Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - 1653 Words

Review: Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. Every ten years after the age of 50 the prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Many different factors contribute to the development of AMD including genetic, environment, and metabolic functions. Aside from smoking, abnormal blood pressure, and an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables, many more studies are concluding that similar inflammatory and oxidative processes seen in other age related diseases are also playing a key role in the development of AMD. This disease affects the central areas of the retina and choroid. In return central vision is impaired while peripheral vision is usually not lost. AMD is seen in two different forms, the earlier nonneovascular (dry) type and the more advanced neovascular (wet) type. Each form has its own specific pathology and unique characteristics that set them apart. Fatty, protein deposits called drusens may be the k ey risk factor in understanding dry AMD pathology, progression, and treatment. Once the more advanced wet AMD is diagnosed, pathology and treatment are targeted around the formation and destruction of abnormal blood vessels, characteristic of the wet AMD eye. The increasing prevalence of AMD has influenced more investigation into what factors can be modulated to prevent the onset or to stop the progression of AMD. This text will discuss the pathology of drusens and the role of inflammation andShow MoreRelatedAge Related Macular Degeneration ( Amd )1786 Words   |  8 PagesAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a clinical condition in which there is a progressive decrease in central vision. There are two forms of macular degeneration, dry/nonexudative and wet/exudative, and these differ in fundal findings and treatment options. Dry macular degeneration is due to accumulation of drusen between the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch’s membrane and eventually progresses t o geographic atrophy. Geographic atrophy refers to loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)Read MoreAge-Related Macular Degeneration Leads to Severe Vision and Blindnes in Our Elderly711 Words   |  3 PagesAge-related macular degeneration also known as AMD is a disease leading to severe vision and legal blindness in the elderly population. I will address the health condition description and the disability and functional implications who suffer from this disease. For the health condition description of age-related macular degeneration I will discuss the etiology, onset, prevalence rate, body systems, body structures, and associated deficits that come and are associated with this disease. â€Å"AMD is theRead MoreThe Effects Of Age Related Macular Degeneration Essay2166 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract: â€Å"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) specifically affects the macular region of the central retina, where both ganglion cells and cones are present at very high densities.† (Penfold Provis, 2005). In this paper, the origins and effects of macular degeneration, both Age-related (usually expressed in adults over 50) and Juvenile (occurring in the teens and early 20’s) are analyzed and discussed. I hate my life. As the most complex organ in the human body and the only externally viewedRead MoreEye Health And Vision : Macular Degeneration1624 Words   |  7 PagesAND VISION Macular Degeneration is depreciation of the central portion of the retina, which records the images being sent by an eye and is located on the inside back layer of the eye. Retina sends images via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. Macula is another name for retina’s central portion and is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye. This controls person’s capability to read, drive a ca, recognizes faces or colors. As per one of the article Macular degenerations have saidRead MoreAge Related Macular Degeneration Essays3309 Words   |  14 PagesReview: Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. Every ten years after the age of 50 the prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Many different factors contribute to the development of AMD including genetic, environment, and metabolic functions. Aside from smoking, abnormal blood pressure, and an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables, many more studies are concluding that similar inflammatory and oxidative processesRead MoreAnatomy Of The Eye : Anatomy Essay1812 Words   |  8 Pagesarriving at the retina however, we must understand the preceding structures through which light not only travels, but bends and refracts to cast a clear image to the back of our eyes. An essential refractive surface, and fully developed by the age of two (2) (Stein. H et al., 2013), the cornea is a thin clear structure, making up the forefront of the eye, and is the first solid structure light encounters on its path to the brain. Connected to the cornea and adding to the posterior continuityRead MoreNeovascular Age-Related Eye Disease Study1211 Words   |  5 Pageslong-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (LCPUFA) on neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV AMD) and central geographic atrophy (CGA) over a 12 year intake was studied through a prospective cohort study. The cohort was from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which is a large phase 3 clinical trial that has tested nutrient and vitamin supplement formulations as prevention methods for AMD. Categories of AMD and risk of progression were determined by the size and extent of drusenRead More The Dilemma of Macular Degeneration Essay2270 Words   |  10 PagesThe Dilemma of Macular De generation According to Baily and Hall, while visual impairment early in life is associated with inherited congenital disorders, abnormal fetal devepment, and problems associated with premature birth, most eye conditions are associated with aging. They claim that over 70% of the visually impaired population in the United States is over 65. Age related maculopathy, also called macular degeneration, or AMD, impairs the center of vision in older individuals. The maculaRead MoreUltraviolet Radiation Cause And Effect Essay1750 Words   |  7 Pagescomfort. The patients who have a tissue cover into the pupil will need eye surgery. Furthermore, another part of the eye affected by ultraviolet radiation is the lens and the eye disease in this part is a cataract, which cataract disease is caused by degeneration of the lens and symptoms with a blurred vision as a fog, hindering the light to pass into the eyes and the optic nerves are fully. The treatment of cataract disease is surgery to remove the Natural lens and then insert the intraocular lens to replaceRead MoreAge Related Macular Degeneration Case Study1281 Words   |  6 Pages3.7 Age-related macular degeneration 3.7.1 Cause of disease and treatment AMD is the most commonly seen age-related ocular disease in the western world, is most prevalent in those over 55 years of age, and results in visual deficits [81, 92-94]. AMD can be divided into two categories: atrophic (as known as dry AMD, 90% prevalence) and exudative (wet AMD, more severe) AMD. Dry AMD is a consequence of drusen accumulation, and the wet form is associated with abnormal angiogenesis (Figure 3). Currently

