Bottleneck and non-bottleneck work centers

Eliyahu M Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC) states that the bottleneck in a work system is the crucial constraint that must be scheduled first in order to achieve maximum system output. All efforts are to go toward scheduling the bottleneck work center, the capacity of which does not meet the demand placed on it and is less than the capacity of all other work centers. TOC uses five steps (Godratt, 1999, p. 3-6), including:Identify the bottleneck. 2. Exploit the bottleneck, maximizing its throughput by streamlining or improving processes, equipment maintenance, training, anything necessary. 3. Subordinate the throughput of all other work centers to the bottleneck. 4. Elevate the status/condition of the bottleneck with additional equipment, staffing, work hours, etc. 5. Inertia is to be avoided. Begin again with Step #1, find the new bottleneck, and continue the 5 steps.One scheduling alternative is to streamline and reduce the amount of setup time needed for the bottleneck . Another is to schedule its activity for additional hours per day and/or days per month. Further, breaks, lunchtime, and intermittent maintenance may be eliminated or rescheduled. Finally, work that does not need to go through the bottleneck can be eliminated by scheduling it to other work centers. MINPRT: Minimum Processing Time is the best scheduling rule to use in order to eliminate a bottleneck.Applying this rule, each next-scheduled job is the one that has 2 the shortest processing time. Since all scheduled jobs are then the shortest jobs, more jobs are completed more quickly so that downstream work centers do not wait for work. Non-bottleneck work centers can be scheduled to include completing their setup after the bottleneck is set up, to use them fewer hours per day and/or days per month, and to schedule them for jobs that do not need to go through the bottleneck.MINSOP: Minimum Slack time per Operation is a scheduling rule that can work well for non-bottlenecks. Using this rule, each next-scheduled job is the one that has the least slack (down) time so that production increases per hour. MINDD: Minimum Due Date may be the best option for non-bottlenecks and includes consistently scheduling the next job that is due first in order to meet due dates effectively. REFERENCES Goldratt, E. M. (December 1999). Theory of Constraints. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press.

Planning Of A Rich Media Project For Digital Portfolio

Project management as the building blocks of various types of businesses holds important roles in defining the success or failure of these businesses, whether it is used in a daily basis or in used in lighthouse events only. As the environment changes however, project management need to face new challenges and issues brought upon it by shifting trends in the society.Concerning project management, this paper discusses how the trends have shifted and what issues are presented in the face of project management science. In the end, I will describe how project managers have responded to those challenges and create new business models and new project management initiatives.I. Case Studies and FindingsII.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Changing Environment: Current Trends and IssuesLimited ResourcesOne of the most obvious shifts in project management trends is the limited resources provided for each project. With the level of competition and professionalism expected by investors, project managers now ar e expected to do more with less. Tighter budgets, less time and fewer resources are some of the challenges faced by modern project challenges. Using those limited resources, project managers are expected to create products and provide services which are faster, cheaper and better. The basis of the competition is now rooted in two dimensions, time-based considerations and cost based considerations. The cost based dimension has been around since the beginning, but the increasing importance of time-based considerations is the new competitive edge. Companies or project managers today are demanded to control their cost using project management techniques and to deliver product or service to the market faster than anyone.Developing a consistent approachSurveyed executives and project professionals reported that developing a consistent approach to managing projects is one of the most common challenges in today’s project management. 24% respondents believed that designing the approac h toward a project management strategy is the crucial first step. Any other steps are built upon the success of this first step. It is the foundation of the whole project. If it is managed successfully, any other steps would run smoothly in aftermath.However, due to the unpredictability of situations, project managers can sometimes decide to change their approach toward the project. More often than not, this action does not deliver solutions to the problems, but rather generate confusion and baffle the people who already have their mindset tune-in to the preliminary approach (‘Research’, 2003)Managing multiple projectsAlmost 20% of the respondents believed that it is the allocation of resources that become their huge challenge in managing their projects. The difficulty level is enhanced once the project managers must manage multiple projects at once. One of the preliminary considerations project managers must made is about choosing the right projects. 17% of the executi ve and project professionals interviewed stated that one of the most common issues for companies is that they choose too many projects to manage or they choose the wrong projects.Deciding to manage projects without the right basis of considerations will generate flawed end-result and thus flawed corporate reputation. In managing multiple projects, the extent of the challenges, whether they are from the cost-based considerations or the time-based considerations is enhanced significantly (‘Research’, 2003).Limited visibility of project activitiesAnother important challenge and the one that is increasingly discussed in recent years is the limited visibility of project activities. Increasing scope of project, complexity and increasing need to be cost and time effective enhanced the necessity to have clear visibility throughout the project duration and processes. Nevertheless, such a visibility is seldom available because it requires significant amount of investment in IT in itiatives and staff training.Companies rely on project management more.About 72.4 projects within a company is lasting less than one year, which makes them eligible for implementing the project management science 51% of these projects are considered complex or highly complex. Almost 60% of companies surveyed manage projects at the enterprise level. 44% of these surveyed companies already have an established project office and a center of excellence for project managers (Research, 2003).II.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Requirement: The New Business ModelsII.2.1.   Improving the Project ManagerIn order to deal with the changes in today’s marketplace, companies rely on project management sciences a lot more than yesterday. This is considered a logical step because managers discovered that project management science contain a significant competitive advantage to other concept of management. Companies are now supplying their project managers with tools to manage projects efficiently, like seminars and training in project management sciences, to learn about scheduling techniques like Gantt charts and PERT diagrams. Project managers are also taught to plan ahead, be proactive yet flexible and creative in anticipating problems due to changes within the environment.II.2.2.   Developing the Project TeamProject teams also received significant raining steps. These training steps are performed to give projects teams the capability to write project specifications, estimating time, developing budgets and planning procedures within the project. The training will enhance the efficiency of the project team in planning the project. The more efficient the planning process, the easier the implementation of the project becomes. Afterwards, team members are taught to develop teamwork and team pride to help ensure the project’s success. As the level of competition increases, businesses realize the increasing value of providing project managers and project teams with those type s of trainingII.2.3.   Developing the Information Technology Department  In order to fulfill the need to have project visibility across its processes, companies and project managers turn to Information Technology. IT initiatives are the choice of 77% project managers having been surveyed, Compare to 69% believing that methodology improvement and staff training are the most crucial problems (Chaakravarty, nd).II.2.4.   OutsourcingHaving limited resources and time to manage projects efficiently, companies begin considering outsourcing the project management systems. More than 50% of companies surveyed stated that they only have 1-9 project managers on the company’s staff, others are outsourced. 25% of these surveyed companies have 10-25 project managers on staff and 39% of the companies surveyed fully outsourced their project management function or considering it.

