The Effects Of Term Diversity On Journalism - 756 Words

Use of the term diversity and its role in journalism only calls attention to the lack of it in newsrooms and magazines across the country. In their absence, I’d argue that the true value of having people of various ethnic and racial backgrounds present in the newsroom has as much to do with improving the process of newsgathering and reporting as it does achieving racial parity. For example, Donald Trump’s recent visit to Mexico not only highlighted the divisions within the Republican Party but the junket also revealed the disparity as to who gets to tell the story of his bid for the Whitehouse. Aside from Trump’s well-publicized spat with the news anchor Jorge Ramos; it’s apparent the journalists assigned to covering the Trump campaign have not been representative of the country’s population at-large. While they’ve done a great job covering many aspects of his campaign, it’s not the full story. Trump’s visit to Mexico also illustrates the importance of bilingualism. Unless the reporters assigned to the press junket are Mexican-American, a lot of cross-cultural nuances and the true tenor of what is being said are likely to be missed. In newsrooms where minorities are under represented, I’d also contend that major stories often go unreported. Unless, the events reach the level of national scrutiny like the riots in Ferguson or become a cultural force too big for editors to ignore like the rise of hip-hop. Before 9/11 the San Diego Union Tribune didn’t have MuslimShow MoreRelatedCommunity Journalism as a Synonym for Small Town Newspapers695 Words   |  3 Pagesof community journalism is hardly a new one. However, during the past decade, the concept gained much fascination and interest among industry analysts. The literature available on the topic points out that the reason behind this strong comeback of community journalism lies in the fact that most regions where the boom is taking place are undergoing a transitional phase that paved the way for this shift. The literature, however, refers to two trends in this matter: the first is the effect of economicRead MoreThe Media And Mass Communication Essay1713 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The term media is often represented within popular culture in varying degrees. To a great extent, there seems to be a tendency to interchange media and mass communication. In this regard, it is imperative and perhaps prudent to define media holistically before proceeding further. For purposes of coherence, the definition of media will be categorized into two spheres; traditional media and new media. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (2009), traditional media can be definedRead MoreHow Gender Affects Women s Role1644 Words   |  7 Pagesdecades. A quick glance on the editorial positions of media’s organizations reveals how women do not ascend the top positions comparing to journalism s female students (Lipinski, 2014). On the background of the forgoing facts, the newsroom diversity endures being one of the most important topics amongst scholars and professionals in journalism. The importance of diversity in newsrooms stems from the need for divergent journalist s who can cover the variety of community s aspects, so the news coverage wouldRead MoreThe Importance of Globalization1555 Words   |  7 PagesUsing 1997 financial crisis and other examples, discuss how globalization is important to the modern business journalism. Introduction As we know, the Internet has a great contribution to globalisation. At the same time, globalisation shows its impact on economy and culture. Held and McGrew rightly defined globalsation is â€Å"[†¦] a widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Elizabeth Kolberts The Sixth Extinction1575 Words   |  7 PagesUnnatural History, discusses the history and discoveries of previous mass extinction events, and the current consequences caused by human activities on the biosphere, which she argues that unless drastic measures are put in place to reverse these effects, the earth may experience another global extinction event in the very near future. This extinction event has been dubbed the â€Å"Sixth Extinction† by many catastrophists (scientists who study mass extinction events) and is considered to have the disastrousRead MoreDo The Disadvantages Of Nationalism Outweigh The Advantages?1503 Words   |   7 PagesDo the disadvantages of nationalism outweigh the advantages? Slide 1 Nationalism. It is imperative we begin with outlining the definition of the term nationalism which is, ‘excessive or undiscriminating devotion, to the interests or culture of a particular nation-state. The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals’. [1] There are many branches of nationalism: ethic, civic, religious, expansionist andRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On Journalism On A Global Scale1677 Words   |  7 Pagesas well as spatial, economic and political inequalities. To understand this concept cultural labour, indigenous media practises as well as impacts of neoliberalism will need to be addressed to establish the impact of intensifies market forces on journalism on a global scale. (Lechner, 2002) Neoliberalism is the political monetary standard of our time- it alludes to the approaches and techniques whereby a relative handful of private hobbies are allowed to cont rol however much as could be expected ofRead MoreA Study On Corporate Ownership And News Bias1189 Words   |  5 Pagesspecifically removed restrictions on TV stations ownership with the result to benefits companies that already owned many TV stations at the disadvantage of those that did not. They underline that the similarity of interests in the conglomerate has reduced diversity in the news and enhanced self-interest bias. The conclusion of this serious study, performing multivariate analysis tests, of which the researchers provide exhaustive data, translates to the relevant issue of a systematically slanted press aimedRead MoreGoogle : Redefining Corporate Culture1580 Words   |  7 Pagesexample of a company that exemplifies that greatness of a generation. Although history has yet to be written, Google has ushered in a new way life for its employees, a new standard for corporate culture, and an organizational design that eliminates the term, â€Å"work† from its lexicon as it stands ready to become an icon for this generation (Airey, 2013). A Star is Born From its humble beginnings in 1998, Google set out to provide a simple, yet effective service for bringing the unlimited potential ofRead MoreRelationship Of Concentrated Ownership And The Canadian Newspaper Industry1823 Words   |  8 Pagesnational and local media in order to sustain a healthy democracy. The current issue is whether or not concentrated ownership is causing distrust in mainstream Canadian newspapers, creating a climate of insecurity, and if there is an effect on the quality of journalism. Concentrated ownership is placing wealth in the stock of a single firm, allowing shareholders to have greater control under the domain of organizational influences by the way a company functions. They can also obtain private benefits

Is Israel’s Very Survival Dependent on the Creation of a...

Prompt: Is Israel’s very survival dependent on the creation of a stable and viable Palestinian state? Let us have ambitions; ambitions to move beyond the violence and occupation, to the day when two states, Palestine and Israel, can live together side by side in peace and security. ~King Abdullah II. In the country of Israel there are two conflicting ethnic/religious groups, the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israelis have most of the power, and run the actual state of Israel, whereas Palestinians have only inconsequential amounts of authority outlined by the Oslo Accords, for this reason, there has been ongoing conflict amongst Israelis and Palestinians. This conflict began when the Romans expelled Jews from this area in 31 BCE, which†¦show more content†¦Israelis have been oppressing Palestinians for a long time, which caused and causes, many different disagreements. As per the word of Khouri, Israel could indeed survive without Palestinian statehood, but only if su rrounded by massive walls and protective missile shields (Khouri, Document 1). This statement illustrates the fact that Palestinians are unhappy with the Israelis and Israel’s survival depends upon the creation of a Palestinian state. Without Palestinian statehood, terrorist groups like Hamas would continue to attack Israel, and with partial justification. According to a map by Rima Najjar-Merriman, since 1946 the land of Israel has morphed from mostly Palestinian land to mostly Israeli land, but there are still the same number of Palestinians (Merriman, Document 3). This Palestinian loss of land has contributed greatly to the oppression of Palestinians. Another contributing factor is the fact that, as shown by a map titled â€Å"Israeli Settlement Population Growth,† Israeli occupation in Palestinian areas, like the West Bank has skyrocketed, forcing many Palestinians into extreme poverty (Document 7). It is circumstances like these that have caused Palestinian oppres sion, and thus discontent, which then have been instrumental in the decline in Israeli safety. If Palestine was granted statehood, both Israelis and Palestinians would be safer, in general. Even more so,Show MoreRelatedIsrael Palestine Conflict, an International Relations Research Paper8749 Words   |  35 Pagescontention between the two peoples, clearly laying out the issues and problems along with the need to resolve them. Finally, the paper analyses the two mainstream solutions suggested for resolution of this conflict, being the ‘Two-State’ theory and the ‘Bi-National State’ theory. IR theories of Realism and Liberalism are used to broadly analyse these two solutions’ applicability in the particular conflict. The practical difficulties in the existing political diaspora is highlighted to finally decideRead MoreIsrael Palestine Conflict, an International Relations Research Paper8755 Words   |  36 Pageswrong. Also, though neutral tones have been imbibed throughout the paper, a humanistic tendency of bias towards the Palestinian cause seeps in, albeit subconsciously. Research Methodology This is an analytical study of the Israel- Palestinian conflict. Descriptive study of the history and facts leading to the conflict, the timeline of the conflict and finally an analysis of viable solutions is attempted at. The source for the project research, mainly being historical facts, has primarily beenRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesD421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 Printed in the United States of America 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 C ONTENTS Introduction Michael Adas 1 1 World Migration in the Long Twentieth Century †¢ Jose C. Moya and Adam McKeown 9 †¢ 2 Twentieth-Century Urbanization: In Search of an Urban Paradigm forRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesservices and case studies, visit us today at xerox.com/millions. xerox.com/millions 1- 800 - ASK-XEROX  ©2007 XEROX CORPORATION. All rights reserved. XEROX ® and There’s a new way to look at it  ® are trademarks of XEROX CORPORATION in the United States and/or other countries. HBR.org G 1. BETTER NAVIGATION 2. ANSWERS WHEN YOU NEED THEM APRIL 2007 O TO HBR.ORG, AND YOU’LL NOTICE SOME CHANGES. We’ve rolled out our ï ¬ rst stage of Web site enhancements, the culmination of which will be an