Monday, December 16, 2019

Madame Bovary Personal Response Free Essays

In part two of Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert we see Emma’s development as a character in a negative way. Emma’s development is seen as she embarks on a path to moral and financial corruption all for a search of love and passion. The passion and love Emma seeks cannot be found in the reality of that time causing her to feel imprisoned in society with Charles whom she has no passion or lust for. We will write a custom essay sample on Madame Bovary Personal Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now To Emma love is defined as lustful, spontaneous action which she only reads about in her romance novels. SHe learns to fulfill this inner lust by undertaking in adultery with different men.Throughout this section of the novel we see the emotions Emma encounters, guilt, anger, lust, passion and spiritual longing. â€Å"The more Emma became aware of her love, the more she suppressed it. She would have liked Leon to guess at it†¦ † [p. 86] This quote shows the change is Emma’s character from part one due to the fact that in part one she only longed for such a relationship and what she read in books and took pity on herself while now she has taken action by committing adultery. When Emma first meets Leon there is a spark and common interests emerge unlike between Emma and Charles. This is seen in the quote â€Å"Their Eyes indeed were full of more serious conversation; and, while they were struggling in search of banal phrases, each felt assailed by the same langour; it was like a murmur from the soul†¦ † [p. 88] Emma’s Lust for Leon is an example of the commencement of her thoughts of adultery actions, once Leon leaves she becomes even less satisfied by Charles than before and continues to seek for that same love she had for Leon. She goes to such extremes with love due to her idea of love coming from novels, this is seen when she considers ruining after Leo after he had left for Paris.This part of the novel is seen as Emma’s attempt at filling an empty gap in her hear in search of romance that she has always longer for yet never grasped. She seems to do this by committing such unfaithful acts. â€Å"†¦ but i always relish the upheaval; I do love being on the move. † This quote emphasizes the fact that Emma cannot stay with one decision or be in one place for a long period of time because she is easily bored and dissatisfied. Once Leon leaves Mme. Bovary has an understanding of her feelings for Leon and her regret for not pursuing these feelings. the bad days form Tostes came back again. † [p. 114] Emma then realizes the option of adultery and Leon was the one to open this idea up to her.This is what leads her to commit adultery later on in this section of the novel. The second major development is the love affair between Mme. Bovary and Rodolphe. This love affair fulfills the dream of the romance she has always longed for from the books that she has read. â€Å"She merged onto her own imaginings, played a real part, realizing the long dream of her youth, seeing herself as one of those great lovers she had so long envied! † [p. 51] This quote emphasizes Emma’s happiness and sense of accomplishment that she feels during the affair. This is a development in her character because this can be compared to previous areas in the book where she was bored and unhappy waiting for something to occur this sudden even has now changed this view on life to a more happy one.This is because there was now an aspect of excitement that allows her to experience her dreams that she has so long longed for which causes her to isolate herself from reality. This is seen when she wants to run away with Rodolphe â€Å"Take me away! † [p. 80] This also shows Emma’s selfish behavior because she is acting only to please herself while Charles sacrifices his love and lets Emma be with Rodolphe to treat her depression (illness). The final major development in Emma is when she is plunged back into reality with the letter the Rodolphe sends her. This letter allows her to realize the difference between the romantic novels and dreams and reality. The fact that she had so many ideas to pursue with Rodolphe such as running away which she though would allow her total freedom.However these longings are all crushed and the caged feeling from before begins to come back again. why have not done with it? Who was to stop her? She was free† This quote shows her thoughts of running away with Rodolphe and how she want to be free. In conclusion these major developments such as the love for Leon and the introduction to the idea of adultery as well as the affair with Rodolphe and the longing for freedom show Madame Bovary’s change throughout part two of the novel. One is also able to see the constant unstable actions of Emma and her decisions. She is one to go from being spiritual to wanting to commit suicide, then desiring a proper family household and yet none of these make her happy for very long. How to cite Madame Bovary Personal Response, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Journal Of The Operational Research Society â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Journal Of The Operational Research Society? Answer: Introduction In the recent years, the importance of the supply chain in the performance of the business organizations has drastically increased. There are several reasons such as the economic globalization, technology development, growing consumer power and the global focus on the sustainability. The supply chain forecasting and its accuracy has become essential in increasing the performance of the supply chain. With the growing importance of the supply chain in increasing the performance of the supply chain, the interest of the researchers has also grown in this area. The present literature review will discuss the views pertinent to different authors who have discussed role of forecasting in enhancing supply chain performance, the importance of the forecasting accuracy, the impact of adopting structured quantitative and qualitative forecast techniques in forecast accuracy and finally review benefits and challenges associated with forecasting in manufacturing environment. Supply Chain The supply chain refers to the activities, processes and relationships which are present in the manufacturing process and includes the material sourcing, product manufacturing and storing through the process of logistics and manufacturing, and finally delivering the manufactured products to the end consumer. In the manufacturing process, the supply chain is not a linear set of activities; however, it comprises a complex set of processes, activities or relationships which are essential in the manufacturing process (Rai, PAtnayakuni Seth, 2006). Forecasting The forecasting is an act which predicts the business activities of the demand of a particular commodity in the near future. The prediction is conducted based in the information available at the present time. The supply chain is dependent on relationships which are developed during the manufacturing of a specific product or service. The forecasting process works as a guidance for the future business activities (Hyndman Athanaspopolos, 2014). The forecasting can be conducted by analyzing the previous years or the historic data. It is called quantitative method of forecasting as it uses the previous year data or statistics to predict the changes in future. Other than that, there are qualitative methods of forecasting too in which the experts use their knowledge to predict the future trends. In order to attain accurate forecasting, a combination of both the methods will be used. It can be used to plan the activities and establishing a link between the upstream and the downstream activi ties. Role of forecasting in Enhancing Supply Chain Performance In the perspective of Gunasekaran, Patel, McGaughey (2004), forecasting and the product development lifecycle are important part of the supply chain. Forecasting is the method of meeting the customers needs and demands in a timely fashion which impacts the supply chain performance measures as they are all linked to the perceived customer value of the product. Rotemberg Saloner (1989) have discussed that the forecasting methods warrant that that there is constant monitoring by the management and there is improvement in the performance measures. Accurate forecasting prediction requires that there are cross-functional teams, rapid prototyping and engineering approaches. According to the Hsu Chen (2003), there are several alternative methods which are used in the forecasting process; however, to maintain the forecasting accuracy feedback of the previous activities must be used to modify the forecasting instrument. Gunasekaran, Patel McGaughey, (2004) has stated that the accuracy of t he forecasting methods can be improved by benchmarking them with the other methods. Other than that, by integrating different production schedules, an organization can increase the demand forecasting for different links in the supply chain. In the perspective of Taylor (2003) is also important to increase the accuracy of the supply chain forecast as the accuracy is directly linked with the performance of the supply chain. In the views of Chen, Drezner, Ryan Simchi-Levi, (2000) forecasting methods can also remove the uncertainties in the supply chain. The benchmarking technique integration with other forecasting methods can give a better understanding and accuracy. According to McCarthy and Golicic (2001), strategic competitive advantage can be gained by the business organizations if the forecasting techniques are integrated with the supply chain performance. According to Taylor Buizza (2003); it is important to create collaborative relationships with the trade partners and other tiers in the supply chain to improve the forecast accuracy. According to Lee, Padmanabhan Whang, (1997), forecasting is a pivotal business function which can improve the performance of the organization by disrupting the activities related to planning, order and replenishing of the products. The collaborative forecasting has the potential to increase the performance of the firms. The literature of Lockamy McCormack (2004) has discussed the importance of collaborative forecasting by integrating customers planning into the manufacturing process and developing supply chain metrics to increase the supply chain performance. Cachon Lariviere (2001) has highlighted the importance of a tool named, CPRF in the forecasting method. It combines forecasting and collaboration between different members of the supply chain. CPRF (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment) enhances the performance of supply chain by supporting and assisting joint practices between different sections of supply chain. In the views of Aburto Weber (2007) forecasting tools can increase the efficiency, increase the sales, reduce the assets, working capital and decrease the inventory associated with the supply chain. However, Cachon Fisher (2000) have stated that this forecasting method demands reliance with other supply chain partners and requires timely and detailed information with the trading partners. In the views of Lee Billington (1992) forecasting tools can improve the performance of the supply chain; however, it requires substantial investment in human and technological resources. Recently, the alternative approaches can increase the responsiveness and product availability of assurance of the organization. It has been discussed by Devaraj, Krajewaki, Wei (2007) that in the forecasting procedure, several different processes are required. The companies must audit their internal forecasting process before collaborating with different trading partners and better to work jointly on demands planning. Bacchetti Saccani (2012) have discussed that there are four components of the trading partners, such as management, systems, techniques and the performance measurement. In the forecasting process, the involvement of the senior management is important. The training is important in boundary-spanning personnel forecasting. In the forecasting process, the market intelligence is obtained. Stadtler (2005) have discussed market intelligence is obtained from different sources, primary of which are the salesperson, purchasing managers and the buyers. In the perception of Makridakis Wheelwright (1977) marketing mix activities and the perception of the customers, suppliers are important to understand th e shaping of demand in the near future. The information sharing between the trading partners can reduce the demand and supply uncertainty in the future. The forecasting gives information regarding the future demand, supply or the price of the manufactured products. Therefore, it is essential in the management of the supply chain. Forecasting Accuracy In the perception of Fildes, Goodwin, Lawrence and Nikolopoulos (2009), forecasting accuracy is very important in the planning process of supply-chain companies. In the supply chain companies, the forecasting demand involves the computerized forecasting system which can produce initial forecast and these forecasts can adjust the demand planning of the company. It increases the accuracy of the forecasting system. The accuracy of the statistical forecasting system can be enhanced when the experts adjust the forecast according to their judgment and takes into consideration special events and changes in the statistical model. Stadtler (2005) have discussed the judgmental adjustments can improve the accuracy of the forecast in the manufacturing firms; however, it may introduce the bias in the forecasting. In the views of Nenni, Giustiniano Pirolo, (2013) forecasters make unnecessary adjustments in the absence of reliable information which may hinders the accuracy of the forecast. In the views of Acar, Yavuz, Gardner (2012) forecast adjustments made by the experts can yield better results. The large judgmental adjustments in improving the accuracy of the forecast. Ali, Mohammad Boylan, John (2010) have discussed that there are several reasons for the efficacy of the large adjustments such as large adjustments are applied when there is reliable information. In the perception of Aviv (2001) small adjustments are usually less effective as the information on which these adjustments are carried is considered as unreliable. According to Baumann (2010/2011), human decision making is as such that they ignore the good advice and the computer mediated advice and have excessive trust on their personal judgment. Boylan (2010) has discussed that the many times, the users make adjustments to the predictions which decreases the accuracy of the forecasting. In the perception of Cachon Lairiviere, (2001) forecasting accuracy is important in the supply chain management and other organizational functions such as scheduling, resource planning and the marketing depends on the accuracy of the organization forecast. According to Chen Wolfe (2011), the forecast accuracy is an important part in the delivery of the supply chain. Datta Christopher (2011) have discussed that the forecasting tools must capture the hard data as well as the judgmental data to achieve accurate results. It is important to maintain accuracy in the forecasting predictions as the organization will have to make orders to the suppliers or manufacture the products according to the results of the forecasts. Adoption of Structured Quantitative or Qualitative Forecast Techniques in forecast Accuracy In the perception of Derrouiche, Neubert, Bouras (2008) quantitative forecasting methods are widely adopted to support the companys operations in the supply chain activities. According to Durango-Cohen Yano (2011), there are several techniques used for the quantitative forecasting such as trend analysis, seasonal adjustments, decomposition, graphical methods, econometric modelling and life cycle modeling. Ebrahim-Khanjari, Hopp Iravani, (2012) have discussed that the trend analysis is the method of forecasting the data when there is definite upward or downward pattern for the forecast. In the perception of Ellinger, Shin, Northington Adams, (2012), uses several models for the forecasting such as exponential smoothing, regression and the triple smoothing. According to Fildes Kingsman (2011), seasonal adjustment refers to the model in which the variation in demand in different seasons can be identified. The adjustments are made in the baseline forecast so that the impact of the se asonal demand can be identified. Fildes Goodwin (2007) have discussed that the decomposition in another method of forecasting in which the data is separated into three different sections, namely, trend, seasonal and the cyclic data. Fildes, Goodwin, Lawrence Nikolopoulos (2009) have stated trend refers to the horizontal upward or downward movement with time. According to Fildes Hastings, (1994), trend can be a recurring demand pattern with some or no repetition. The random is another set of data which comprises of the data in which no pattern can be identified. Fildes, Goodwin Lawrence (2006) have stated that forecast method can project the patterns and can combine them to generate some relevant information. Forslund Jonsson (2007) that the quantitative forecasting method can be used to represent an objective picture of the actual