Managing Marine Resources Sustainably

MANAGING MARINE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY 8/17/2011 Sanie Joel V. Cagoco Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 ARTICLE SUMMARY Eutrophication is a syndrome of ecosystem responses to human activities that fertilize water bodies with nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P), often leading to changes in animal and plant populations and degradation of water and habitat quality. Nitrogen and phosphorous are essential components of structural proteins, enzymes, cell membranes, nucleic acids and molecules that capture and utilize light and chemical energy to support life. The biologically available forms of Nitrogen and Phosphorous are present at low concentrations in pristine lakes, rivers, estuaries and in vast regions of the upper ocean. The natural resources of the sea are extremely valuable and, for the most part, are renewable. If properly managed, they should provide continuing returns into the future without diminishing their productivity. Yet, for many of these resources, including those of importance to industries such as ? shing and tourism, ef? ient management and sustainable exploitation have been the exception rather than the rule. Resources have been depleted and have collapsed due to over-exploitation, with severe economic and social consequences for the humans relying on them. Increasing demand for ocean resources due to population growth and economic expansion has raised concern about the sustainability of the ocean resources and amenities that contribute to the well-being of people around the globe. Highly productive fisheries have collapsed, marine and coastal habitats have been Eutrophication was first evident in lakes and rivers as they became choked with excessive growth of rooted plants and floating algal scums, prompting intense study in the 1960’s – 70’s and culmination in the scientific basis for banning phosphate detergents and upgrading sewage treatment to reduce wastewater Nitrogen and Phosphorous discharges to inland waters. lost or degraded, and carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is changing the climate and some of the basic properties of the marine environment. These stresses increase the urgency of developing sustainable practices for activities in the ocean. Of the ocean's renewable resources, fish are probably the most pressing concern to people around the world. The sustainability of the ocean's fisheries is essential for the well-being of people in both developing and industrialized nations, through markets that range from local to global in scale. Seafood is the major source of protein for more than 1 billion people internationally, while about 44 million depend on fishing or fish farming for their livelihood. Because seafood provides an immediate connection between the ocean and people, we discuss fish production in terms of managing the wild harvest and developing sustainable quaculture practices. (Susan Roberts and Kenneth Brink) 1 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 Common to most definitions of sustainability is the concept of using renewable resources without jeopardizing their availability for use by future generations. Sustainable means different things to different people, and notably has been a point of contention in fisheries management. The 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity defined sustainable use as ? the use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its otential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations. Fisheries management involves regulating when, where, how, and how much fishermen are allowed to harvest to ensure that there will be fish in the future. It draws on fisheries science in order to find ways to protect fishery resources so sustainable exploitation is possible. Modern fisheries management is often referred to as a governmental system of appropriate management rules based on defined objectives and a mix of management means to implement the rules, which are put in place by a system of monitoring control and surveillance. Thru Fishery management, oceans would be fished and farmed to protect long-term production, not to generate the highest short-term cash flow. Market prices for catches would rise and fall within a predictable and profitable range, which would reward fairly the boat owners’ investments and crews’ labor. Fishing families would earn stable, year-round wages, and their coastal communities would thrive on these fishing wages and income generated by supporting businesses. Consumers would have stable supplies of high-quality local seafood. An armistice would end the debilitating wars between fishermen and environmentalists; government regulators would make quick realistic decisions; and court dockets would be empty of head-of-the-pin fisheries cases Many different strategies have been proposed to make fisheries more sustainable. A few of these approaches, which could be pursued in concert, are described here: (a) adopting more conservative catch limits, (b) changing the economic incentives of the fishing industry, and (c) enhancing the demand for sustainable products. An ecosystem is the basic functional unit in ecology, as it includes both organisms and their abiotic environment. No organism can exist without the environment. Ecosystem represents the highest level of ecological integration which is energy based. A pond, a lake, a coral reef, part of any field and a laboratory culture can be some of the examples of ecosystems. Thus an ecosystem is 2 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 defined as a specific unit of all the organisms occupying a given area which interacts with the physical environment producing distinct trophic structure, biotic diversity and material cycling. Aquaculture, also known as aqua farming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and Growing our own seafood through aquaculture can provide part of the solution to a major saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments. The wild capture fisheries are only one part of the seafood industry. The largest growth in seafood production since 1990 has been in aquaculture, which currently accounts for about one-third of the world’s total fish and shell harvest. Aquaculture is expected to increase in importance as the demand for seafood increases. ecological catastrophe – overharvesting of the world’s marine life – while contributing to the global supply of healthy seafood. In aquaculture, there is also the option of farming herbivores instead of carnivores. This typically means culturing filter-feeding shellfish such as mussels, clams, and oysters. These species do not require fish feeds – they are mostly herbivores that consume phytoplankton in the water and their culture can be beneficial in areas prone to phytoplankton blooms and eutrophication. However, some of the other concerns about aquaculture also apply to the culture of these mollusks including the effects of aquaculture operations on marine habitats and resident species. ARTICLE’S RELATIONSHIP TO PHILIPPINE ENVIRONTMENTAL CONDITION AND IT’S AGENCIES CONCERNED The country’s main environmental institution is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). It was created in 1987 by Executive Order No. 192, which consolidated several government agencies performing environmental functions. The DENR is primarily responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country’s environment and natural resources, specifically forest and grazing lands, mineral resources, and lands of the public domain, as well as the licensing and regulation of all natural resources. 3 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 Apart from the DENR, there are other national government agencies involved in environmental management. The major ones include the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health (DOH), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), and Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) (the last two, in connection with watershed areas and reservations supporting hydroelectric power generation and geothermal fields, respectively). Moreover, even agencies not traditionally associated with environmental functions, such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have been given environmental management roles under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Given the country’s poor fiscal position, limited financial resources is a problem that the DENR and other agencies with environmental management functions share with the rest of the bureaucracy. To address the environmental sector’s financial needs despite this limitation, reforms are necessary in both demand and supply sides. Progress has been made in terms of the institutional arrangements in the Philippines in addressing marine resources sustainably but the present situation requires a comprehensive strategy that will enable the country to effectively chart a more sustainable future. The establishment of a clear institutional mechanism by which the challenge of managing marine resources can be addressed is necessary. Ambiguities in the government institutions tasked to deal with marine resources issues must be eliminated. The highest priority however is to adopt and implement a strategic framework which should guide the Philippine response in managing our marine resources. CONCLUSION If aquaculture is to fulfill its great promise, however, governments and citizens alike must be vigilant. Short-term economic considerations will make it all too easy for marine aquaculture to slip into the ecologically harmful methods of large-scale, intensive livestock production increasingly adopted on land. Despite some recent improvements, experience to date with commercial salmon farming is not encouraging in this regard. The most popular farmed species among consumers in developed countries tend to be carnivores, creating an additional challenge to sustainability. Forms of 4 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 aquaculture that consume more fish than they produce cannot assist society in addressing the global problem of wild fisheries depletion. As we look forward over a century, it is clear that human impacts will continue, but that the nature and form of those impacts will surely change. New approaches are being developed to help balance the uses of coastal and marine environments, including no consumptive ecosystem services such as erosion control, biological carbon sequestration, recreation and tourism. Continued investments in research and strategic, long-term planning can help to ensure that future generations will have an opportunity to experience and enjoy the ocean and its many resources. The responsible use of the planet’s resources to meet the needs of society for healthful food is a goal universally supported by those across the spectrum of the aquaculture debate. All human activities have an effect on the environment, but in these early years of the 21st century, we are increasingly realizing that we have trod too heavily on the planet. Unsustainable consumption patterns, particularly in developed countries, are leading to global ecological disruption and rapid depletion of both renewable and nonrenewable resources. It is in this context that the future of aquaculture must be determined. Growing our own seafood through aquaculture can provide part of the solution to a major ecological catastrophe—overharvesting of the world’s marine life—while contributing to the global supply of healthy seafood. About the article’s authors: S. J. Roberts is the director of the Ocean Studies Board at the National Research Council where she has worked since 1998. She received her B. S. in zoology from Duke University and Ph. D. in marine biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She has undertaken research on fish physiology, symbiosis, and developmental biology. At the National Research Council, she has conducted many studies on marine resource issues such as marine protected areas, ecosystem effects of fishing, and endangered species. K. H. Brink is a physical oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he has worked since 1980. He was educated at Cornell (B. S. ) and Yale (Ph. D. ). His research concentrates on currents over the continental shelf, and their implications. His service as President of The Oceanography Society, and as Chair of the National Research Council's Ocean Studies Board, have involved him in a range of practical concerns about the ocean. 5

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business strategy - Essay Example Careful analysis of the case study on Honda Motor Company shows that the company was never driven by the strategic purpose to survive in the domestic marketplace of Japan; rather, the company always thrived for excellence in the international marketplace. For example, in the initial years, the company realised they needed to manufacture efficient, lighter and powerful engines which could not only meet the demand of local customers but also attract international customers (refer to the Honda case study). SWOT analysis in the appendix 3 is showing that technological capabilities are the major strength of Honda and the company has used its strategic purpose to excel in international market. As mentioned in the PESTLE analysis done in Appendix 1, the Japanese government has created a significant amount of exchange restriction on Honda in order to prevent it from entering the USA market. In such circumstances, Honda has decided to increase penetration in the USA motorcycle market with its 50cc super cubs. The company targeted everyday Americans who want small capacity motorcycles and Honda was successful in catering to their demand. In the early 1960s, Honda used the export mode to penetrate in the automobile market of North America but in later years, the company decided to set manufacturing facilities in USA and decrease its export portfolio (by the end of 1996, total the American investment of Honda had touched $3.8 billion) (refer to the case study). The value chain and VRIN analysis done in Appendices 5 & 4 shows that technological resources have helped Honda to achieve competitive advantage in many cases. For example, the company has doubled its technological capabilities in the research and development section in North America, which has resulted in manufacturing Accord SE-i that is brilliant in performance but $10,000 cheaper than the competitors’ car with the similar capacity (refer to the Honda case study). The strategic purpose of Honda can be unde rstood by analysing its organisational structure which reflects its mission, vision and value system. Honda has stated its value as â€Å"proceed always with ambition and youthfulness† (refer to the Honda case study). Senior executives and the chairman of the company prefer to work together in manufacturing units in order to create the sense of belongingness among workers and ensure that the company is delivering technologically superior and quality products to customer. Such level of integrity and resilience has helped the company to revert the negative situation when export of cars from Japan to USA also dropped from 3.4 million to 1.7 million in 1992 in comparison to 1987 (refer to Appendix 6). Although the road to enter the international market was not an easy ride for Honda because the company faced a diminishing trend in demand in the USA market in the initial years, but later on product innovation such as its 50cc motor cycles, light duty trucks (T-360), sports truck ( S-500), CVCC engine (compound vortex controlled combustion) (Frank, 2003), or development of SED (sales, production, engineering and development) system has helped the company to become one of the market leaders in both the domestic and international markets (refer to the Hon

Business Ethics and Deontology SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics and Deontology SLP - Essay Example I am the chief accountant of the company and so responsible for payments of these tenders. My work involves processing of payments and writing of cheques for these suppliers. In the process of doing my work, I realized that some of the tenders were awarded against the company rules, and this is considered to be unethical (Barry, 2000). The ethical problem here is that a supplier was given a tender for supplying computers in our company. When you look at the price quoted, you realize that it is much higher than other suppliers. The question is how did it happen? Why did it happen? Who were responsible for the process of awarding the tender? What was the objective of awarding the tender? As an accountant, I demanded to get all the answers for the above questions (Barry, 2000). This made me stop the payment process and start making inquiries. Management meeting was called very first and the main agenda was computer supply allocation. As a business entity, our main objective is to reduce cost and maximize profit. We realized that of all applicants, the person who supplied computers were the most expensive. One of the senior managers of the company gave an explanation that the person was given the tender because of the quality goods he assured the company. When you compare what the company had previously with the new computers, no difference was realized. That is when I realized that there was some vested interest by some of the managers to award tenders to their friends so that the suppliers can inflate the prices. Deontology refers to moral obligation and undertaking of duties with the right motives (Darwall, 2003). In this case, the deontological implication of this problem is poor management relations. This is because as a company, we have managers responsible for each department within the organization. It is the managers’ duty to give directions on what is expected. For our case, a group of managers decided to go against the company rules

