The Unfortunate Mindset Of A Patient With Anorexia

â€Å"I just want to be someone, to mean something to someone,† -Charlotte Eriksson. This quote shows the unfortunate mindset of a patient with anorexia. Meaning something to someone is exactly what people strive for, and society leads these people to believe that if they become skinnier, they will become successful, happy, and popular. Unfortunately, society does ties these concepts together far too much. In present-day society, there is so much pressure to look perfect. Sadly, heavier people tend to be looked over or underestimated simply because of their weight. Perfectionism is a definite way to get an eating disorder like anorexia. Most people with anorexia have had an anxiety disorder before their eating disorder, and this is no coincidence. Society controls and pressures people into needing to have the perfect body, so people begin to have negative feelings about themselves and resort to eating disorders like anorexia. Unrealistic Body Image Unrealistic body images in our society are one of the main causes of anorexia. Society puts an immense emphasis on an ultra skinny and fit-looking body, tying looking slim to being successful and happy. However, this body image is impossible to achieve and is quixotic. Because of the impossibility of society’s body image, girls start starving themselves to get society’s â€Å"‘ideal figure†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Acadia Healthcare). People are told that if one works hard enough, they can have this body, too (Time Inc). According to an online source,Show MoreRelatedThe Biggest Loser : Are They Really?1586 Words   |  7 Pages2014) The Biggest Loser: Are They Really? In a world where â€Å"graphic t-shirts with the words â€Å"eat less† [are sold]† (Mulliniks) in popular stores marketed for teenagers, where â€Å"children as young as 5 years old have been treated in hospitals for anorexia† (Touhy), and where studies have found â€Å"that the fashion industry is a significant influence on a woman s identity† (Monitor s Editorial Board). It is clear that we live in a society that corresponds it’s definition of beauty to the definitionsRead MorePrescription Opioid And Illegal Drug Abuse Essay2170 Words   |  9 Pagesout that OxyContin has extreme addictive properties. It became one of the most abused prescription drugs to date and is estimated to cause 100,000 annual drug-related deaths worldwide (Scruggs). How can doctors, who pledge to do no harm to their patients, prescribe them addictive painkillers? It could be that some of them were oblivious to the opioid epidemic altogether. Celine Grounder, a physician and public-health specialist, helps to explain this phenomenon. In her article â€Å"Who is Responsible

The Disaster Planning Or Management - 1847 Words

Although there were numerous predictions that a category 4 or 5 could hit New Orleans, very little disaster planning or management was accomplished before Katrina hit in August 2005 (Lalwani, et al., 2007, p10). After Katrina made landfall August 29th, several sections of the levee system collapsed including levees protecting the Ninth Ward (Lalwani, et al., 2007, p10). The manmade MRGO channel caused the problems it was predicted; the channel increased the power and the size of the waves that destroyed many levees (Heerden, Kemp, Bea, Shaffer, Day, Morris, Fitzgerald, and Milanes, 2009, p306). By early September, people were forcibly evacuated and the storm displaced more than 1.5 million people (Lalwani, et al., 2007, p10). According to Lalwani, et al. (2007, p10), â€Å"Katrina was the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States,† with an estimated $75 billion worth of damage. Months after the hurricane, 3,200 people were unaccounted for and many of the low-lying areas, most of which were poor and minority neighborhoods, were still under water. People were stranded in their homes or at evacuation centers without food or water. Those in charge did not supply those in need with aid in a timely manner that is expected. According to Ripley, Bennett, Thomas, Calabresi, Donnelly, Thompson, Tumulty, Waller, Zagorin, Chu, DeQuine, and Klarreich (2005), â€Å"The first 72 hours after a disaster is the golden period. That is when victims shouldShow MoreRelatedDisaster Management Planning : Norma Valdez Rosa1760 Words   |  8 Pages Disaster Management Planning Norma Valdez-Rosa South University Online June 21, 2016 DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLANNING Mitigation is taking action to reduce potential disaster damages to the community before a disaster threatens. In Hidalgo County, located in South Texas; much of the land is dry, covered with grass and thorny brush and it is very humid and hot. Potential disasters to this area include: Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Heat, Wildfires and Armed or Terrorist AttacksRead MoreThe Chief Information Officer Roles Regarding Strategic Planning, Disaster Recovery, Risk Management4871 Words   |  20 PagesRoles regarding Strategic Planning, Disaster Recovery, Risk Management [pic] Chris Wyllie CIS 423 Dr. Ellis Chief Information Officer The Chief Information Officer (CIO) position was officially established by the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1969. From this piece of legislation, the CIO was given its official duties and responsibilities. They include Provision/Assistance to Senior Executives on IT Acquisition and Management, Integration of a Sound ITRead MoreEmergency Management : A Threat Of Public Safety1451 Words   |  6 PagesEmergency Management is an important aspect in our everyday daily lives. Emergencies can arise any place at any time on any day. The nature of any disaster can be unpredictable and may change in scope and impact. When an emergency is encountered there is a threat of public safety, the community, properties, the economy, infrastructure, public health, etc. Disaster Management is not a problem solver it does not avert or eliminate the threats made, it mainly focuses on eradicating the severityRead MoreDisasters Are Not Always Preventable, But There Are Methods1576 Words   |  7 PagesDi sasters are not always preventable, but there are methods we can manage ourselves and others through the disaster. A disaster is defined as â€Å"An unfortunate and unforeseen event involving damage or injury† (OED Online). There are two types of disasters. A natural disaster when events are not caused by human interaction. There is also a man-made disaster; these disasters are caused deliberately by humans. Within an organization, Management can create a business continuity plan also known as a disasterRead MoreThe Accounting Software Installation Project Case Study1680 Words   |  7 Pages EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SUBJECT OUTLINE Subject Number: Emergency Management Credit Points: 6 Subject Coordinator: Dr Jaya Kandasamy Subject Lecturer: Peter Garland Semester/Year: Spring 2007 Prerequisites: Completed a degree course Co-requisites: Nil, but a basic knowledge of local government procedures is helpful Anti-requisites: Nil, although some previous experience in local government and emergency management is useful. Read MoreThe Importance of a Disaster Recovery Plan1296 Words   |  5 PagesDisasters are occurrences one cannot control. The economic movements are unpredictable as technologies, effects of climate change, and health issues continue to persist; these among other disasters cause shifts in activity in the global financial market. Business companies in return are the last entity to carry the loads of aftermath of these circumstances. They become pressed in crisis of recovery when for example a calamity struck an entire nation. Disaster recovery planning and risk managementRead MoreCommunity Disaster Assessment and Planning Essay1241 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Disaster Assessment and Planning The potential for natural and manmade disasters is a constant threat, especially in today’s world of climate change, political upheaval, and global unrest and terrorist activity. Due to the many potentiating factors that substantially increase the potential and threat of disaster it is necessary that at a national, state, county, and community level plans are in place for immediate response and action. The threat of disaster is a global, national, stateRead MoreThe Emergency Management Planning Process1305 Words   |  6 Pagesof unexpected disasters as well as calculated ones. As a whole, society cannot account for all disasters that will occur nor can we successful eliminate the results of these disasters. That’s why in most advanced societies there are people in place to manage and or monitor natural disasters. These people are in charge of the planning process and execution of emergency management systems or operations. They are essentially the people respon sible for ensuring that when a disaster whether naturalRead MoreThe Role Of Healthcare Professionals And Public Health Providers1404 Words   |  6 Pagesthe names of people missing.† (1) The above story was published by the associated press and describes a very recent natural disaster that took place in Mocoa Columbia. As a practicing physician and now being more involved in public health, the role of healthcare professionals and public health providers in disaster preparation is something I am very interested in. A disaster is defined as a â€Å"serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society involving widespread human, material, economicRead MoreDisaster Preparedness Is A Homeland Security Program Manager For Snohomish County Emergency Management1206 Words   |  5 PagesDisaster Preparedness Randy Fay is a Homeland Security Program Manager for Snohomish County Emergency Management (R. Fay, personal communication, June 20, 2016). In this role he coordinates the needs of whole populations with a specific focus on vulnerable populations in disasters. Also, this role assures appropriate supplies are delivered to responders. Randy is also the crew chief of the Snohomish County Search and Rescue Helicopter Rescue Team (R. Fay, personal communication, June 20, 2016)

English Creative - Crime and Espionage monologue free essay sample

No one smiles; its a black hole of emptiness.. . It feels like an extension of my cell My handcuffs are too tight; I am going to get blisters again I wonder if I could ask for a coffee, I havent had a coffee since last trail 10 years ago wonder why they have suddenly wanted to re trial, maybe the real killer has surfaced, and I will finally get to live my life After 18 years in there its the least they can do. ..But what if they have found something that links me closer to the murders, and are arranging my date of death Lam nervous; I dont want to go back. To go back there will strip me of everything I have worked to achieve. .. To go back will take everything from me and I will become a true monster. Not Just in the eyes of society by in my own eyes, a monster Its getting busier now, I never knew this many people knew I existed. We will write a custom essay sample on English Creative Crime and Espionage monologue or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .. I wonder if time has changed the way I will be trialed What evidence they going to try and link to me.. . The Judge looks so mean.I hope he doesnt believe I am guilty Attention.. . No I wasnt there I was out with my two friends We were eating burgers I dont own a hunting knife I would never try and do that to someone. .. I dont know why they had my wallet I thought I had it the whole day; someone must have stolen It.. . I am not guilty I didnt do it, please believe me and dont send me back where I dont belong hasnt 18 years been enough for something I didnt do?.. Thats not mine, It doesnt match. .. This crime was brutal, I never realized how much until now.I can understand why the families needed someone to blame for this, some way to grieve the horrible deaths of their children. I wish the real murderer could have felt the hate and anger meant for them, not me. It worries me, If I am in here doing time, then he Is still out there bidding his time and waiting to strike again. I hope some evidence has come up to link It to whomever It was, they really do deserve to be on death row. .. Maybe It has already and that Is why It has taken so long for them to re trial me Hopefully they will finally see that It wasnt me.. .It clearly wasnt me the evidence proves that It wasnt Why Is It taking so long to decide guilty or not guilty? Do they even understand what It feels Like to Walt for someone to make the decision that changes your Life ? How would they feel If they were sitting here right now, I bet It wouldnt be a nice feeling? Just hurry up already I have spent 18 years waiting for this I dont want to Walt anymore We hereby declare the defendant not guilty Its done I never thought I would be so happy to hear the gravel hit the block. Its done, Im free No more solitary confinements, no more processed meals, no more communal showers, no more lying In bed daydreaming of what life Is Like outside of prison. 18 years, years of bitterness, regrets, hopes and dreams, finally I am a free man once more The stars Oh what It will be Like to see the stars again, the night sky bright and shinning A meal made by myself for me to enjoy. .. No more will I be deemed a monster and treated Like a dog People will believe me when I say I didnt do It.. . 8 years of life wasted all lathing this moment, the moment I walk out theses doors handcuff free, In average clothes, as Just me and not as the monster, Just plain old Dampen. Money must have stolen it I am not guilty.. . I didnt do it, please believe me and didnt do?.. Thats not mine, it doesnt match This crime was brutal, I never realized murderer could have felt the hate and anger meant for them, not me. It worries me, if I am in here doing time, then he is still out there bidding his time and waiting to strike again. I hope some evidence has come up to link it to whomever it was, they really do deserve to be on death rowMaybe it has already and that is why it has taken so long for them to re trial me Hopefully they will finally see that it wasnt me It clearly wasnt me the evidence proves that it wasnt Why is it taking so long to decide guilty or not guilty? Do they even understand what it feels like to wait for someone to make the decision that changes your life. ..? How would they feel if they were sitting here right now, I bet it wouldnt be a nice feeling? Just hurry up already I have spent 18 years waiting for this I dont want to wait anymore We hereby declare the defendant not guilty.. . Its done I never thought I would be so happy to ore processed meals, no more communal showers, no more lying in bed daydreaming of what life is like outside of prison. 18 years, years of bitterness, regrets, hopes and dreams, finally I am a free man once more.. . The stars Oh what it will be like to see the stars again, the night sky bright and shinning A meal made by myself for me to enjoy No more will I be deemed a monster and treated like a dog People will believe me when I say I didnt do it 18 years of life wasted all awaiting this moment, the moment I walk out theses doors handcuff free, in average clothes.

