result of continuing productivity initiatives. The main reason for the downturn was the domestic situation in South Africa, and in particular a switch in consumer spending. The proportion of disposable income which the average south African spends on beverage and tobacco has fallen steadily since 1992.the normalisation theory suggests that this shift in consumer expenditure will continue as a higher proportion of discretionary expenditure moves from immediate gratification to self-improvement. According to the SABs, in the meantime, we continue to work hard to increase our market share in the total south African liquor market by making beer the alcoholic drink of first choice for more people primarily through better channel segmentation, distribution and promotions. Our percentage share of the total liquor market is in the mid-50s, so there is scope for future increase. SABI operated in 13 other countries in Africa. In many African countries, SABs South African brands, particularly Castle Larger, are already known and are used by SABIA is currently pursuing a strategy to make Castel Larger the first pan-African beer. Castel larger is currently brewed in 10 African countries. SABIAs strategy is to invest in African countries with lo per capital beer consumption but where SAB believes there is growth potential. SABIA have pursued a policy of expansion into other African states by acquisition and by establishing Greenfield breweries China is second largest beer market in the world in terms of consumption and is currently growing at over 10 per cent per annum. SAB now sells over eight million hectolitres; last year we grew by 38 per cent. China is a fragmented market of around 200 million hectolitres a year, which vast potential for SAB the aim in china is to develop the quality end of the mainstream brand sector. This allow SAB to keep the cost of capital expenditure down and avoid the expensive marketing programmes characteristic of area such as Beijing and Shanghai, where competition is intense. SABIEs strategy has been to invest in countries whose markets are developing from state-run economies to market economies, which typically leads to increased consumer demand. Due in part to the previous state ownership of many breweries and associated business, there had been a lack of capital investment in plans and distribution system, and many of the working practices were inefficient and outdated. SABIE seeks to identify existing operations where, by upgrading brewery and distribution infrastructures and augmenting the operations with SABIE management skills, it can improve marketing, product quality, and productivity so as to increase market share and profitability. Operations in each country are run autonomously SAB completed renovation and construction of its brewery at Kaluga, south west of Moscow, in just eight months and launched its own brand Golden Barrel. This brand has now provided such a great success that the Kaluga brewerys capacity is being expanded from 480,000 to 1.4 million hectolitres is planned. In addition to Golden Barrel brand our portfolio will include a number of foreign brands brewed under licence, such as Staropraman, Holsten Premium and Miller Genuine Draft. In 1999 SAB merged the two beer companies which it controlled jointly with Euro Agro Centrum to create a single company Kompania Piwowarska SAB, bewaring three Polish brand this merger enabled SAB to create a unified brand portfolio, increase productivity, and make saving on aspects of the business ranging from 24 hour operations to distribution synergies. In Hungary SAB had well-established brands, including Dreher, but the market was fiercely competitive and there had been a considerable switch away from alcoholic drink and a consequent decline in beer consumption. SAB had reduced its production capacity in 1999 by closing one of its two breweries and by 2000 was in the process of reducing its distribution centres from 18 to 9. Many commentators believed that for a brewery of its size SAB needed to have a major brand in developed markets. It had tired to do so. It had attempted to acquire bass brewers but this was taken by Interbrew of Belgium. Kronenbourg had been acquired by Scottish Newcastle. And it was known that ASB was on the lookout for such a major brand. In recent years SAB has committed significant resources both to international acquisitions and to the reconstruction of acquired business. SAB intended to continue to protect and further develop its SA operations, while investing for growth in its international beer business, where a profitable base, with critical mass in selected developing markets and regions, has now been achieved. Incremental growth, both organic and through acquisition, is being pursued aggressively. It also SAB gave an attentiona to the e-commerce marketing by creating a web site with Microsoft Company. The SAB acquisition of the US brand Miller may create an opportunity for marketing its established brands in the worlds largest market, but it has also been necessary to consolidate the position of the famous names in local markets. Hence the creation of the Castle lager Web site (www.castlelager.co.za). Flexibility was just one concern for SAB, says Warren. The Castle lager site is both interactive users can submit their own pictures for snap competitions, for example and transactional. A number of Castle-brand merchandise products can be ordered via the site. Another advantage for SAB is the depth of Microsoft skills among their own staff, as well as the obvious ease with which Content Management Server integrates with the companys existing Microsoft server products. The strategic position that SAB has chosen to follow is to continue to protect and further develop its South African operations, whilst investing for growth in its international beer business, where a profitable base, with critical mass in selected developing markets and regions has been achieved, incremental growth, both organic and through acquisitions is being pursued aggressively.