How significant were the neandertals to the evolution of anatomically Essay

How significant were the neandertals to the evolution of anatomically modern humans - Essay Example Neandertal fossils date back to 130 000- 30 000 BP throughout the region of Eurasia. Their fossils were morphologically different from modern man in that they were ruggedly built with thick chest (Lahr 130). The Neandertals were very strong and muscular; an adaptation that helped them to survive in tough conditions. According to Hublin, the Neandertals spent most of their lives in caves given that their reign was during a period of long glacial maximum. Although referred to as ancient cavemen, recent archaeological studies have pointed out that the Neandertals were intelligent considering the fact they used stone tools and sometimes fire. (Ponced et al,13767). Thus, new evidence suggests that although the Neandertals were slightly physically different from the anatomically modern man, both shared a lot of characteristics. According to Roebroeks, anatomically modern man came into direct contact with the Neandertals about fifty thousand years ago (p. 438). The neandertals and modern ma n were forced to compete for the resources available like food and locations (Mellars 103). However, the highly specialized morphology of the Neandertals began working to their disadvantage due the climatic changes. There is no conclusive evidence to ascertain whether modern man was more evolve than the neandertals at this point in history. However, the discovery of cultural items associated with early modern man suggest that indeed, neandertals were less evolved in comparison (Hardy 35). Since both the neandertals and modern man shared diets, the competition for food grew fierce with time. Eventually, the neandertals were pushed towards harsh and less fertile environment which heralded their demise. It should be noted that modern man and neandertals were very similar. Research by Currat pointed out that modern man and neandertals had similar cultures (p. 15129). For instance, both were cognizant of the significance of death and tools of trade were inherited. Although they both had had significant morphological differences, their genetic distinction could still allow for mating to produce offspring that was viable. The possibility of interbreeding between modern man and neandertals may offer insight into the similar traits between the two (Weaver et al 464) . The gene of microcephalin is archeologically attributed to neandertal man. This trait was absent in modern man genome up to approximately one million years ago. Its presence in anatomically modern man thus points out to interbreeding with the neandertals. The gene that allowed for more brain development and intelligence was critical for the existence and survival of modern man (Ponced 1365). This gene was rapidly propagated through the modern man by positive selection and it is now present in a majority of the world population. Thus, it is evident that neandertals passed on some superior genes of brain development to modern man which contributed significantly to their evolution. The intelligence gene was advantageous to the progress and survival of anatomically modern man in a dynamic world. According to Blow et al, further research into the DNA of Neandertals has indicated compellingly that in deed anatomically modern man and neandertals interbred (1367). This conclusion was reached after the study found out that modern man had a gene that helped to develop resistance to virus that was previously found in

A review of an existing IR system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

A review of an existing IR system - Essay Example What is more, the researcher acknowledges that each of the different information retrieval systems available have its own strengths and weaknesses, which make their use in certain context inappropriate as against other forms of use. With this in mind, the report will seek to critically describe, by coming out with a detailed descriptive account of a selected information retrieval system, which will become a basis for users of the report to make decisions on the information retrieval system. The description shall be done in accordance with how the system allows for specific information retrieval tasks to be performed. Thereafter, findings from the study shall be outlined, which shall mainly dwell on the strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement for the selected information retrieval system. Finally, there is a realization that for every information retrieval to take place there must be a corresponding information source, which leads to the next topic of this discussion. Introduct ion to Information Retrieval and selected IR system The internet continues to dominate as an important tool in the search, retrieval and storage of information. Indeed, with the coming of the internet, there is now a centralized whole-point where almost every kind of information and data can be found (Ando and Tong, 2005a). This has been made possible because of the easily accessible nature of the internet where everyone can stay and live in the comfort of his home and input pieces of information online. Commonly, the same form of information exists online and from several sources that, when a person wants to make use of a particular line of information, the options available to choose from are more than required. Apart from the numerous natures of available options, there is also an issue with the differences with information source quality, where some sources of information can be proven to be more reliable, authentic and valid than others (van Rijsbergen, 2009). Han and George (2 000) has explained information retrieval as a conscious activity that is aimed at obtaining information resources that are highly relevant to a person’s information need from available information sources. This definition indeed gives a very broad overview of the concept of information retrieval and explains it even further. In the first place, it would be noted that information retrieval does not take place as an accidental process but as an intential process, and thus the use of the word, ‘conscious’. In effect, people who perform information retrieval are people who sit before their computers and other internet media with the mind of finding something useful for further processing. Secondly, the definitions establish that information retrieval must lead to the obtaining information that is highly relevant to a searcher’s quest. In other words, information retrieval would always lead to a pool of options for the person undertaking the search. The person performing the search thus has a role to play at that point when he is presented with the pool of options and this role is to ensure that he becomes part of the search by selecting only what is most relevant to the search. Description of selected IR system This section of the report therefore deals with a description of how PubMed has developed functionalities to help support its users with their search. This is made up

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks and Vitamin-Enhanced Case Study

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages - Case Study Example The commercial attributes of the substitute drinks segment of the industry are different from other groups of drinks. Substitute beverages competed based on differentiation from ancient drinks like carbonated drinks or fruit drinks. In addition, the market began with reduced competition, which later led to abrupt transformation as various new product lines joined and profit margins seriously suffered from reduction of prices. The entire beverage industry face reduced profit margin emanating from increased competition and inability to differentiate their products. The buyers’ negotiation ability and advantage was a significant competitive force. Emerging brands with reduced market shares were highly vulnerable to purchasers’ advantage as storage space was limited whereas top brands had substantial shelf space. Supplier’s advantage and negotiation power represented the weakest force of competition. Several substitute beverage ingredients sellers had to struggle to market their brands. New ingredient suppliers had a relative advantage in bargaining with producers of energy drinks than popular ingredient suppliers. The competition between substitute beverage sellers was the strongest force. Rivalry between key brands centers mainly on the brand reputation, attractive taste, appealing packaging, sales advertisement and promotion, and attaining better shelf space access and reinforcing distribution abilities. Competitive forces that have a substantial impact on attractiveness of industry include substitute beverage brand, reduced switching cots on consumers’ part, aggressiveness and activeness of suppliers’ efforts and a strong focus on endorsements, promotion of sales and advertisements. Â  Beverage market is rapidly changing. The preferences for alternative products are increasing while the preference for traditional drinks decreasing. The driving factors for substitute drink industry involve

Small and Medium Enterprises in an International Cont Essay

Small and Medium Enterprises in an International Cont - Essay Example After 2 years, she moved to a new place in the same locality of North Yorkshire where there was a separate place for showcasing the new designs and she had a workshop for stitching. She had hired tailors and bought new machines and had started to produce dresses for various sizes. Now in 2007, Noni has a team of designers working for her for which she is the creative head. She has a tailoring place, where she has a group of tailors to bring her designs into form and shape. The total employee strength had become 75. The development of her business was financed through bank and Noni was able tor repay all of her bank loans within a period of eight years and by 2000 the business was established with steady profits. But recently there is a lull in the business. She had a few competitors in the area like the Jesslyn and the Mctavish families who were also making wedding gowns along with other gents and ladies formal wear. But Noni's designs, price and quality was much appreciated by the residents and in spite of the competition she was able to grow. Analysis of the reasons for recent slump in business showed that it was because of the e- commerce. After the advent of the internet, people were exposed to a lot of online sources, it was easier for people to buy new and used wedding gowns at very competitive prices. Though Noni believed that her gowns were of better quality compared to those sold online for the same prices as hers, the preference of people to buy online has increased. Hence, Noni has to devise a strategy to survive this competition from the virtual stores. Until now, Noni was concerned about the tastes and preferences of her immediate community which was her market. Also she was taking into account only the competition of her neighboring stores. But now anybody from across the world who has the taste to design gowns can start an online business and can steal a customer from Noni. Also, another factor which Noni has to consider is that, because of the advent of the information technology, consumers are flooded with information. People can easily access to fashion and trends in the major fashion capitals and they are very knowledgeable about the technicalities of making a dress. Hence, the expectation of the consumers has increased a lot. They compare the designs and costs from various shops not only in the neighborhood but also in US or in Europe and they know whether they are getting a deal or not. Hence, to survive and grow in this kind of an environment is a real challenge for Noni and her Best Bride. Survival strategy The strategy Noni thought about is that she wanted to carryout and extensive market research covering her whole neighborhood, but the dependency of the business on her and her financial conditions did not permit that. Instead she listed the strengths of Best Bride. These strengths were the factors which made her business grow in the first place. So she wanted to find out whether she had deviated from the factors which had contributed her growth. The two Ps she was concerned about like most of other SMEs were the Price and Product. It was true that her business was dependent on her and she was just tackling the everyday problems which had added to her strength in the area of designs and quality of the product. To tackle the competition from virtual stores Noni, thought about the following strategies: 1. Concentrate on the promotion 2. Enter new

Mini project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mini project - Essay Example This advert has been used to inform the customers that Samsung handsets are available and that have equally better applications and features like any other latest models or even better. The display on the advert shows the Samsung hand set has more superior and modern with appealing look. This type of advertising is employed mainly for introducing a new product or service in the market. It can also be used to boost the popularity of an already existing product in the market. The consumers have to know that a certain product or service exists before they can go for it. This advertising therefore aims at creating a demand for the products and services and by extension sensitizing potential customers (Amaldoss & He, pg. 147). . A well informed customer derives satisfaction and is therefore motivated to buy a product or subscribe to a service the next time. It is through this that loyalty is created and customers are maintained. Considering the benefits of this form of advertising, it should therefore be considered an indispensable method of marketing that any business firm should embrace. Moreover, informative advertising should be made in a simple and comprehensive language that favors most customers if not all. This type of advertising is employed mainly for introducing a new product or service in the market. It can also be used to boost the popularity of an already existing product in the market. The consumers have to know that a certain product or service exists before they can go for it. This advertising therefore aims at creating a demand for the products and services and by extension sensitizing potential customers (Amaldoss & He, pg 147). More often than not customers have certain concerns about products available in the market, this can be in regard to their advantages and demerits as well as how to use these products. Very sensitive elements of a product such as prices, areas of use and why a customer needs to buy that particular product are also