sales. The quantitative forecasting relies on the statistics and the sales or the demand patterns in the previous years. Franses Legerstee (2011) ha ve stated that the quantitative forecasting methods helps the business managers to focus on the recent data and the company can spot trends which provide accurate sales and market forecast. In the perception of Ho Ireland (2012), there are several benefits of employing quantitative forecast methods in the sales or the demand forecast. Huang, Hsieh Farn (2011) have discussed that it can also temper unwanted enthusiasm or falsified numbers provided by the employees. It can show the realistic numbers and establish a reality check for the organization. It can also be used to generate or find patterns for making more accurate projections with the help of number. In the perception of Jonsson Gustavsson (2008) quantitative forecasting methods are also beneficial in attracting external stakeholders within the organization. The external stakeholders rely on accurate numbers more than the enthusiasm of the people. The potential investors will also feel comfortable with the forecast process . According to Klatch (2007), qualitative forecasting methods is another reliable method of forecasting for the demand and the sales. The qualitative forecasting methods are based on the judgment and the opinion of the managers and the executives of the business organizations. There are several methods which are used in qualitative forecasting methods, namely, executive opinion, Delphi technique, Sales force polling and the consume surveys. Lau, Ho, Zhao, (2013) have discussed that the choice of the forecasting impacts on the product life cycle and the decision-making of the organization. LeBlanc, Hill, Harder Greenwell (2009) have stated quantitative models are only applicable if there is little to no systematic change in the environment. When the patterns or relationships between different factors change, there is little to no systematic change in the environment. Liao Chang (2010) have stated that the objective models are of little use if there is a changing relationship between different entities. However, the qualitative approach can be applied in these cases. The qualitative approach is the approach which is based on the human judgment. According to Mishra, Raghunathan Yue (2009), the judgmental forecasting base the forecasting on the existing trends and they are also possess a number of shortcomings. However, the advantage of these forecasting methods is that they can identify the systematic changes more quickly and can interpret the impact of these changes in a better manner. Morlidge (2014) has discussed that judgmental forecasting tools are useful in shor t-term forecasting methods and can supplement or support the projections which is established with any of the quantitative method. According to Nikolopoulos Fildes (2013) executive opinions refers to the forecasting approach in which the executives from sales, production, finance or administration can generate an accurate forecast about the future sales. The qualitative forecasting method can is feasible when there is lack of feasible historic data (Require rephrasing). In the perception of Olhager (2013), the Delphi method is a structured communication technique which establishes a forecasting method involving interaction between different forecasting approaches and relying on a panel of experts. The Delphi method is dependent on the principle that forecasting from a structured group of individuals is more efficient than forecasting from unstructured group. It can be summarized that a combination of both qualitative and quantitative forecasting methods can be used to enhance the accuracy of the forecasting. Both of the methods are complementary and can be used in combination to enhance the accuracy of the forecasting process. Benefits and challenges associated with Forecasting in Manufacturing Environment Oliva Watson, (2009) have discussed that there are several benefits of forecasting in the supply chain of manufacturing organizations. In the forecasting process in the manufacturing companies, there are three types of forecasting, namely, demand forecasting, supply forecasting and the price forecasting. Parks (2012), the demand forecasting, the companies search investigate the demand of an object by the industry and the end users. In the supply forecasting, the companies collects the data about the current producers and the suppliers. In the perception of Ali, Mohammad Boylan, John (2010), the supply demands are evaluated according to the technological and the political trends which might affect the supply of the organization. The manufacturing companies manufacture a product which is sold to the end users. Therefore, determining the price of the manufactured products is also essential. In the perspective of Aviv (2001), price forecast should provide a prediction of the short and the long term prices of the products. There are several benefits of the forecasting in the manufacturing industries such as increase in the customer satisfaction, reducing the stock-out in the inventories and scheduling the production of the organization in a better and productive manner. It has been discussed in the literature of Baumann (2010/2011) the manufacturing industries, it is important to keep the customers satisfied, it is important to provide them, the product or the services that they want. The forecasting in the business helps in the prediction of demand so that the customer demands can be fulfilled in the shortest lead time. Another benefit of the demand forecasting is reduction in the inventory stock-out. It has been discussed by Cachon Lairiviere (2001) manufacturing organizations, the companies work with different suppliers and have a long lead time. If a business organiz ation is buying from the companies with the longer lead time, then demand forecast is important so that the suppliers can arrange raw materials for the manufacturing process. It also reduces the requirement of the safety stocks in the inventory. Chen Wolfe (2011) have discussed that good forecasting process can lead to proper inventory arrangements and links. It identifies the production requests in the future. It is also important in the new product launch and examining the seasonal variations in the demand. Similarly, there are certain challenges in the demand forecasting process of an organization. In the perspective of Berbain, Bourbannais Vallin (2011), in the present times, there has been a significant change in the consumer behavior as they are looking for diversity in the consuming process as well as they want the consumer products which set them apart from the public. As a result, certain products have a very short product life cycle which led to increasing difficulty in sales forecasting within manufacturing organizations. Datta Christopher (2011) have stated that due to lack of available history makes it difficult to implement the classical sales forecasting methods for the analysis of the previous data. In the present times, it is also important for the organization to increase the safety stocks so that unexpected variations in demand can be compensated. The classical methods of demand forecasting are unable to yield results as they are dependent on the time series analysis. As per the discussion of LeBlanc, Hill, Harder, Greenwell (2009), production decisions are based on the demand forecast of the organization. There is always a lead time or time gap between the earlier forecast and the final receipt of the order. The manufacturers have to start the production as soon as the demand forecast is received. The decision regarding when to start production and how to produce is dependent upon the forecast accuracy and the production cost. The production in the manufacturing organizations is dependent upon the initial forecast which has high uncertainty and low accuracy. Mishra Raghunathan Yue (2009) have discussed that although the accuracy in these decisions is less, these decisions have a long lead time which can assist the companies in taking advantage of cheap material cost, labor cost and can result in overproduction. LeBlanc, Hill, Harder Greenwell (2009) have stated that the production done at the later state is backed by strong forecast, but due t o the short lead time it demands high cost to obtain raw materials and the products should be manufactured at a tight capacity and schedule. An ideal situation is one in which there is early forecast with high level of accuracy. Summary of Literature Review The literature review debated above discusses the importance of qualitative and the quantitative data in enhancing the performance of the supply chain. Most of the literature have stated that both the methods have their unique importance in the forecasting process. The quantitative methods can be used when there is abundant historical data available in the same essence. However, the qualitative methods of forecasting can be used when there is little information of the past. References Aburto, L., Weber, R. (2007). Improved supply chain management based on hybrid demand forecasts.Applied Soft Computing,7(1), 136-144. Acar, Yavuz, Gardner Jr., E. S. (2012). Forecasting method selection in a global supply chain. International Journal of Forecasting. v. 28, issue 4, 842-848. Ali, Mohammad M., Boylan, John E. (2010). The value of forecast information sharing in supply chains. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting. Issue 18, 14-18. Aviv, Y. (2001). The effect of collaborative forecasting on supply chain performance. Management Science. Vol. 47 Issue 10, 1326-1343. Bacchetti, A., Saccani, N. (2012). Spare parts classification and demand forecasting for stock control: Investigating the gap between research and practice.Omega,40(6), 722-737. Baumann, F. (2010/2011). The shelf-connected supply chain: strategically linking CPFR with SOP at the executive level. Journal of Business Forecasting. Winter2010/2011, Vol. 29 Issue 4, 21-28. Boylan, J. (2010). Choosing levels of aggregation for supply chain forecasts. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting. Issue 18, 9-13. Cachon, G. P. Lairiviere, M. A. (2001). Contracting to assure supply: how to share demand forecasts in a supply chain. Management Science. Vol. 47 Issue 5, 629-646. Cachon, G. P., Fisher, M. (2000). Supply chain inventory management and the value of shared information.Management science,46(8), 1032-1048. Cachon, G. P., Lariviere, M. A. (2001). Contracting to assure supply: How to share demand forecasts in a supply chain.Management science,47(5), 629-646 Chen, F., Drezner, Z., Ryan, J. K., Simchi-Levi, D. (2000). Quantifying the bullwhip effect in a simple supply chain: The impact of forecasting, lead times, and information.Management science,46(3), 436-443. Chen, P.C. Wolfe, P. M. (2011). A data quality model of information-sharing in a two-level supply chain. International Journal of Electronic Business Management. Vol. 9 Issue 1, 70-77. Datta, P.P. Christopher, M. G. (2011). Information sharing and coordination mechanisms for managing uncertainty in supply chains: a simulation study. International Journal of Production Research. Vol. 49 Issue 3, 765-803. Derrouiche, R., Neubert, G. Bouras, A. (2008). Supply chain management: a framework to characterize the collaborative strategies. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing. Vol. 21 Issue 4, 426-439. Devaraj, S., Krajewaki, L., Wei, J.C. (2007). Impact of eBusiness technologies on operational performance: The role of production information integration in the supply chain. Journal of Operations Management, 25, 1199-1216. Durango-Cohen, E. J. Yano, C. A. (2006). Supplier commitment and production decisions under a forecast-commitment contract. Management Science. Vol. 52 Issue 1, 54-67. Durango-Cohen, E. J. Yano, C. A. (2011). Optimizing customer forecasts for forecast- commitment contracts. Production Operations Management. Vol. 20 Issue 5, 681- 698. Ebrahim-Khanjari, N., Hopp, W. Iravani, S. M. R. (2012). Trust and information sharing in supply chains. Production Operations Management. Vol. 21 Issue 3, 444-464. Ellinger, A., Shin, H., Northington, W.M. Adams, F.G. (2012). The influence of supply chain management competency on customer satisfaction and shareholder value. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Volume 17 Number 3, 249262. Fildes, R. Goodwin, P. (2007). Against your better judgment? How organizations can improve their use of management judgment in forecasting. Interfaces. Vol. 37 Issue 6, p570-576. Fildes, R. Hastings, R. (1994). The organization and Improvement of market forecasting. The Journal of the Operational Research Society. Vol. 45, Issue 1, 1-16. Fildes, R. Kingsman, B. (2011). Incorporating demand uncertainty and forecast error in supply chain planning models. Journal of the Operational Research Society. Vol. 62 Issue 3, 483-500. Fildes, R., Goodwin, P. Lawrence, M. (2006). The design features of forecasting support systems and their effectiveness. Decision Support Systems. 42(1), 351-361. Fildes, R., Goodwin, P., Lawrence, M., Nikolopoulos, K. (2009). Effective forecasting and judgmental adjustments: an empirical evaluation and strategies for improvement in supply-chain planning. International Journal of Forecasting. Vol. 25 Issue 1, 3-23. Fildes, R., Goodwin, P., Lawrence, Nikolopoulos, K. (2009). Effective forecasting and judgmental adjustments: an empirical evaluation and strategies for improvement in supply-chain planning. International Journal of Forecasting. Forslund, H. Jonsson, P. (2007). The impact of forecast information quality on supply chain performance. International Journal of Operations Production Management. Vol. 27 Issue 1, 90-107. Franses, P. H. Legerstee, R. (2011). Experts adjustment to model-based SKU-level forecasts: does the forecast horizon matter? Journal of the Operational Research Society. Vol. 62 Issue 3, 537-543. Gunasekaran, A., Patel, C., McGaughey, R.E. (2004). A framework for supply chain performance measurement. International Journal of Production Economics 87, 333-347. Ho, C.J. Ireland, T. C. (2012). Mitigating forecast errors by lot-sizing rules in ERP- controlled manufacturing systems. International Journal of Production Research. Vol. 50 Issue 11, 3080-3094. Hsu, C. C., Chen, C. Y. (2003). Applications of improved grey prediction model for power demand forecasting.Energy Conversion and management,44(14), 2241-2249. Huang, L.T., Hsieh, I.C. Farn, C.K. (2011). On ordering adjustment policy under rolling forecast in supply chain planning. Computers Industrial Engineering. Vol. 60 Issue 3, 397-410. Jonsson, P. Gustavsson, M. (2008). The impact of supply chain relationships and automatic data communication and registration on forecast information quality. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. Vol. 38, No. 4, 280-295. Klatch, W. (2007). How to use supply chain design to reduce forecast friction. Journal of Business Forecasting. Vol. 26 Issue 1, 23-31. Lau, H.C.W., Ho, G.T.S. Zhao, Y. (2013). A demand forecast model using a combination of surrogate data analysis and optimal neural network approach. Decision Support Systems. Vol. 54 Issue 3, 1404-1416. LeBlanc, L. J., Hill, J. A., Harder, J. Greenwell, G. W. (2009). Modelling uncertain forecast accuracy in supply chains with postponement. Journal of Business Logistics. Vol. 30 Issue 1, 19-31. LeBlanc, L. J., Hill, J. A., Harder, J. Greenwell, G. W. (2009). Modelling uncertain forecast accuracy in supply chains with postponement. Journal of Business Logistics. Vol. 30 Issue 1, 19-31. LeBlanc, L. J., Hill, J. A., Harder, J. Greenwell, G. W. (2009). Modelling uncertain forecast accuracy in supply chains with postponement. Journal of Business Logistics. Vol. 30 Issue 1, 19-31. Lee, H. L., Billington, C. (1992). Managing supply chain inventory: pitfalls and opportunities.Sloan management review,33(3), 65. Lee, H. L., Padmanabhan, V., Whang, S. (1997). Information distortion in a supply chain: The bullwhip effect.Management science,43(4), 546-558. Liao, T.W. Chang, P. C. (2010). Impacts of forecast, inventory policy, and lead time on supply chain inventory-A numerical study. International journal of Production Economics. 128, 2, 527-537. Lockamy, A, McCormack, K. (2004). Linking SCOR planning practices to supply chain performance An exploratory study. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 24(12), 1192-1218. Makridakis, S., Wheelwright, S. C. (1977). Forecasting: issues challenges for marketing management.The Journal of Marketing, 24-38. McCrthy, T., Golicic, S.L. (2001). Implementing Collaborative Forecasting to Improve Supply Chain Performance. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 32(6), 431-432. Mishra, B. K., Raghunathan, S. Yue, X.H. (2009). Demand forecast sharing in supply chains. Production Operations Management. Vol. 18 Issue 2, 152-166. Mishra, B. K., Raghunathan, S. Yue, X.H. (2009). Demand forecast sharing in supply chains. Production Operations Management. Vol. 18 Issue 2, 152-166. Morlidge, S. (2014). Do forecasting methods reduce avoidable error? Evidence from forecasting competitions. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting. 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Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier Essay Example