( Johnson, G Scholes, K ,2002 PG 898) South African Breweries has chosen to follow an aggressive strategic business plan in its overseas ventures, based on market expansion. SAB takes a share in a brewery with a local partner and whilst retaining the brand, transforms the business by upgrading the quality and consistency of the beer, for which people are prepared to pay more, thus giving a healthy profit margin. Once SAB has acquired an initial local strong hold they then advance into regions beyond the brewerys original catchment area. They continue to build initial mass in the region and progress over time to a national basis. Many believe that for a Brewery the size of South African Breweries and with such international presence the company needs to have a major brand in the developed markets. Whilst in South Africa there is a strong presence of the Beer, Castle lager and of other such alcoholic fruit juices, there is little brand recognition in countries such as Europe or China. SAB has attempted in the past to acquire a leading brand but has failed. They had attempted to acquire Bass Brewers but this was taken by Interbrew of Belgium, Kronenbourg had been acquired by Scottish Newcastle. The directors of SAB believed that the listing of south African Breweries on the London Stock Exchange would put SAB in a strong position to pursue its strategy of growth by giving the group greater access to world capital markets and providing it with the financial resources and flexibility to pursue this strategy in an effective and competitive manner.( Jonson, G Scholes, K, 2002 PG 898) South African Breweries concentrates its targeting on the mainstream, rather than the premium beer market. There are concerns in parts of Africa that the castle brand is insufficiently differentiated and was caught in the middle. Premium brands such as Heineken or Amstel are not much more expensive then Castle larger, whilst Sorghum beer, often drunk in townships was a good deal cheaper and positioned Castle as a premium beer in relation to it. South African Breweries already has an established portfolio of businesses across the world (excluding new ventures with Miller and central America). There has been volume growth and improved margins in South Africa, Europe, Africa and Asia. South African Breweries must therefore, improve the promotional aspect of their company if they are to see increased profits. SAB is struggling to achieve a perfect correlation between price and quality as the cost of raw materials is becoming greater and they have encountered increased energy and selling costs. sabmiller.com/results/annual2003/index.asp SAB could continue to operate as separate business units across the world with different brands, different niche markets and different marketing plans or they could integrate the business into a single organisation with a well-differentiated brand. They would then have to create divisions around the target markets (e.g. geographically) or centred on consumer groups (e.g. by age group). Whatever the strategy South African Breweries chooses to adopt they need to identify the bases of competitive advantage, which will arise from an understanding of both markets and customers. South African Breweries needs to understand what a particular customer requires from their product and how they differ between segments. For example, the Castle Larger was poorly differentiated in parts of Africa. The beer didnt hold the prestige that some of the more quality beers did such as Heineken or Amstel and was much more expensive then the cheaper beer Sorghum that was drunk in many townships. South African Breweries needs to be able to predict possible scenarios in the emerging market for at least 5-10 years time, sharing and debating these scenarios improves organisational learning by making managers more perceptive about the forces in the business environment and what is really important.( Jonson, G Scholes, K, 2002 PG 107). There is no point in just waiting for a future event to happen and then implementing a strategy South African Breweries needs to be aware that the average beer drinker is becoming more fashion conscious. According to a report by Audience selection by Mintel Reports in the UK, this millennium 55% of the 18-24 year olds expected to be drinking more than usual. Research has shown that the 18-34 year old age groups share of purchasing beer has grown from 71% in 1997 to 85% in 1999, which again emphasises how critical the brewers advertising and imagery must be in this sector. Todays generations are growing up in a larger-orientated environment which means the shift to larger should continue in the long term.