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Example for Free

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay Tupac Shakur, was a famous American rapper and actor that once said, â€Å"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender.† Holocaust survivor and the author of Night, Elie Wiesel, seems to say the same as Mr. Shakur, that life is more miserable when one feels that void while being alive rather than being dead. In his memoir, Elie reveals his story when Hitler came into power with the Nazis and put all the â€Å"undesirables† through their most horrible times ever. When Elie loses his faith in God, faith in his people, and the role of a son, it eventually leads to his metaphorical deaths. Elie Wiesel failed to keep his faith in his religion due to the Holocaust. Without question, before he was sent to the concentration camps he was extremely passionate while praying to God. Previous to when the Nazis came into power, in Sighet, Transylvania, Elie compared being able to live and breathe to praying as a necessity (4). Something as significant and involuntary as breathing was no more important to Elie than praising God day and night. For Elie, praying is a natural act; he does not think about praying, he just does it. Unfortunately, Elie began defying his beliefs and questioning God’s power. When the inmates gathered to pray for Rosh Hashanah on the Appelplatz of Buna, Elie protested, â€Å"Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in me rebelled† (67). He was tired of God’s silence and got frustrated how God had not helped to prevent all the chaos that was happening. Overall, Elie was once a religious boy who gave up on his beliefs. Elie sees his fellow inmates harass each other for the sake of their own survival, which ultimately leads him to lose his faith in humankind. Undeniably, he once believed in the power and unity of the Jewish people. After being sent to the small ghetto in the cattle car to Birkenau, Auschwitz, Mrs. Schà ¤chter was hallucinating, yet the other passengers were sympathetic and tried to soothe her (25). Because the others still had their humanity, they still attempted to reason or reassure with the mad woman. Everyone in the convoy was still a community and acted as one; they knew they still had to help each other, not just themselves. However, the feeling that it was every man for himself suddenly showed. In the wagon, on the way to Buchenwald, Elie referred to a heart-breaking moment in his memoir, â€Å"Stunned by the blows, the old man was crying: ‘Meir, my little Meir! Don’t you recognize me†¦Ã‚  You’re killing your father†¦ I have bread†¦ for you too†¦ for you too†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (101). Because of a plain, yet lifesaving ration of bread, the boy was willing to betray his dad. Elie sees the disgust and dehumanizing that had been caused because of the harsh conditions for survival. Therefore, Elie who had faith in his community lost confidence when he saw what wild animals they had become. Elie could not be a dependent child anymore, for he had lost the role of being a son. Naturally, he relied on Shlomo, his father, before living in the camps. During the first selection in Birkenau, he only thought of holding on to his dad so he would not be left alone with no one else from his family (30). His sisters and mother were all sent to the right, most likely the crematorium, and him and Mr. Wiesel directed to the right; safe, having only each other, they would have to work together. At the time, Elie could not imagine what he would do without Mr. Wiesel and had to cling onto Shlomo for protection from the brutality of the concentration camps. As time went by, Elie started to have responsibility for both his and Mr. Wiesel’s security. Right when the two men arrived at the entrance of Buchenwald, Shlomo moaned, â€Å"‘Don’t yell my son†¦ Have pity on your old father†¦ Let me rest here†¦ a little I beg of you, I’m so tired†¦ no more strength†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He had become childlike: weak frightened, vulnerable. â€Å"‘Father,’ I said, ‘you cannot stay here’† (105). Shlomo wanted to die in his sleep in the snow, but Elie kept yelling at him to keep living. This proves that Mr. Wiesel did become a child and his son had become a man, trying to convince his father, like a toddler, to listen to him. To conclude, Elie entered manhood from being a helpless child. In other words, Elie lost the commitment to God, proudness in mankind, and reliance. Because he felt that God did not care for his people anymore, he objected to praise Him. The inhumane behavior of the prisoners and guards led Elie to lose faith in them. Since he could not depend on Shlomo anymore, he had to take on the responsibility to survive. As Mr. Shakur said, Elie did feel as if he died through the events of the concentration camps, but did not forfeit to death. Elie Wiesel wrote this memoir to bring awareness of the genocide in the Holocaust and that humans shall never let it happen again.

Indentured servitude Essay Example for Free

Indentured servitude Essay Indentured servitude was considered a fine replacement for slavery, rising as slavery fell out of favor in many of the European countries. However, despite the rules that were out in place, they were often changed and didnt follow the what could be considered the lowest form of humanity. Indentured servitude was used instead of slavery, but in the end, it was almost the same affliction. David Northups Doc 4 compares directly with Doc 3, 6, and 9. They show almost just the sheer amount of indentured servants that were shipped for the purpose of hard labor. All three documents are purely data and can be considered un-bias, trustworthy sources. In Doc 3 it is hugely visible that a massive amount of servants are sent to the Caribbean such as Trinidad and plantations in Suriname from India, a British colony. Doc 4 backs up this information as well as provide a huge number of455,000 people bent sent from India to the Spice Islands, Mauritius. Doc 6 shows that many of these indentured servants were previous slaves, or Asian Indians, whom the British considered below their station. Doc 9 also shows this huge number of indentured servants in Mauritius, showing that 71% of the population was Asian Indian, as well as the population of Trinidad being 33% Asian Indian. This information may not seem prevalent, but when compared to the stark contrast of Doc 7 and Doc 8. Doc 7 is an official document from the British Guiana Indenture Agreement from 1895. The document itself is a sign-up sheet that the servant would sign to agree to conditions that he trusted were to be followed until the end of his term, which lasted 5 years. This agreement states that work is every day except Sundays and Holidays and work will be 7 hours in the field or 10 in the buildings. However in Doc 8 an indentured servant complains about the conditions of his work. He works from 5:30 to 8:30, which is 15 hours total, and must work on Sundays till 2:00, which is 8 hours and 30 minutes. This amount of work is double the promised 7 hours, and even more than the normal hours on a day in which they werent to work at all. This was a gross abuse of rights and scholars even knew it, but people still didnt see them as people but workers. Doc 1 and 2 shows this. At first it was drafted just as the necessity of importation of foreign labor, but grew into a huge problem. The natives couldnt keep up with the work and more and more immigrants were needed to keep up a study supply of sugar. However, it wasnt as what one could call, nice, as it sounded. They were machines.  Indentured servant were not voluntary immigrants, but they werent slaves. They were raised, with pain, much like recruits for military service. Indentured servitude was indeed not a slavery of people, but it was the outcome of slavery and led to something very similar. People were worked to the bone and foreigners were pulled in to tiny islands just to maintain a steady flow of sugar and other rich resources. I believe Doc 5 was completely unnecessary and would have preferred another document with another account of mistreatment, or a change of time graph of indentured servants, or a change over time graph of slaves to indentured servants.