The Performing Arts and Inspiration Essay Example For Students

The Performing Arts and Inspiration Essay My personal telling of ballet are that it is so extremely important to every dancers training. It develops discipline and dedication: ballet technique is very detailed and requires practice to improve. Lets face it; everything in ballet requires good posture. In time, the posture is utilized in the studio and translates to every part of a dancers life. Two large parts of ballet technique which, as a result, diminish the likelihood of injury in ballet, sports, and other dance forms, Though often slow and graceful, ballet has many jumping exercises which people need to maintain agility. You learn to connect verbal commands and musical cues with exercise demonstrations and perform them in your body. Different parts of the brain are problem solving to perform the movements in time With the music. One of my friends has taken modern dance classes ever since she has started ballet. At her dance school, to attend modern dance classes, they have to take weekly ballet classes so we have the correct techniques they need. Joy modern dance but it is very much based on emotion through rawer movement and performance. Some people have a lot Of trouble showing emotion and that is one of weakness which can be improved upon. Modern dance originated from ballet so it is said that they copied the ballet origin. As reaction, modern dance would try and set itself as far away from ballet as possible. Regardless of this, similarities remain. Modern dance encourages the design of new st eps. Dancers and choreographers are free to create new steps based on their moods and emotions. We will write a custom essay on The Performing Arts and Inspiration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now They dont always have to stand or move a certain way. For example, modern dance performers use more human and natural movements to express themselves, like pedestrian motions as simple as walking or playing a game. Think in modern dance there is less concern about entertaining the audience, so the dancer is letting her ideas shine in the dance rather than following a strict script that has little to do with her, like in classical ballet. Throughout my friends 12 long years of dancing, she had only attended ballet classes for 5 years. She aid she started at the age Of g and loved every minute Of it. She also States that she always saw it as being very strict and positioned but that was the way she liked it to be taught. The reason Why she started ballet was because her dance teacher had said that it would improve all of her other dance genres. 5 years down the track she still loves it; she really likes structural dances. That would be a main reason why she enjoyed ballet. To this day, she still strongly believes that ballet is the basic foundation of most forms of dance. So why is There Rivalry between the Two Styles? There is rivalry between modern dance and ballet because modern dance originated and is a interpret from ballet, Modern genre was rebelling against the strict, well-organized nature of classical ballet. They would prefer bare feet over pointed shoes, I truly believe that ballet is better and more important than modern dance because ballet is the foundation of all other dance genres and personally enjoy the style better, along with my friend who still takes classes for ballet and also teaches it as well.

How to Write an Introduction for a Biology Research Paper

How to Write an Introduction for a Biology Research Paper You may be wondering how to go about writing an introduction to your Biology research paper that will work for you, and catch the attention of your readers. The easiest way would be to ask for help from our writers. Using our services to get the required assistance. Our skilled writers have already helped thousands of students, experiencing all types of difficulty with their essay papers, to sort out their most annoying problem. Most of the students who ask for help from our experienced writers are those who usually have not had the time to complete their essays, while others lack the writing skills that are necessary to appropriately complete the essay papers. Those students who do not want to go through the hectic process of completing their papers also find the right kind of help at this firm. We turn the hectic times that the students experience into a calming experience, which they can benefit from. The time, while our writers prepare a paper for you, can be used for socializing with family and friends, or spending time on favorite sports hobbies and other pastime. You can be sure that your order will be completed in time, and you will have an example of a great paper, that you can use for studying. Having already helped and assisted students for many years, this organization is one of the best, equipped with resources and experience to help you until you are completely satisfied with the results. When you actually see the quality of the papers that you purchase from our company, and the reasonable amount you pay for the service, you will realize how convenient it is to work with us. Even with the high quality you can get from our service, it is nonetheless affordable for any student. In short, the money paid for our papers are always kept at the minimum, while the quality is maintained at the maximum. We make sure that all papers are written considering all the instructions given by you, and that every paper is free of plagiarism. Moreover, if you are not completely satisfied with your paper after you have received and reviewed it, do not worry much and tell your writer to revise the paper. If your revision instruction correspond to our Revision Policy, the writer will make the needed changes for free. Some companies put you through a lengthy process to get a revision and charge extra. With us, you simply log-in in and request the revisions pointing out what you specifically need revised, and it will be done at no charge. You can enjoy professional Biology research paper help from our highly qualified writers hired by CustomWritings.com!

How to Calculate Mass Percent Composition

How to Calculate Mass Percent Composition This is a worked example problem showing how to calculate mass percent composition. Percent composition indicates the relative amounts of each element in a compound. For each element, the mass percent formula is: % mass (mass of element in 1 mole of the compound) / (molar mass of the compound) x 100% or mass percent (mass of solute / mass of solution) x 100% The units of mass are typically grams. Mass percent is also known as percent by weight or w/w%. The molar mass is the sum of the masses of all the atoms in one mole of the compound. The sum all the mass percentages should add up to 100%. Watch for rounding errors in the last significant figure to make sure all the percentages add up. Key Takeaways Mass percent composition describes the relative quantities of elements in a chemical compound.Mass percent composition is also known percent by weight. It is abbreviated as w/w%.For a solution, mass percent equals the mass of an element in one mole of the compound divided by the molar mass of the compound, multiplied by 100%. Mass Percent Composition Problem Bicarbonate of soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) is used in many commercial preparations. Its formula is NaHCO3. Find the mass percentages (mass %) of Na, H, C, and O in sodium hydrogen carbonate. Solution First, look up the atomic masses for the elements from the Periodic Table. The atomic masses are found to be: Na is 22.99H is 1.01C is 12.01O is 16.00 Next, determine how many grams of each element are present in one mole of NaHCO3: 22.99 g (1 mol) of Na1.01 g (1 mol) of H12.01 g (1 mol) of C48.00 g (3 mole x 16.00 gram per mole) of O The mass of one mole of NaHCO3 is: 22.99 g 1.01 g 12.01 g 48.00 g 84.01 g And the mass percentages of the elements are mass % Na 22.99 g / 84.01 g x 100 27.36 %mass % H 1.01 g / 84.01 g x 100 1.20 %mass % C 12.01 g / 84.01 g x 100 14.30 %mass % O 48.00 g / 84.01 g x 100 57.14 % Answer mass % Na 27.36 %mass % H 1.20 %mass % C 14.30 %mass % O 57.14 % When doing mass percent calculations, its always a good idea to check to make sure your mass percents add up to 100% (helps catch math errors): 27.36 14.30 1.20 57.14 100.00 Percent Composition of Water Another simple example is finding the mass percent composition of the elements in water, H2O. First, find the molar mass of water by adding up the atomic masses of the elements. Use values from the periodic table: H is 1.01 grams per moleO is 16.00 grams per mole Get the molar mass by adding up all the masses of elements in the compound. The subscript after the hydrogen (H) indicates there are two atoms of hydrogen. There is no subscript after oxygen (O), which means only one atom  is present. molar mass (2 x 1.01) 16.00molar mass 18.02 Now, divide the mass of each element by the total mass to get the mass percentages: mass % H (2 x 1.01) / 18.02 x 100%mass % H 11.19% mass % O 16.00 / 18.02mass % O 88.81% The mass percentages of hydrogen and oxygen add up to 100%. Mass Percent of Carbon Dioxide What are the mass percentages of carbon and oxygen in carbon dioxide, CO2? Mass Percent Solution Step 1: Find the mass of the individual atoms. Look up the atomic masses for carbon and oxygen from the Periodic Table. Its a good idea at this point to settle on the number of significant figures youll be using.  The atomic masses are found to be: C is 12.01 g/molO is 16.00 g/mol Step 2: Find the number of grams of each component make up one mole of  CO2. One mole of CO2 contains 1 mole of carbon atoms and 2 moles of oxygen atoms. 12.01 g (1 mol) of C32.00 g (2 mol x 16.00 gram per mole) of O The mass of one mole of CO2 is: 12.01 g 32.00 g 44.01 g Step 3: Find the mass percent of each atom. mass % (mass of component/mass of total) x 100 And the mass percentages of the elements are For carbon: mass % C (mass of 1 mol of carbon/mass of 1 mol of CO2)  x 100mass % C (12.01 g / 44.01 g) x 100mass % C   27.29 % For oxygen: mass % O (mass of 1 mol of oxygen/mass of 1 mol of CO2)  x 100mass % O (32.00 g / 44.01 g) x 100mass % O 72.71 % Answer mass % C 27.29 %mass % O 72.71 % Again, make sure your mass percents add up to 100%. This will help catch any math errors. 27.29 72.71 100.00 The answers add up to 100% which is what was expected. Tips for Success Calculating Mass Percent You wont always be given the total mass of a mixture or solution. Often, youll need to add up the masses. This might not be obvious! You may be given mole fractions or moles and then need to convert to a mass unit.Watch your significant figures!Always make sure the sum of the mass percentages of all components adds up to 100%. If it doesnt, you need to go back and find your mistake.