( Mintel International Group LTD, 2003). South African Breweries should adopt they must develop a strong business plan comprising of five key stages. Which are; Segmentation of the market, develop a strong marketing mix concentrating on the 4ps, product, price, promotion and place. PESTEL Analysis of the macro-environment, political, economic, sociological, technological, ecological and legal, recognise the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities (SWOT) of the company, predict Future scenarios and market trends Beer drinkers purchase frequently and quickly becomes brand loyal switching only when there is a more competitively priced product or promotion. SAB needs to step up the brand image especially in continental Europe and the United Kingdom where the company is still relatively unknown. SAB needs to think carefully about where they are going to sell their product, supermarkets, off-licences, the Internet, Wholesalers. They have to be aware that selling in supermarkets is extremely competitive and from time to time they will have to run promotions. SAB must understand that here in the UK a rule of thumb is that at least à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1million per year is required to achieve impact in a national advertising campaign.( Jobber D, 2001, PG 19) South African Breweries should choose to follow the hybrid strategy. The success of this strategy will be evident when the company is able to deliver enhanced value in terms of customer needs, whilst also having a cost base that permits low prices and is sufficient for reinvestment to maintain and develop bases of differentiation. SAB is already a worldwide organisation with a growing presence. This strategy would work well for the company if they are able to achieve much greater volumes then the competition, the low selling prices will be offset. The hybrid strategy also works very well with entry into new markets. As SAB has a strong history of foreign acquisitions this will help them ultimately take share, divert the attention of the competitor, and establish a foothold from which they could move forward. (Jonson, G Scholes, K, 2002, PG 328) SAB is not yet developed in the majority developed countries or created international brands, SAB Miller needs to create an international brand after the several mergers and acquisitions it has done. The African heritage could be considered as a weakness for SAB Miller SAB has been following the acquisition strategy for many of years, to be able to expand geographically and also diversify its operations in different sectors. Although, we are assuming that SAB has been able to generate a high rate of retained earnings and/or access to debt agreements with financial institutions, the ability to improve the marketing and distribution channels of its acquired businesses, underline the financial power of SAB. Since the mission of the group is to be a world class manufacturer and deliver high quality beer, the strategy used by SAB is appropriate. SAB has been able to gain a significant market share and improve its quality by not only acquiring different companies around the globe, but by having a decentralized marketing and sales group within each country. This strategy has also helped it to increase the economies of scale by effectively utilizing its capacity and productive methods. SAB, has been using its resources and capabilities as effectively as possible in order to follow and attain its strategies SAB has achieved to establish a global business network. By doing so, the company increases its turnover and its profits, which without doubt satisfies stakeholders expectations. Thats why they should support the pursue of the strategy even if they feel insecure about certain acquisitions.

What Makes Truckers Stick with a Company

What Makes Truckers Stick with a Company Recent surveys conducted in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, showed that drivers, ranging from their early 20s  to 60+, stayed with one company an average of 5.73 years and were spending 2.61 weeks away from home on average each trip. In an industry where employers tend to focus on turnover rather than retention, it was an unexpected shift towards what trucking companies tend to forget about- that loyalty is its own reward. The company’s surveys found that the majority of drivers value â€Å"a respectful, friendly, understanding, and kind† environment, followed closely by independence. Practices that incited loyalty included listening to suggestions, providing incentives, and covering benefits.Top companies for retention include:Motor Carrier Service (Ohio), which issues a driver scorecard and asks drivers for input before releasing it. Managers also work closely with drivers to implement suggestions and critiques.Interstate Distributor (Washington), which  focuses on ethics and leadership, features consistency throughout its operations, and has retained 55% of its drivers for more than 5 years.Fremont Contract Carriers (Nebraska), which  surveys its drivers frequently, and provides clear responsive adjustments based on driver feedback.