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier Paper The vast quantity of birds flocking above towns, villages, and outlying districts, causing obstruction and damage and even attacking individuals† (68). The above statement is the plot which is presented in both the story and the film. The main plot is the same in both the story and the film. In the story and the film the attack with the tides. They rest on low tide and attack on high tide. Abnormal flocking patterns are also a common detail. This means that birds of prey are flocking with the birds that they are hunted by. In both, the idea that women cannot handle stressful situations is presented. In the story, Mrs.Hockens said to her husband â€Å"You’re not to go, you’re not to go and leave me with the children. I cant stand it† (du Maurier 85). â€Å"Her voice rose hysterically. He hushed her, calmed herâ€Å" (du Maurier85). In both the main characters go into their house to protect themselves but before they do that they board their houses for extra protection. Unfortunately in both the story and the film they did not do a good enough job boarding up their houses because the birds get into an upstairs room. The main character takes precautions like boarding up his house while many other characters don’t take the attacks seriously. â€Å"She’s another Se doesn’t care† (du Maurier 75). We will write a custom essay sample on The Birds by Daphne du Maurier specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Birds by Daphne du Maurier specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Birds by Daphne du Maurier specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer While the story and the film have similarities there are more differences that present them self. One of the would be that there is a completely different cast. In the story, the cast is a family while in the film there is a family with an outside women. The difference in casts present romance. While there is no romance in the story there is romance in the film. Another difference would be the setting. In the film the setting is in England while the film’s setting is in San Francisco, Bodego bay. In the story the attacks are worldwide, â€Å"About the birds it’s not only here, it’s everywhere† (du Maurier 68). In the film the attacks

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Biography of Canadian Civil Rights Icon Viola Desmond