Website Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Website Summary - Essay Example The Emperor was always an honorable man, who was never to inherit the throne. He started off with an oath called Wahlkapitulation, and ended either in death, resignation or removal of the Emperor. And he had priority over every Christian King. During a reign, the next ruler was called King of Romans. In case of the Emperor being unfit and no King of Romans, two Imperial Vicars had the ultimate authority. The Emperor had both a real and fake household consisting of the High Offices of the Empire. He had jurisdiction over a lot of aspects but had his limitations. Powers exercised by the Emperor alone, were called Jura Reservata. The title of Emperor was first used on Christmas Day 800, and was finalized in 812 by Byzantium. The title, Kings of Romans eventually lost charm and was later known as German King or Imperator. The Reichstag was the law-making committee of the Empire. It composed of: the Electoral Council, Council of Princes, and Council of Imperial Cities. State of the Empire was a member of the Reichstag. The owners of the land concerning to a State equally shared its vote in the Reichstag. Under certain circumstances, a land could stop being a State of the Empire. Different States had the right to become united with others. At first the vote belonged to the landlord, but later, only certain families had the right to vote. Elector Princes were responsible for selection of the Emperor, headed by the archbishop of Mainz, who dominated all Princes. Electors cast their vote personally, allowed others to do it, or sent an electoral body for the purpose. This was usually done within a month of the Emperor’s death. And the chosen Emperor was crowned by the three divine princes. The 2nd body of Reichstag composed of Princes, who voted individually, and Lords, who voted collectively. In the later years, very few Princes were given the right to vote at the Reichstag. On

Alshareef_ENVM510_M4GradedAssign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alshareef_ENVM510_M4GradedAssign - Assignment Example Different types of bias that exist result in mistaken estimates of the exposures’ effects on the risk of the disease. In epidemiological studies, researchers encounter two types of primary bias: the selection bias and the recall bias. The selection bias arises where the relationship between the exposure and the disease is very different for those who participate in the study than for those who would be theoretical eligible for the study but do not participate. The common consequences for the bias in selection are the difference between exposures and outcomes for those who are eligible and for those selected for the study (Yarbro, Wujcik & Gobel, 2011). For instance, in the study, the difference in the number of people available for study and those targeted is quite significant. The estimated population exposed to benzene was 9,024 but only 3,249 participants were located. According to Friis & Sellers (2009), illnesses and death are possible reasons for this. This is most likely to result in inaccuracy. Recall bias results when the participants recall past exposures inaccurately. If the participants were not able to recall benzene exposures clearly, the results would be invalid. Some participants may also lie or choose to exaggerate the exposure levels for financial gain. Moreover, the methods used in collecting data may lead to inaccurate results if they had some errors. In the study, a misdiagnosis of people with leukemia or those exposed with benzene would occur. When the method of estimating the associations between leukemia and the exposure is inaccurate, the result would be either an under-estimation or over-estimation of the actual association (Yarbro, Wujcik & Gobel, 2011). According to â€Å"Threats to Validity† artcile (2013), â€Å"The prediction of the potential sources leading to selection bias is one way of reducing the

Compare and Contrast Paper Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast Paper Essay I have chosen to use Story of an Hour, written by Kate Chopin and The Necklace, written by Guy de Maupassant for this compare and contrast paper. My intentions are to show similarities as well as differences between these two pieces and provide comparison of the works to provide a deeper insight into the topic of this paper. The theme I find similar in these two pieces is greed: you should be happy with what you have. In both stories you have women that are not happy in their situations, seeming to always be wanting for more. While the stories are very different, they do have a similar message. Dr.  Emily Chen, PhD states:† that reading a literary text is part of a complex process that includes collaboration between the writer, the text, and the reader. Text is re-created every time someone new reads it, and it becomes, in the process, increasingly richer. Text is a stimulus that elicits responses from us based on our past experiences, our previous reading, our thoughts, and our feelings: the text acts on the reader and the reader interacts with the text†. (Chen, 2009). Each story, read by each person will most likely illicit a different view based on their life experience, mood, age and gender. â€Å"Your environment and personal experiences influence your response to stories. Whether you are aware of it or not, the lens through which you envision a story is filtered by insights you have gained from family traditions, religious beliefs, and critical life issues. Thus, interpretations of a story vary based on the readers age and breadth of experience. Emotions affect conclusions drawn from stories. Interpretations differ from culture to culture. †(Clugston, 2010). Reading each of these stories now, affect me differently than if I had read them ten, fifteen or twenty years ago. The Necklace and Story of an Hour are both short stories set in about the same time period, the late 1800’s, in private residences. The Necklace is a story about a woman, Madame Loisel that is unhappy with her simple life as a clerk’s wife. She is always daydreaming about the finer things in life and the riches that she feels that she is missing out on. â€Å"She suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the worn walls, the abraded chairs, the ugliness of the stuffs. † (de Maupassant, 1884). Madame Loisel’s husband, in an effort to try and bring her happiness, receives an invitation to a party with the elite townspeople. Still not happy because she did not have an appropriate dress to wear, Madame Loisel’s husband gives her the money he was saving for himself so she could go out and purchase a dress. Even then she is still not happy because she has no jewelry to wear with it. She asks her friend Madame Forrester to borrow her something appropriate and ends up borrowing a â€Å"diamond† necklace from her. Ultimately, the necklace is lost the night of the grand party. Madame Loisel and her husband end up working themselves to death for the next ten years to pay off the debt they incurred in replacing the necklace, which ended up being a fake in the end. Their life as they once knew it was over. Story of an Hour is a short story featuring Louise Mallard, an unhappy housewife with a heart condition. In the story she learns of her husband’s death and within minutes goes from weeping uncontrollably to happy and joyful. â€Å"She said it over and over under her breath: free, free, free! The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. † (Chopin, 1884). Mrs. Mallard felt oppressed in her marriage, that her husband did not love her and found a sense of freedom from his passing. â€Å"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. † (Chopin, 1884). Ultimately, Mr. Mallard did not pass in the accident and when he came through the door and she saw him, Louise passed right then. Each story features an unhappy woman as the main character. Madame Loisel in The Necklace is unhappy with her financial situation, always fantasizing about the finer things in life. Louise Mallard in Story of an Hour is an unhappy housewife with a heart condition, feeling oppressed in her marriage. In the end, both women pay a price for their wants: Madame Loisel to be wealthy or seen as wealthy pays by having to sacrifice her life to work twice as hard to repay a debt. Louise Mallard wanting her freedom finally receives it when she hears her husband has been killed in an accident, only to lose it with her death as he actually walks in the door. Foreshadowing is used in both these stories as well. Foreshadowing is described in our textbook as:†A technique a writer uses to hint or suggest what the outcome of an important conflict or situation in a narrative will be† (Clugston, 2010). Foreshadowing gives us some clues as to some of the events that will may possibly unfold in the stories. In The Necklace, the line It was not I, madam, who sold this necklace. I only supplied the case. (de Maupassant, 1884) provides a small hint that the necklace may not in fact have been genuine diamonds. In Story of an Hour, the simple fact that the opening line stated Louise Mallard had a heart condition I feel, provided a clue right away as to the fact she would die in the story. The line â€Å"someone was opening the front door with a latchkey. † (Chopin, 1894), also gives a clue that she could be surprised enough to have her heart fail. â€Å"There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, and the color that filled the air. † (Chopin, 1894). This line, I feel, shows that Loise may even have felt her impending death. Possibly the reference in the line â€Å"But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air. † (Chopin, 1894), could be a reference as to Jesus coming to take her to heaven. Irony takes place in both of these stories as well. Irony is defined in out textbook as: â€Å"A discrepancy or contradiction occurs between what is expected to happen and what actually happens in a situation (situation irony) or in an expressed statement (verbal irony). † (Clugston, 2010). Irony is shown in The Necklace when Madame Loisel runs into Madame Forrester on the street. Her friend did not recognize her because she had aged so much from all the extra work she had to do to pay her debt. They have a conversation about the necklace and how she had lost it and replaced it, I brought you back another just like it. And now for ten years we have been paying for it. You will understand that it was not easy for us, who had nothing. At last, it is done, and I am mighty glad. (de Maupassant, 1884) and Madame Forrester replies Oh, my poor Mathilde. But mine were false. At most they were worth five hundred francs! (de Maupassant, 1884). Madame Loisel had the exact opposite of the life she had fantasized about. Irony is shown in Story of an Hour by the fact that Louise was so elated at the thought of her new found freedom that he started visualizing her future alone and thought â€Å"It was only yesterday she had though with a shudder that life might be long. † Little did she know her life would end up shorter than she could imagine. Both of these stories represent death in the way that Madame Loisel and her husband’s life as they knew it died the night the necklace was lost. Louise Mallard simply died, I feel, from seeing her freedom being taken away by her husband still being alive: her heart simply could not take it. She not only lost the freedom she so longed for when her husband walked through the door, death made it impossible for her to ever have that freedom. These stories hold differences as well. The Necklace is set in Paris and spans years while the Story of an Hour does not give an exact place but is most likely set near where the author lived in St. Louis, Missouri and only denotes one hour of time. In The Necklace, Madame Loisel’s husband is always trying to make her happy, first by bringing her an invitation: But, my dear, I thought you would be pleased. You never go out, and heres a chance, a fine one. I had the hardest work to get it. Everybody is after them; they are greatly sought for and not many are given to the clerks. You will see there all the official world. (de Maupassant, 1884) and giving her money to buy a dress. Even though Madame Loisel is unhappy with her financial situation, it is never implied that she is unhappy with her husband. In Story of an Hour however, it is implied that Louise Mallard is unhappy in her marriage and she did not feel loved by her husband, â€Å"the face that had never looked save with love upon her†. (Chopin, 1894) nor did she love him, â€Å"And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! † (Chopin, 1894). I feel that the only time Louise Mallard is truly happy is when she thinks she finally has the freedom to do whatever she wants. Each of these stories has women represented in different ways, most likely because they were written by different gendered authors. Story of an Hour was written from a female point of view and The Necklace was written from a male point of view. The time frame in which these stories were written is a significant factor in the style they were written. The late 1800’s was the beginning of the Women’s Movement. Many women longed for freedom, and men still viewed them as property. Kate Chopin was called a Liberationist during this time. Lewis Leary speaks of her writings in that â€Å"she wrote also of people (mostly women) caged by convention or lured toward freedom which brings at one time happiness, at another disaster or rebuff. † (Leary, 1970). He also discusses her personal views during this era. †Ms. Chopin was in revolt against tradition and authority. She saw sex as something which could or could not be conjoined with love or marriage, and she daringly – how daringly for her time and place! – undertook to give the unsparing truth about woman’s submerged life. † (Leary, 1970). In Story of an Hour, Louise Mallard is a woman who feels oppressed in her marriage and longs for freedom. In The Necklace, written from male point of view, portrays Madame Loisel as a greedy, materialistic woman worried about status and not happy with what she has. â€Å"Since early times, women have been uniquely viewed as a creative source of human life. Historically, however, they have been considered not only intellectually inferior to men but also a major source of temptation and evil. In Greek mythology, for example, it was a woman, Pandora, who opened the forbidden box and brought plagues and unhappiness to mankind. Early Roman law described women as children, forever inferior to men. † (WIC, 1994). Most men during this period felt women were inferior and their place was as a homemaker. They were considered the weaker sex and had few rights and Maupassant was no exception. According to Karen Bernado â€Å"He enjoyed visiting brothels, and his easy familiarity with prostitutes is reflected in stories such as Boule de Suif Ball of Fat, a quasi-endearing nickname for a voluptuous whore. He recognized how people can be brought down by vanity, a situation depicted in his famous story The Necklace. And he was fascinated with humanitys darker side, as we learn from his masterful character study of an effeminate military officer in Mademoiselle Fifi. His lifestyle, however, was to prove de Maupassants undoing; he died insane and far too young from complications brought on by syphilis. †(Bernardo, nd). He viewed women as nothing more than objects. Maupassant was â€Å"a classicist by his nearly exclusive study of the subject of man, concentrating on the rational man. † (Moore, 1918). Some of the qualities credited to him are realism and impersonality. â€Å"Maupassant is a realist so long as, from the point of view of a detached observer. † (Moore, 1918). I feel that a womans’ role in the 1890’s affected the way Maupassant wrote this story. The relationship between content, form and style in these two stories are similar in many ways. Our textbook says: †Stories also reflect culture. The term culture refers to common characteristics of a group or a region. Culture is never static; it is a changing phenomenon, constantly reconfigured by human behavior, language, laws, events, patterns, products, beliefs, and ideals. To put it simply, culture refers to a way of life, an ethos. Writers often reflect a particular culture through the setting of a story or the spirit of the characters lives—providing insight, for example, into Southern culture, post–World War I culture, or global culture. In this way stories preserve culture: they freeze moments in time and create cultural awareness. †(Clugston, 2010). I believe both of these stories reflect the culture of the late 1800’s, from very different viewpoints, male and female, but provide a similar morality lesson. Both are short stories and contain a set up, build up and payoff. Short stories have a plot with conflict–driven, tied–together actions and events, a setting, clear time frame, characters, point of view, a theme and features that include tone, irony, and symbolism. Knowing or not knowing the terms presented in this paper does not help or hinder a personal connection someone may have with a particular piece. I know for myself, the personal message I received from these stories, was a reflection on my life and personal experiences. I see people ungrateful for what they have daily. I was one of those people once, a long time ago. When we long for things we do not have, it keeps us from seeing and appreciating what we do have. You get caught up in things, and become willing to lie, cheat, steal, to do whatever it takes to get what you want. Imagine if Madame Loisel had just been content with being invited to the party and not worried about a dress and jewelry? Or what if she had just told the truth about losing the necklace? She would probably have not had to work the next ten years and been able to enjoy life. Socrates once said â€Å"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. † The bible contains many parables about it as well and Proverbs 15:27 states â€Å"A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live. † As you can see, there are many similarities and differences between the short stories The Necklace and Story of an Hour. I feel one important message contained in these to be happy with what you have, because greed will get you in the end, and both characters paid a price for their greed. If Madame Loisel had been happy with her life as it was, her husband would have never felt the need to acquire the invitation to the party, which ended up costing them years of their lives as well as money. For the next ten years Madame Loisel had a life less than what she started with, a big contrast to the life she fantasized about. Louise Mallard was unhappy in her marriage. Thinking she finally had her freedom when she thought her husband had been killed, she was overjoyed; only to have her heart give out when she found out her husband was still alive. We all should be careful what we wish for because we might just get it. References Chen PhD, E. (2009). The Reader-Centered Approach to Literature. Retrieved from http:/www. litguide. press. jhu. eduwww2. nkfust. edu. tw/~emchen/CLit/teach_reader- centered. htm Clugston, R. (2010). Journey into Literature. Bridgepoint Education, San Diego. Groden, M. Kreiswirth, M. and Szeman, I. 2005-2012. The John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. Retrieved from http:// www. litguide. press. jhu. edu Leary, L. Kate Chopin, Liberationist? The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Fall, 1970), pp. 138-144. Retrieved from JSTOR online Ashford University. Moore, O. The Romanticism of Guy Maupassant. PMLA, Vol. 33, No. 1 (1918), pp. 96-134. WIC, 1994. Womens’ History in America. Retrieved from http://wic. org Retrieved from JSTOR online Ashford University.