Benefits of Breastfeeding and Stages of Child Feeding

Benefits of Breastfeeding and Stages of Child Feeding Breastfeeding is the oldest method of feeding a child and has existed since the beginning of time. Most of the mothers received advice on the methods of feeding their infants and it comes from a variety of different sources like relatives or their mothers, health professionals, friends, books, magazines and baby food manufacturers. Similar findings were reported by Worsfold (1996). It is found to confer several advantages to both the breastfed child and his mother. This is in line with the study by Gartner et al. (2005). 98.0% of mothers knew about the importance of breast-feeding. The most prominent benefit identified by 92.6% of mothers were protection of the baby from diseases as stated by Duggan et al. (1990) and Berg et al. (1984). 23.4% who found it to be economical and this matches the study by Duggan et al. (1990) and NRDC (2005). 8.5% of mothers concluded that breastfeeding protects the baby from childhood obesity as suggested by Cook et al. (2003) compared to the study by Clifford (2003) who did not find any association between them. Also, 8.5% of mothers agreed that breastfeeding prevents the mother from gaining weight. This is explained by the fact that during lactation, many calories are spent to produce milk as mentioned by NRDC (2005) and Brudenell et al. (1995). It can be seen that mothers in Mauritius had a good knowledge on the beneficial aspe cts of breastfeeding. Therefore mothers will try their best to breastfeed their child. This will not only provide adequate nutrition to their child but also some beneficial health effects to the breastfeeding mothers. Out of those 98 mothers who said that breastfeeding is important, 90 breastfed their child. However, all those who said that breastfeeding is not important breastfed their child. Those eight mothers who could not breastfeed their baby despite being aware of its benefits reported that they were either drug addicts, HIV positive or their baby was adopted. A study by Ashworth (2005) reported that the HIV virus can be passed from an HIV-infected mother to her baby, known as mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). This study also suggested that one in every 20 babies will become infected if breast-fed for six months while three in every 20 will become infected if breast-feeding continues for two years. Breast milk substitutes and their hazards Breast milk substitutes are alternatives to breast milk. They include powdered or liquid milks or formula, wet-nurses and exclude therapeutic formulas used under medical supervision (USAID, 2006). 82.0% of mothers knew about the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes. 61.0% of mothers reported diarrhea as the utmost hazard which does not tally with the study by Fein § et al. (1997). The second hazard mentioned by 48.8% mothers was severe abdominal pain. 41.5% of mothers stated that vomiting was associated with the use of breast milk substitutes as researched by Dugdale and Eaton-Evans (1987). Allergy and childhood obesity were reported by only 31.7% of 7.3% of mothers respectively. These show that the mothers were very much aware of the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes. Mother would probably try to limit the use of breast milk substitutes as much as possible by taking into account the hazards associated with them. In this way, breastfeeding will be promoted leading to an improved health status of the children of Mauritius. However, for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed for genuine and valid reasons, the use of breast milk substitutes may still be considered as a safe choice. Colostrum Colostrum is the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy (WHO, 2010). 78.0% of mothers knew about colostrum. 72.5% of mothers correctly rightly defined it as the precursor to breast milk while 78.0% 0f mothers correctly described its appearance as a sticky pale yellow liquid. This shows that Mauritian mothers knew that colostrum is the first milk produced just after delivery and was able to describe it properly. 4.2 BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES Initiation of breastfeeding 47.3% of mothers breastfed their child in less than one hour after birth as recommended by the WHO (2010) and USAID (2006) while some breastfed their child after several days. A 22% reduction in neonatal mortality was seen in rural Ghana if breastfeeding is started within the first hour after birth (Edmond et al., 2006). It was also found that early initiation of breastfeeding builds on the babys innate reflexes and babies who start breastfeeding at this time continue to breastfeed exclusively thus adopting optimal feeding. The mothers body produces the hormone while enhancing the flow of milk. The mothers commensal (normal) bacteria start colonizing the babys skin and gut thereby protecting the baby against the harmful bacteria in the environment. During this time, the baby is calmer, is in an alert state with stable breathing and heart rate. Early initiation of breastfeeding has also been shown to help reduce post-partum bleeding, a major cause of maternal mortality in developing c ountries (IBFAN-Asia, 2007). In light of these studies, mothers should be advised and encouraged to breastfeed their baby just after birth or in less than one hour after birth. 66 mothers claimed that breastfeeding must be initiated in less than one hour after birth but unfortunately only 39 of them practised it. The main barriers associated with late initiation of breastfeeding in cesarean section deliveries were the adverse effects of anesthesia on mother-infant pairs, maternal discomfort and delayed onset of lactation as stated by Emel. (2010). Exclusive breastfeeding 36.8% of mothers rightly carried out exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Exclusive breastfeeding was found to contribute to protection against common infections during infancy and to lessen the frequency and severity of infectious episodes while partial breastfeeding did not seem to provide this protective effect and this was confirmed in a research by Galanakis et al. (2010). Unfortunately very few Mauritian mothers did exclusive breastfeeding for six months. This implies that mothers introduced breast milk substitutes like for example infant formula or food items earlier in the babys diet. Stopping breast-feeding before four months and introducing solid foods were associated with overweight and obesity at three years old as reported in a study by Hawkins et al. (2009). Formula-fed babies show quicker growth rates than breast-fed babies and seem to be at a greater risk of obesity as they progress into childhood. This could be explained by arguing that a breast-fed infant has mor e control over the rate of feeding and the timing of the end of feeding while bottle-fed infant might feel pressured to take in more feed due to being led by a parent to finish the bottle as stated by Ebbeling et al. (2002). Among 51 mothers who knew that exclusive breastfeeding must be carried out for six months, only 28 of them did so. The major reason reported by mothers was insufficient milk production which was in line with the study by Petit (2008). A small group of mothers thought that breast milk did not satisfy their baby as it is easily digested as stated by Maeda et al. (2001) and that infant formula would prevent their baby from getting hungry more often. Some mothers stopped breastfeeding before six months due to fatigue, backache, nipples infection, child refuses to suckle or simply due to the easy availability of breast milk substitutes on the market. Others wanted their baby to get used to infant milk so that they can leave their baby with some family members when they had to go out or had to resume work. Complete breastfeeding 22.3% of mothers carried out breastfeeding for up to two years which shows that only a minority of mothers practiced breastfeeding for two years. However, the data showed that 17.0% of mothers carried out breastfeeding for eighteen months, 12.8% for twelve months followed by 11.7% for three months only. This was explained in terms of several reasons like inadequate amount of milk produced and baby was not receiving enough milk. Some mothers stopped breastfeeding as they wanted to get pregnant again and for aesthetic reasons. Those who work reported that they did not get breastfeeding time. Others mentioned that their infants have lost interest in nursing and their husbands had negative opinions on breastfeeding. Among the respondents, few mothers stopped breastfeeding as they had sore nipples. Others were under medication and were advised by doctors to stop breastfeeding. Certain mothers found it difficult to breastfeed their baby when they had to go out and found it more convenient to use infant formula in public places. A study claimed that the leading reason why mothers stopped breastfeeding was insufficient amount of milk produced (Hussain, 2003). Most Mauritian mothers did not breastfeed their child for two years for several reasons and this would probably had adverse health effect on the child with a reduced beneficial effect of breastfeeding to the mother herself. Weaning Weaning is the process of expanding the diet of the infant to include foods and drinks other than mothers or formula milk, to enable them to meet the extra nutritional needs for rapid growth and development (DOH, 1994).The weaning period is a crucial stage in the growth and development of the infant and child. The timing of weaning, the choice of foods, their methods of preparation, and how weanlings are fed, all affect the outcome46.5% of mothers introduced supplemental feed at six months of age. 93.0% of them introduced infant formula while others introduced mostly solid foods. It can also be seen that 29.4% of mothers started weaning before six months compared with 18.1% of mothers who began it after six months. The introduction of solid foods before 3 to 4 months were found to be associated with increased fatness and wheeze later in childhood, with an increased risk of allergy, and with higher rates of coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes in infants while the European Food Safety Authoritys panel on dietetic products, nutrition, and allergies concluded that for infants across the EU, complementary foods may be introduced safely between four to six months, and six months of exclusive breast feeding may not always provide sufficient nutrition for optimal growth and development as shown by Booth et al. (2011). Out of those 58 mothers who knew that supplemental food must be introduced at six months, 42 rightly introduced it in the babys diet at this age. At around 6-9 months changes occur in babies mouths that help them cope with the change from drinking to eating. Babies younger than this may be more at risk of choking on solid foods. For parents, leaving solid foods until around six months means less time spent preparing smooth purà ©es as babies can then cope with finger foods and lumpy foods more quickly and also fewer smelly nappies. Mothers who encourage their babies to help themselves to solid foods (an approach called baby-led weaning), rather than spoon-feeding them, say that this makes introducing solids an easier, more enjoyable and sociable experience. If breastfeeding is being continued to six months or more implies that your baby receives more antibodies and other protective factors. Giving only breast milk also means your baby is less exposed to harmful bacteria. Babies are more likely than adults to develop diarrhea and vomiting from such exposure as they have less acid in their stomachs. Early weaning is not convenient as babies do not actually produce all the enzymes needed to digest food thoroughly until they are about a year old. Under four months, any foods other than milk could put strain on the babys kidneys and the larger molecules in food are more likely to trigger an allergy. Although a baby given solids early may appear fine at the time, there are increased risks of eczema, wheezing and chest infections in childhood as suggested by NCT (2008). Others factors affecting weaning may include young maternal age, low maternal education, low socioeconomic status, absence or short duration of breastfeeding, maternal smoking, and lack of information or advice from health care in compliance with the study by Lakshman et al. (2009). Preparation of babys food at home and Use of ready-made pots 99.0% of mothers were preparing their babys food at home with 53.0% of mothers not using ready-made pots at all. This implied that among the 99.0% of mothers who were preparing their babys food at home, 40.0% of them were using ready-made pots in parallel as mothers found the cost of ready-made pots high. But due to its availability and convenience for babies, mothers tried to buy them for some meals. Therefore mothers would prepare one meal and use pots for others. Moreover, 29.4% mothers were using ready-made pots everyday while 30.4% claimed to use them rarely. The reasons for using ready-made pots rarely were due to their unaffordable price to some parents, unacceptable taste by babies, had to resume work, low freshness and less nutritious compared to ready-made pots. Mothers who prepared their babys food at home were mostly unemployed. Practice of exclusive breastfeeding and weight classification of children and BMI classification of children 35 children were exclusively breastfed for six months. From the findings, it can be seen that most of them (19) had a healthy weight represented by a percentile range which lies between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile as mentioned by the CDC (2011). Also, most children had a weight of more than twice their birth weight at six months. This implied that the childs weight doubled between four to six months which tallied with the study by Mahan and Escott-Stump (2008). This indicted that exclusive breastfeeding for duration of six months did prevent excessive weight gain in children thereby protecting the children against childhood obesity. Practice on complete duration of breastfeeding with BMI classification of children Among the 21 children who were breastfed for two years, most of them had a healthy weight represented by a percentile range which lies between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile. This showed that breastfeeding for two years prevents childhood obesity. However, some of the children were underweight as classified with a percentile range of less than 5th percentile. This could be explained by the fact that mothers wrongly timed the introduction of food in the babys diet or the amount and type of food given to the baby was not correct. Practice on age at which weaning started with BMI classification of children 31 children out of those 46 children who were weaned at six months had a healthy weight classified by a percentile range between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile. This demonstrates that weaning at the right time prevent excessive gain of weight by children thereby preventing them from becoming obese. It was also seen that despite some mothers rightly introduced supplemental food in the babys diet, the baby was overweight as she was not breastfed. 4.3 AGE OF INTRODUCTION OF SPECIFIC FOOD ITEMS The WHO (2011) recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at 6 months of age in addition to breast milk, initially 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months, increasing to 3-4 times daily between 9-11 months and 12-24 months with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day, as desired. The main items that were introduced early were cow milk, mashed fruits, fresh vegetables and mashed vegetables. 61.1% of mothers introduced cows milk before 8 to 9 months as reported by CHW (2008). This was a bad practice as early introduction of cows milk is associated with an increased risk of developing Type-1 diabetes afterwards and a protein in cows milk was responsible in causing an unusual immune response as stated by Goldfarb (2008). Also, early introduction of cows milk and infant formula increases the frequency of atopic dermatitis, cow milk allergy, and wheezing in early childhood which is in line with a study by Burks et al. (2008) and IDACE (2005). Fortunately the majority of mothers (49.0%) rightly introduced infant formula in their babys diet at 6 months. Mothers introduced eggs irrespective of whether it is egg yolk, white egg or whole egg at around 9- 12 months as stated by ADC (2005) to prevent allergies. However, a study by Koplin et al. (2010) showed that introduction of cooked egg at 4-6 months of age does not increase the risk of egg allergy but can rather protect against its development. Bread was introduced earlier than recommended by 37.0% of mothers which is a bad practice. Bread is a starchy food and consists of sugars. Therefore, early introduction bread in a childs diet may lead to unusual weight gain in children. With time, the child may become overweight and obese. Research showed that overweight and obesity in children in most cases turned out to be obese adults which elevates the risk of diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing problems as stated by AACAP (2010). Meat was introduced early by 40.8% of mothers. Meat is rich in saturated fats which is stored in the childs body. The digestive system of the child is affected and with time, the walls of the arteries may thicken leading to atherosclerosis together with many other chronic diseases. 20.0% of others introduced salty snacks earlier than recommended in their babys diet. Excessive salt consumption leads to storage of water in the body and affects the normal functioning of the digestive system. Afterwards, this person is more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and others health related problems. The main reason claimed by mothers for the introduction of milk and milk products were mainly as a source of calcium for the child. Other reasons include strength of bones and teeth, proper growth and development of the child. Eggs were given to children as a source of vitamin D, protein and to test for allergies. Cereal and cereal products were given as a source of carbohydrate to provide the child with adequate amount of energy to carry out his daily activities and for basal metabolism. Meat and meat products were given mostly as a source of protein and to vary the type of food the child consumes. Sweet and salty biscuits were given to children as snacks usually at tea time with a glass of milk to prevent the child from being over hungry at dinner time thereby preventing overconsumption of nutrients during the meal. The purpose of inserting fruits and vegetables in the diet is to provide the child with all the essential vitamins and to prevent constipation and other health problems related to malnutrition. Ice cream was rarely given as a dessert while custard was given to the child when he could not eat normal meals or during illnesses. With respect to my study, no problem was encountered with children. However, some children may be allergic to eggs, some specific brands of infant formula or fish while some children may suffer from cold while eating ice cream. 4.4 DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL BMI OF THE CHILDREN The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a childs weight and height and is used to assess obesity (CDC, 2011). The BMI of the children ranges from 12.82 to 21.33. These values were plugged on the body mass index-for-age percentiles to determine the percentile curve to which the childrens BMI tally with. Using this percentile and the data in Table 2, it can be easily seen whether the child is underweight, has a healthy weight, is overweight or is obese. The majority of children had a healthy weight compared to a small majority of children being underweight, overweight and obese. Therefore, it can be concluded that most Mauritian children had an ideal weight. 4.5 WEIGHT EVOLUTION OF CHILDREN Most children had a weight of more than twice their birth weight at six months and thrice their birth weight at twelve months. This implied that the childs weight doubled between four to six months and tripled at one year which tallied with the study by Mahan and Escott-Stump (2008). This showed that exclusive breastfeeding for six months, introduction of supplemental food at six months with continued breastfeeding till two years enable the proper growth and development of the child by preventing excess weight gain by the baby. In some cases, the childrens weight did not double at six months as they were ill and lost some weight during that period. Some children whose weights were more than thrice their birth weight were not properly breastfed. That is why their weights were higher than thrice their birth weight even though supplemental food was introduced at the right time. 4.6 CONCLUSION Breastfeeding is and will always remain the best way of feeding a child. Children who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months and were given supplemental food at this age with continued breastfeeding till 2 years were found to grow properly with a healthy weight. It was also found that those children who were not breast fed as recommended probably gained more weight despite the fact that supplemental food was introduced at the right time. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months with the right age of introduction of complementary food in the babys diet together with prolonged breastfeeding till 2 years old is essential for the proper growth and development of a child. Mothers should be given knowledge on breastfeeding so that they can practice it in a more effective manner. 4.7 RECOMMENDATIONS Breastfeeding must be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding should be carried out for the first six months with continued breastfeeding for two years or more, together with safe, nutritionally adequate, age appropriate, responsive complementary feeding starting in the sixth month. Mothers should be informed about the advantages of breastfeeding to both their baby and themselves Medical staffs should make mothers aware of the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes and its consequences, which may arise afterwards throughout the babys life. The weight of children must be controlled regularly to ensure that the child is growing properly i.e. to see if his weight doubles at 4-6 months and triple at around 12 months. HIV mothers must not breastfeed their child to prevent the Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT) of the virus. Advice must be given to mothers regarding the preparation of babys food at home and ready-made pots available for babies so that babies can be given more hygienic and nutritious food.