Biography of Canadian Civil Rights Icon Viola Desmond She’s long been compared to Rosa Parks, and  now late civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond will appear on Canada’s $10 banknote. Known for refusing to sit in the segregated section of a movie theater, Desmond will grace  the note, starting in 2018. She will replace Canada’s first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, who will be featured on a higher-value bill instead. Desmond was chosen to appear on the currency after the Bank of Canada  requested submissions for iconic Canadian women to be featured on the bill. News that she was selected came several months after the announcement  that slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman would appear on the $20 bill in the United States. â€Å"Today is about recognizing the incalculable contribution that all women have had and continue to have in shaping Canada’s story,† Canadian Minister of Finance Bill Morneau said of Desmond’s selection in December 2016. â€Å"Viola Desmond’s own story reminds all of us that big change can start with moments of dignity and bravery. She represents courage, strength and determination- qualities we should all aspire to every day.† It was a long road to get Desmond on the bill. The Bank of Canada received 26,000 nominations and eventually cut that number down to just five finalists. Desmond edged out Mohawk poet E. Pauline Johnson, engineer Elizabeth MacGill, runner Fanny Rosenfeld and suffragette Idola Saint-Jean. But Americans and Canadians alike have admitted they knew little about the race relations pioneer before the landmark decision to feature her on Canadian currency. When Desmond beat out the competition, however, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called her selection a â€Å"fantastic choice.† He described Desmond as a â€Å"businesswoman, community leader, and courageous fighter against racism.† So, why were her contributions to society so important that she will be immortalized on the nation’s currency? Get acquainted with Desmond with this biography. A Pioneer Who Gave Back Desmond was born Viola Irene Davis on July 6, 1914, in Halifax,  Nova Scotia. She grew up middle class, and her parents, James Albert and Gwendolin Irene Davis, were highly involved in Halifax’s black community.   When she came of age, Desmond initially pursued a teaching career. But as a child, Desmond developed an interest in cosmetology due to the dearth of black haircare products available in her area. The fact that her father worked as a barber must have inspired her as well.   Halifax’s beauty schools were off limits to black women, so Desmond traveled to Montreal to attend the  Field Beauty Culture School, one of the rare institutions that accepted black students. She also traveled  to  the United States to get the expertise she sought. She even trained with Madam  C.J. Walker, who became a millionaire for pioneering beauty treatments and products for African Americans. Desmond’s tenacity paid off when she received a diploma from Apex College of Beauty Culture and Hairdressing in Atlantic City, N.J. When Desmond received the training she needed, she opened a salon of her own, Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture in Halifax, in 1937. She also opened up a beauty school, Desmond School of Beauty Culture, because she didn’t want other black women to have to endure the hurdles she had to receive training. Roughly 15 women graduated from her school each year, and they left equipped with the know-how to open their own salons and provide work for black women in their communities, as Desmond’s students came from throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec. Like Desmond had, these women had been rejected from all-white beauty schools. Following in the footsteps of Madam  C.J. Walker, Desmond also launched a beauty line called Vis Beauty Products. Desmond’s love life overlapped with her professional aspirations. She and her husband, Jack Desmond, launched a hybrid barbershop and beauty salon together.    Taking a Stand Nine years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white man, Desmond refused to sit in the black section of a movie theater in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. She took the stand that would make her a hero in the black community after her car broke down on Nov. 8, 1946, during a trip she took to sell beauty products. Informed that fixing her car would take a day because the parts to do so weren’t readily available, Desmond decided to see a film called â€Å"The Dark Mirror† at New Glasgow’s Roseland Film Theatre. She purchased a ticket at the box office, but when she entered the theater, the usher told her that she had a balcony ticket, not a ticket for the main floor. So, Desmond, who was nearsighted and needed to sit downstairs to see,  went back to the ticket booth to correct the situation. There, the cashier said she wasnt allowed to sell downstairs tickets to blacks. The black businesswoman refused to sit in the balcony and returned to the main floor. There, she was roughly forced out of her seat, arrested and held overnight in jail. Because it cost 1 cent more for a main floor ticket than for a balcony ticket, Desmond was charged with tax evasion. For the offense, she paid a $20 fine and $6 in court fees to be released from custody.    When she arrived home, her husband advised her to drop the matter, but the leaders at her place of worship, Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, urged her to fight for her rights. The Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People offered its support as well, and Desmond hired a lawyer, Frederick Bissett, to represent her in court. The lawsuit he filed against Roseland Theatre proved unsuccessful  because Bissett argued his client was wrongfully accused of tax evasion instead of pointing out that she was discriminated against based on race. Unlike the United States, Jim Crow wasn’t the law of the land in Canada. So, Bissett may have triumphed had he pointed out that this private movie theater attempted to enforce segregated seating. But just because Canada lacked  Jim Crow didn’t mean blacks there eluded racism, which is why Afua Cooper, black Canadian studies professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, told Al Jazeera that Desmond’s case should be viewed through a Canadian lens. â€Å"I think its about time Canada recognizes its black citizens, people who have suffered,† Cooper said. Canada has its own homegrown racism, anti-black racism, and anti-African racism that it has to deal with without comparing it to the US. We live here. We don’t live in America. Desmond lived in Canada.   The court case marked the first known legal challenge to segregation presented by a black woman in Canada, according to the Bank of Canada. Although Desmond lost, her efforts inspired black Nova Scotians to demand equal treatment and put a spotlight on racial injustice in Canada. Justice Delayed Desmond didn’t see justice in her lifetime. For fighting racial discrimination, she received a great deal of negative attention. This likely put a strain on her marriage, which ended in divorce.  Desmond eventually relocated to Montreal to attend business school. She later moved to New York, where she died alone of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage on Feb. 7, 1965, at age 50. This courageous woman wasn’t vindicated until April 14, 2010, when the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia issued an official pardon. The pardon recognized that the conviction was wrongful, and Nova Scotia government officials apologized for Desmond’s treatment. Two years later, Desmond was featured on a  Canadian Post stamp. The beauty entrepreneur’s sister, Wanda Robson, has been a consistent advocate for her  and even wrote a book about Desmond called â€Å"Sister to Courage.† When Desmond was chosen to grace Canada’s $10 bill, Robson said, â€Å"It’s a big day to have a woman on a banknote, but it’s an especially big day to have your big sister on a banknote. Our family is extremely proud and honored.† In addition to Robson’s book, Desmond has been featured in the childrens book â€Å"Viola Desmond Wont Be Budged.† Also, Faith Nolan recorded a song about her. But Davis is not the only civil rights pioneer to be the subject of a recording. Stevie Wonder and rap group Outkast have recorded songs about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, respectively. A documentary about Desmonds life, â€Å"Journey to Justice,† debuted in 2000. Fifteen years later,  the government recognized the inaugural Nova Scotia Heritage Day in Desmonds  honor. In 2016, the businesswoman was  featured in a Historica Canada Heritage Minute, a quick dramatized look  at key events in Canadian history. Actress  Kandyse McClure starred as Desmond.

Friday, November 22, 2019

International Women’s Day Pioneering Female Writers

International Women’s Day Pioneering Female Writers International Women’s Day: Pioneering Female Writers It’s International Women’s Day, which seems a good time to celebrate pioneering female writers! But instead of looking at the obvious candidates – your Wollstonecrafts, Austens, and Woolfs – we thought we would focus on writers who deserve a little more recognition than they usually get. 1. Enheduanna When people discuss the first female author, they often point to Sappho, the sixth-century BC poet from the Greek island of Lesbos. But while Sappho is a key figure in literary history, she was not the first female poet. For that, we have to go back another 1,700 years to the Sumerian city-state of Ur. There, we will find Enheduanna, the High Priestess of the goddess Inanna and the moon god Nanna. Among other achievements, Enheduanna wrote a series of hymns and other religious texts. This makes her not only the first known female poet, but also the first named author in history. And if that doesn’t make her a pioneering writer, we don’t know what would! 2. Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe We’re not saying that the Revelations of Divine Love – a book of fourteenth-century mystical Christian devotions about universal love and hope in a time of plague and war – is going to suit everyone’s tastes. But it is the first book written in English by a woman, Julian of Norwich. So it does have an important place in literary history, and more people should know about it! Julian of Norwich (in statue form).(Photo: Matt Brown/flickr) Oddly, another literary first by a female author comes from Norfolk, England: The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe, was the first autobiography written in English. Even stranger is that Kempe mentions visiting Julian of Norwich in 1413 in her book. So not only were there two pioneering female authors in one part of England at that time, they even knew one another! 3. Anne Bradstreet Moving beyond England itself, we have Anne Bradstreet. An important early American poet, Bradstreet moved to the English North American colonies in 1630. She and her family settled in what is now Massachusetts. And while there, she wrote poetry that reflected her religious and emotional conflicts as a woman writer and Puritan. Bradstreet is noted for being America’s first published poet, with The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, By a Gentlewoman of Those Parts. This was also the first book written by a woman published in what would become the U.S., so Anne easily makes our list of female literary pioneers. 4. Phillis Wheatley and Lucy Terry Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman to be published. Her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, came out in 1773 to much acclaim. And her fans included George Washington, who noted her ‘great poetical Talents’ in a letter. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. The earliest known work of literature by an African-American woman – or, in fact, by an African American of either gender – is ‘Bars Fight’ by Lucy Terry. The ballad describes an attack on two white families by Native Americans in 1746. But it was only published in 1855, 24 years after Lucy Terry’s death. Both Wheatley and Terry, though, were undoubtedly literary pioneers. Are there any authors you think should have been on our list? Let us know!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Balance of Power between Football Players and Football Case Study

Balance of Power between Football Players and Football - Case Study Example Moreover, it is a natural follow-up on my project proposal which I made. Through this work, I intend to lay a firm foundation for my research project and ensure that I fulfill the need of the players and ensure that necessary suggestions and prescriptions are keenly laid out to enhance the constant improvement and enjoyment of football as a game, a profession and as a leisure activity to the fans, players and the clubs’ managerial bodies and owners at large. Luton, a locally pronounced town and a unitary authority of Bedfordshire is a relatively small town in England with a population of about two hundred and thirty thousand people. It is the home of the non-league Luton Town football club. Previously, the club was in the top flight of the English league as well as an in the football league cup triumph (Bailey, 1997). In Luton, England and in other parts of the world, football has become one of the major sporting activities. The latest development has seen the sporting activit y rise from the sports’ perspective to Knute Rockne; foot has become ‘a game played with arms, legs, head, and shoulders but mostly the neck up’. In London, the game has massive support with the major premier league clubs attracting large crowds and thus gaining financially. Despite all the efforts that have been made to ensure that the quality of the game continues to improve, the world over, one key area seems to have been forgotten – the need to fully balance between the football players and the football clubs.... It is the home of the non-league Luton Town football club. Previously, the club was in the top flight of the English league as well as a in the football league cup triumph (Bailey, 1997). In Luton, England and in other parts of the world, football has become one of the major sporting activities. The latest development has seen the sporting activity rise from the sports' perspective to Knute Rockne; foot has become 'a game played with arms, legs, head, and shoulders but mostly the neck up'. This clearly explains the vital role that the game plays in the world today. In London, the game has massive support with the major premier league clubs attracting large crowds and thus gaining financially. Despite all the efforts that have been made to ensure that the quality of the game continues to improve, the world over, one key area seems to have been forgotten - the need to fully balance between the football players and the football clubs. In this research paper, the intent is to research on the topic and examine the actual balance that exists in which there is a need to exist between the football players and their respective clubs both within and outside the premier league sector (Bailey, 2005). I also intend to give some brief definition, history and necessary information regarding the player power. There is also a look at some aspects of the gender imbalance and the overall welfare of the players in the football game, gender not withstanding. The issues that relate to the player hiring process, their countries and the contract basis will also be analyzed in this research paper. Indeed there exist a number of consequences of freedom of movement for both, football clubs and cont emporary football markets and the emerging