Lisa Fraziers The Pact :: Lisa Frazier The Pact

Lisa Frazier's The Pact My father's family lived in New Jersey when my dad and his three brothers were just blooming adolescents. Their parents were the product of the cocktail generation, and the Irish tendency towards alcoholism was augmented by that social niche. Despite the arguments and drinking, Mary and Jack wanted to make sure their children got the best possible education. The boys were sent to Catholic schools, and once they graduated were forcefully directed down a collegiate path. The brothers gave each other support throughout the years, but what they did with that support behind them was up to each individual. All four of the brothers went on to higher education, but their choices there and the lives they'd lead thereafter were all rather different. The doctors in the Pact, a book about close friends using a promise to unite the and motivate eachother to succeed, grew up where my father and his brothers did, but in a very different time. Much like my father's family, they were to face their own individual obstacles and make their way to higher education and their lives beyond. Both had parents with little money and received the best education that could be provided, and both would face elements in their lives that could change it. Before further comparison the lives of Tom, Bill, Pat, and Tim should be discussed. My father, Tom, was the eldest brother and was the first to attend college. He had been an alter boy in high school and a football player. When it came time for him to attend college he chose Millersville University . There he played football and was well known as a student who knew how to throw a party. Two years into his college career he decided to go into the navy. After serving his time there he went back to Millersville only to drop out near the beginning of his senior year because he found college to be â€Å"boring†. To my father there is nothing worse than being bored. His biggest accomplishment in college, as far as he saw it, was when trying to write an original poem in a certain style on one of his English finals, he wrote a limerick instead which went as follows:

Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Essay

Quantitative research – is a formal, objective, systematic research which bases on precise figures. While conducting such kind of research, an investigator collects and analyzes data and statistics. The main purposes of applying quantitative method of research are: description of variables; examination of relationship among variables; determination of cause-and-effect interactions between variables (Burns & Grove,2005). Qualitative research – in contrast to quantitative, is a kind of research which mainly concentrates on observations, questionnaires, reports and other ways of subjective investigations. The key features of qualitative research are: focus on meanings, perspectives and understandings; emphasis on process; inductive analysis, and grounded theory (Woods, 2006). The basic differences between quantitative and qualitative research lie in methods and instruments they apply, types of data they collect and generate, in their main perspectives. The instruments used in quantitative research are strict about extracting information and dividing it into categories. Quantitative methods are highly structured and include various surveys, questionnaires, and structured observations. In qualitative research, more flexible and frequentative instruments are applied. Qualitative methods, unlike quantitative ones, are semi-structured. To these methods belong interview, focus group, questionnaire, and participant observation. Quantitative research, in contrast to qualitative, operates with numerical data. Qualitative research, as a rule, uses textual data (Mack, Woodsong, et al., 2005). The most important feature which differentiates one research from another is flexibility. Usually, the procedure of quantitative research is prescribed in advance. Therefore, it excludes any unforeseen changes during the process of research. For instance, the questions in quantitative research are well thought-out, concrete, and closed. Moreover, the order of questions is also fixed. In such a way, quantitative research, due to its inflexibility, makes meaningful contribution to common investigation. The stages of qualitative research may be changed during the research procedure. The questions in qualitative research are mostly open. It enables the participants to give more reasonable answers and sometimes, even to go into detail. Therefore, spontaneity became a distinctive feature of qualitative research, which made the process of research less formal (Mack, Woodsong, et al., 2005). References Burns, N., Grove, S.K. (2005). The practice of nursing research: conduct, critique, and utilization (5th Ed.). St. Louis, Elsevier Saunders. Retrieved from http://www.researchproposalsforhealthprofessionals.com/definition_of_quantitative_resea.htm Mack, N., Woodsong, C., MacQueen, M. K., Guest, G., Namey, E. (2005). Qualitative research methods: A data collector’s field guide. Retrieved from http://www.fhi360.org/nr/rdonlyres/emgox4xpcoyrysqspsgy5ww6mq7v4e44etd6toiejyxalhbmk5sdnef7fqlr3q6hlwa2ttj5524xbn/datacollectorguideenrh.pdf Woods, P. (2006). Qualitative research. Retrieved from http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/qualitative%20methods%202/qualrshm.htm