Greek History Essay -- Greece Historic Historical Essays

Greek History Works Cited Missing Relatively little is known about the nature of life in Greece during the Neolithic and Early Helladic periods. Since there are no written records from these periods in Greek history, it is only possible to learn about the cultures that existed during this time by studying the remains of their settlements. The sites of Sesklo, Dimini, and Lerna are all good examples of the types of settlements that existed on mainland Greece from the Middle Neolithic period to the Early Helladic. Although they don’t give us a complete picture, these sites help us understand what life was like on the Greek mainland before the arrival of the people that are known today as the Greeks. During the Neolithic period the most advanced area of Greece was Thessaly. This area in northern Greece was the place where both Sesklo and Dimini were established. During the Helladic period the area of greatest advancement shifted to the south. This period is best represented by Lerna. Sesklo was first occupied in the Early Neolithic period but didn’t reach its peak until the Middle Neolithic. It was built on a low mound that had an area of about 100m by 45m. A large, two-room megaron which opened on to a paved courtyard was built at the center of the mound (www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/siteindex?entry=sesklo). Near the megaron were various other smaller buildings packed closely together. One building stands out from the others, because it appears to have served a special purpose. That building is the two room building now identified as a potter’s workshop. The inhabitants of Sesklo surrounded the whole area on top of the mound with what appears to have been a single one meter thick wall. It’s uncertain whether thi... ...peaks in the development of the Greek mainland from the Neolithic to Helladic period. Each settlement represents a fairly significant advancement over its predecessor and shows how Greek settlements progressed over the years. These settlements also provide many clues about the nature of mainland Greek culture during this period of time. Even though we have no written records, by examining the architecture and artifacts of these cultures we are able to determine how their communities were organized. We are also able to determine the nature of their relationships with other settlements by examining their fortification systems. Although many things about early civilizations in Greece remain a mystery, we have learned much from these sites and continue to study them in hopes of gaining a more complete picture of what life was like for the early inhabitants of Greece.

The Best and Worst College Degrees Essay -- Education College Career E

The Best and Worst College Degrees Abstract In today’s society everyone thinks they need to go to college, and over 80% of kids out of high school are. Out of all these kids going to Universities, the majority don’t even know what they want to be the rest of their lives once they get to college. Common sense would tell us that people would go into the field that paid them the most money, this is not always true. So what are the most popular fields to go into when getting out of high School? We did a little research and some comparative analysis, and this is what we came up with. Engineering: Research shows that the third most popular degree in demand is engineering. This pertains to the three major types of engineering. Whether it is mechanical, electrical, chemical Engineering, to achieve a Bachelors degree in any field of Engineering, the basic core classes consist of, mathematics, sciences, biology, chemistry, and/or physics. The number one reason people are obtaining engineering degrees, is for the cold hard cash. Engineers are ranked among some of the highest paying workers in the job force. One starting out in electrical engineering can plan on receiving over $50,000 the first year on the job, with a 2.9% increase after that. Engineers do many diverse jobs, such as architectural work, designing new medical equipment, and testing and fixing all sorts of electrical circuit. Business: Although business isn’t the highest paying profession, it still ranks second, when looking to a nation wide survey, on the most popular degrees. A business degree is one of the broader; more generalizes degrees that encompass many different courses from all aspects of the University. The main reason for getting an bachelors in busi... ... qualified. Your job is to know when this is happening. The bottom line is no matter what degree you pursue, or what job field you’re going for, make sure that you enjoy the work. Works Cited Gloecker, Geoff. (2007). â€Å"The Major Attractions Of A Business Minor†: Business Week Online. p1-11. Retrieved March 22, 2007. â€Å"Health Majors are Top Choice†(1997). : Techniques; Making Education & Career Connections; Oct. 1997, Vol. 72 Issue 7, p6. Retrieved April 1, 2007. â€Å"Job Outlook Strong For 2007 ME Grads†(2007). : ASHRAE Journal; Feb 2007, Vol. 49 Issue 2, p6-7. Retrieved March 22, 2007. Smith, Brendan.(2005). â€Å"The Buzz†: Careers and Colleges. Vol. 26 Issue 1, p2-48, Retrieved March 28, 2007. â€Å"The Top 100 Employers and the Majors in Demand for the Class Of 2004†(2004). : Black Collegian; Feb 2004, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p12-26. Retrieved April 1, 2007.

Mobile Marketing Essay -- Technology, Mobile Applications

2.1 Handheld Mobile Devices and Mobile Applications 2.1.1 Defining Handheld Mobile Devices The medium for mobile applications is a mobile device. While the functions of mobile devices vary, the key criteria such a device must fulfil is portability. To that extent, mobile devices have been described as ‘interactive wireless media’ (Haghirian and Madlberger 2005, 2). Mobile devices offer a range of capabilities, but essentially they allow access to data and information with the opportunity of being used in a variety of environments (ISACA 2010, 2). The term ‘handheld mobile device’ indicates that the device is limited to something that can be ‘held in the hand(s)’. Even so, the term ‘handheld mobile device’ may represent a different meaning to different people and therefore can be anything from a PDA to a digital camera. For the purpose of this paper, the term handheld mobile device (henceforth abbreviated as mobile device) will be associated only with those mobile computing devices that have the capability of downloading third-party mobile applications (as defined in 2.1.3). Namely, these are smartphones, PDAs and tablet PCs. 2.1.1.1 Mobile phones There are many known terms for mobile phones including cell phone, basic phone, feature phone, traditional mobile phone, smartphone, and system phone. Nonetheless, it can be argued that mobile phones currently on the market are typically categorised as either ‘feature phones’ or a ‘smartphones’. The definitions of these two types are widely discussed and disputed by analysts, manufacturers, journalists, and end users. The lack of a standard definition can be attributed to the advancement of mobile phone technology. As the technology continues to evolve, definitions are subject to ch... ...s have existed since the development of mobile devices. â€Å"Downloadable† applications (such as DMO apps), however, have only spread and reached mainstream usage with the emergence of smartphones and PDAs (Holzer and Ondrus 2011, 22). Beyond the fundamental definition, there are a range of classifications that a mobile application may fall under. In their 2008 white paper on mobile applications, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) suggests that, from a technical viewpoint, mobile applications can be distinguished according to the runtime environment in which they function. The MMA lists three types of runtime environments, namely native platforms and operating systems, mobile web and browser runtimes, and other managed platforms and virtual machines. By and large, however, the industry makes a distinction between native applications and web-based applications.