Three Musketeers Free Essays

Sunday night as I was staggering down the street with blood dripping from the gashes on my head † Oh yeah by the way it was Halloween and I was dressed up as a zombie, anyway we were Like the 3 musketeers me as a zombie, Each as a mummy, and Cattail as a witch all strolling down the streets with pockets full of sweets and I mean full as we turned the corner to go down Casey avenue there It was the lonely house at the end of the street with the creaky gate here no one went, but you know Each wanting to get sweets from every house so we went, the gate creaked as it opened the dead rose trees in the front garden and the odd rat scattering across the path sent a shiver up my spine as we approached the door bats flew around our heads the thick old wooden door creaked open I knew this wasn’t a good idea an old strange man staggered towards the door we could slightly see his face in the moonlight he had a pointy nose thick grey curly hair red eyes, a pale mouth and a face as wh ite as snow May 3, 1999 was a day l, and many other Oklahoman, will never forget. It was Friday afternoon and I had just got off a conference call around 4:30. I was tired after a long week so I flipped on the TV to take my mind off of work. We will write a custom essay sample on Three Musketeers or any similar topic only for you Order Now Well, there were live news reports warning there was a tornado around 70-80 miles south-southwest of Oklahoma City. I had no idea this tornado was going to stay on the ground for hours and create the strongest winds ever recorded – Ever. It started out small, like an Fl, UT as it got closer to Oklahoma City the thing – this monster off storm – got bigger and bigger and bigger! I’ll never forget watching this whole thing live as it happened from the eyes of the local TV helicopters. The most chilling moments that really haunt me were to see destroyed neighborhoods moments after the tornado tore through them In the Bridge Creek/Moore suburbs that were hit the hardest. People were coming out of an elementary school, where they had taken shelter, and they were just walking around in a daze among the total destruction of what use to be heir homes. Most homes were gone and destroyed beyond recognition. I knew if the helicopters stayed on the scene long enough we would see people who had died. It was really uncomfortable to see this horror unfold as it happened while sitting in the comforts of my family room. Oh, the smell of natural gas! I can still remember how strong it was. It hung in the air for the longest time after the monster destroyed most everything in its path. We were 15 miles away, too. In all, there were over 60 rondos that day that ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas. How to cite Three Musketeers, Papers

Case-Study of Berner-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss the Case-study of Berner and link to "Organizing" Ideas and applied theories. Answers: Author note: In order to meet the proper organizational culture, RDA needs to improve the objectives through certain changes. In order to maintain this organizational culture and the improvements that are needed to bring for the profit of the company, the controlling system is necessary. The manager needs to install the information tools, which would help the manager to control the activities of the organization and for this change is necessary. Berner feels that no turnover is actually bad for the organization because keeping the old veterans for a longer period, it would further stop the influx of newer ideas (Gerasimoy Gerasimoy, 2014). That is why in order to bring new ideas, there shall be the installation of culture that is needed to be taken care of for the growth of company. The company must as well look forward in order to take managerial actions for paying those who would prove themselves with the implementation of their performances and the basic correction is required for those who would only try instead performing well (Gerasimoy Gerasimoy, 2014; Giacalone Rosenfield, 2013) Berner had admitted that a change is necessary in terms of recruitment of the employees in the organization and making them participate in writing magazines for the other organizations. However over here, Berner is not looking into the matter of processing comparing and monitoring of the work performances of the old workers, while she looks forward to replace them with the new workers of the organization (Giacalone Rosenfield, 2013). Accordingly, she wants to bring change in the rules of the administration of the company, procedures, rules and regulations. References Gerasimov, B. N., Gerasimov, K. B. (2014). Modeling the development of organization management system.Asian Social Science,11(20), 82. Giacalone, R. A., Rosenfeld, P. (Eds.). (2013).Impression management in the organization. Psychology Press.

Family Dynamics and Adolescent Conduct Disorders Among Nigerian Secondary School Students free essay sample

Interest in children who have conduct disorders has heightened in recent years because of the significant increase in the prevalence of deviant behaviour among students. Conduct disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated (American Psychological Association, 2000). In Nigeria, students with conduct disorders engage in deviant behaviours such as aggression, peer cruelty, fighting, bullying or threatening others, pilfering, rioting, stealing, truancy, substance abuse, raping, smoking, lateness, falsification of results, violation of rules and regulations, assault of both students and teachers, vandalisation of school property, sexual offences and even murder (Okonkwo, 2001; Iheanacho, 2001; Udochukwu, 2001; Kemjika Woruka 1998; Ogoke, 1990). According to Anokam (2002), the prevalence of conduct disorder among Nigerian adolescents has increased in the last three years in terms of frequency of recorded delinquent crimes and number of adolescents involved. Okonkwo, Ezeani and Nwagbo (1999) also reported that 60% of persons arrested in Nigeria for crimes of violence, armed robbery, substance abuse, and arson were juveniles. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Dynamics and Adolescent Conduct Disorders Among Nigerian Secondary School Students or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Cult activities remain near their highest rate with the well-publicised occurrences of multiple killings, robbery, maiming, raping and destruction of properties in many institutions of higher learning. These reports make one to wonder about the causative factors. A synthesis of theories of family influences indicates that families exert a major influence on children’s personal development (Grolnick, Kourowski, Gurland, 1999). This is not surprising given the number of hours young children spend with their families each day. Given that the family lays the foundation for socialisation and stabilisation of adult personality (Ekwonwa, 2001), and parents have the primary responsibility of raising and teaching their children appropriate behaviours and social skills, a closer look at the importance of family dynamics such as relationship between parents, family structure, and parenting style, and birth order in conduct disorder is imperative. Again, a review of recent literature on conduct disorders among students (Anokam, 2002; Kalgo, 2001; Fiberesima, 2001; Agulanna, 1998; Astor, 1994; Sigel, Senna, 1995) tends to suggest that family dynamics [the different forces that students interact with in their families] influence students’ conduct. For instance children who have been exposed to marital conflicts between parents are likely to manifest problems, such as higher levels of physical aggression, depression, as well as long term difficulties in trusting others and maintaining intimate relationships. Forehand, Biggar Kotchick, (1998); Hetherington, (1999); and Astor, (1994) in studies of aggressive and non-aggressive children, opine that violent children may have been the recipients of considerable physical and psychological aggression in their own lives which eventually led to deviant behaviours later in life. Linked also with students’ conduct disorders is inadequate parenting. Negative relationships with parents are associated with adolescent’s association with deviant peers (Ary, Duncan, Duncan, Hops, 1999), lower self esteem, less sophisticated social skills, and an inability to establish and maintain peer relationships later in life (Kim, Conger, Lorenz, Elder, 2001). Straus, Yodanis, (1996) and Collins, Laursen, Mortensen, Luebker, Ferreira, (1997), have also associated violence and aggression towards others with faulty parenting styles. Baumrind (1967) had classified parents as exhibiting one of three parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. Authoritarian and permissive parenting styles are said to produce children who are overly aggressive with others (Conger, Conger, Scaramella, 1997); and engage in delinquent acts as adolescents (Lamborn, Mounts, Steinber, Dornbusch, (1991). They are defiant, impulsive and lack social skills and self control (Eggen Kauchak, 2004). Children, whose parents are detached, coerce them or fail to provide consistent discipline and supervision are apparently more likely to develop conduct disorders (Phares, 2003; Biederman, Mick, Faranone, Burback, 2001; Patterson 1996). Conduct disorders are also more likely to exist where parents lack warmth; are highly critical and unpredictably administer harsh physical punishment (Bishop, Murphy, Hicks, Quinn, Lewis, Grace, Jellinek, 2001; Webster-Stratton Hammond, 1999). In addition, Alfred Adler in his individual psychology was particularly interested in the kinds of early family influences that predispose the child to faulty lifestyle. He observed that the personalities of the oldest, middle and youngest child in a family were likely to be quite different and attributed this to the distinctive experiences that each child has as a member of the family. The youngest child, he said is the spoilt and pampered child and is likely to become maladjusted in the society. Pampered, they expect society to conform to their self-centred wishes and where society fails, they become destructive. Adler considered them to be potentially, the most dangerous class in the society. From the foregoing and considering the cross-cultural implications of these issues, finding out the family variables germane to conduct disorder in Nigerian secondary school students is crucial. Review of the literature and clinical experience generated three hypotheses for this study: 1. Family structure is not a significant factor in conduct disorders of secondary school students. 2. Parenting style is not a significant factor in conduct disorders of secondary school students. 3. Birth order is not a significant factor in conduct disorders of secondary school students. This survey was designed to identify the family variables relevant to conduct disorder in Nigerian secondary school students. The sample consisted of 400 students drawn from a target population of thirty four thousand, three hundred and forty nine (34,349) students in the forty (40) secondary schools in old Owerri Local Government Area of Imo State. The subjects were from 30 schools randomly selected. Records of the school counsellors and disciplinary committees in these schools were consulted to identify those students with conduct disorders. These two records gave comprehensive reports of the students’ behaviour. 00 conduct disordered students – age ranged from 13 to 19 – who had documented record of having been involved in at least two incidents of conduct misbehaviour were eventually selected. All subjects were informed of the purpose of the study and they participated voluntarily. There was no random sampling as most of the identified students were used for the study. In addition, approximately seven students with no records of deviant behaviour were randomly selected from each of the thirty schools used for the study.