Marketing plan Essay

This Report presents the strategic Market entry plan of Victoria Secret in Singapore. Victoria Secret is an American brand owned by Limited Brands Company with retail of Lingerie, Women’s Wear and beauty products with annual revenue of USD 8. 7 billion and market share of over 50 percent in North America. It was launched in 1970 by Roy Raymond who started this chain when he had nightmare experience while showing Lingerie for his Wife. He believed that â€Å"Underwear† is not just an Innerwear but can be converted into a Fashion product by tuning in proper colours, styles and patterns and make a product a sex symbol. As it caters to large market in its home country it has been strongly based but now for better growth and more returns Victoria secret has started International expansion. It is one of the fastest growing Lingerie products under Limited Brands Company Umbrella and contributing more than 40% of profits. 1000 number of Stores give strong presence to Victoria Secret and Online shopping ads to the charm. Victoria Secret invests heavily on Advertising with USD 65 Million average for year. The brand symbolizes romance, class, love, desire and romantic moments. They marketed these products by show casing their products with angel looking models breaking ice of set standards of modelling. It is one of the most watched and appreciated Fashion Shows of the world and features world’s best Supermodel as there showstopper creating a feel of sensation in female gender. The brand also took lines from Dove Advertisements by redefining beauty and showing the product users with boosted confidence and sexier looks. The company has done horizontal integration by expanding product range from Lingerie products only to cosmetics, women wear and cosmetics. The appealing brand image gave quick returns on the new product range and helping Victoria Secret in capturing new markets at higher pace. Also what is helping Victoria Secret is its excellent supply chain and IT collaboration which have helped in cutting down overheads. As companies are looking for growth and stability the expansion into Asian market is unavoidable so is for Victoria secret. Singapore being expanding and booming economy can be next destination for Victoria Secret. Singapore also has high fashion conscious population with high income. Singapore being financial hub and supply chain hub is residence for people who have highest per capita expenditure on luxury brands in all segments. In Asia, Singapore boosts for being top market for growing luxury brands. Country also boosts strong tourism and having largest malls in South east Asia helps cater to being selected as best destination in Asia for expansion. Being business friendly government adds to positive of Singapore. Business environment Factors Demography Population rose 2. 5% in 2012. Total population was 5. 4 Million. The Demography of Singapore consists of mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays which account for 74 %, 9 %, and 13% respectively with maximum population between 20-64. Singapore also is world tourist attractor and counts for approx 12 million tourists a year. Total female population is approx 50% and this results in large market size. Female also play dominant role in the society as they also earn. This results in freedom of females and opportunity for them to satisfy their needs. Political Stability Singapore the synonym for freedom to do business was ranked in top 10 best countries to start business. It takes 3 Days on average to start business in Singapore and this is result of stable political System in the country. It has been ranked among top countries for business environment for consecutive 14 years setting benchmark. Singapore is worlds one of the least corrupt country in the world. It ranks 1’st in corruptions perception Index, 2013. The political Stability in the country has provided the most stable economy in South East Asia. Economy The Economy of Singapore is strong with 5. 1% in 3’rd of 2013. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 274. 70 billion US dollars in 2012. The Expected Net GDP for Singapore is expected to beat market trends and grow more positively in 4’th quarter. The Economy is supported by FDI, skilled labour and fully planned and excellent Infrastructure. The Rising economy has lead to rising per capita income. With the current economic scenario Singapore will attract more youth and global players which will bring more fashion conscious society which will indeed help growth of luxury segment. Industry With rising brand conscious population and trending international brands today brand is equally important for innerwear as is for outer wear. This was proved by growth of this segment industry even during depression of 2008. The rising economies of scale and large production numbers has led to reduced price of product which has increased demand and purchasing capacity. The following factors have contributed largely for growth of this industry: 1) E-Commerce: With rising e-commerce trend and more sophisticated players coming in picture the market has been taken by storm by these players. The customers have not fallen but E-commerce has attracted more customers because of easy access and getting products sitting home. Singapore boosts well E-commerce network with many local players in market along with international Players. The E-commerce has led to fall in prices of product as it involves lesser overhead costs. Association with global E-Commerce players has helped Victoria Secrets attain marvel in other countries and can do the same in Singapore also. 2) Sophisticated Supply chain: With rising use of Sophisticated IT tools for inventory planning, forecasting, Designing and scheduling has helped to reduce costs and development of industry in total. Many Global Brands with innovation in Supply chain have set example for the world. Singapore boosts excellent supply chain network and being Supply chain Hub is excellent destination. Market Analysis Singapore Market size Increase in Per capita income has led to entry to Luxury and premium brands coming in Singapore. The Size of market is expanding and will have higher success rate in coming years. The Table Below shows the growth of Women’s Inner-ware in Singapore. Source: Euro monitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources a) Target Females in Age group of 18-50 which means 200,000 females. Middle and Upper Class Tourists Young and Brand Conscious Generation. Competition Triumph , Aerie , Calvin Kline , Armani , Sorella , Etam , La Perla Adore-Me offers direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victoria’s Secret prices Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences True ; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they don’t. Low Price and high variety local Players who have well established network in Singapore c) Porters 5 Forces 1) Supplier Power: LOW, As Victoria Secret has Production facilities in Thailand and India the supplier Power is very low. Buyer Power: HIGH, As Singapore already has high end Lingerie brands in its vicinity the Customers have wider options and can shift their preferences. The market has both lower prices segment and more premium segment. 3) Competitive Rivalry: HIGH, As Singapore already houses Premium Luxury lingerie brands who have worldwide recognition, Victoria Secret has high competition. 4) Threat of substitution: HIGH, The price range plays critical role as Victoria Secret has Competition with lower, same and high price range Products. 5) Threat of New Entry: LOW, Being well established worldwide name has its own fan following which attracts masses. New entries will take time to create impact and in that mean Time Victoria secret can come up with Contingency plan. Landscape a) Independent Women: Singapore being modern and economically sound has Independent women who earn well and spend well. This has led to brand conscious population b) Internet Penetration and Media sensitivity: Singaporeans are always connected to Internet. This has led to Strong E-commerce market here. The Media plays important role as Singaporeans try new western brands more frequently and invest heavily in it if the like the brand . Population Mix: Being strong economy Singapore has attracted  nationalities from various countries which have brought in sense of fashion, demand for authentic classy items. This Demand is of high end products. d) Location: With production plants in nearby countries such as Thailand and India and Strong Supply chain hubs the Location is also ideal. Singapore being small can’t accommodate Production facility so being centre for supply chain helps. ENTRY IN SINGAPORE: MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY Design Victoria Secret is renowned for its strong designing team which comprise mixture of people around the world to understand each geographic trend. Once they understand the trends they create new trends in the market. It defines Sexiness as youthful, mature, energetic, adorable and intimate. The competitors have targeted another value like Triumph emphasises on Simplicity. Victoria Secret will benefit from point that Singapore is mix of many. The Design Teams have large market size which they can target with larger variety. Bold and Loud Brand Promotion This brand brings sense of comfort and pride among women. This is reflected in there promotion activities. The brand highlights the beauty of every individual and helps concealing imperfections with its unique designs. It is most bought product by models. Their Catalogues feature world’s hottest and sexist women in the world. Singaporeans are vivid about Fashion and Luxury products. With Rising Per capita income and proper promotion by hiring trending models of Singapore Victoria Secret can target masses. The Footfall in malls is one of the highest in Asia which can contribute to high sales if located at proper places. Rapid Growth of High-end Female Market Women are booming rapidly in Singapore who are either in White collar jobs, Leaders, Elites, working in Multinationals, entrepreneurs etc. These women have decent jobs, High disposable income and strong purchasing power. Maximum percentage of Women are highly educated. They are open and eager to accept and use trendy and fashionable Products with good quality. They Care about their Lifestyles, Health and bodies. This is supported by fact that Singapore has low obesity Rate of 7. 3 % in females and ranks much below America where obesity is 35. 5% in females. As women consider themselves independent and delicate it is highly possible for them to spend a remarkable amount of income on underwear and branded lingerie for self rewards. This will help Victoria Secret to enter the market easily and reap Benefits of growing and educated economy. Price Barriers and Distribution Channels Normal bra Ranges from 40-80 USD in US which reduces to almost half during sales. Singapore can also cater to demand with same or lesser Price as there are production facilities in India and Thailand. This will help in taming local players who play games of lower prices. Price would not be a Barrier for Victoria Secret to enter into Singapore. Having strong supply chain network with both these countries and being placed near the demand can be met. The Retail Distribution channels are strong and can be built easily in Singapore owing to small country size and Strong local infrastructure. Being Business friendly environment will help Victoria Secret to Establish Strong Distribution channels in Shorter Periods. Overview Retail market in Singapore is up by 3. 3% in August 2013 is back on track after falling slightly. Total number of Retailers in Singapore is more than 30000 with less than 1% for Lingerie Products. The Scope of market is high. Singapore is heavily sustained on Imports from US, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Market Challenges and Opportunities Singapore has tightened foreign nationals working in labour market and this has led to increase in labour markets. The Rentals have gone for toss and are very high. The overheads cost the most for setting up business in Singapore. Being business friendly country the market attracts large number of players who provide cheap products, copied items from various world renowned brands. With challenges are opportunities also, being supply chain hub the country can act as stepping stone to enter bigger markets like of china. The Strong judiciary System and quick decision making helps to curb challenges faced such as intellectual copyrights and those related to design copying. SETTING UP RETAIL OUTLET IN SINGAPORE 1) Documents Required for Registration The following documents/information is required for registering a Singapore branch office: a) A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the foreign company. b) A certified copy of Memorandum and Articles (MAA) of the foreign company. c) Particulars of the directors of the foreign company. A memorandum of appointment and details of at least two persons resident in Singapore who will act as the agents for the Singapore branch office. e) A memorandum executed by or on behalf of the foreign company stating the powers of the local agents. f) Details of the registered office address in Singapore 2) Registration Procedure and Timeline The professional firm hired to handle the branch office registration will take care of all the necessary registration formalities. No physical visit of company executives is required from headquarters. The registration process consists of two basic steps: 1) Name approval 2) Entity registration. The name for the Singapore branch must be the same as that of the parent company. It will generally be approved unless it is identical to any existing company name or is vulgar in nature. Assuming necessary document are ready and there are no delays in the name approval process, registration of a Singapore branch can be completed in 1-2 days. The company registrar will send an email notification confirming the registration of the Singapore branch 3) Retail Outlets – Key Facts and Requirements a) Business Incorporation: Before one can begin operations, retail outlet must first be registered with the Singapore Companies Registrar, ACRA. This involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours. It is best if retail outlet offers unique products and services that are not currently available in Singapore’s colourful retail market. b) Approval for Premises: One must ensure that intended business premise is an approved location for retail business. To have retail outlet in a conservation building or private property, approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) is required for making additions or alterations to the premises. A Fire Safety Certificate from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must be obtained to verify that retail outlet meets all fire safety requirements. If outlet is located in a shopping mall, the landlord may expedite the necessary approvals for you. 4) Licenses for Setting Up a Retail Outlet in Singapore Depending on the nature of the merchandise or products offered by retail outlet, apply for the relevant licenses. If outlet offers products which can affect human health and safety, relevant licenses may be required. To Import and sell cosmetics products domestically, notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before placing the product in the market via the HSA’s PRISM site. The fee for the notification of cosmetic products is pegged to each product’s risks and variation (colour etc). 5) Hiring Staff Starting a retail outlet or franchise means that one may need to bring on board employees from home country to oversee operations. If one intends to employ or transfer employees from home country, apply for the relevant Singapore employment pass on their behalf. The Singapore employment pass is however subject to approval by the manpower authority and must meet Singapore’s new productivity vision. 6) Taxation of Singapore Branch A Singapore branch is generally considered a non-resident company for tax purposes. Non-resident companies are not eligible for tax benefits resulting from available tax incentives and tax treaties meant for resident companies.   Annual Filing Requirements Section 373 of the Companies Act requires a foreign company to file its Annual Report and the audited accounts of its Singaporean branch office within two months of its Annual General Meeting, or within 7 months from the  end of its financial year whichever is earlier. Also, each Singapore branch is required to file a Tax Return on an annual basis. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY Victoria secret can enter Singapore Market in following ways: American exporters use agents or distributors to serve the Singapore market and other markets in Southeast Asia. Singapore firms are aggressive when it comes to representing new products and usually respond enthusiastically to new opportunities. Singaporean companies are open to joint venture proposals. Price, quality and service are the main selling factors in Singapore. Prospective exporters to Singapore should be aware that competition is strong and that buyers expect good after-sales service. Selling techniques vary according to the industry and product, but are comparable to the techniques used in any other sophisticated market. It is also important for U. S. firms to visit their representatives and maintain a good relationship with them. Victoria Secret has expanded in Maximum countries with 100% ownership strategy expect countries where it is difficult or impossible. As Singapore is business friendly and Provides Option for 100% investment Victoria Secret should come as 100% subsidiary. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Enter the Singapore with 100 % subsidiary 2) Launch all product range in one go from Innerwear, shoes, cosmetics and clothes. 3) Target Shopping Centres for their retail operations for better Visibility 4) Promotion using both international and domestic models for better appeal 5) Enter with 2-3 Stores in Initial Phase for better understanding and Expand Further after setting customer base 6) Join hands with E-Commerce industry both domestic and International to promote brand 7) Target not only Young but also Middle age and Old age 8) High Variety and Utmost quality to remain Core of Business in Singapore also 9) Customized Marketing using social media and Electronic Platform 10) Customized Designs for Singapore Customers as per their taste and like 11) Customer Engagement using print media 12) Virtual Trial Rooms and trained Women staff for guidance on shape and size