Is JC Penney’s Makeover the Future of Retailing? Essay

Is JC Penney’s Makeover the Future of Retailing? Kim Girard, Harvard Business Week, March 2012 The over a century old retailer JC Penney (JCP) has been losing business and customers for a long time. Though it once had a great reputation for value and loyal customers the competition of high volume, low value stores such as Wal-Mart or the higher end stores such as Macy’s have completely over taken it and threatens to force them out of the market. What can be done to revive the 110 year old retailer, who is the right person for that task and how will they do it? These questions were addressed in this article. In the article â€Å"Is JC Penney’s Makeover the Future of Retailing†, the author (K. Girard) focuses on Ron Johnson, the new CEO of J.C. Penney and his innovations and plans to transform the store. Mr. Johnson comes to JC Penney with an impressive record of success transforming businesses and their retail strategy. He is credited with the transformation of the Target chain and for leading Apple’s retail effort with such innovations as the Genius bar. The task faced at JCP is a huge one, the company has been experiencing lagging sales and financial losses of $87 million in the final quarter of last year and a 4.9% overall loss of revenue for the year. Mr. Johnson took the helm of the company in November of 2011. His main task in to reinvent the chain and focus on an all new client base that includes everyone as his target market. Of the innovations that he instituted immediately, he focused on pricing and making them what he termed as â€Å"fair and square†. To do this, he first eliminated sales (he called them insulting to the customer), he also eliminated coupons; a move a competitor had attempted unsuccessfully about 5 years earlier. Another innovation in pricing was to end all prices in â€Å"00† instead of â€Å"99† and take away the â€Å"suggested retail price† tag. All of these changes were done to change the perception of the customer, from waiting until an item goes on sale to believing they are paying a fair price all the time. Mr. Johnson also has a vision of overhauling the entire shopping experience by adding new â€Å"brand shops† within the store so that the customer can easily find the item they are looking for in what is called a â€Å"Main Street† approach. The plan is to reinvent the displays (letting the designer decide how their product is displayed within the store) and have new brands that speak to different clients. Some of the new brands include Martha Stewart and a budget friendly teen line called Nanette Lepore. Johnson has also changed the store logo  and named a new contemporary spokeswoman (Ellen Degeneres) in an effort to create a buzz. There are also plans to create a â€Å"town square’ inside each store that could potentially be used to provide customers with complimentary services. The transition began in February and he states that his plan will be fully implemented by 2015. In the article, Rajiv Lal, the Stanley Roth, Sr. Professor of Retailing at Harvard Business School comments on the probability of Johnson’s new idea succeeding. He calls this a very tough task and says that it will not be easy but that the marketing strategy could work. He agrees with Johnson’s 3 to 4 year timeline for implementation and feels that should be enough time to decide if the plan is working. After reading this article, I took a completely random poll of 5 women in my office ages 26 – mid 50’s, who all said they had shopped at JCP within the past 6 months. Of the 5 only 1 said she did not like the changes but she also stated that she went to the store for certain brands and type of items that she could no longer find on her last trip but that she would give the store another try based on the opinion of the other 4 women. This article is a perfect example of the type of strategic approach to gaining consumers that this course talks about. It contained examples of concepts like market strategies and targeting particular customers. Girard, Kim, (2012, 05 March) Is JC Penney’s Makeover the Future of Retailing, Harvard Business Week Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6944.html

Examine the Key Ideas Associated with Law and Punishment

Examine the key ideas associated with law and punishment Law and Punishment go hand in hand. There are Laws, which are the system of rules which a particular country or community recognises as regulating the actions of followers, and there are punishments, for when a member of said country/community breaks the rules. Punishment is defined as the infliction of a penalty or to cause pain for an offence.Most of the time it is not a choice as to whether you are part of a law-following community because almost all countries in the world have some kind of law-system and often the minute you turn the age where you are legally responsible or step off the boat, plane or train you are subjected to their laws. The Biblical views on punishment have often been based on the old testament teaching ‘an eye for an eye’. The bible also lays out punishments for certain crimes that appear to follow this teaching. Except that there are many punishments in the bible that seem to be out of pro portion to the crime e. . â€Å"whoever curses his father or his mother will be put to death†. There are many problems with this statement for example it does not state how old the son/daughter has to be to deserve this punishment, it seems to imply even a 4 year old who does not necessarily know what they are saying can be put to death for cursing their parents. An eye for an eye is also relevant in today’s laws, it is the basis of retributive justice that is present in our society. Retributive justice is the idea that those who have done the crime should somehow pay back for what they did.Rachel’s said â€Å"People deserve to be treated in the same way that they have (voluntarily treated others)† This seems like a fair way of treating someone because why someone should be allowed to do one thing and then not expect to be treated in the same way? But some punishments that are retributive e. g. capital punishment do not seem to benefit society and there i s a risk of the punishment becoming revengeful not retributive. Retributive justice also causes a problem because it might make capital punishment a legitimate approach to punishment.I. e. If a person murders it is right for them to be killed. And It also can lead the legal system to instead of appearing like someone is being made to pay back what they have done wrong to looking like the legal system is being hypocritical i. e. we are showing society that it is wrong to be violent by being violent to wrong doers. This is not how we should be teaching people to not be violent. The punishment also must not be disproportionate to the crime e. g. sentencing a small child to death for stealing a sweet from a shop.Some forms of punishment e. g. fines may be disproportionate because to people with money a fine does not make any difference but to someone who has just enough money or just below the money they need for necessities it can be a massive problem, but on average I think retributiv e measures helps to make the punishment be proportionate to the crime because the person can be treated the way they treated others. Deterrence is another form of punishment. It means that we should punish for crimes in order to deter others from committing the same crime i. e. f we know what the punishment for an act is we are less inclined to do it. However there are problems with this because it assumes that the perpetrator had intent and full knowledge of what they were doing was wrong but often violent crimes happen in the heat of the moment and are not planned and those violent crimes that are calculated are often done by those people who are mentally ill. Also, why should be punish someone for the sake of someone else? Reformative justice is becoming more popular in today’s society and is the attempt to turn the criminal into a normal law abiding citizen.It is often based on the idea that everyone has an intrinsic value simply because they are human and the improvement of humans is good. According to deontology this is good because rehabilitation prevents people treating others as means. There is also a utilitarian argument for this because reformative justice improves the general quality of life in society. I also would argue that reformative justice is also trying to right the inequality between the rich and poor. People from less well of backgrounds are more likely to commit crimes due to them having fewer opportunities and less education.Poorer people are also more likely to come from violent backgrounds and therefore are more likely to be violent themselves. Therefore reformative justice helps make up for this lack of opportunities by offering classes inside prisons for example. Although there are many good things about reformative punishments, there are also many problems. Reformation takes away the responsibility for our actions and it does not attempt to right the wrong. This causes problems in itself because if there is no ‘punishm ent’ other than reformation then there is no incentive for people not to commit crime, in fact there is almost an incentive to commit a crime!And why someone in prison should be getting opportunities that people outside the prison do not get. I would like to think that there is good in everyone but it would simply be impractical to think that we can rehabilitate everyone as some people are simply too far gone and do not want to change. Hobbes philosophised about why we want/need laws in society and he came up with an idea called the social contract theory. This idea was based on his notion that government is an agreement between a group of people where they agree not to hurt each other.This is fuelled by the motivation of self-interest which according to Hobbes is pertinent because human beings are selfish creatures and therefore seek collective protection. i. e. If I promise not to hurt you and you promise not to hurt me then neither of us gets hurt and we’re both hap py. And this is what Hobbes believes to be the basis of our desire to keep the laws set out by the state – we should avoid chaos because it is not in our best interests therefore we should keep the laws. Kant had a similar conclusion i. e. that we should keep the laws but for a different reason.Kant said that we should ‘act so that you treat humanity, both in your own person and in that of another, always as an end’ i. e. we should keep the laws so that we do not treat others as means to an end. His idea of kingdom of ends states ‘act in accordance with the maxims of a member giving universal laws for a merely possible kingdom of ends’ where the kingdom of ends is a perfect community where all members respect each other as ends in themselves. This is what we should strive to achieve, and to be successful at this we should keep the laws of the community.Therefore we should keep the laws and to keep the laws means that we must punish those that break t he law.. Evaluate the view that objectivity and relativism pose problems for the concept of law and punishment. Objectivity states that there are ethical principles that are always wrong or always right and they are normally established a priori i. e. without experience. Therefore as there are certain things that are always wrong we need a law to stop people from doing it. This law may be objectively right and its punishment for breaking the law may also be objectively right.Objectivity might support retributive justice; Retributive justice is when someone pays back for their crime. This could support objectivity because it needs to be imposed with the consistency that objectivity provides therefore you could argue that Retributive justice only works with the objectivity and as retributive justice tends to be favoured in western societies perhaps objectivity does not pose such a problem with law and punishment. Having said this there are still the problems it does cause.Objective et hical principles are established a priori therefore we cannot know them through experience. If we do not know them through experience, how can we truly know if something is right or wrong and therefore how do we know if a law is right whilst using objectivity. Objectivity also does not allow for individual cases, it runs the risk of using a ‘one size fits all’ policy towards law and punishment and whilst we do need some consistency amongst crimes, one size does not exactly fit all because not every crime is exactly the same!Normative relativism states that truth and morality is relative to the country/society that one is in and therefore we cannot criticize other cultures as to how they do things. With regards to law and punishment this leads us to the face that there are no definite truths or morals that can be applied in every situation around the world so Punishment is determined according to the country and, if we take it relativism further, according to the circums tances of the case.Hobbes took a relativist view because he said that justice cannot be fixed, and each country/community has different ideas of what law and punishment should be all we should do is aim not be in chaos, not because it is wrong in an objective sense but because it does not serve or self-interest. Relativism may be a good thing because it allows each country to organise punishment as they see fit and there is merit in the systems that other countries have for example some people believe that Iraq was justified in the hanging of Saddam Hussein even though in our society the death penalty is not used.However it does have problems because it means that all forms of punishment are right as long as it is accepted by society e. g. it would be right to hang a small child for stealing sweets if society thought it was the correct punishment. If punishment is decided relative to the circumstance and there is no consistency we could end up with a justice system where only some p eople would be punished and this could easily lead to corruption, sexism and racism within the punishment system.It also means that there may be little point of having punishment because if only some cases lead to punishment then punishment would be pointless! It would serve no deterrent or retributive purpose. Objectivity and Relativism both have merits and cause problems for law and punishment and I do not think either can work solely on their own because they have too many problems by themselves, but on the other hand I do not know if it is possible for Objectivity and Relativism to work together.Perhaps if the laws are objective but how we punish people is relative to each country, case and persons involved. For example although killing may be objectively wrong it may not be appropriate to treat a child who killed someone, an adult who killed someone by accident and an adult who killed someone out of hate all In the same way although they have all broken the same objective rule.