Analysis for Still I rise Maya Angelou Essay Example

Analysis for Still I rise Maya Angelou Essay Example Analysis for Still I rise Maya Angelou Paper Analysis for Still I rise Maya Angelou Paper Essay Topic: Poetry You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, Ill rise. It means that there are people in your life that are going to say bad lies about you which will make you maybe sad but no matter how bad these lies are you can still get up and not let these lies hold you back from your goals Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? Cause I walk like Ive got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still Ill rise. If u r trying to bother me when I am not harming you just because there are differences between you and me that still wouldnt harm u, I will still rise and wont care about how badly u break me down so I will still rise and reach my goals Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Dont you take it awful hard Cause I laugh like Ive got gold mines Diggin in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, Ill rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like Ive got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of historys shame I rise Up from a past thats rooted in pain I rise Im a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak thats wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. Overall I want to tell you that however you try, then you are wasting time because whenever you will try to harm me I will still not give up

How UML and Agile Development fit together Essay

How UML and Agile Development fit together - Essay Example 2. How can software affect both product development and product management? In the current competitive environment, development of products that win the appeal of the customer is very important for success in the market. On the other hand, the success of any product is dependent upon the skills and competencies of the product manager; the latter is responsible for development of products. The product development and management process includes processes such as product requirement definition, release definition, and product life cycles. However, product development and management is complex and includes numerous stakeholders, responsibilities and processes. This means that contemporary product managers have to be heavily assisted by technology, including appropriate software (Gorchels 23). There is need for the right kind and combination of software to be applied for the desired product to be achieved. 3. List and explain the common tasks performed during software architecture. Some of the common tasks performed during software architecture include; Proposal development: A software architect develops proposals for new software based on new product needs or customer requirements. Design: This involves the design and creation of new software on the basis of proposals made. Software realization: This involves supervision of the whole process of software development from design through creation up to the point that the software is ready to be launched. Software validation: A software architect plays the role of validating software for a company especially when such software has been outsourced or is new. This involves ascertaining the effectiveness of the software and ensuring it is fit for purpose. Report writing: The software architect is charged with producing periodic reports during the course of software development. 4. What are the common inputs, constraints, and outputs found during architectural problem solving? Software design inputs are very helpful towar ds formalization of architecture requirements and constraints. Some of the common inputs in software design include use cases, usage scenarios, functional requirements, non-functional requirements, and technological requirements (Clements et al. 72). Some common constraints in software design include poor technology, fast changing scenarios and unanticipated functional or non-functional requirements. 5. Why is it important for software architects to be familiar with the discipline of requirement engineering? Requirements engineering is mainly concerned with the identification and communication of the purpose of a software-intensive system, and contents in which it will be used. Basically it acts as the bridge between the need of software users, customers, and other groups affected by a software system, and opportunities and capabilities provided by software (Malan and Bredemeyer 1). It is important for software architects to be familiar with requirements engineering because it provi des them with the opportunity to understand how to bridge the gap between what users need and system design to meet those needs. 6. What are the four main activities performed during requirement engineering? Explain. The following activities are performed during requirement engineering: Requirements discovery: Involves Requirements analysis: this involves

How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence - Essay Example However, with the changing patterns of prices, different products may have different ‘best buying times’. For example, the best time to buy a compact disc is a few days after it has come to the market. For digital cameras, the best time to buy is the sprint where new models are produced and prices on the old stock are reduced. Â  The article gives some very common sense examples of how someone who wishes to be an early adopter of the latest technology gadget will have to pay a premium over someone who wishes to stay one generation behind the curve. For example, the article reports that the prices of video games fall on average by 30% every three to four months as newer titles are released on to the market and demand for older titles is reduced. Â  In the apparel industry, the increase of the amount of clothing sold on sale shows that retailers have to look at how and when they decide to put items on sale for their customers since clothes are most likely to be bought when they have been reduced from their standard retail prices. In a market where more than 60% of all clothes are sold on sale, market share is most likely to go to a retailer who has sales often and gives good discounts over regular prices. Â  Another good practice which can be used by retailers to preserve market share is the idea of bundling where one product at a sharp discount is bundled with another product with a high margin to gain a competitive advantage. In this manner, not only can the retailer look at sustaining its market share for a certain type of product, it can also seek to expand its market share for allied and complementary goods at the same time. Â  In some cases, the nature of the product itself may bring price competition to the forefront since it would be the only manner in which sellers can compete.

Disparity Analysis Chart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disparity Analysis Chart - Case Study Example While it might be considered accurate and safe, it is a surgical procedure like any other surgery, places the patient at risk of experiencing morbidities or in other cases mortality (Bruenin & Schoelles, 2009). On the other hand, the process of removal of small samples of breast tissue through insertion of the skin by use of a hollow core needle is known as a core needle biopsy. The suspicious lesion is located by either imaging or palpation. The process is performed under local anesthesia. Multiple samples from the suspected area are taken for tests. The primary goal is to determine whether abnormality is malignant or benign. If the procedure suggests the lesion is malignant, then a follow-on surgical procedure is done (Bruenin & Schoelles, 2009). The comparison is shown in the chart below. Open surgical biopsies are more accurate while core –needle biopsies are associated with lower incidences of morbidity and harms. Women who are diagnosed with cancer by open biopsy undergo more treatment than those diagnosed by core-needle biopsy. Women diagnosed with breast cancer via open surgical biopsy often required multiple (surgeries) surgical procedures to treat the cancer while those diagnosed through core-needle biopsy would have the cancer treated by a single surgical procedure. Open surgical procedures have a high risk of complications than core needle biopsies. Automated gun core-needle biopsies procedures are associated with slightly less severe bleeding events than those by vacuum assisted procedures. Core –needle biopsy is cheaper and consumes fewer resources than open surgical biopsy hence is preferred mostly by patients. Women were also satisfied with core-needle cosmetic results procedures. In both groups, when women undergo the biopsy procedures and lead to positive findings, they often choose to undergo additional surgical procedures or undergo a single procedure that will ensure the removal of the entire lesion. On the other