What the Flag Means to Me essays

What the Flag Means to Me essays When I see a flag blowing in the breeze, or I see a crowd of thousands standing with their hands to their hearts while the National Anthem plays, I always shiver. I just stand there in awe that so few could sacrifice so much for so many. And that is what the flag represents to me, and as I believe it also means I have always been an American citizen in agreement with the first amendment, giving us the freedom of speech and freedom to write and believe whatever we choose, as long as it is not infringing on someone else rights. But I also agree with the flag amendment that puts a law in place making it wrong for the American flag to be vandalized. The flag represents the dream of one and all Americans. The dream to live free, to accomplish one's goals without fear of an overbearing government. The dream to have rights, and the dream to control one's own fate and fortune. Burning the flag to demonstrate freedom of speech is hypocritical. The flag represents that very right to freedom of speech. Burning it is destroying the respect for that right. Since the beginning of this nation, millions have fought and died, on whatever the battlefield or over whatever law, for this nation. Not for themselves, but for those who wanted a better future for their children, and who were willing to sacrifice anything for the freedom that we often do not take into account today. Imagine not being able to speak out against the government. Or not being able to organize protest groups. Imagine having soldiers sectored into your houses and not being able to practice the religion of your choice. It's hard to comprehend, because we are so used to these freedoms, we have become unaware to the fact that we could loose them, or that we even had to fight to receive them. When you burn a flag, I see it as you are choosing to disrespect or ignore the sacrifices and the achievements of the patriots and ...

Why Google is the Workplace Everyone Wants to Join (and you should too)

Why Google is the Workplace Everyone Wants to Join (and you should too) Google isn’t just a tech company anymore, it’s an aspirational lifestyle. Once employees secure a coveted spot, they’re almost cult-like in their reverence for their workplace. Not that getting hired is an easy feat- Google currently gets more than two million job applications each year. (Imagine the HR department!) If you still aren’t sure what all the hype is about, then read on. Here are 10 of the many reasons why so many people are trying to get their foot in the Google door.1. SalaryThere may still be a really terrible gender gap at Google, but overall the company pays its engineers better than anybody else. Base salaries start over $128k per year, and the highest earners make more than $600k, plus bonuses. The company can be very tight-lipped about specific numbers, but know that employees are very well compensated.2. Competitive  benefitsThe trick to quality employee retention these days is stellar benefits. Google knows that happy employees who f eel safe and looked-after work harder and stay longer. Some examples of their offerings include a long (for the United States) maternity leave of 18 weeks, several months of parental leave for other primary caregivers, and excellent health care, investment plans, and survivor benefits.3. Smart and motivated  coworkersGoogle makes a big song and dance about recruiting top talent. When you’re a huge fish in a massive pond of other big fish, it can really push you to be more inspired and do even better work. Google wants to change the world, and its employees are all grateful and jazzed up to be along for the ride. The company also encourages its employees to spend up to 20% of their time on their own personal passion projects. This kind of daily inspiration really makes for happy workers.4. Free grubThe food is plentiful and flowing, and we’re not talking cafeteria food here. We’re talking healthy, varied, gourmet breakfast, lunch, and snacks (even dinner for th e midnight oil-burners). Plus, during the day employees have access to coffee bars and juice bars galore. This saves employees time and money (and often makes them eat better), plus has the added benefit of increasing socialization among colleagues during breaks.5. Pets welcomeNo, seriously. At some campuses, you can bring your dog to work. You can even take your pup out for a walk during your breaks.6. Gadgets galoreGoogle workers get to live in the future. They used Chrome before it hit the market. They have all the latest tablets and phones. This little sneak peak at the trends of the future makes workers feel like they are in the know and shaping everybody else’s tomorrow.7. 24/7 tech supportNo matter how late you’re working, you’ve got the best IT peeps in the country to help you out when you need it- whether your issues are with hardware or software.8. Massage creditsIn some campuses, if you do good work you can earn credits (via recommendations from other employees- not just your boss) that can be redeemed for one-hour massages on the Google campus. Shoulders hurt from all that hunching to get the big project done? No problem.9. On-campus fitness optionsImagine a world of free fitness classes, a free gym, and organized inter-campus intramural sports. This is great for social interaction, as well as for keeping all those bodies as sharp as the minds they’re carrying around.10. Learning opportunitiesGoogle is notable for the amount of time and energy they put into developing their employee’s careers and seeing to it that their best and brightest continue to rise. This includes making sure everyone stays sharp and keeps learning, whether though regular tech talks or guest speakers from every industry imaginable.

The Role of a Financial Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of a Financial Manager - Essay Example This essay explores the field of finance that is a very important part of every modern business organization, and financial considerations lie at the heart of all crucial business decisions. The researcher focuses on describing of the position named Financial Manager that is the person usually responsible for supervising and keeping in existence the organization’s financial policies and history. The role of a Financial Manager is to analyze financial information and generate financial reports that will assist the organization in decision-making, business progress and elaborate planning procedures. The FM is the pivotal figure in the two halves of the financial circle involving an organization – one involving the movement of money from investors into the organization, and the other half including the movement of money from the organization to the same investors. Nearly every business organization today, whether in the private or public sector, employs at least one Financ ial Manager. His or her duties vary slightly according to the size of the organization. However, this essay describes a typical Financial Manager who is required to perform 5 roles – that of a Controller, Treasurer, Credit Manager, Cash Manager and Risk & Insurance Manager. The researcher also explores the FM role in a multinational corporation and his duties in a branch of a bank or other financial institution. It is also mentined that the most important decisions of FM are those relating to financing, investment and asset management.

Bankruptcy prediction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Bankruptcy prediction - Research Paper Example e year correctly classify the dozen or so listed industrial companies which will fail, but will incorrectly identify about 120 of the remaining 600 as likely to go bankrupt. In fact, analysts who might use the models t help them produce their credit ratings are likely to try them out before relying on them and making them self-fulfulling. It therefore seems unlikely that a misclassification error rate of 1 in 5 for surviving listed companies would be acceptable, even allowing for the substantially greater costs of incorrectly identifying a bankrupt company as sound when compared to those of misclassifying a surviving company as a prima facie failure." Richard Morris This paper examines whether accounting based measures effectively capture publicly available information about a firm's probability of bankruptcy. Section 2 Section 3 describes model and research methodology which includes details about the sample selection procedures, variable estimation and descriptive statistics are reported in section 4. Section 5 present and discuss the results, while Section 6 summarizes and concludes the paper. Also include a list of variables in Appendix A. 1. Literature Review 1.1 Accounting ratios Professor Edward Altman invented a model called Z-Scores by applying multivariate formula to forecast bankruptcy probabilities of the firms over 30 years from 1965-1999. In 2000, he extended his research throughout the year 1999 by improving accuracies of 96% one period prior to bankruptcy to 70% five annual reporting periods prior. Ohlson (1980) also developed a bankruptcy prediction model with logit analysis using a number of bankruptcy firms that were traded on NYSE and AMSE during the 1970s. Begley Joy et al (1997) critised the estimation models of Altman (1968) and...In fact, analysts who might use the models t help them produce their credit ratings are likely to try them out before relying on them and making them self-fulfulling. It therefore seems unlikely that a misclassification error rate of 1 in 5 for surviving listed companies would be acceptable, even allowing for the substantially greater costs of incorrectly identifying a bankrupt company as sound when compared to tho se of misclassifying a surviving company as a prima facie failure." Richard Morris Professor Edward Altman invented a model called Z-Scores by applying multivariate formula to forecast bankruptcy probabilities of the firms over 30 years from 1965-1999. In 2000, he extended his research throughout the year 1999 by improving accuracies of 96% one period prior to bankruptcy to 70% five annual reporting periods prior. Ohlson (1980) also developed a bankruptcy prediction model with logit analysis using a number of bankruptcy firms that were traded on NYSE and AMSE during the 1970s. Begley Joy et al (1997) critised the estimation models of Altman (1968) and Ohlson (1980) were not performed well by using 1980's data.

Discussion 11- economics- span of control Assignment

Discussion 11- economics- span of control - Assignment Example Initially, Windows CE targeted handheld computers. However, with the purchase of Web TV networks Microsoft will be able to make Windows CE an operating system for the whole consumer electronic world. The new operating system would conquer the electronic world from cable set top boxes to DVD players to internet telephones. Integrating Windows CE and Web TV will make consumer electronic companies such as Sony and Phillips to adopt windows CE as their multi-purpose operating system for their products. Purchasing Web TV would make Microsoft continue to stay on top of the market because the ‘new smart consumer goods’ would be cheaper but only operate on Microsoft platforms. The main span of control issues that may face the purchase of WebTV by Microsoft mainly relate to coordination of functions and divisions of the new company. Since Microsoft is buying WebTV technologies, span of control issues might include hierarchy of authority in term of coordinating subordinates. Since Microsoft may still service from WebTV in managing the new technologies, a major span of control issue would be to coordinate activities of people, functions and divisions with a clear hierarchy of authority. However, proper integrations and agreements during the purchase can help control some of the span of control