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

B300 TMA01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

B300 TMA01 - Essay Example The demand for BBC shows started to decline when the UK government signed and implemented the Television Act of 1954. This provision gave way to other independent television companies to compete with BBC shows. Due to high technology that has been developed in the past few years, a lot of television competitors have emerged in the television industry. This allows many viewers to have a lot of channels to choose from. ITV including GMTV is considered as the close competitor of BBC 1 & 2. As of December 2000, ITV and GMTV were able to capture 30% share of viewing.1 The availability of cable and satellite network has captured as much as 18% of the viewers away from BBC television. This is also one big factor why the over the past few years, BBC television 1 and 2 is slowly loosing its share of total viewing to other sources of media. (See Table I and Chart I on page 4) In year 2001, globalization has become the market trend for all the industries. The opening of the international trading itself has become the main factor of a tighter competition in all businesses. This also affects the television and broadcasting business of BBC. It is therefore expected that the number of other commercial viewing will continue to grow in case BBC fails to maintain its loyal viewers. BBC is continuously striving hard to hold on to its present market share by keeping its operational costs down and at the same time doing its best to motivate the employees to work well despite the fact that the company has decided for a mass lay-off in 2000 in order to save some money in sustaining the production of program.2 It has been evident in the past that the choices of people changes with time. Back in 1920s, people are much satisfied and amazed with listening to a broadcasting radio.3 This trend was changed in the late 1930s when the use of television became more in demand.4 (See Diagram I – The Transition of Modern Technology Over the Years below) The

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Using Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom Essay Example for Free

Using Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom Essay There are many reasons to use picture books in middle and high school classrooms (Albright, 2002, 418). Picture books are very useful in all subject areas and all content areas that are taught to secondary students (Albright, 200, 418). There are three stages of planning and implementing that must be considered and understood when utilizing picture books in instructing older children (Albright, 2002, 419). In order to effectively use picture books during read aloud, the secondary teacher must plan, prepare and produce (Albright, 2002, 419). A teacher must plan what book will go with what lesson and ensure that the text is age appropriate (Albright, 2002, 420). The teacher must also prepare a lesson that will make use of the picture book in such a way that students will be engaged in the text within the book (Albright, 2002, 421). Finally, the teacher must produce learning using the selected picture book. In other words, the teacher must be able to observe students learning the intended outcomes while listening to and learning from the picture book (Albright, 2002, 421). â€Å"The primary focus of using picture books in higher grades is to increase students’ literacy skills and ability to analyze short stories† (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Picture books have a great deal to offer middle and high school students (Tiedt, 2000, 1). There are four major reasons why teachers should consider using picture books in teaching secondary students (Tiedt, 2000, 1). The first is that picture books are useful resources for promoting good classroom discussions (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Second, picture books provide engaging models for teaching writing (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Third, students can improve their oral language skills as they read out loud, performance dramatic reenactions and tell stories (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Fourth, can use picture books as models to write their own picture books and therefore enhancing their own individual creativity (Tiedt, 2000, 1). There are many reasons why picture books are so useful and should be incorporated into secondary classrooms (Young, 1). The themes of many picture books are appropriate for all ages and they include many genres that cover topics of importance to students of all ages (Young, 1997, 1). Second, many new picture books are published each year and older students may not have had the benefit of reading these new books. Using new picture books in secondary school settings exposes older students to resources they may otherwise have missed as new picture books incorporate better artwork and more high quality metaphor and description (Young, 1997, 1). Third, picture books are incorporating many more real world events and topics than they have in the past. For example, more picture book writers are writing about such issues as war, global warming and nuclear destruction (Young, 1997, 1). Fourth, the short format of books allows for easy incorporation into lessons. The material in short picture books is easy for secondary students to comprehend and therefore students are able to quickly grasp the subject so they can move on towards creatively applying the material to the topic or subject being studied (Young, 1997, 1). Finally, picture books the pictures in picture books can be used as a comprehension aid for secondary students (Young, 1997, 1). In the current age of television and video games, secondary students have become accustomed to using pictures to make connections so picture books build on this ability. The visual cues in pictures allow students to easily comprehend what they are reading and use those applications in the lesson material (Young, 1997, 1). One subject where picture books can be enormously useful is in math (Spicer, 2004, 1). Typically, picture books that discuss math concepts are only used in the primary levels of school. However, there are a great many picture books that can get even high school students excited about math (Spicer, 2004, 1). For example, elementary school students will gain a firm grasp on geometric concepts when reading Sir Cumference and the First Round Table. The book details the efforts of Sir Cumference and his son Radius, in showing the knights how they can all sit peacefully at a square table (Spicer, 2004, 1). High school students would enjoy the silliness of this book as well as reviewing basic geometry concepts (Spicer, 2004,1). Similarly, there are many picture books that can be applied to high school life. One good example is The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics. This book is about a love triangle. The straight line is in love with the dot that is in love with the squiggle. By the end of the story, high school students will learn that when a line bends a little, a vector is created (Spicer, 2004, 1). Students of all ages love picture books (Spicer, 2004, 1). There are many fun and easy ways to incorporate picture books into secondary math lessons (Spicer, 2004, 1). Students can choose a book from a list provided by the teacher and write a report about the math concepts included in the story (Spicer, 2004, 1). They can also write mathematical sequels or prequels to books that are read aloud in class (Spicer, 2004, 1). Utilizing picture books as part of math lessons will ensure that weeks later secondary students recall both the story and the lesson (Spicer, 2004, 1). Another way that picture books are useful in the secondary classroom is in assisting struggling readers (McEwan, 2007, 1). Generally, high school students read very long and complex textbooks (McEwan, 2007, 1). The problem lies in the fact that struggling readers cannot use these textbook to learn because they are not fluent enough readers (McEwan, 2007, 1). Therefore, picture books can help struggling readers become better readers at the same time that they are learning the same concepts as the other students (McEwan, 2007, 1). In addition, background knowledge is important when teaching nonfiction concepts to secondary school students (McEwan, 2007, 1). Easy nonfiction books should be collected and provided to students who need alternative resources when textbooks are too challenging for them (McEwan, 2007, 1). Further, when students gain the necessary background knowledge and learn key concepts through reading easy nonfiction picture books, they are able to gain the confidence to try the more challenging textbook material (McEwan, 2007, 1). In order to assist struggling readers, a comprehensive list of nonfiction picture books aimed at math, science and other subjects should be compiled and made available to teachers and students (McEwan, 2007, 1). Writing is another subject area where picture books provide an enormous benefit to secondary students (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books are a readily available but untapped resource that many secondary teachers are just beginning to discover (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books can be highly visual and motivating in teaching students to become better writers (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books can be used as models to help writing students organize their thoughts in meaningful ways, to explore new topics and share different viewpoints about various topics (Culham, 2000, 1). Using picture books can show students how other authors use word choice, and editing to create a polished piece of written work (Culham, 2000, 1). In addition, picture books can enable students to use a small amount of text to find a large amount of meaning (Culham, 2000, 1). There are a wide variety of topics available in using picture books and these topics can inspire creativity in writing students (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books explore current and relevant topics that can further enhance writing ideas (Culham, 2000, 1). Finally, picture books can often inspire fresh creativity about old ideas that can lead to better writing (Culham, 2000, 1). Social studies is another area where picture books can be easily incorporated into lesson plans (Young, 1997, 1). The study of people places and cultures are natural compliments to picture books (Young, 1997, 1). The true life events of the past and present can be portrayed through the eyes of the characters and current events can be explored (Young, 1997, 1). Events such as World War II, the Vietnam War and Paul Revere’s ride teach about these historical events in easy to follow formats (Young, 1997, 1). In addition, current events such as homelessness can be described through short picture books that incorporate pictures and text to convey the seriousness of such issues (Young, 1997, 1). Science can very easily incorporate picture books (Young, 1997, 1). An obvious example would be the Magic School Bus series that explores various science concepts through and elementary classroom and its use of the magic school bus to take field trips (Young, 1997, 1). These books explore science concepts that are easy for elementary school students to understand but are also relevant to secondary school students as they provide good introductions into science concepts that can then be built upon (Young, 1997, 1). These books provide a way to explore science through the eyes of children and include a great many side notes and text that describe such concepts as the solar system, the human body, the earth and the water cycle (Young, 1997, 1). Finally, picture books can be successfully incorporated into vocabulary lessons (Bartell, 2005, 57). In fact, picture books can be used as an alternative to traditional vocabulary instruction (Bartell, 2005, 57). Traditional vocabulary instruction often makes students copy words and their definitions into notebooks but picture books allow students to as models to create their own picture books. The use of alphabet books gives students the creative ideas necessary to write their own text and therefore increase vocabulary as they write (Bartell, 2005, 57). The nature of picture books allow for high levels of vocabulary and the illustrations provide further avenues for students to make connections between pictures and words (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books in the hands of skilled language arts teachers can create lessons of extraordinary educational value (Young, 1997, 1). The content of the picture books are important in increasing secondary students reading and writing abilities but their value goes far beyond this content (Young, 1997, 1). The pictures used in children’s literature can also help students build awareness of language as well as explore illustrations as a way to communicate meaning in a non intimidating way (Young, 1997, 1). Therefore, teachers need to be cautious when choosing picture books to incorporate into lesson plans. They must choose picture books based on the quality of the art and the quality of the text (Young, 1997, 1). The pictures and the text need to work together to provide a comprehensive book that will be easily incorporated into the lesson plan (Young, 1997, 1). In order to successfully picture books into secondary classrooms, some important changes need to be made (Young, 1997, 1). The first is the attitude that picture books are children’s literature. Instead, picture books should simply be viewed as literature (Young, 1997, 1). Once this attitude is changed then educators can start seeing the curriculum opportunities that picture books offer (Young, 1997, 1). Picture books entertain students and provide information about a wide variety of topics that can then lead to a greater understanding of the world (Young, 1997, 1). Picture books are another tool that literacy teachers should know about, have access to and incorporate into their lesson plans (Young, 1997, 1). Teachers have been reading aloud to elementary school students for centuries (Guignon, 2001, 1). Research has shown the value of reading out loud to emerging readers (Guignon, 2001, 1). However, once a child learns to read on his or her own, being read to out loud often decreases or stops altogether (Guignon, 2001, 1). Reading aloud to students of any age helps them improve the important literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening (Guignon, 2001, 1). Students listen to stories read out loud on a higher level then they read on their own and so hearing stories read out loud stimulates their understanding of vocabulary and language patterns (Guignon, 2001, 1). There are some important guidelines for teachers when reading out loud to secondary students (Guignon, 2001, 1). The first is that the teacher and students must make time to discuss the story in order to expand student understanding of the topic the story covers (Guignon, 2001, 1). Second, the illustrations should be used to encourage prediction and interpretation. Using the illustrations can add to the students’ understanding of the events in the story (Guignon, 2001, 1). Third, read out loud gives students the opportunity to learn more about different authors and illustrators. It also allows them to look forward to reading other books by favorite authors (Guignon, 2001, 1). Fourth, hearing picture books read out loud gives students the chance to relate the stories to their own experiences (Guignon, 2001, 1). Finally, reading out loud brings in more curriculum related topics that are of special interest to the class (Guignon, 2001, 1). Teachers are often wary of presenting controversial and private topics into their curriculum and instruction (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books provide an outlet for these issues by presenting the material in non threatening way (Bartell, 2005, 57). Secondary students are often facing many stressors as they are not quite grown yet but are no longer children. Their bodies are changing as are the nature of their social situations (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books provide a way for students to explore the issues that present themselves at this point in life by exposing them to characters going through similar experiences (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books are short and get right to the point so they provide an easy way to show secondary students how to deal with situations that they are experiencing (Bartell, 2005, 57).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Evolution -Them-to Us Essay -- essays research papers