Two Parts to a Double Dissociation

Two Parts to a Double Dissociation Organisms, at one level, are obviously collections of parallel systems that are potentially independent, although normally interactive. (Weiskrantz, 1990) The argument of separate visual processing streams is a long and turbulent one, which stems largely from Ungerleider and Mishkins (1982) early work with monkeys. Following this research, Mishkin, Ungerleider, and Macko (1983) suggested two streams of processing. They characterised the ventral stream as the what route, used to analyse visual characteristics of objects, and the dorsal stream as the where stream, which calculated the spatial relations of the object. However, in 1992, Milner and Goodale proposed a reinterpretation of the dual pathway model (Goodale Milner, 1992, 2004; Milner Goodale, 1993, 2006). In this new model, the ventral stream was concerned with the visual perception and processing of object form and object recognition, to transform visual information into a perceptual representation of the world (Goodale Milner, 1992). Importantly, it also encoded spatial relations of objects in an allo-centric sense. This allows us to think about our world, its objects, and t he placement of objects. In contrast, the dorsal stream was involved in the controlling actions interacting with the goal object. The dorsal stream calculates spatial relations in an ego-centric view, using accurate and precise measurements. In more general terms, it can be stated in short, that this new model suggested that differences between the two streams should be evaluated, not in terms of visual inputs, but as the output systems which the two streams serve. Both streams receive the same visual information, but they interpret it in different ways (Milner Goodale, 2008). In their study of this model, researchers searched for the ideal complementary double dissociation which would unequivocally support Milner and Goodales claim that these streams are completely separate entities, which receive visual information, and then interpret and react to this information in very different ways. They found support for these claims by the flagship double dissociation studies using neuropsychological patients. The key conditions in these case studies and experimental research studies are Optic Ataxia (OA) and Visual Form Agnosia (VA). These neuropsychological disorders are, to Milner and Goodale, the quintessential case for a double dissociation. The term of double dissociation is an elusive idea in neuropsychology, with clear and concise dissociations difficult to come by. In a single dissociation, damage to a particular brain region interrupts one function, but not another function. This implies that these two functions are independent of each other in some form. The most commonly referenced single dissociation is the condition VA, in which the patient perceptual abilities are impeded, but not the visuomotor abilities. Furthering on from single dissociations, interest has turned to finding double dissociations. These double dissociations, as originally described by Teuber (1955) are seen as powerful tools in neuropsychological research, to discover and study the separate functional modules and to strengthen the evidence for a single dissociation. However, double dissociations can be very difficult to prove, as to be a true double dissociation it must be shown that two different external manipulations will affect two patients differently. That is, the first manipulation will affect patient A, but not B, whereas the second manipulation will affect patient B, but not A. This can be used as a starting block to make inferences of the modular functions of brain areas. The dual visual systems double dissociation of OA and VA, or perception of objects with mis-reaching and inability to perceive with successful grasping became the workhorse of Milner and Goodales model. They based much of their early findin gs upon studies carried out with patient D.F which showed a single dissociation (James, Culham, Humphrey, Milner, Goodale, 2003; Goodale, Milner, Jakobson, Carey, 1991). Patient D.F. is the most researched neuropsychological patient in the study of dual visual streams, and it is from research carried out with her that led to the fruition of Milner and Goodales model (Goodale et al., 1991). D.F. suffered bilateral lesions of the occipito-temporal cortex, considered to be the ventral stream area, which resulted in a profound case of Visual Form Agnosia (Milner et al, 1991). That is, she was incapable of visually perceiving the form of objects and yet she could accurately make visually guided movements and grasp objects (James et al., 2003; Goodale et al., 1991). It was argued that this research indicated that D.F.s visuomotor skills were left intact, implying firstly, that there was evidence for a single dissociation, and secondly, that D.F. could show pure visuomotor skill with out the interference of perception. In other words, she could show what the dorsal stream in Milner and Goodales model was capable of achieving (Milner et al., 1991). This original study was quickly followed by a stream of research which investigated the visuomotor capabilities of D.F (Goodale, 1994b; Milner et al, 1991) and a second VA patient; S.B. (Dijkerman, Le, Demonet, Milner, 2004). The further research illustrated that D.F.s visuomotor skills allowed her to scale her grip and orientate her wrist correctly, similarly to controls (Milner Goodale, 1995). In matching orientation tasks D.F. failed, appearing to choose orientations at random, yet when asked to reach towards a slot and post an item she performed at a similar level to controls (Goodale et al., 1991). Studies illustrated her ability to use visual information involving the orientation and shape of a particular object for online corrections of hand movements and in an object grasping task for regular shapes, (Dijkerman, Milner, Carey, 1996; Carey, Harvey, Milner, 1996), and irregular shapes (Goodale et al., 1994c). These findings were later replicated with S.B. (Dijkerman, McInto sh, Schindler, Nijboer, Milner, 2009; Dijkerman et al., 2004). The interpretation given to D.F.s visuomotor abilities suggested that the undamaged dorsal stream was controlling the visuomotor abilities, without the input of the damaged ventral stream. This was a powerful argument for Milner and Goodales model as it emphasised the functional dissociation within the visual system. On the opposite side of this dissociation, researchers studied patients (I.G. and A.T.) with Optic Ataxia (OA); a visuomotor disorder. This involves gross mis-reaching for visual targets, usually most severe in the peripheral visual field, can manifest in the contralesional visual field and the contralesional hand (Perenin Vighetto, 1988). However, patients can identify objects normally; unlike patient D.F., OA patients can discriminate the size, shape, and orientation of objects. However, these patients have difficulty in grasping objects correctly or in a functionally correct manner. OA patients will not appropriately scale their grip during reaching; they open their finger grip too wide, and close it once they reach contact with the object (Jeannerod, Decety, Michel, 1994). In addition, their reaching duration is increased, their peak velocity is lower than controls, and they misplace their fingers when they have to visually guide their hand towards a slit (Grà ©a et al., 2002) . Similarly, in reaching tasks with target jumps, both A.T. and I.G. failed to show online adjustment of movement like healthy controls (Pisella et al., 2000; Grà ©a et al., 2002). This indicates a feed forward and feedback deficit in OA. More simply, OA patients do not possess the capabilities to quickly alter their movements; they rely on the involvement of slower and later visual and motor feedback. However, does all this research lead onto the conclusion of a classic double dissociation? Milner and Goodale argue that no clearer evidence could be shown; one condition (VA) leads to inability to perceive items, yet can act on these items, and the other condition (OA) shows an inability to grasp an item, and yet they can perceive all their features. The problem is, this case of double dissociation may not be as straight forward and concise as Milner and Goodale assume. There is a new stream of research showing the exceptions and difficulties in the dual visual system assumption. A classic dissociation calls for one function to be within normal performance range and the affected function to be far below normal performance (Shallice, 1988). In relation to D.F.s visuomotor abilities, more recent research has highlighted difficulties in claiming a classic dissociation. Although D.F. does manage to grasp items in most cases, this is not to the level of normal range; she makes semantic errors in grasping tools in non-functional ways (Carey, Harvey, Milner, 1996). However, she also fails to grasp neutral laboratory blocks using the most comfortable grasp (Dijkerman, et al., 2009), and she fails to complete visuomotor guiding or grasping tasks with any shapes of significant complexity (Goodale et al., 1994a; Carey et al., 1996; Dijkerman et al., 1998; McIntosh, Dijkerman, Mon-Williams, Milner, 2004). In fact, more recent research has found restrictions to D.F.s grasping abilities, showing that she does not automatically select a grip posture which minimises awkwar d and uncomfortable grasps, like control subjects (Dijkerman et al., 2009). Furthermore, even in successful completion of simplistic tasks, D.F. may not use the same visual cues that healthy controls use. When prisms were used to perturb D.F.s vision, it was found that D.F. relies almost exclusively on vergence angle and vertical gaze for establishing object distance in reaching tasks (Mon-Williams, McIntosh, Milner, 2001; Mon-Williams, Tresilian, McIntosh, Milner, 2001). In fact there have been reports of the daily difficulty in carrying out actions for VA patients, namely S.B. showing at times greater peripheral misreaching than OA patients (Là © et al., 2002; Pisella, Binkofski, Lasek, Toni, Rossetti, 2006). VA patients use compensation techniques such as, moving their head to focus the target in central vision and slowing their goal directed movements (Rosetti, Vighetto, Pisella, 2003; Pisella et al., 2006). Dijkerman and colleagues found that patient D.F. could perform a grasping task well when she could use binocular viewing, even when her head po sition was fixed on a chin rest. However, she could not complete the task under monocular viewing unless she could tilt her head to compensate (Dijkerman et al., 1996). Specifically, D.F. needs to use either binocular disparity or motion parallax to recover the depth of an object and successfully carry out a grasping task. The empirical evidence illustrates that patients with VA struggle with many visuomotor tasks and in many cases can only complete simple tasks. Therefore, their performance is far from within the normal range, shown by control tasks with uninjured brains. Firstly, this puts into question the strong single dissociation thought to be illustrated by VA. However, even more importantly and secondly, these findings cast doubts on the pure dorsal abilities, suggesting that even with an uninjured dorsal stream visuomotor skills are affected, which in this case prevents the possibility of a double dissociation. The past research of OA has equally been viewed only through the eyes of the dual processing model, excluding the finer details. For example, clinically, a diagnosis of OA requires for all other perceptual deficits to be excluded. Specifically, issues with visual acuity, visual neglect or injury to the eye itself must be ruled out as explanations for misreaching with visual guidance. However, these diagnostic guidelines have not always been followed, and assessments of such issues have been absent or carried out in approximations (Schenk McIntosh, 2010). Stricter assessments have recurrently shown impaired discrimination of object location or orientation, particularly in the extra-foveal visual field where OA symptoms are most severe (Michel Henaff, 2004; Pisella et al., 2009). It has been argued that in truth, OA is more closely linked to attentional disorders, such as visual neglect or visual extinction (Michel Henaff, 2004; Pisella et al., 2009; Streimer et al., 2007, 2009). A.T.s attentional visual field was described as being narrowed to a functional tunnel vision (Michel Henaff, 2004). The confusion of OAs true origin comes from the fact that misreaching occurs in extra-foveal vision, when patients cannot fixate on the object. The visuomotor abilities of OA patients in central vision show little to no deficits in carrying out visually guided grasping tasks under normal conditions, unlike the misreaching that is present in the peripheral visual field (Grà ©a et al., 2002; Pisella et al., 2000). More recent studies have suggested that misreaching also affects proprioceptive targets which are not in the direction of gaze (Jackson et al., 2009; Blangero et al., 2007). Jackson et al. (2009) argue that this indicates a difficulty in representing several locations simultaneously, indicating that OA is not simply a visuomotor problem. Similarly, recent papers have shown that perception itself is also impaired in the peripheral visual field (Michel Henaff, 2004; Rosetti et al., 2005). These findings plunge the status of OA as a visuomotor disorder into uncertainty; and it unquestionably casts doubts on optic ataxia being considered as evidence of a dissociation of perceptual and motor functions within visual processing. Furthermore, with a growing number of researchers questioning the clarity of OAs strict visuomotor deficits, the argument of a double dissociation loses even more conviction. Many years of research have emphasised an impairment of actions in OA, and an impairment of perception in VA. However, are the differences between these two conditions and the empirical evidence strong enough to support a case for a double dissociation? As Pisella and colleagues (2006) highlights, looking over past research on the vision for action studies on OA patients and VA patients; it becomes obvious that these sets of patients have not been tested in identical settings. As previously noted, vision guided grasping movements are impaired in the peripheral vision of OA patients; however, these same abilities have only been tested in the central vision for VA patients (Pisella et al., 2006). As indicated earlier, OA patients have been shown to deal with visually guided grasping to a successful level in central vision and ecologically valid conditions (Grà ©a et al., 2002; Pisella et al., 2000). Without empirical evidence to indicate the true abilities of VA patients reaching in p eripheral vision, it cannot be concluded that their reaching is unaffected. Similarly, OA patients perceptual abilities have not been significantly studied. It is assumed that their perception is at normal levels, however, this same assumption was given to VA reaching until it was more closely studied. Thus, this major fault in the claim for a double dissociation does not take into account the fundamental assumption for double dissociations; that testing of the function must be carried out in the same conditions (Teuber, 1955). Given the arguments presented, it seems unlikely that OA and VA are a complementary double dissociation reflecting the inner workings of a separate vision for action and vision for perception processing routes. This suggestion is much too simplified. It is much more likely that the vision for perception and vision for action streams interact a great deal, and thus both streams have an effect upon each of these two conditions. We are unclear of VA patients peripheral visual abilities, and thus they cannot be truly compared to OA patients extra-foveal misreachings. In fact, with doubt mounting about OAs actually link to the vision for action stream, the argument becomes even more clouded. Diagnostically, this must be cleared up before any conclusions of its involvement can be made. In a comparable trend, patients with VA do not perform as well in visually guiding grasping tasks as originally claimed; they in fact perform well below normal levels (Goodale et al., 1994a; Carey et al., 1996; Dijkerman et al., 1998; McIntosh et al., 2004). Furthermore, under normal conditions and in central vision, OA patients actually perform better than previously claimed, due to their compensatory techniques (Grà ©a et al., 2002; Pisella et al., 2000). This coupled with recent findings of OA patients perceptual difficulties in peripheral vision, (Michel Henaff, 2004; Rosetti et al., 2005), it becomes an extremely difficult task to claim a double dissociation. Although, it may be extreme to claim no interaction between these conditions, they are not completely separate entities either. The fact remains that both conditions allow us to learn a great deal about the visual system under the Milner and Goodale model, and there is certainly a complementary divergence of symptoms in p art. However, the issue lies in attempting to construct these components into a complementary double dissociation; the components just do not add up. Hence, it is necessary to move beyond the rudimentary dichotomy of vision for action and vision for perception, and consequently the supposed double dissociation and simplification of OA and VA. Despite previous conventions on the unification of these deficits as one dissociation, as has been shown deeper research is beginning to highlight the cracks in this dissociation. It is necessary to advance the Milner and Goodale model beyond the research reliance on the OA and VA double dissociations. It is important that the assumptions made of OA and VA being clear and concise indicators of each visual streams abilities is eased. Although individually, patients such as D.F. and S.B., who have perceptual deficits as found in VA, can be useful indicators of the most basic abilities of the dorsal stream, this cannot be guaranteed to indicate workings of the ventral stream. As shown previously, the interaction between the two streams may be greater than previously thought. Thus higher function s of the dorsal stream may fail in patients with VA without the necessary interactive involvement from the ventral stream. Similarly in cases of OA, moreover, this may be in even more doubt with the disagreement of attention deficits playing a vital role in OA symptoms. In essence, the fixation on a double dissociation between OA and VA is hindering future research and the advancement of the dual visual processing model. This simplistic idea of the absolute double dissociation must be abandoned, and a more interactive approach taken to achieve research advancement.