Muslim Australians in Islamic Banking Research Paper

Muslim Australians in Islamic Banking - Research Paper Example In the next section, the author describes his survey. He explains the procedure he undertook that started from the selection of 300 Muslim Australians that included only those who (a) came from a Muslim background, and were practicing Muslims, (b) currently owned a bank account in Australia, (c) were interested in Islamic banking products, and (d) gainfully employed. He then distributed to them a questionnaire consisting of yes and no questions. Based on the answers, he modeled the probability of observing a 1 i.e. a 'yes' answer, as a function of F. In the subsequent sections, following regression analysis on the data, he tabulated the results obtained into different formations making it very easily interpretable by anybody reading the paper. To further clarify the tabulated data, he extensively analyses the results pointing out important findings from the research and drawing conclusions from it. The last two sections of the research namely, Implications and Conclusions respectively, summarize the results of the paper and include the different view points and misunderstandings of the Muslim Australians with regards to the concept of profit-and-loss sharing Islamic banking products. This is an excellent ... ning the author's attempt to determine the willingness of the Australian Muslims to purchase profit-and-loss sharing Islamic banking products instead of opting for earnings from interest which, according to Islamic laws, is forbidden. The sample size in the research should have been bigger as the selected sample of 300 Australian Muslims that only makes up about 0.11% of the population, (considering a population of more than 281,000 Australian Muslims at the time of survey) would not rightly justify any sweeping statement given from the obtained results. However, the author's critical analysis through out the paper, backed by mathematical procedures, is inspiring and convincing enough for the reader to believe in what the paper concludes. The introduction section gives a brief overview of why the research was conducted and what the paper is about. The author introduces the concept of interest-free banking providing a brief history of its evolvement. He explains in it, the necessity of having banks providing interest free profit-and-loss sharing products to cater the growing population of Muslims in Australia as it would be beneficial not only for the Australian Muslims but also for the banks that should the growing needs for customized services for people. In the next section, the author introduces some terminologies associated with Islamic banking. The terms have been clearly and precisely explained for the reader. This section enlightens the reader about different forms of Islamic banking. Following in this well structured paper is the Methodology section which explicitly explains to the reader the research method adopted. The author superfluously states the focus of the research. A sample of 300 Muslims was chosen and given a questionnaire to be filled. The

INFOSYSTEMS SLP3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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On the composer Handel - Research Paper Example Not only the uniqueness of his music but peoples attitude and his popularity made him an important figure of the Baroque period. In fact, this period left a significant imprint on his life as well as career, and it can be traced both in his biography and works. First of all, it is Handels biography that shows he is a representative of a period in which he was living. During the Baroque period, there were two main factors that influenced composers and their music: location and money, with the latter being, perhaps, the most important one. In order to be able to compose music and be heard, composers needed patrons who could support and put them forward as well as sponsor them. In life and work of Handel, such sponsors performed a very important role. The first person who influenced Handels future was the Duke of Saxe-Weisenfels. Despite the fact that he did not support the future composer materially, it was he who recognized the fact that music was Handels true mission even though Handels father felt like his son becoming a lawyer. The Duke once said to the composers father, â€Å"for his own part, he could not but consider it is a sort of a crime against the public to rob the world of such a Genius!† (Kivy 40). It was after Handels v isit to the court of Saxe-Weisenfels that he started taking lessons in playing the organ at Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (Kivy 40-41). Handel traveled a lot and during his traveling he met quite a significant number of influential people, many of whom were charmed by the composers talent. He spent about four years in Italy (1706-1710) as he was invited there by Prince Ferdinando de Medici of Florence. In Italy, Handel enjoyed great attention of music-loving prelates, such as Cardinal Pamphili and Cardinal Ottoboni. Not only they but other representatives of both aristocracy and clergy were eager to invite Handel to perform music at their palaces for they recognized his talent. Among such people were the Hanoverian Prince Ernst

Group Work vs Alone Essay Example for Free

Group Work vs Alone Essay You could receive useful feedback from group members, and shorten the amount of time you might have originally spent on the project if you had worked alone. Contrary to popular belief, there most certainly is an I in team. It is the same I that appears three times in responsibility. ~Amber Harding When you work in group you will be able to assign each member job that will help the project because of their specialization in that area of expertise, like shy person wouldn’t want to be the presenter and a terrible writer wouldn’t want to have the job of writing down everything. Using each person’s skills and talent to the group’s advantage will make the work easier; everyone has different strengths and can contribute something positive to the group. When all the skills are combined it creates new approaches to solving a problem with better results than if you were to work alone. When working in a group its best to make sure everyone has a job to do so at the end you would know who the slackers were and it’s also important to know your job so at the end of the project there’s no mix up’s at the end causing the entire group to start the project over again. Team means Together Everyone Achieves More! ~Author Unknown When you work in a group you will be able to receive feedback on what you’re doing and help to make the project as a whole better. When you’re working in a group it’s easier to improve your ideas than when you work alone, because you’ll think the idea is really good until someone in your group helps you make the idea better.