Enron Accounting Scandal: Changes to SAS 99

Enron Accounting Scandal: Changes to SAS 99 The Enron accounting scandal is one of the most shocking nightmares in the professions history. Enron rises to success quickly after its establishment in 1985. However, despite attracting huge share prices, the company files for bankruptcy in December 2001 and its share value plummets from $92 to $0.67 within a span of one month. The question that most stakeholders still have is how such a huge company, one of the most promising in the United States, comes crumbling down overnight. The underlying problem in Enrons case is the lack of sufficient accounting oversight to ensure that the figures executives post reflect a true and fair view of the companys position (McLean Elkind, 2003). Massive deregulation and the lack of an independent accounting firm to audit Enrons books helps to keep the con going for years. Though the company starts failing in the late 1990s, it is not until late 2001 that the world realizes what is going on behind the scenes. Main players in the scandal including CEO Jeffery Skilling, Enron former CEO Kenneth Bay and innovative CFO Andrew Fastow are all convicted of insider trading and fraud related charges. Arthur Andersen LLP, the accounting firm that fails report Enrons misrepresentation is closed and convicted for obstructing justice, though this conviction is overturned. The SEC works with a tight regulatory framework looking to prevent companies from pulling stunts like the ones in Enrons case. However, there are loopholes that allow Enron to thrive. Among them is a mechanism that allows companies to influence the progress of their share values on the stock market. Mark-to-market accounting allows Enron to peg its share value on the market price, rather than the value reflected on its books(Collins, 2006)On top of this, allowing companies to hedge their stock using SPVs in the balance sheet represents a failure in preventing companies from unfairly influencing the progress of their stock value. These are only basic aspects that Enrons exploits, but there is a bigger safeguard of them all, an independent audit firm. Arthur Andersen LLP fails in its obligation to provide a true and fair view of Enrons operations. This allows the company to continue its fraud over an extended period of time. At this time, rather than report to the board of directors, t he audit firm directly reports to the company executives, which limits its independence significantly, as well as introduce a loophole in the mechanism that allows executives to perpetuate their own interests at the expense of the shareholders (McLean Elkind, 2003). Changes to SAS 99 Communication of potential fraud: SAS 99 improves look to ensure that there is greater oversight against corporate fraud. As a result, the reporting framework has been expanded to include more than just management. The board of directors and other stakeholders are now more engaged in the communication of fraud process (Thomas, 2002). Furthermore, the obligation of the independent auditor has shifted and they now cover a wider stakeholder scope, which means that offering information to management alone is not enough. Failure to provide a thorough breakdown of the audit to other stakeholders now amounts to a failed engagement. Fraud risk factors: auditors heavily rely on information that they gather in the course of an engagement to make a decision about the nature of a companys financial statements. However, revisions to SAS 99 means that they can now establish ways to detect fraud by assessing the audit environment. That is, auditors can rely on more than just the financial information that a company presents to determine whether or not there is any misrepresentation in the information sent to the public or board of directors. Greater auditor independence: SAS 99 reviews what is expected of an independent auditor in the course of an audit engagement. The greatest transformation that occurs to SAS in this regard is to distinguish the role of management from that of auditors. Initially, there is a small line between the auditor and management to the extent that the auditors are allowed to have other interests that are connected with management. What this change in the standard does is to eliminate the conflict of interest by drawing a line between these two key stakeholder groups when it comes to preventing accounting fraud. Greater independence not only comes because of regulations, but also a greater scope in the number of stakeholders that auditors report to (Thomas, 2002). Clients illegal operations: SAS 99 does provide a new perspective when it comes to reporting illegal acts that the audit discovers are conducted by the client. Initially, failing to report these acts fell under the jurisdiction of criminal justice and was labelled as obstruction of justice. However, SAS 99 offers a fresher approach to the issue by outlining procedures and obligations of an auditor when it comes to reporting and handling perceived illegal operations by the client. Therefore, for the first time, the auditor does have a responsibility under accounting principles when it is suspected that there are illegal acts by the client. References Collins, D. (2006). Behaving Badly: Ethical Lessons from Enron. Dog Ear Publishing, LLC. McLean, B. Elkind, P. (2003). The Smartest Guys in the Room. New York: Portfolio Trade. Thomas, W. (2002). The Rise and Fall of Enron. Journal of Accountancy. Retrieved from http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2002/apr/theriseandfallofenron.html

Cameron’s The Terminator and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale as Responses to Neo-conservatism :: Movie Film Essays

From abortion to pornography, the â€Å"war on drugs† to the end of the Cold War, the 1980s played host to considerable controversy; amidst such political uneasiness, then, it seems that Reagan Era rejuvenated middle-America’s latent conservatism. This return to the traditional Puritan values of the â€Å"nuclear family† also sponsored heightened State intervention and policing of the private sphere, thereby buttressing cultural myths of the dangerous, unknown â€Å"Other†. As such a fear of the Other was socially perpetuated, it seemed the responsibility of liberal-minded skeptics to note such propaganda as an alarming preparation for totalitarianism. Many cultural texts from the period, such as James Cameron’s 1984 science-fiction film, â€Å"The Terminator†, and Margaret Atwood’s 1986 feminist predictive-text, â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale†, used this opportunity to illustrate the drastic outcomes of a society founded on such mass ignorance. Following in the tradition of â€Å"dystopian†, or anti-utopian, fiction, both texts use a depiction of a â€Å"perfect† future world in order to isolate, exaggerate and expose certain problematic social trends. While not intended as realistic or plausible predictions, these dystopian texts seek to expose extremist attitudes (such as radical conservatism, religiosity, or technological reliance) as fundamentally threatening to human nature and individualism. Dystopia, then, can be understood as a locale for the constant impediment of human freedom, maintained by a regime’s oppressive control of technology, gender and ideology. What makes this fictional society so fascinating, however, is its cunning transformation from utopia to dystopia, or from Heaven to Hell; each of these corrupt worlds is originally presented as a safer, more stable and efficient alternative to contemporary society. Atwood’s tale, for example, presents a portrait of a society, Gilead, which is superficially ideal: it is free of (visible) violence, hatred or suffering. Yet this apparent perfection comes with sacrifice, for all aspects of the population are controlled: social class and intellectual ability are all carefully regulated, with stability maintained at all costs. Similarly, Cameron’s â€Å"Terminator† presents members of modern-day (circa 1984) Los Angeles in a beneficial symbiotic relationship with machinery: as technology improves daily life for humans, so too do humans improve technology. Yet this techno-friendly society based on social alliance is jaded once the machines begin to overpower and out-wit humans; here the oppressive regime that threatens humanity is technology itself. In both texts it seems clear that both technological advancement and control are imperative to the succession of an autocratic state. And as the audience is always kept keenly aware of the dangers that homogeneity poses to the quality of life, these dystopian texts question whether technology necessitates a sacrifice of human individuality.