The Plant World Essay -- Environment, Plant Species, Plant Communicati

Introduction Plants exhibit exceptionally intelligent behaviour when it comes to interactions with their environment. They can detect perceived threats, then convey warning signals to other plants via chemical signaling. Forewarned plants will then assemble their defenses against these potential threats, thus, increasing their chance of survival and reproduction. Communication and competition are common occurrences among the plant world. Another brilliantly, almost inconceivable capability plants possess is the ability to recognize coexisting family members within their home range. These intelligent life forms realize that if family members compete less with each other by allocation of their resources, their group will do better overall. This is a strategy utilized by many species, especially plants, to eliminate competition within their community in nature (Mancuso 2006). Competition can occur between members of the same or different species. The involved individuals are negatively affected by other individuals that have the same living requirements, such as food or space. Inter-specific competition transpires when members of different species compete for a particular resource. Intra-specific competition arises when members of the same species compete with one another for a particular resource (Encyclopedia Britannica 2010). In this experiment we concentrate on inter-specific competition. We measured the effect of competitor density on the growth of plants in order to observe the outcome of inter-specific competition. In set one (of two), our group utilized allelopathic rye grass (Secale cereal L.) as our competitor species. In set two, we made use of non-allelopathic oats (Avena fatua var. sativa) as our competitor spec... ...ass soil. This demonstrates that a pathogen may influence allelopathy between plants and that rust may enhance ryegrass allelopathy against clover (Mattner 2001). Our results supported the alternative hypothesis which states that the density and weight of rye or oats (competitor species) had a significant effect on the 1/w of the clover (indicator species) under normal conditions. This proves that non-legumes win when in an inter-specific competition with a legume species and allelopathic chemicals negatively affect indicator species during inter-specific competition (Cain 2008). Errors that could have occurred when designing this experiment include possible uneven distribution light, water, or temperature fluctuations. For future research I would suggest observing the effects of allelopathy and symbiotic bacteria among different legume and non-legume species.

To What Extent Can Logic, Math or Music Be Classified as a Language? Tok

To what extent can logic, math or music be classified as a language? â€Å"Mathematics  is the language with which God has written the universe. † Declares the Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Galileo Galilei, when we think in modern sense language is a system of linguistic signs or symbols. In other words it’s the basis of communication. Some people communicate using sign language while others rely on gestures and facial expressions. Mathematics and music may also be used to communicate to some extent. On the other hand logic is only instrumental and it does not house any intention of communication.Mathematics is the systematic arrangement of numbers. These numbers could sometimes be used as a form of secretive code used for communication. Such codes are often used by agencies such as the NSA in exchanging valuable information. Many teenagers also use an alternative alphabet composed mostly of numbers and symbols, leetspeak (or 1337 ). Al though mathematics may be used as a language itself could be able to achieve true meaning while using such means of communication? Is it possible to use this nonverbal communication to express our feelings? We must be blind to truly understand the role of face to face communication in our lives.It would be impossible for you to use irony, connotation and metaphors. For example, if in our secret mathematical code 1446+ meant go away would there be any way to be sure if you said this in a friendly manner or not. This also makes everything vague and unclear. Raw information is put in front of you, you cannot have your own ideas you must accept what is given to you with no objection Music is an essential to most humans, it is a way of coping with life, and it sometimes may even be used to change the mood of the listener. Your mood shapes the music that you listen to.You would not listen to hard rock or metal after a recent breakup instead you will listen to romantic songs. You will also notice that some songs will make you feel happy. For example whenever I listen to a Beatles song let’s say ‘Love Me Do’ a fun/happy feeling forms inside of me. I do not believe that connotation of music is limited with its lyrics. Even when you listen to the tune of Bob Marley’s ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy ‘ you will find yourself feeling happier (positive connotation) businesses use this a lot in their advertisements in order to get the potential customers attention.Although music does have a sense of connotation and is able to shift your mood it cannot be classified as a language as the only knowledge acquired if any is acquired is one way thus there is no communication. For Aristotle, logic is the instrument by means of which we come to know anything. If logic is merely instrument of knowing can we say that it is a language? Could there be language without logic, logic without language? Since we use our own logic to understand the acquired knowledge and there is no intended communication except that of which is with ourselves.Therefore even though logic pays a major role in the apprehension of knowledge it cannot be classified as a language by itself. â€Å"Mathematics is, as it were, a sensuous logic, and relates to philosophy as do the arts, music, and plastic art to poetry. † Once said the German poet, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel. Mathematics and music are frequently used to communicate, but without knowledge it would not be possible for us to express our ideas and communicate at all. Therefore we can conclude that mathematics music and language are used integrated with logic forming communication. 0nur Basman () l/l V 2

Franklin Pierce - 14th President of the United States

Franklin Pierce - 14th President of the United States Franklin Pierces Childhood and Education: Pierce was born on November 23, 1804 in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. His father was politically active having first fought in the Revolutionary War and then served in various offices in New Hampshire including being Governor of the State. Pierce went to a local school and two academies before attending Bowdoin College in Maine. He studied with both Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He graduated fifth in his class and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1827. Family Ties: Pierce was the son of  Benjamin Pierce, a Public Official, and  Anna Kendrick. His mother was prone to depression. He had four brothers, two sisters, and one half-sister.  On  November 19, 1834, he married  Jane Means Appleton. the daughter of a Congregationalist Minister. Together, they had  three sons all of whom died by the age of twelve. The youngest, Benjamin, died in a train accident soon after Pierce was elected president. Franklin Pierces Career Before the Presidency: Franklin Pierce began practicing law before being elected as a member of the New Hampshire legislature 1829-33. He then became a U.S. Representative from 1833-37 and then Senator from 1837-42. He resigned from the Senate to practice law. He joined the military in 1846-8 to fight in the Mexican War. Becoming the President: He was nominated as the candidate for the Democratic Party in 1852. He ran against war hero Winfield Scott. The main issue was how to deal with slavery, appease or oppose the South. The Whigs were divided in support of Scott. Pierce won with 254 out of 296 electoral votes. Events and Accomplishments of Franklin Pierces Presidency: In 1853, the U.S. bought a stretch of land now part of Arizona and New Mexico as part of the  Gadsden Purchase. In 1854, the  Kansas-Nebraska Act  passed allowing settlers in Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves whether slavery would be allowed. This is known as  popular sovereignty. Pierce supported this bill which caused great dissension and much fighting in the territories. One issue that caused a lot of criticism against Pierce was the Ostend Manifesto. This was a document published in the New York Herald which stated that if Spain was not willing to sell Cuba to the U.S., the United States would consider taking aggressive action to get it. As can be seen, Pierces presidency was met with much criticism and dissension. Therefore, he was not renominated to run in 1856. Post-Presidential Period: Pierce retired to New Hampshire and then traveled to Europe and the Bahamas. He opposed secession while at the same time speaking in favor of the South. Overall, though, he was antiwar and many called him a traitor. He died on October 8, 1869 in Concord, New Hampshire. Historical Significance: Pierce was president at a critical time in American History. The country was becoming more polarized into Northern and Southern interests. The issue of slavery became once again front and center with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Obviously, the nation was headed towards a confrontation, and Pierces actions did little to stop that downward slide.