Selective Oestrogen Receptor Molecules (SERM)

Selective Oestrogen Receptor Molecules (SERM) Lucy Perry Perry Pharma Development Pipeline Introduction: Perry Pharma Research Development (PP-RD) has been investigating Selective Oestrogen Receptor Molecules (SERM) for potential development that will be effective in both breast and uterine cancer as part of its drug pipeline. Early clinical testing of PKWT and PKWX, for which PP holds Australian patents (66633 –PKWT and 44455 – PKWX) for, indicates significant improvement in their selectivity, clinical outcomes and safety profiles when compared to the current SERMs. Thus, providing an assessment of the development considerations including efficacy, safety, therapeutic indications and potential market share would aid PP in making decisions concerning the development of these molecules. This information is now vital due to a potential infringement of patent 66633 – PKWT, by HCH who manufacture ‘Tamax’, and are about to launch the successor ‘Pro-tam’. PP-RD has analysed samples of ‘Pro-tam’, which has been identified as PKWT. Because of the impending launch, PP-Legal is including recommendations for dealing with this infringement within this review. Selective Oestrogen Receptor Modulators Cancers that grow in response to oestrogen are termed ‘ER-positive’. Oestrogen receptor positive cancers growth is modulated by oestrogen binding at the oestrogen receptor (ER). These ER are located in breast, bone, central nervous system and uterine tissues. SERMs action in the body is through agonism or antagonism at the ER, leading to both positive and negative effects depending on the tissue site. Antagonism of the ER and blocking of the action of oestrogen in a specific tissue such as the breast or uterus is responsible for anti-cancer action of a SERM (Fabian 2005, Maximov 2013). PP is interested in developing PKWT and PKWX for these ER-positive cancers. Treatment of ER-positive cancer: ER positive cancers are one of the most common forms of breast cancer subtype (ACS 2014a). SERMs are used as primary, combination or adjuvant therapy for cancers expressing the ER receptor (Yilmaz 2013, ACOG 2014, Sledge 2014). Compound choice is dependent on the patient population, and the associated treatment period may last up to 10 years (ACOG 2014, Sledge 2014). In uterine and endometrial cancers SERMs are less utilized, (Burke 2003, ACS 2014b,c). Tamoxifen has shown some efficacy, however the Product Information does not list endometrial and uterine cancer within the indications; these are included in the Precautions section (eBS 2014, ACS 2014b, c). Highly selective SERMs are being developed to reduce off target action and improve safety profile, through exploiting the receptor subtypes. (Jordan 2004, Maximov 2013). However biological agent based therapies for breast and uterine cancers (Fabian 2005) make the future for SERMs unclear. Issues in the development of PKWT PKWX: Indications: PP needs to be strategic in the selection of indications to pursue. This will dictate not only the size of the treatable population and the amount of clinical data required for the registration dossier but also potential return on investment. It will also play a significant part in whether the compounds are listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) PKWT and PKWX both have shown high selectivity as well as good safety and clinical outcomes in women of all ages compared to current SERMs and establish these compounds within an already crowded market. First, PP can position development of a ‘one tablet for both breast and uterine indications for all ages’. Although this will mean a complex and costly clinical development plan, it entails a potentially a larger population to treat due to the wider indications. Second, PP may take a different approach aiming for a specific indication such as the ER positive breast cancer in post-menopausal women, but limiting the treatable population. It is worth noting importantly that there are no SERMs with approved indications for uterine or endometrial cancer, despite phase II trials (Munster 2006), which indicates a potential gap in the market. PP could launch the first SERMs indicated for ER-positive uterine cancer. PP will need rates of ER positive uterine cancer to determine the available market to ensure return on investment and determine any potential competition through patent searches. The third option is to enter the market leveraging the structural novelty of PKWX active metabolite, with improved outcomes and safety. This may provide a compelling case for prescribers to switch treatment options. Efficacy PKWT and PKWX have both shown good clinical outcomes for both breast and uterine cancer. They