Evolution The origins of mankind is an extremely controversial issue within today’s society. Scientists have a host of different theories pertaining to man’s inhabitance of earth. Many disagreements arise between scientists who have different beliefs pertaining to where and how mankind arose. One such argument is the conflict involving the theory of evolution versus the theory of creation. After extensive scientific research, it is apparent that the theory of evolution is correct. Evolution is the theory that life arose by natural processes at an early stage of the earth’s history and that complex organisms developed from simpler organisms by a process of slow change. It is the idea that new species rise from older species after thousands of years of gradual chemical, environmental, and genetic change. Evolution can be described as the complex processes by which living organisms originated on earth and have been diversified and modified through sustained changes in form an d function â€Å"Evolution†. Scientists, looking for an explanation to the origin of man and other organisms created this evolutionism theory, which also presented answers to the many asked questions dealing with similarities between species. Unlike the theory of creation, which states that the complexity of life and different species can only be explained in terms of a supernatural creator or god who placed life on earth, the theory of evolution has a plethora of evidence proving it to be true â€Å"Creation†. There are several different types of observations that support the theory of organic evolution as an explanation for the similarities and the differences among species. One such observation is in the geologic record. The geologic record is the rock scheme found within the earth’s outer crust. By means of radioactive dating, the ages of rocks in many places on earth have been determined. It is a timetable of the earth’s geologic history. This combin ed with the fossil record, another observation supporting the evolutionary hypothesis, has produced an apparent sequence of life forms from most simple to most complex during the history of the planet. Fossils are any remains or traces of a once-living organism, which are formed by preservation, petrifaction, or sedimentation. Organisms can be preserved and protected against decay by being trapped in amber, tar, or frozen in ice. The hard parts of ... ... the world could have been created in six days. Even though Scopes was found guilty of contradicting creationism and the Bible’s teachings, the persuasion of the defense’s case brought up the major question of evolution versus creation. In 1996, the issue was revisited and now teachers have the right to teach both theories. The Attorney General said the constitutional separation of church and state would be violated if both theories were not acceptable. This trial was a major step for those who believed in evolution. The outcome eventually allowed for people to open their eyes and accept new ideas. The theory of evolution proved to be true â€Å"Monkey†. The controversy over whether evolution or creation is the correct answer to human origins is a major topic of discussion and argument in today’s society. People are entitled to their beliefs, but a great deal of evidence and supporting information has confirmed the theory of evolution to be factual and accurate. By combining all of this information along with comparisons between man and ape and the discoveries of humanlike fossils, the truth is apparent. The theory of evolution in my opinion is correct.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Monday, November 11, 2019