Code of Ethics

I am an employee at Liberty Mutual Insurance Group; Founded in Boston in 1912 to write workers compensation insurance. Liberty Mutual Group today has grown to become a diversified group of insurance company with operations worldwide. They offer Auto, Home, Commercial, Life, and Umbrella Policies. Like every business in the USA, Liberty has a Code of Business Ethics and Conduct-Guiding Principle. The purpose of the code is to create and maintain a sense of professionalism and give the public a standard to which it can hold a corporation or profession.I will discuss two of the guiding principle I feel are important. The first one is Honesty and Integrity. Liberty Mutual states that we conduct our business and interactions with fellow employees, customers and business contacts with the utmost honesty and integrity. We are dedicated to helping our customers and each other live safer, more secure lives. The strength of this code dictates that as a company the human quality of communicatio n is to act truthfully and adhere to a code of honor.This code gives employees a sense of pride to work for an organization promoting this type of behavior. It inspires workers to behave ethically. The weakness of this code is how do you monitor honesty and integrity in a large company such as Liberty Mutual, where there are 45,000 employees worldwide. The instruction in this code tends to be too general or vague. The second is a Safe and Professional Workplace; Liberty states that they are committed to treating all people with dignity and respect.This includes maintaining a safe and professional work environment that provides equal employment opportunities to all, is free of harassment or discrimination, and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws. The strength of this code is to discipline people that violate any of the codes mandate. Employers have seen an increase in complaints of employees dealing with a hostile environment. The weakness in this code is that it’s sometimes inconsistent with one another. Most of the complaints are based on the individual experience; there is no actual witness or persons involved. That makes it inconsistent. Code of Ethics The Phar-Mor Code of Ethics Phar-Mor strives to be the leading retailer in providing the lowest priced and highest quality goods for our communities, while delivering exemplary levels of customer service. Phar-Mor believes in providing a positive and ethical working environment to help guide all employees in word and action, which promotes an unshakable framework of integrity and trust between all stakeholders. Phar-Mor endeavors to proactively contribute to its communities through local philanthropies, scholarship programs, and community service.Phar-Mor appreciates and respects all employees equally and strives to reward hard work, and provide training to enhance the value of all employees. Phar-Mor believes in providing a safe, secure, and healthy working environment, and stands behind a zero-tolerance policy of any discrimination or harassment. Phar-Mor maintains both an open-door policy, which respects the concerns and suggestions of all employees and strives to continually impr ove the organization based on these recommendations. Also, Phar-Mor upholds a whistle-blower policy, which guarantees the anonymity of employees who courageously choose to report illicit activity.Phar-Mor is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity in all customer relationships. Phar-Mor strives to achieve customers’ satisfaction by providing the best services, products and prices through ethical and socially responsible practices. Phar-Mor understands the importance of communicating clearly with its customers, which fosters trust, openness, and a thorough understanding of the spirit of Phar-Mor. Phar-Mor does not make any promises unless they believe that they will be able to keep.Phar-Mor respects the privacy of its customers' confidential information by protecting it and make sure it is in safe place. Phar-Mor maintains integrity with its shareholders through proper use of its assets and property in its effort to continually create shareholder and value. Phar-M or strives to present accurate and honest records and reports that will reflect the true financial situation of the company to provide investors the ability to make accurate decisions. Phar-Mor strictly upholds high accounting standards and provides complete and detailed accounts of all relevant transactions, assets, and accounts.Phar-Mor operates business based on honesty and fairness and upholds strict policies against bribery, corruption, and unethical practices with suppliers. Phar-Mor believes in prompt payments to suppliers and encourages collaboration to find the most effective and efficient logistical system, which will enhance cost savings that will be passed on to its customers. Phar-Mor works to serve and uphold the communities, in which it operates, through strict adherence to the laws, as well as proactively managing its environmental impact.Phar-Mor believes in contributing a portion of its profit to the local communities through donations to local schools for sports a nd scholarships, volunteer work with nonprofit organizations, and community service. Phar-Mor’s code of ethics is addressed to all company stakeholders including all who directly and indirectly work toward the company’s objectives. Phar-Mor maintains easily accessible channels of communication, including anonymous hotlines and access to management, which can be used by personnel to report violations of the code or make suggestions to improve the code of ethics.Phar-Mor then reviews and takes necessary action if any violations are ascertained or improvements are warranted. Phar-Mor is committed to foster and ensure an appropriate understanding of the code of ethics and to disseminate knowledge of the code among all stakeholders through internal and external publications and annual statements. Phar-Mor strives to obtain valuable feedback through a unique feedback system on the effectiveness of the code of ethics. Suggestions are openly accepted and every year the review committee evaluates the suggestions and any other required compliances and includes/modifies the code of ethics. Code of Ethics The Phar-Mor Code of Ethics Phar-Mor strives to be the leading retailer in providing the lowest priced and highest quality goods for our communities, while delivering exemplary levels of customer service. Phar-Mor believes in providing a positive and ethical working environment to help guide all employees in word and action, which promotes an unshakable framework of integrity and trust between all stakeholders. Phar-Mor endeavors to proactively contribute to its communities through local philanthropies, scholarship programs, and community service.Phar-Mor appreciates and respects all employees equally and strives to reward hard work, and provide training to enhance the value of all employees. Phar-Mor believes in providing a safe, secure, and healthy working environment, and stands behind a zero-tolerance policy of any discrimination or harassment. Phar-Mor maintains both an open-door policy, which respects the concerns and suggestions of all employees and strives to continually impr ove the organization based on these recommendations. Also, Phar-Mor upholds a whistle-blower policy, which guarantees the anonymity of employees who courageously choose to report illicit activity.Phar-Mor is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity in all customer relationships. Phar-Mor strives to achieve customers’ satisfaction by providing the best services, products and prices through ethical and socially responsible practices. Phar-Mor understands the importance of communicating clearly with its customers, which fosters trust, openness, and a thorough understanding of the spirit of Phar-Mor. Phar-Mor does not make any promises unless they believe that they will be able to keep.Phar-Mor respects the privacy of its customers' confidential information by protecting it and make sure it is in safe place. Phar-Mor maintains integrity with its shareholders through proper use of its assets and property in its effort to continually create shareholder and value. Phar-M or strives to present accurate and honest records and reports that will reflect the true financial situation of the company to provide investors the ability to make accurate decisions. Phar-Mor strictly upholds high accounting standards and provides complete and detailed accounts of all relevant transactions, assets, and accounts.Phar-Mor operates business based on honesty and fairness and upholds strict policies against bribery, corruption, and unethical practices with suppliers. Phar-Mor believes in prompt payments to suppliers and encourages collaboration to find the most effective and efficient logistical system, which will enhance cost savings that will be passed on to its customers. Phar-Mor works to serve and uphold the communities, in which it operates, through strict adherence to the laws, as well as proactively managing its environmental impact.Phar-Mor believes in contributing a portion of its profit to the local communities through donations to local schools for sports a nd scholarships, volunteer work with nonprofit organizations, and community service. Phar-Mor’s code of ethics is addressed to all company stakeholders including all who directly and indirectly work toward the company’s objectives. Phar-Mor maintains easily accessible channels of communication, including anonymous hotlines and access to management, which can be used by personnel to report violations of the code or make suggestions to improve the code of ethics.Phar-Mor then reviews and takes necessary action if any violations are ascertained or improvements are warranted. Phar-Mor is committed to foster and ensure an appropriate understanding of the code of ethics and to disseminate knowledge of the code among all stakeholders through internal and external publications and annual statements. Phar-Mor strives to obtain valuable feedback through a unique feedback system on the effectiveness of the code of ethics. Suggestions are openly accepted and every year the review committee evaluates the suggestions and any other required compliances and includes/modifies the code of ethics.