are also highly selective, which is an important consideration so that off-target action is minimised which responsible for the safety profile of the current SERMs (discussed in Safety section) A consideration for prescribers is the secondary effects of oestrogen treatment. SERMs have been shown to be effective against osteoporosis, keeping lipid profiles favourable, aiding in the reduction in symptoms of menopause, cardio-protectivity and risk prevention of cancer (Maximov 2013, Munster 2006, Pickar 2010). PKWT and PKWX must show some of these positive secondary effects to be competitive. Prescribers will not switch to SERMs which can lead to the same outcome but leave a patient worse off e.g. from loss of bone minerals or exacerbation of menopausal symptoms. Length of treatment with SERMs such as Tamoxifen can be up to 10 years to ensure optimal clinical outcomes for patient (ACOG 2014). PP needs to investigate whether PKWT or PKWX requires the same significant period of treatment to achieve clinical outcomes. Safety Due to the pharmacological action of SERM’s acting as either agonists or antagonists at the ER, negative secondary effects can occur. SERMs safety profile includes development of endometrial abnormalities, increased risk of endometrial cancers, pulmonary venous thromboembolism’s and increased incidence of stroke (Pickar 2010, Qin 2013). PKWT PKWX have been found to have better safety profiles, due to the higher selectivity for breast and uterine ER’s, both acting as antagonists at these receptors. Tamoxifen has agonistic properties at uterine tissue which is linked to its use increasing the risk of uterine/endometrial cancers (Yilmaz 2013). However no information has been provided on the adverse event profile known to date and no animal data on long term use associated with treatment length of current SERMs. Market Share and Market Advantage: ‘Tamax’ is a recognised brand, (first patented 1978) with an established market; it is now the preferred treatment for breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. ‘Pro-tam’ which has reportedly an improved safety profile over the originator ‘Tamax’, already has an established brand and market. PP may become a direct competitor and will require a significant point of difference to change prescribing habits of clinicians. The market advantage within the breast cancer treatment arena may be the improved safety and clinical outcome; however PP needs to consider whether it wants to produce a ‘me-too’ compound. As a SERM to treat uterine cancer specifically, it would be a first. PP should consider pursuing compounds specifically into this new market, especially if there is the added advantage of treating breast cancer. Again PP should consider the structural novelty of the PKWX metabolite as well as improved safety and clinical outcome as a market advantage to attract clinicians and gain some ground in the ER-positive breast cancer market. Regions in which Tamax has been launched needs to be obtained, so PP can determine if there are any new markets, and if there are regional specific factors such as the PBS. Pricing strategy and treatment indications will be important in these markets. Investment Costs As part of the review process there needs to consideration of the level of return on investment. PP need to be sure that if development goes forward they have a treatable population and potential to gain market share or market advantage. PP may wish to consider attempting to out-license the compounds if the development costs prove too much of an investment. Legal: PP-Legal has flagged potential PKWT patent infringement by HCH. The associated legal proceedings may add significant costs to the development budget and also effect development timelines. ‘Pro-tam’: Potential Patent Infringement? HCH is launching ‘Pro-tam’, a prodrug that is claimed to be metabolised into ‘Tamax’. PP-RD have analysed the metabolite and found it to be PKWT. PP-Legal advises pursuing this as a potential infringement by HCH on the PKWT patent and to ensure appropriate legal action is taken to avoid any adverse impact on further development of PKWT. PP-Legal have suggested undertaking the following steps: Review the ‘Pro-tam’ priority date to ensure that it is dated after the PKWT priority date (25 April 2002). If the ‘Pro-tam’ patent does have a priority date prior to 25 April 2002: PP-Legal will review the ‘Pro-tam’ patent to determine any grounds to challenge its validity or navigate around the patent. Applying for a patent on PKWT for uterine cancer. This will require negotiation of a licensing agreement with HCH. PP transfers its efforts to the development of the more novel PKWX. If the patent for ‘Pro-tam’ was lodged