The Provisions of Convention on the Rights of the Essays

The Provisions of Convention on the Rights of the Essays The Provisions of Convention on the Rights of the Child. The International programme on Elimination of Child Labour was ILO's response to provide direct assistance to countries to tackle child labour and give teeth to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child made effective in 1989. Today it has 30 funders and 86 programme countries ILO in its Report. "The end of child labour; within reach" released in 2006 says, in 2004 there were 218 million children trapped in child labour of whom 126 million were in hazardous work. However the number of child labourers globally fell by 11% over the last four years, while that of children in hazardous work decreased by 26%. (www.ilo.org/declaration) IPEC the campaign instrument against child labour conducted by ILO commenced in 1992 and has made several break throughs in advocacy; tackling the worst forms of child labour; developing a learning culture and mainstreaming child labour within the decent work agenda. ILO is also aware of future challenges. Child labour elimination may be mainstreamed into key development and Human Rights frame works like Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction strategies. Child labor first emerged as a major public policy issue with the impact of the industrial revolution. The first wave of industries at countries offered several packages of intervention to overcome presence of child labour like advocacy campaigns; public inquiries; minimum age legislation; education provision for working children. These have been expanded, replicated by many developing countries ILO has expanded its efforts through IPEC programme in some 90 countries. It has been observed that child labour declines with increase in GDP growth; improved school attendance; reduction of absolute poverty; The elimination of child labour is linked with provision of compulsory, free and accessible education. Without educational opportunities it is likely that children will enter the labour market and take on dangerous and exploitative jobs. Though the Dakar forum of 185 countries resolved to provide all children of primary age free schooling of quality by year 2015 and eliminate gender disparities by year 2005 much remains to be achieved. Although concept of education for all has not taken off the ground at an international scale, efforts are made with community groups, parents, employers, and government officials to remove children from work and enroll them in school. An example is efforts of an NGO(MV foundation) made in India in state of Andrah Pradesh. It enabled 150,000 to be enrolled and retained in schools and more than 4,000 boned labourers released and of 500 villages under project 168are free of child labour. These results were achieved through awareness raising and demand for education of children; support Teachers through special training; support parents to provide alternatives to labour of child withdrawn; provide clearing schools to prepare children for formal education. (source: Child Labour a Global concern, www.schoolsthebestplacetowork.org) UNICEF has been advocating education as a preventive strategy against child labour (www.unicef.org/evalvatebase/file) child labour evaluate rights 27 Feb 2004 National International comments PDF. Some ILO actions against child labour since 2002. SCREAM stop child labour (sup poring children's Rights) through education the arts and the medias is a community based education and social mobilization programme that commenced in 2002 it is directed to children and youth in some situations programme works with world Scout Movement, in Arab States it works with UNESCO (p 29,30) World Day Against Child Labour initiated in June 2002 is another tool. Annually it has focused on particular issues of relevance like child domestic labour, trafficking, elimination of child labour in mining and quarrying . ILO Red Card to child labour has expanded campaign to sports and removal of children from abusive sports good production. There have been efforts to improve knowledge base on child labour. This is linked to research data collection and field operations and surveys. (P46) Links have been observed between child labour and globalization. "Globalization can help reduce child labour in countries where there is a relatively largepool of workers with at least a basic education complemented with active social policies." A few studies have also shown that "child labour appears to diminish as foreign direct investment increases"(pg 19). Special country projects directed at eliminating child labour have been identified. The CSR Movement (corporate social responsibility) encourages voluntary codes of conduct in industries where child labour may prevail like garments, sports goods, footwear, toys. Employer organizations like the Federation of Uganda Employers, have been actively involved in preventing employment of child labour in agricultural sector. The Employers Organization in Yunan Province, China (p 70) has taken hand the arrest of trafficking women and children. Trade Unions have joined hands against child labour in Andhara Pradesh (p72) aimed

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Leadership - Essay Example Leadership theories are the theories which study different aspects of the leadership and come up with the ideas of what makes a successful leader. Some theories like Contingency theory focuses more on the different situations that affect the leadership while theories like ‘situational theory’ focuses more on the behavior pattern of a leader in a particular situation. However, even though theories help us to understand the behavior and thinking patterns of a leader in his private and public life, it cannot confine the leader in a particular set of behavior patterns. Leaders are leaders because of their boldness, their power and their belief. These are the characters of spirit and not jut mind or body. Leaders are those who go beyond their minds and their bodies and function from their heart. The qualities of decision making, motivating people, understanding their needs and being flexible are very important for being a successful leader. At the same time, the behavior pattern and thinking pattern of a leader is also are very important. History is an evidence that leaders, whether they are political or corporate, have different characters from people who are not leaders. They are dynamic, accept change gracefully, stick to their belief and take risks. They are fighters and do not hesitate to put their life in danger when fighting for the truth. Leadership theories help us to understand the way the leaders function. According to the contingency theory, the success of the leader depends not only on his or her abilities to lead, but also on different external situations and factors. These factors are beyond the control of the leader. The external factors could be the behavior of the people who follow him,

GUIDELINES ASSIGNMENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GUIDELINES ASSIGNMENTS - Essay Example For this reason, adults often migrate from rural to urban areas hoping to find good employment opportunities that the local business cannot provide them. Because of this situation, a large percentage of young adults relocate to the city leaving their elderly parents behind. The study aims to establish a relationship between incidence of depression among elderly parents and outmigration of children ( Abas et.al, 2009). The study was conducted among a rural area in Thailand using a population based survey of 1,147 ageing parents (p.56). The subjects were recruited based on the following criteria: must at least be 60 years old, a parent of at least one living child, and Thai-speaking. Certain conditions were set by the researchers to establish the term â€Å"outmigrant† child. The researchers classified an â€Å"outmigrant child† as someone who has not come home for at least three successive months and lives no less than 15 km from the area being surveyed (p.55). The resea rchers formulated a survey wherein teams were dispatched to interview the subjects. Assistance from local administrators were sought to be able to have access to the community. The research was carried for 3 months (November 2006-January 2007) in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand (p.54).

Implementation Controls and Executive Summary of Massives Marketing Essay

Implementation Controls and Executive Summary of Massives Marketing Plan - Essay Example Political stability, positive economic growth, technological capability, strategic geographical location and business friendly conditions would be the criteria that will govern what country to choose. Japan, which suffices all the criteria, would be the most likely candidate. An alternative would be India due to its booming Information Technology industry and its strategic geographical location in the Asian region. This move would also help in attaining or even surpass the targeted number of partnerships. The company is currently charging a minimum of $30,000 for its software licenses. The company also charges 20% of the license fee for annual software maintenance and $25,000 for its web auditing services. The decrease would result to $1,500 cut for licensing, 10% cut on maintenance and $2,500 for auditing services (Massive Network, 2006). Reducing prices, all the while assuring product and service quality, provides a competitive edge the company can bank on. Although this translates to losses in revenue in the short run, it provides an attractive choice for future clients and assures continued patronage. This reduction will apply to future as well as present transactions. The acquisition of Massive by Microsoft has provided the means to acquire the necessary funds to conduct research and development to widen product and services range ( Wash, Microsoft Acquire Massive

Internship Paper Essay Example for Free

Internship Paper Essay My role with the _____ County circuit courts varies pretty much daily. Originally I was assigned to circuit court three. As it turns out though, they have had a high school intern coming since the beginning of the semester also, who is interning for a class she has. I believe she comes in three times a week. In addition to this, they have a floater who rotates through all of the courts, there are seven, so they have more than enough help in their court. Most days when I go in, I start in court three, and then end up going to court services to help the ladies out there. When I am in court three, I basically do the filing that has accumulated throughout the day. Depending on the day, and if the other intern or the floater has been there, there might be anywhere from ten minutes to an hours worth of filing to do. After this is done, I might pull the mail, meaning pull any files that correspond with mail the court has received. These might be warrants, certified mail, requests to continue, follow up letters referencing a court case, etc. A few times, when there has been a computer available, I have been able to enter information into the JUSTIS system, mostly through certified mail cards. Sometimes I would enter information for small claims cases, and then if the attorney or plaintiff/defendant would need copies of the information, I would mail those out. I would say the majority of my time spent at the courts was spent in court services though. Here I would do a lot of work for Mary, who is in charge of juvenile cases. A few weeks ago, I did many spreadsheets with data about juveniles who were either in detention centers, or placed in treatment centers, ranging from 1998-2002. She has to have record of this and needed the material in an organized data format, so I did a lot of that. Ive also made many calls to agencies to see their per diem rates, or rates for those placed in those facilities per day that they stay. Another project I have done for Mary was tracking her mileage as she has traveled from facility to facility to visit the juveniles placed there. These facilities are located in various other places around the state, so  she often has to travel long distances to make these trips, and needs to track her mileage for record and compensation. These records also went back to I believe 1998 or 1999, and were recorded to the present date, so there was much tracking I had to do to figure out her total mileage per day, and then per year. Ive also worked several times with Lisa helping her. She is in charge of jurors and jury duty. She sends out notices once a month to those who are being called for jury duty for that month. I have helped her sort these names, put together the notices, and get them sent out to the potential jurors. This is a big job, as when it comes time to do it, she usually has boxes and boxes of notices needing to be sent out. Something else I have done for court services would be to take their daily outgoing mail and run it through the postage machine to be sent out. This must happen about 5-6 times a day would be my guess. I have only done this a few times, but each time I have gone back, there was a replenished supply to be sent out. Also, sometimes I would take documents that needed to be mailed out from circuit court three to court services and put them in their corresponding lawyers mail slots, or send them out with the outgoing mail. Also, a few times I have had to take packages or documents for someone in court services down to the courthouse. I have really enjoyed working in the court system, both in circuit court three and in court services. As a criminal justice major I think it has been a really good experience for me. I plan on graduating in December, and am hoping to go into Federal Investigations. Another interesting aspect of the internship where I did it was that I got to work somewhat along side of a fellow criminal justice major that I have known since our freshman year. She and I have had every criminal justice class together except for P100. We both applied for the internship, but never knew we would end up in the same place, since there were quite a few options of places to work! Also, my resident assistant from freshman year also works part time in the court system, so I was kind of reunited with  her, which was quite a coincidence, considering how big this campus is! Last page: The last page of the paper is supposed to be additional comments about our good experiences and shortcomings of the internship. My good experiences would definitely be the people that I met and worked with there. They are a wonderful group of people, from the few I already knew, my fellow CJUS major and my R.A from freshman year, to everyone that I got to know and work with there. And Mary was wonderful especially. I felt like I could talk to her about school stuff since she graduated from IU also, whether it be to gripe about classes or get advice about the major/future plans. I think the shortcoming I can think of would be that I ended up being an intern for circuit court three, not because I didnt like it, just for the fact that they already had a high school intern and a floater, so there really was not much for me to do there at all. I literally would go in court three for about a half hour or so and then spend the rest of my time in court services. Honestly I wish I could have been a general intern for court services or a second intern to Mary. Court services was where I spent the majority of my time and I loved it. I also was told when I did my orientation that I would probably get to sit in on court a few times and observe. To date I have not been able to do that. I dont know if the time hasnt worked out for when Ive been working, or if there just hasnt been much Id be able to sit in on. I remember Mary telling me that court three did have drug court, which I have heard them talk about a few times, and I would have loved to sit in on this, because the Drug Enforcement Agency is one of the Federal agencies Im very interested in. I would have definitely liked to participate in this aspect more than I was able to. I would say this has definitely been my toughest semester. I ended up dropping a class early in the semester because I was trying to take 19 hours, including the internship, so it was really even more since I had to  dedicate 10 hours a week to being there. At the beginning of the semester I thought I could handle all 19 hours and the internship, but I really felt like I didnt have time to even sleep, let alone study, so something had to go. I was literally booked solid all week as I worked most of the day Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays I had class from 8-5 and then Wednesdays I would work all day also. And while I didnt have classes on Fridays, I worked in my hometown at the job I have been working at for the past few summers; they let me come in part time and holidays so I can make some money. It was hard to juggle school, the internship, and my family situation this semester, but Im glad I was given the opportunity for the internship, I really do believe it was beneficial.