The Rise of Antibiotics

The Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections by_ Ricki Lewis, Ph. D. _ When penicillin became widely available during the second world war, it was a medical miracle, rapidly vanquishing the biggest wartime killer–infected wounds. Discovered initially by a French medical student, Ernest Duchesne, in 1896, and then rediscovered by Scottish physician Alexander Fleming in 1928, the product of the soil mold Penicillium crippled many types of disease-causing bacteria. But just four years after drug companies began mass-producing penicillin in 1943, microbes began appearing that could resist it. The first bug to battle penicillin was Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is often a harmless passenger in the human body, but it can cause illness, such as pneumonia or toxic shock syndrome, when it overgrows or produces a toxin. In 1967, another type of penicillin-resistant pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and called pneumococcus, surfaced in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. At about the same time, American military personnel in southeast Asia were acquiring penicillin-resistant gonorrhea from prostitutes. By 1976, when the soldiers had come home, they brought the new strain of gonorrhea with them, and physicians had to find new drugs to treat it. In 1983, a hospital-acquired intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Enterococcus faecium joined the list of bugs that outwit penicillin. Antibiotic resistance spreads fast. Between 1979 and 1987, for example, only 0. 02 percent of pneumococcus strains infecting a large number of patients surveyed by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were penicillin-resistant. CDC's survey included 13 hospitals in 12 states. Today, 6. 6 percent of pneumococcus strains are resistant, according to a report in the June 15, 1994, Journal of the American Medical Association by Robert F. Breiman, M. D. , and colleagues at CDC. The agency also reports that in 1992, 13,300 hospital patients died of bacterial infections that were resistant to antibiotic treatment. Why has this happened? â€Å"There was complacency in the 1980s. The perception was that we had licked the bacterial infection problem. Drug companies weren't working on new agents. They were concentrating on other areas, such as viral infections,† says Michael Blum, M. D. , medical officer in the Food and Drug Administration's division of anti-infective drug products. â€Å"In the meantime, resistance increased to a number of commonly used antibiotics, possibly related to overuse of antibiotics. In the 1990s, we've come to a point for certain infections that we don't have agents available. † According to a report in the April 28, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have identified bacteria in patient samples that resist all currently available antibiotic drugs. Survival of the Fittest The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance is an outcome of evolution. Any population of organisms, bacteria included, naturally includes variants with unusual traits–in this case, the ability to withstand an antibiotic's attack on a microbe. When a person takes an antibiotic, the drug kills the defenseless bacteria, leaving behind–or â€Å"selecting,† in biological terms–those that can resist it. These renegade bacteria then multiply, increasing their numbers a millionfold in a day, becoming the predominant microorganism. The antibiotic does not technically cause the resistance, but allows it to happen by creating a situation where an already existing variant can flourish. â€Å"Whenever antibiotics are used, there is selective pressure for resistance to occur. It builds upon itself. More and more organisms develop resistance to more and more drugs,† says Joe Cranston, Ph. D. , director of the department of drug policy and standards at the American Medical Association in Chicago. A patient can develop a drug-resistant infection either by contracting a resistant bug to begin with, or by having a resistant microbe emerge in the body once antibiotic treatment begins. Drug-resistant infections increase risk of death, and are often associated with prolonged hospital stays, and sometimes complications. These might necessitate removing part of a ravaged lung, or replacing a damaged heart valve. Bacterial Weaponry Disease-causing microbes thwart antibiotics by interfering with their mechanism of action. For example, penicillin kills bacteria by attaching to their cell walls, then destroying a key part of the wall. The wall falls apart, and the bacterium dies. Resistant microbes, however, either alter their cell walls so penicillin can't bind or produce enzymes that dismantle the antibiotic. In another scenario, erythromycin attacks ribosomes, structures within a cell that enable it to make proteins. Resistant bacteria have slightly altered ribosomes to which the drug cannot bind. The ribosomal route is also how bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics tetracycline, streptomycin and gentamicin. How Antibiotic Resistance Happens Antibiotic resistance results from gene action. Bacteria acquire genes conferring resistance in any of three ways. In spontaneous DNA mutation, bacterial DNA (genetic material) may mutate (change) spontaneously (indicated by starburst). Drug-resistant tuberculosis arises this way. In a form of microbial sex called transformation, one bacterium may take up DNA from another bacterium. Pencillin-resistant gonorrhea results from transformation. Most frightening, however, is resistance acquired from a small circle of DNA called a plasmid, that can flit from one type of bacterium to another. A single plasmid can provide a slew of different resistances. In 1968, 12,500 people in Guatemala died in an epidemic of Shigella diarrhea. The microbe harbored a plasmid carrying resistances to four antibiotics! A Vicious Cycle: More Infections and Antibiotic Overuse Though bacterial antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, societal factors also contribute to the problem. These factors include increased infection transmission, coupled with inappropriate antibiotic use. More people are contracting infections. Sinusitis among adults is on the rise, as are ear infections in children. A report by CDC's Linda F. McCaig and James M. Hughes, M. D. , in the Jan. 18, 1995, Journal of the American Medical Association, tracks antibiotic use in treating common illnesses. The report cites nearly 6 million antibiotic prescriptions for sinusitis in 1985, and nearly 13 million in 1992. Similarly, for middle ear infections, the numbers are 15 million prescriptions in 1985, and 23. 6 million in 1992. Causes for the increase in reported infections are diverse. Some studies correlate the doubling in doctor's office visits for ear infections for preschoolers between 1975 and 1990 to increased use of day-care facilities. Homelessness contributes to the spread of infection. Ironically, advances in modern medicine have made more people predisposed to infection. People on chemotherapy and transplant recipients taking drugs to suppress their immune function are at greater risk of infection. â€Å"There are the number of immunocompromised patients, who wouldn't have survived in earlier times,† says Cranston. â€Å"Radical procedures produce patients who are in difficult shape in the hospital, and are prone to nosocomial [hospital-acquired] infections. Also, the general aging of patients who live longer, get sicker, and die slower contributes to the problem,† he adds. Though some people clearly need to be treated with antibiotics, many experts are concerned about the inappropriate use of these powerful drugs. â€Å"Many consumers have an expectation that when they're ill, antibiotics are the answer. They put pressure on the physician to prescribe them. Most of the time the illness is viral, and antibiotics are not the answer. This large burden of antibiotics is certainly selecting resistant bacteria,† says Blum. Another much-publicized concern is use of antibiotics in livestock, where the drugs are used in well animals to prevent disease, and the animals are later slaughtered for food. â€Å"If an animal gets a bacterial infection, growth is slowed and it doesn't put on weight as fast,† says Joe Madden, Ph. D. , strategic manager of microbiology at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In addition, antibiotics are sometimes administered at low levels in feed for long durations to increase the rate of weight gain and improve the efficiency of converting animal feed to units of animal production. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine limits the amount of antibiotic residue in poultry and other meats, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture monitors meats for drug residues. According to Margaret Miller, Ph. D. , deputy division director at the Center for Veterinary Medicine, the residue limits for antimicrobial animal drugs are set low enough to ensure that the residues themselves do not select resistant bacteria in (human) gut flora. FDA is investigating whether bacteria resistant to quinolone antibiotics can emerge in food animals and cause disease in humans. Although thorough cooking sharply reduces the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant bacteria surviving in a meat meal to infect a human, it could happen. Pathogens resistant to drugs other than fluoroquinolones have sporadically been reported to survive in a meat meal to infect a human. In 1983, for example, 18 people in four midwestern states developed multi-drug-resistant Salmonella food poisoning after eating beef from cows fed antibiotics. Eleven of the people were hospitalized, and one died. A study conducted by Alain Cometta, M. D. , and his colleagues at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland, and reported in the April 28, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine, showed that increase in antibiotic resistance parallels increase in antibiotic use in humans. They examined a large group of cancer patients given antibiotics called fluoroquinolones to prevent infection. The patients' white blood cell counts were very low as a result of their cancer treatment, leaving them open to infection. Between 1983 and 1993, the percentage of such patients receiving antibiotics rose from 1. 4 to 45. During those years, the researchers isolated Escherichia coli bacteria annually from the patients, and tested the microbes for resistance to five types of fluoroquinolones. Between 1983 and 1990, all 92 E. coli strains tested were easily killed by the antibiotics. But from 1991 to 1993, 11 of 40 tested strains (28 percent) were resistant to all five drugs. Towards Solving the Problem Antibiotic resistance is inevitable, say scientists, but there are measures we can take to slow it. Efforts are under way on several fronts–improving infection control, developing new antibiotics, and using drugs more appropriately. Barbara E. Murray, M. D. , of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston writes in the April 28, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine that simple improvements in public health measures can go a long way towards preventing infection. Such approaches include more frequent hand washing by health-care workers, quick identification and isolation of patients with drug-resistant infections, and improving sewage systems and water purity in developing nations. Drug manufacturers are once again becoming interested in developing new antibiotics. These efforts have been spurred both by the appearance of new bacterial illnesses, such as Lyme disease and Legionnaire's disease, and resurgences of old foes, such as tuberculosis, due to drug resistance. FDA is doing all it can to speed development and availability of new antibiotic drugs. â€Å"We can't identify new agents–that's the job of the pharmaceutical industry. But once they have identified a promising new drug for resistant infections, what we can do is to meet with the company very early and help design the development plan and clinical trials,† says Blum. In addition, drugs in development can be used for patients with multi-drug-resistant infections on an â€Å"emergency IND (compassionate use)† basis, if the physician requests this of FDA, Blum adds. This is done for people with AIDS or cancer, for example. No one really has a good idea of the extent of antibiotic resistance, because it hasn't been monitored in a coordinated fashion. â€Å"Each hospital monitors its own resistance, but there is no good national system to test for antibiotic resistance,† says Blum. This may soon change. CDC is encouraging local health officials to track resistance data, and the World Health Organization has initiated a global computer database for physicians to report outbreaks of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Experts agree that antibiotics should be restricted to patients who can truly benefit from them–that is, people with bacterial infections. Already this is being done in the hospital setting, where the routine use of antibiotics to prevent infection in certain surgical patients is being reexamined. We have known since way back in the antibiotic era that these drugs have been used inappropriately in surgical prophylaxis [preventing infections in surgical patients]. But there is more success [in limiting antibiotic use] in hospital settings, where guidelines are established, than in the more typical outpatient settings,† says Cranston. Murray points out an example of antibiotic prophylaxis in the outpatient setting–children with recurrent ear infections given extended antibiotic prescriptions to prevent future infections. (See â€Å"Protecting Little Pitchers' Ears† in the December 1994 FDA Consumer. Another problem with antibiotic use is that patients often stop taking the drug too soon, because symptoms improve. However, this merely encourages resistant microbes to proliferate. The infection returns a few weeks later, and this time a different drug must be used to treat it. Targeting TB Stephen Weis and colleagues at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth reported in the April 28, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine on research they conducted in Tarrant County, Texas, that vividly illustrates how helping patients to take the full course of their medication can actually lower resistance rates. The subject–tuberculosis. TB is an infection that has experienced spectacular ups and downs. Drugs were developed to treat it, complacency set in that it was beaten, and the disease resurged because patients stopped their medication too soon and infected others. Today, one in seven new TB cases is resistant to the two drugs most commonly used to treat it (isoniazid and rifampin), and 5 percent of these patients die. In the Texas study, 407 patients from 1980 to 1986 were allowed to take their medication on their own. From 1986 until the end of 1992, 581 patients were closely followed, with nurses observing them take their pills. By the end of the study, the relapse rate–which reflects antibiotic resistance–fell from 20. 9 to 5. 5 percent. This trend is especially significant, the researchers note, because it occurred as risk factors for spreading TB–including AIDS, intravenous drug use, and homelessness–were increasing. The conclusion: Resistance can be slowed if patients take medications correctly. Narrowing the Spectrum Appropriate prescribing also means that physicians use â€Å"narrow spectrum† antibiotics–those that target only a few bacterial types–whenever possible, so that resistances can be restricted. The only national survey of antibiotic prescribing practices of office physicians, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, finds that the number of prescriptions has not risen appreciably from 1980 to 1992, but there has been a shift to using costlier, broader spectrum agents. This prescribing trend heightens the resistance problem, write McCaig and Hughes, because more diverse bacteria are being exposed to antibiotics. One way FDA can help physicians choose narrower spectrum antibiotics is to ensure that labeling keeps up with evolving bacterial resistances. Blum hopes that the surveillance information on emerging antibiotic resistances from CDC will enable FDA to require that product labels be updated with the most current surveillance information. Many of us have come to take antibiotics for granted. A child develops strep throat or an ear infection, and soon a bottle of â€Å"pink medicine† makes everything better. An adult suffers a sinus headache, and antibiotic pills quickly control it. But infections can and do still kill. Because of a complex combination of factors, serious infections may be on the rise. While awaiting the next â€Å"wonder drug,† we must appreciate, and use correctly, the ones that we already have. {draw:rect} Big Difference If this bacterium could be shown four times bigger, it would be the right relative size to the virus beneath it. Both are microscopic and are shown many times larger than life. ) Although bacteria are single-celled organisms, viruses are far simpler, consisting of one type of biochemical (a nucleic acid, such as DNA or RNA) wrapped in another (protein). Most biologists do not consider viruses to be living things, but instead, infectious particles. Antibiotic drugs attack bacteria, not viruses. {draw:rect} *The Greatest Fe ar–Vancomycin* Resistance When microbes began resisting penicillin, medical researchers fought back with chemical cousins, such as methicillin and oxacillin. By 1953, the antibiotic armamentarium included chloramphenicol, neomycin, terramycin, tetracycline, and cephalosporins. But today, researchers fear that we may be nearing an end to the seemingly endless flow of antimicrobial drugs. At the center of current concern is the antibiotic vancomycin, which for many infections is literally the drug of â€Å"last resort,† says Michael Blum, M. D. , medical officer in FDA's division of anti-infective drug products. Some hospital-acquired staph infections are resistant to all antibiotics except vancomycin. Now vancomycin resistance has turned up in another common hospital bug, enterococcus. And since bacteria swap resistance genes like teenagers swap T-shirts, it is only a matter of time, many microbiologists believe, until vancomycin-resistant staph infections appear. â€Å"Staph aureus may pick up vancomycin resistance from enterococci, which are found in the normal human gut,† says Madden. And the speed with which vancomycin resistance has spread through enterococci has prompted researchers to use the word â€Å"crisis† when discussing the possibility of vancomycin-resistant staph. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci were first reported in England and France in 1987, and appeared in one New York City hospital in 1989. By 1991, 38 hospitals in the United States reported the bug. By 1993, 14 percent of patients with enterococcus in intensive-care units in some hospitals had vancomycin-resistant strains, a 20-fold increase from 1987. A frightening report came in 1992, when a British researcher observed a transfer of a vancomycin-resistant gene from enterococcus to Staph aureus in the laboratory. Alarmed, the researcher immediately destroyed the bacteria. Ricki_ Lewis is a geneticist and textbook author. _ {draw:rect} FDA Consumer magazine (September 1995)