after the priority date for PKWT, PP has grounds to pursue patent infringement and attempt to block the ‘Pro-tam’ launch by lodging a request for an interlocutory injunction. This will allow PP to restrain the allegedly infringing actions by HCH until settled in court (IP Australia 2012). The justification would be based on the ‘Pro-tam’ patent not meeting the novelty criteria as the chemical structure of ‘Pro-tam’ is listed as part of the PKWT claim scope (IP Australia 2012). HCH legally can patent the prodrug, but at the point of metabolism, the PKWT patent is infringed. PP-Legal have previously determined PKWT does not exist in published prior art. A patent on a prodrug and its metabolites is only valid if all conditions of patent validity are met. The ‘Pro-tam’ active metabolite structures should therefore be captured in the claims. If the PKWT structure is not listed and the PP-RD can provide evidence that PKWT is the active metabolite, there are grounds to claim falsification of aspects of the patent, as HCH has not disclosed all claim details into the public domain, thus invalidating the patent (IP Australia 2012). Here the emphasis is on HCH proving the case otherwise. PP-Legal suggests creating a further portfolio of surrounding patents for maximum protection of PP intellectual property and allow for further development of the SERM pipeline. The ‘Tamax’ patent has since lapsed, however, for completeness, PP-Legal have provided potential actions for PP to still patent PKWT if the Tamax patent was still valid. The original patent claimed a single isomer structure, which is not PKWT, nor was it described as racemic. The existence of other isomers was not common knowledge at the time of the patent application so HCH were likely unaware that the structure listed in the claim scope had isomers. Between 1996 2000 journal articles were published discussing the discovery of isomers of compounds that may confer improved efficacy and safety profiles. Despite these articles being in the public domain, HCH did not move to patent any potential isomers of ‘Tamax’. If a compound is described as a racemic mix in the aspects and that patent is challenged, court rulings in previous legal cases have stated that it is considered common knowledge that racemic mixtures may contain isomers with different properties and that it is obvious to try to separate these. Considering this information, PP could move to patent the PKWT isomer, on the basis that Existence of different isomers of compounds was not common knowledge at the time of the original ‘Tamax’ patent so the argument of obviousness that the patent would cover the PKWT isomer cannot be made by HCH (IP Australia 2012). If HCH had claimed a generalised formula for ‘Tamax’ type compounds, PP would be infringing (Harris 2013). Information on differences in efficacy and safety of undiscovered isomers has been in the public domain since 1996 and HCH still did not move to patent any isomers. Separation of isomers is possible by skilled practitioners since technological advancements have occurred. Conditions of patent validity can be met by PP – PKWT is novel as it is not described in prior art, it is inventive in that it requires a person skilled in the art (i.e. not obvious) to separate the isomers and it is potentially useful in treating disease (IP Australia 2012). Development Recommendations: PP needs to consider which indications to pursue –as it will affect the size and cost of the clinical development programme. The improved clinical outcome and safety, as well as selectivity, can provide market advantage in both indications. However, a breast cancer ‘me-too’ drug may not be successful in obtaining a PBS listing which is crucial to success of a medicine in the Australian market. The PKWT patent infringement proceedings may affect development schedules and add significant cost. Whereas PKWX has a novel structure that is not subject to patent infringement, so this may be the better compound to pursue to avoid the legal route Word Count 2118 References American Cancer Society (2014a) Breast Cancer http://www.cancer.org/> (Accessed Aug2014) American Cancer Society (2014b) Uterine Cancer http://www.cancer.org/> (Accessed Aug2014) American Cancer Society (2014c) Endometrial Cancer http://www.cancer.org/> (Accessed Aug2014) American College of Obstetricians Gynaecologists (2014) Committee Opinion – Tamoxifen and Uterine Cancer. www.acog.org> (Accessed Aug2014) Burke TW Walker CL (2003) Arzoxifene as therapy for endometrial cancer Gynaecologic Oncology 90 (2003) S40–S46. (Accessed Aug2014) eBS (2014) TGA Nolvadex Product Information. Astra Zeneca 2013 https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au (Accessed