Development of Recycling Company

Development of Recycling Company Executive Summary Recently, the growing utilization of plastics are specifically used domestic purpose and produced from industrial and consumer applications and need to combined with increased consumer awareness surrounding solid waste recycling, has led to an increased demand for recycled plastic resins and products for our general purposes. One of the quickest increasing types of collected plastic materials for recycling is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from post-consumer beverage and water bottles. Replay Plastics will capitalize on the opportunities in the recycled resin and packaging markets through two main divisions: a Recycling Division and a Packaging Division. The Company will create a PET cleaning and refining plant where located in the western United States (all 16 major North American PET recycling plants are currently located in the eastern United States or Canada). To be honest, Its initial capacity will be 46 million pounds, and it will utilize post-consumer bottle feed stock presently collected in California, Oregon and Washington States, which collect over 200 million pounds per year. The Company will be vertically integrated and utilize almost all of its recycled material in its Packaging Division and any surplus materials (clean flake) produced will be sold to outside companies. The extruded sheet may then be sold to manufacturers who will thermoform it into high-visibility packaging or use it in other high value added manufacturing operations. The strapping will be sold to companies who ship large packages or pallets, such as the lumber milling industry. The Company currently has commitments available from customers to purchase the entire product produced. MANAGEMENT Ben Braddock, President who has experienced since 30-years of history and related with encompassing all aspects of Polymer Raw Material, Plastic Conversion Methods, and Venture Development. Moreover, he has founded great ventures in the plastic converting industry, and assisted in the launch of five plastic converting manufacturing plants. In his personal life, Sam McGuire, Executive VP and COO, is a graduate Engineer with almost over 20 years experience in the post-consumer plastics recycling industry and is the inventor of the primary cleaning refining technology used in the process for this project. He has received a patent for his technology and has been directly involved in over twenty-five major post consumer plastics recycling projects. Carl R. Smith, CFO, has over 30 years investment and merchant banking and management experience. He has assisted in raising over $500 million and served as board member and/or officer in over 40 public and private companies. FINANCIAL SUMMARY Moreover, after a four month grow-up period to build the recycling and packaging facilities, buy equipment, and incorporate the business, Replay Plastics will begin a quick turnaround of product. Sales will begin in May, and with over $15 Million in sales the first year, we will see a first year net profit of $2.3 Million. The owners are investing $500,000 each, for a total of $1.5 Million, and are securing an $800K long-term loan. The Company is also looking an investment of $2,700,000 in order to begin operations. Then, these funds will be used for the purchase of one recycling line and one manufacturing line, for create of the plant facilities and for working capital. An outside investor providing this amount would receive 48% equity in Replay, and receive an IRR of 69% from simple dividends alone over the next 5 years. At the end of that period, we will consider a public offering of stock or a buy-out by a related business. Recent information on private sales of similar industry companies has indicated that transactions under $25 million have averaged 5.3 times EBITDA, while transactions in the range of $25-250 million have averaged over 7 times EBITDA. Further details can be found in the Financial Plan, below. 1.1 Objectives Sales passing $15 million in first year, $31 million in year 2, growing to $43 million. Gross margin of 35% or more in first year, 45% in second year then 50% or more. Net profit of 13% in year one, then exceeding 20% annually starting in year two. 1.2 Mission Replay Plastics is a generally manufacturing company dedicated to converting waste plastic materials into commercially viable products, utilizing environmentally friendly recycling and manufacturing methods. We intend to make enough profit to generate a significant return for our investors and to finance continued growth and continued development in quality products. We will also maintain a friendly, fair, and creative work environment, which respects diversity, new ideas and hard work. 1.3 Keys to Success The main keys to the success of the Company are: Secure Supply- Contract for supply of post-consumer bottles and post-industrial manufacturing waste for PET raw material feed stock. Marketing Contractual arrangements for the sale of virtually all initial production. Management Strong senior management with extensive, broad-based, industry-specific experience. 1.4 Potential Risks Unavailable or scarce raw material feed stock for production Replay is confident that it has secured good availability of low cost post-consumer PET bottles (feed stock) derived from post-consumer beverage bottles from California based recycling collectors, and has back up sources identified. Technology employed may be unreliable or unproven Replay will use a proven, patented technology that was developed by one of its principals for the cleaning and recycling phase. The extrusion division will employ commercially proven technology the industry is employing unique recycled PET technology which is used by prominent eastern U.S. manufacturers of PET extrusions. There may not be a market for the Companys products The Industry-wide experience of the Management Team has allowed them to identify markets for the Companys products. Their expertise and reputations have allowed them to obtain commitments for virtually all of the planned initial production. The location may not be near enough to markets The markets that have been identified are primarily in the western U.S., which will provide a distinct advantage to the Company because of freight costs and delivery timing. The Company may not be able to attract top management The Company has assembled a world class management team with proven ability and direct experience in the Companys market segments. Company may not meet environmental standards This environmentally-favorable venture provides for the development of technically feasible and economically viable solutions to PET plastic beverage bottle recycling, as well as environmentally aware in-house re-use practices which filter and return nearly all of the process water to the production lines. The Company may not be able to sell all of its production capability Through the Senior Managements industry-wide contacts, the Company has identified potential customers and received commitments for all of the production potential of the initial facility. Company Summary The Company will capitalize on the opportunities in the recycled resin and packaging markets through two main divisions: a Recycling Division and a Packaging Division. Recycling Division Using a patented process, the Company will create a PET cleaning and refining plant located in the western United States; we have chosen this region because all 16 major North American PET recycling plants are currently located in the eastern United States or Canada, despite western states favorable recycling attitudes among consumers. Its initial annual capacity will be 46 million pounds and it will utilize bottle feed stock from California, Oregon and Washington States, which collect over 200,000,000 pounds per year. The Company will become totally vertically integrated, and use all or almost all of its recycled material in its Packaging Division. Any surplus material produced will be sold to outside companies. Packaging Division We will create a plant (actual facilities to be shared with the Recycling Division) to manufacture extruded plastic roll stock sheet or high-strength strapping, employing state-of-the-art technology developed to utilize recycled PET resin. The extruded sheet will be primarily sold to thermoformers who will convert it into high visibility packaging, as well as laminators and fabricators. The strapping will be sold to commercial users for use as package or pallet strapping. The Company currently has commitments from customers to purchase all of the initial production capacity. Excess flake will be sold to outside customers. 2.1 Company Ownership Replay Plastics is owned by the initial founders, B. Braddock, S. McGuire and C. Smith, who are the proposed three executives of the operating entity. The plan was conceived and developed by these individuals, with the intent to apply their extensive experience and contacts in the industry to building a successful profitable corporation. 2.1.1 Potential Conflict Our COO, Mr. Sam McGuire, the inventor and patent holder of the recycling process to be used by the Company, is a principal in Company A of Chicago, IL. For many years, Company has designed, manufactured and assembled plastic recycling equipment, and has given us quotes on meeting our needs in this area. After a thorough investigation, Replay has found that Company A is able to source or supply the required equipment at considerably lower cost than any other company from which a quote was available. Mr. McGuire has disclosed that Company A has included a smaller than normal margin in their quote on goods they will manufacture, to cover overhead, contingency and profit which might result in a small benefit to him. They have agreed to source all of the equipment possible with no added margin. Replay has concluded that the savings available outweigh any other consideration and that we will purchase the cleaning and refining equipment from Company A. 2.2 Start-up Summary Our start-up expenses are budgeted at $210,000, which is mostly for on-site contractor services during facility preparation. $50,000 has been set aside for legal and accounting, $25,000 for special consulting that may be required during start up and $50,000 each for local engineering and lab equipment and supplies. $30,000 has been set aside as a contingency for the start up period. Our largest Start-up Requirement is the building of the recycling and extrusion facility. Its final value at completion is listed below as a long-term asset of $3,620,000 (excluding expensed items like consultants and engineering listed above). Aside from the building itself, we need $25,000 in machinery and fixtures, $500,000 of inventory (plastic bottle feed stock) and cash to cover us through the initial year. Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund $210,000 Start-up Assets to Fund $4,790,000 Total Funding Required $5,000,000 Assets Non-cash Assets from Start-up $4,145,000 Cash Requirements from Start-up $645,000 Additional Cash Raised $0 Cash Balance on Starting Date $645,000 Total Assets $4,790,000 Liabilities and Capital Liabilities Current Borrowing $0 Long-term Liabilities $800,000 Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) $0 Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) $0 Total Liabilities $800,000 Capital Planned Investment Founders $1,500,000 Investor $2,700,000 Additional Investment Requirement $0 Total Planned Investment $4,200,000 Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) ($210,000) Total Capital $3,990,000 Total Capital and Liabilities $4,790,000 Total Funding $5,000,000 Start-up Requirements Start-up Expenses Legal Accounting $50,000 Stationery etc. $5,000 Consultants $25,000 Lab Equipment $50,000 Local Engineering $50,000 Misc Start up $30,000 Other $0 Total Start-up Expenses $210,000 Start-up Assets Cash Required $645,000 Start-up Inventory $500,000 Other Current Assets $25,000 Long-term Assets $3,620,000 Total Assets $4,790,000 Total Requirements $5,000,000 Products Replay Plastics will utilize two processes in the same facility to produce: Cleaned and recycled plastic PET flake (RPET), recovered from post-consumer beverage bottles and manufacturing waste produced by its sheet customers Extruded roll stock sheet PET. Extruded PET high-strength strapping for securing large packages or pallet loads; each using 100% RPET produced in-house 3.1 Product Description Roll stock sheet will be sold to custom thermoformers primarily to be used to produce high-visibility packaging. It will also be sold to manufacturers of laminates and fabricated plastic products. High strength PET packaging strapping is used to secure packages or pallets in such industries as lumber milling and corrugated and other paper production. Both products will be extruded from post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The recycling programs in California, Washington and Oregon collect in excess of 200,000,000 pounds of PET bottles per annum. Replay initial capacity will be 46,000,000 pounds. Using a patented process, Replay will clean and refine the PET material from the post-consumer bottle stock and post-industrial manufacturing waste. The PET flake resin produced will be extruded into roll stock sheet or high-strength strapping. Although the Company expects to convert all of its bottle feed stock into extruded products, any surplus flake will be sold to outside manufacturers. 3.2 Competitive Comparison While quality and delivery are important factors to our potential clients, price is most often the determining factor in a buying decision. Good-quality packaging products manufactured from recycled (less expensive) resins, as close as practical to the end customers operations, will be most competitive and achieve a significant market share. These factors have helped to determine the business parameters of Replay Plastics. 3.3 Sourcing In excess of 200,000,000 pounds of post-consumer PET beverage bottles are collected and available as feed stock for manufacturers who can re-process this material into commercial products. The Company has excellent relations with the firms and associations that collect and distribute these materials and has been assured that its requirements will be available for the foreseeable future. The Company has entered negotiations with a California based source of post-consumer bottles and is confident that sufficient volumes are available on a contract basis from this source to satisfy its requirements. In addition, the Company intends to purchase production waste from its sheet customers and blend it into its feed stock. Currently, the majority of the post-consumer PET bottles collected in California, Oregon and Washington are exported to China. The Chinese have absorbed the amounts surplus to the use in North America. Their interest has kept the industry in the position of being able to maintain a steady price range for this bottle stock. A significant percentage of all sales of such bottle stock are managed by Plastics Recycling Corporation of California (PRCC), an industry funded marketing agency which operates similarly to a co-operative. They accept bids from potential buyers on behalf of the firms which act as consolidators, which accumulate stocks from the smaller, individual bottle-recycling depots. Some amount of the available stocks are regularly bought by recyclers in eastern North America who focus on the carpet manufacturers who use RPET resin in their process, but the high cost of transport from the western U.S. makes eastern sources more desirable. Replay has a good relationship with Company B, one of the larger consolidators in California. Company B has indicated a desire to contract to supply Replay with all of its raw material needs. They prefer to deal with a local consumer such as Replay, rather than the uncertainty and extra preparation requirements of the export market. There are other sources of post-consumer feed stock known to Replay, and we are confident that we will have sufficient materials available for our production needs. 3.4 Technology Sam McGuire, a key member of our Management team, is one of the original innovators of cleaning and refining technology for post-consumer PET, and we will be utilizing his patented process in our recycling facility. Sam has worked in the establishment and operation of facilities employing similar technologies over the last several years. On the manufacturing side, Management has been an integral part of the advancement of industry practices over the last twenty years or so, and includes in their knowledge base most, if not all, of the state-of-the-art available equipment and manufacturing techniques. Market Analysis Summary Strong demand for recycled plastics is working in the industrys favor. Major users of plastic packaging, apparently responding to consumer desires, have begun incorporating at least some recycled plastic content in their products as part of the growing interest in recycling. Recycled resin demand is on the rise as prices for the two major recycled resins, PET and HDPE, continue to hold value or appreciate against their virgin counterparts. In volume, PET is currently the number one recycled resin. Supply of recycled PET is in excess of 800 million pounds per year. This figure is expected to grow, reaching over 1 billion pounds during the next few years. The plastics industry has developed new markets and applications for recycled resins from both post-consumer and post-industrial sources. PET leads the recycled recovered resins as the most visible and valuable, and its use is increasing. Of the total 3.7 billion pounds of PET consumed in 1997, just 16% was from recycled sources. Of the more than 90 billion pounds of plastics produced annually in the United States, less than 5% is from recycled sources. Plastics, after aluminium, represent the second highest value material in the waste stream and have the highest projected growth rate. Markets and uses for recycled plastics are rapidly expanding. Plastic containers are being collected at the curb for recycling in nearly 500 communities, representing more than 4 million households. U.S. demand for recycled plastic will continue to expand and new markets will develop as technologies permit the efficient segregation and reprocessing of high-purity resins. Improved quality of resins, environmental issues and higher prices for virgin resin will contribute to growth. Packaging is expected to be the largest market segment for recycled plastics, with sheet and lumber following. Surveys indicate that Americans are increasingly willing to collect and separate discarded packages, foregoing a degree of convenience to make products more disposable, and even paying a premium for a recycled item. Increasingly, communities are refusing to consider incineration until every effort is made first to recycle; public sentiment is strongly in favor of products that can be recycled or are made of recycled materials. In recent years, the household recycling rate of PET bottles has more than doubled to 30% of all PET soft drink bottles sold. In fact, PETs recycling rate is the fastest growing among all beverage containers. The future of PET recycling is even brighter than it has been in the past. PET intrinsic scrap value is second only to aluminium among container materials. The plastics industry has launched a research and development program aimed at increasing PET recycling. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plastic soft drink bottles account for approximately 2% of the solid waste discarded in America. The EPA has set a national goal to recycle 25% of the municipal solid waste stream and the industry is committed to achieving its share of that important g oal. The recycling industry intends to accelerate the rate of plastic recycling as part of its commitment to develop solutions to the solid waste problem. Industry analysts have projected that 50% of all PET containers will be recycled by the year 2007. More plastics will be recycled annually than any other recyclable material. Replay believes a significant answer to Americas waste problem lies in creating high value, recycled thermoformable sheet and other extruded products for the packaging market. Although more than 200 million pounds of PET post-consumer materials are collected in the western United States each year, there is presently no local cleaning and refining facility converting the bottles into resins suitable for re-manufacturing. Originally, recycled PET (RPET) was used primarily in the carpet fiber industry, which is located along the eastern seaboard. The early development of the RPET industry was therefore focused in the eastern USA, with eastern states adopting the first bottle deposit laws that resulted in collection of post-consumer bottles that can be recycled. Recently, California, Oregon and Washington have adopted bottle deposit programs, and accumulation of recyclable materials in those states has begun. With all of the cleaning and recycling plants and the majority of consumers traditionally located in the eastern part of the country, development of consumers of recycled flake and down-line products, such as film and sheet, has been slow to develop in th e West. A strong demand for post-consumer bottles from Asia has prevented the buildup of inventories and reduced the pressure for the collection industry to find or develop western markets. There is currently no independent extrusion plant of recycled polyterephthalate (PET) sheet in the western United States or Canada that services the roll stock requirements of major custom and proprietary formers. With the development of the recycling industry for PET starting in the eastern part of the country, and the preponderance of consumers of sheet there as well, development of independent extrusion facilities using RPET has been slow to develop. It appears that in order to attract such companies, local sources of RPET would have to available. While there are customers in the West for the products, contracting a supply and shipping it from the East makes the venture unattractive. Our founders recognize that an opportunity exists and propose a vertically integrated conversion facility that will employ state-of-the-art technologies to produce extruded sheet and high strength strapping from 100% recycled PET post-consumer bottle stock, cleaned and refined in our own facility. 4.1 Target Market Segment Strategy The Company has chosen its target markets because recycled PET (RPET) is in high demand as flake resin by converters, as roll stock sheet used to produce high visibility packaging and as high strength strapping for the lumber industry. Sales are price-sensitive, so that proximity to markets and feed stock source provide a competitive edge. Replay Plastics identified an opportunity to take advantage of both circumstances in the western United States.