Aug2014) Fabian CJ Kimler BF (2005) Selective Estrogen-Receptor Modulators for Primary Prevention of Breast. CancerJ Clin Oncol 23:1644-1655 (Accessed Aug2014) Harris, T., Nicol, D., Gruen, N. 2013 Pharmaceutical Patents Review Report. Commonwealth Government of Australia.http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/pdfs/2013-05-27_PPR_Final_Report.pdf> (Accessed Aug2014) IP Australia (2012) Pharmaceutical Patents Review: Background issues and suggested Issues Paper. Commonweath Government of Australia www.ipaustralia.gov.au/pdfs/Background_and_Suggested_Issues_Paper_PharmaReview.pdf> (Accessed Aug2014) Jordan VC (2004) Selective estrogen receptor modulation Concept and consequences in cancer. Cancer Cell Volume 5, Issue 3, p207–213. (Accessed Aug2014) Maximov PY,Lee TM,Jordan VC (2013) The discovery and development of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) for clinical practice. Curr Clin Pharmacol.2013 May;8(2):135-55 (Accessed Aug2014) Munster PN (2006) Arzoxifene: the development and clinical outcome of an ideal SERM. Drug Evaluation March 2006, Vol. 15, No. 3 , Pages 317-326. (Accessed Aug2014) McMeekin DS, Gordon A, Fowler J, Melemed A, Buller R, Burke T, Bloss J, Sabbatini P (2003) A phase II trial of arzoxifene, a selective estrogen response modulator, in patients with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer. Gynecologic Oncology 90 (2003) 64–69. (Accessed Aug2014) Qin T, Yuan ZY, Peng RJ, Zeng YD, Shi YX, Teng XY, Liu DG, Bai B Wang SS (2013) Efficacy andtolerability of toremifene and tamoxifen therapy in premenopausal patients with operable breast cancer: a retrospective analysis. Curr Oncol, Vol. 20, pp. 196-204; (Accessed Aug2014) Pickar JH, MacNeil T Ohleth K (2010) SERMs: Progress and future perspectives Maturitas Volume 67, Issue 2, Pages 129-138, October 2010 (Accessed Aug2014) Sledge GW, Mamounas EP, Hortobagyi GN, Burstein HJ, Goodwin PJ Wolff AC, (2014) Past, Present, and Future Challenges in Breast Cancer Treatment Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 32, No 19 (July 1), 2014: pp 1979-1986 (Accessed Aug2014) Yilmaz S,Gà ¶nenà § IM,Yilmaz E (2014) Genotoxicity of the some selective estrogen receptor modulators: a review. Cytotechnology.2014 Aug; 66(4):533-41.(Accessed Aug2014) Personal Reflection Starting this assignment I had no real knowledge of SERMs- I had a basic understanding of the use of tamoxifen so building background knowledge was a prompt learning curve. However, such events are to be expected in all professional practice and simply enable improvement. When I think about the writing and the researching of this assignment, I can say that I found the intellectual property section the most challenging and intellectually stimulating area, as it resonated with my detail oriented nature and love of deconstructing/reconstructing events and processes. I enjoyed the researching of case law and the practicalities of patents. I always enjoy doing the literature searches and review of papers, and the chance to delve into the legal terminology pushed me outside my comfort zone. The drug development side of the assignment was not so interesting to me. I would put this down to the word limit not really allowing for much exploration of the area. I would have liked to explore market share and the epidemiological basis and strategy of selecting an indication/s for these compounds in a much more detailed review. Because of my work sits strongly in the population health area, this early end of the development pathway is not really something that I am asked to consider often. However from the viewpoint of building a personal knowledge base and being able to provide answers to my direct reports regarding the drug development process in a more holistic manner, this assignment has been of help. Search Strategy Keyword Wildcard Search: PubMed Google Scholar SERM, oestrogen receptor modulator, ER breast cancer, ER uterine cancer, ER endometrial cancer, tamoxifen, hormonal cancer, Obtained literature centred on these wild card searches. Reviewed the literature to build a knowledge base to write the first half of the assignment. Reviewed 9128 course notes to finalise ideas. Keyword Wildcard search: Google Google Scholar Pharmaceutical Patents, enantiomer patents, isomer patents, isomer legal cases, patent portfolios, patent law Australia, pharmaceutical patent cases Australia, intellectual property law Australia, Obviousness, inventiveness. Obtained literature and websites centred around these wildcard searches, Reviewed the literature to build understanding of IP law and previous case law. Referred back to Australian IP law to check proposal was sound. Reviewed 9128 course notes to finalise ideas.