Vertu Luxury Branding

VERTU presentation for â€Å"Branding for Luxury Products† course. HISTORY The VERTU originally started in 1998 in Great Britain, now wholly owned subsidiary of Finnish company Nokia. The same year founder and Chief Designer, Italian Frank Nouvo began putting his ideas for Vertu on paper and the board of Nokia gave the project a green light. Frank Nuovo was a design strategist at Nokia from 1995 to 2006, when he left to become Vertu’s lead designer full time. Also in 1998 the company made it a company principle of hand making their products with â€Å"exotic, rare and naturally durable materials†.In 1999, their characteristic V form was established, and it is still highly visible across the Vertu product portfolio. In 2000 Vertu began taking shape as a company, locating their headquarters in England, and started an extensive Research and Development- project and decided on some of the parts that would go into the phones as well as some design decisions, such as t he use of sapphire crystals as a design-tweak. Three years in to operations, Vertu was granted the Vertu Concierge Service as a patent and this is still one of Vertu’s edges in the luxury cell phones market. Vertu launched what they themselves call the â€Å"†¦ irst ever luxury mobile phone† near the Eiffel tower in Paris in 2002, the Vertu Signature. With the first phones now available on the newly created market for luxury phones, Vertu also had the opportunity to offer one of their customers help through the concierge service, with a flight from London to New York. In 2005 10. 000 concierge requests was made according to Vertu, a figure that is, and should be (due to their customers privacy), hard to confirm. In 2003 they open their 50th retail location. By 2010, Vertu had more than 90 own boutiques and was sold in over 600 locations in almost 70 ountries, worldwide, according to Nokia`s financial statement for 2010. In 2007 Vertu went on a joint venture with F errari, creating an special edition phone marking the car company’s 60th anniversary. CONCEPT AND UNIQUENESS The concept of Vertu is to appeal to high-end customers who look for something unique in their mobile phones. Through meeting target customers standards about design, materials, price and brand Vertu has created a market for luxury mobile phones. The additional services, such as the Vertu Concierge give customers an elevated experience. Vertu aims to enhance and enrich customers’ lives through the services and products we offer. This enrichment will now further extend to the experience in our stores with a focused, tailored approach to customer interaction. † by Perry Oosting, President of Vertu BUSINESS STRATEGY Nokia's first idea was to create a phone that was completely contrary to the company's mass phone distribution and enter the luxury market by creating the subsidiary company Vertu. In order to keep the luxury image and status of Vertu, the phone w as not associated with Nokia's mass mobile phones.During the recession in 2009, the CEO Perry Oosting, announced that Vertu was launching cheaper phones and accessories as a tool to keep up the market shares and survive the recession. Late 2011, the new CEO of Nokia, presented the new strategy; to use a new operating system from Microsoft for their smartphones. This resulted in a giant downfall in market shares. As mentioned above, Vertu's flagship stores are located at the most exclusive shopping districts, amongst other Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, in order to be associated with the same luxury atmosphere as the neighboring brands.Vertu also put a huge emphasis on the store layout, everything from special glass for the display cases, to the floor and lightening. For the ultimate luxury experience, they also provide high personal service with top skills. For the exclusiveness and status of the luxury phone, it was chosen to be launched in connection with fashion shows at Paris fas hion week and was thereby becoming to be viewed as a fashion brand instead of a technology brand. This was a strategic move to strengthen the image if the brand. Vertu chose to launch their products in the BRIC countries, which consists of some of the most emerging markets in the world today.Additionally, the Middle East and Japan are also two extremely important markets for Vertu, partly due to the strong technology awareness in these areas. The sales in these countries are larger than in the western countries and the luxury company is exploiting the new wealth of the generations with high luxury awareness and taste. In order to gain greater market share in the British and Hong-Kong market, Vertu has numerous joint ventures and partnerships with jewelry stores, such as King Fook Jewelry in Hong-Kong and Goldsmiths in Harrods, London. We understand communications technology. We believe now that we understand the luxury industry. It will take something for competition to match that. † – Nigel Litchfield, former president of Vertu, 2002 MARKETING MIX Product: Vertu sells hand-made luxury phones made from fine materials like gold, platinum and sapphire. Along with every purchase the buyer receives superior service and is entitled to free ‘concierge’ service which assists users with exclusive services like restaurant and hotel reservations, priority bookings, and a global recommendation network.Price: Vertu prices range from $5,000 to over $300,000. The prices vary with the different collections and the materials that are used in them. Place: Vertu phones are selectively distributed. They are available at company-owned boutiques and at other various company-selected luxury stores like London Jewelers, Goldsmiths, Tourneau and Colette. Vertu locates its stores in luxury shopping districts of large metropolitan areas and opens relatively few stores. The stores are small, intimate and have a luxury feel more like that of a jewelry store than a cell phone store.All sale locations can be found on vertu. com. Promotion: Vertu acquires much publicity from sales to celebrities like David Beckham, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. As well Vertu has collaborated with big brands before like Ferrari, Boucheron and Audemars Piguet. Vertu releases different collections at different times and will only make a certain number of phones in order to keep a prestigious image and attract buyers. Vertu has a website for publicity which features product descriptions and photos of celebrities who own Vertu phones. POSITIONINGVertu was a pioneer in the luxury cell phone market and has positioned itself as the top-of-the-line targeting high-net-worth individuals. Vertu accomplishes this by using only the finest materials to manufacture their products which are all handcrafted ensuring that every product is of perfect quality. Vertu will release different collections each featuring different materials and designs which make the collections unique and prestigious; their most expensive line ever was the Signature Cobra designed by Boucheron, only eight were made and they cost $310,000 each.Vertu will often collaborate with other luxury brands, like Boucheron, Audemars Piguet and Ferrari, to extend their success and name in the luxury product world. Vertu offers superior and personalized service to its clients, including a free concierge service anywhere in the world, guaranteeing customer satisfaction and loyalty. They also position themselves by showcasing the celebrities who own their products as an indication that their products are for the rich and famous.Vertu has locations all over the world in 70 countries however they open relatively few boutiques solely in luxury shopping districts of large cities and thus are considered selectively distributed. Vertu boutiques are decadent, small, intimate venues which offer personalized service to clients wishing to make a purchase; the other stores licensed to sell Vertu products a re also luxury stores like Tourneau Watches and London Jewelers in the United States, Bandiera Jewelers in Canada, Colette in Paris and Ernest Jones in London.Vertu very successfully maintains a prestigious image with its ultra-luxurious products and superior service through its positioning. VERTU SERVICES VERTU brand offers services that are unique, independent and carefully customized to the particular needs and desires of their customers. All services are integrated into gadget. VERTU CONCIERGE Vertu Concierge is added directly to the customer`s handset, offering luxury assistance and enrichment. The service is offered by voice call or email, and access through a dedicated key on the cell.At the moment of VERTU phone registration and activation of VERTU Concierge service, initial â€Å"fitting† call is proposed. It can be done immediately at purchase time or later up to client`s choice. The â€Å"fitting† call gives an opportunity to have full explanation of service s offered by Concierge, as well as client can express her/his needs and desires which will be matched to this service. This includes the establishment of personal preferences, the range of the service they would wish and significantly, the sort of contact they wish to receive from Vertu.The Vertu Concierge Classic service offers the client with 24/7 access to a team of lifestyle managers, situated within a network of global centers covering all the main time zones including London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and San Francisco. Vertu Concierge also has managers on the ground in major destinations in order to create close relationships with specialist suppliers of goods and services specifically for Vertu clients. Many customers choose to use Vertu Concierge for their travel and lodging requirements as Vertu has protected exclusive opportunities for its clients.Vertu Concierge can contact the widest network of hotels, restaurants and airlines, and can as a result meet the exact preferen ces and expectations of their customers. Vertu Concierge clients may also ask for support with purchases ranging from small luxury items to accompaniments to their property range. Vertu Concierge is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese. Vertu Classic Concierge is included free of charge for one year from the date of purchase of a Vertu handset. VERTU CITY BRIEFVertu City Brief is a global digest of information covering more than 200 cities and destinations worldwide. Launched in September 2009, it is now one of Vertu’s most utilized services. Independently written for Vertu by experts in their respective fields, Vertu City Brief is available on Vertu handsets in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Refreshed and updated on a regular basis, Vertu City Brief allows the user to hit the ground running on arrival in an unfamiliar territory or to explore new or exciting opport unities in their home town.If the customer does not see anything which exactly meets their requirements, Vertu City Brief is the perfect inspiration to begin a conversation with a Vertu Concierge Lifestyle Manager. VERTU SELECT Vertu Select delivers original articles selected to inspire, inform and entertain based on a user’s region, preferences and passions. Written by carefully selected global journalists, experts and organizations, the articles appear via the handsets RSS feed once a customer has registered their phone. Vertu Select is available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.VERTU. ME Introduced with the launch of Constellation Quest in October 2010, vertu. me is a service that provides the user with a Vertu email account and effortless harmonization of the device’s lifestyle and business tools. Should the customer choose, the user’s emails, contacts, calendar and task information can be automatically sy nchronized with Vertu’s secure servers, giving the benefit of protected back up of their data. Vertu offers the consumer complete peace of mind. Should the handset be lost, this data can be retrieved and seamlessly downloaded to a replacement phone.The system also ensures that whenever the vertu. me account is accessed, whether from the phone, a home or office computer (PC and Mac) or via the web, this information is up to date. TARGET CONSUMER The Vertu mobile is a highly luxurious product, which doubtlessly is made to fit the extremely wealthy population of this world. The main customers are rich and found in the urban areas, who are constantly searching for the extraordinary products. Furthermore, their flagship- and department stores are situated in the finest areas, in order to attract the highly rich international shoppers. These are people who buy the best quality watches, the best quality fashion devices† – Nigel Litchfield, former president of Vertu The special features and services of the phone such as the â€Å"Vertu Concierge†, attracts customers who are constantly traveling worldwide – jet setters. The Vertu mobile was the first phone which was able function in over 180 different countries. This fact covered many needs and made it rapidly attractive for people who were constantly traveling such as celebrities and high ranked business people. In fact, Madonna, Beckham and Gwyneth Patrol were some of Vertu's first users when it was launched.CONSUMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY PYRAMID Brand Salience For Vertu achieving right brand identity involves brand salience. People generally are not still aware of VERTU because it is relatively â€Å"young† brand and promotion is quite narrow. However their target consumer for sure can recall and recognize this brand. So conclusion here is that Brand salience is more depth than breadth. This basically means that even thou there are not yet many people knowing VERTU, but those wh o do , they know all insights of it, can easily recall it and understands what this brand is about.Brand Performance The product itself is at the heart of brand equity, as it is the primary influence of what consumers experience with a brand, what they hear about the brand from others, and what the brand can tell customers about the brand in their communication. Brand Performance relates to the ways in which the product or service attempts to meet customers` functional needs. This is on top level for VERTU brand. It is crucial to contribute to customers` desires, wants and needs. Vertu brand highly represents all what their HNWI customers want to have for paying a high price.The product is highly durable; it has distinctive logo, premium pricing and advanced technology in gadgets. Unique services provided for customers by VERTY also attributes to brand`s performance. Brand Imagery Another variable CBBE Pyramid is second type of brand meaning which involves brand imagery. Imagery dea ls with such a properties of a product, which meets customers` psychological needs. It is more about what people think of it, how they see it. VERTU`s imagery is extremely individualistic and stylish.When customer is buying VERTU cell he/she buys a beauty of it as well. As of VERTU`s customer has a strong judgment of a brand as high quality luxury product. Credibility is high and customer see VERTU as superior, advantageous brand. Brand Judgments Brand judgments focus upon customers` personal opinions and evaluation with regard to brand. This involves how consumer put together all from performance and imagery association to make kind of an evaluation. VERTU`s clients evaluate this brand as a high quality luxury brand.Brand Feelings This variable shows emotional response with respect to VERTU brand. It shows what feelings are evoked by the marketing strategy for the VERTU and how does it affect feelings about themselves and relationships with others. Customer of VERU is for sure stat us-conscious person. Customers of VERTU have a unique and warmth feeling about the brand. It can be exciting due to special relationship of beauty and technology in brand`s products. Customer feels it is trendy and relates to special status and therefore social approval.Customer feels high security within this brand due to all advantages provided. As VERTU makes consumer feel better self-respect, pride, fulfillment and accomplishment also occurs. Brand Resonance Final variable of pyramid shows brand relationships with a customer based on Salience, Performance, Imagery, Judgments and Feelings. As for VERTU even if general awareness is low the behavioral loyalty is very high, customer want to get back to this brand, consequently repeat purchase is possible. Brand loyalty is necessary but not sufficient for resonance to occur.Within VERTU brand customer is not returning to this brand again due to, for example, scarce of substitutes. VERTU attained their main goal- strong personal attac hment to brand. It goes beyond of having just a positive attitude to view brand. Another important part of Resonance is active engagement. This probably is the strongest affirmation of brand loyalty. It occurs when client is willing to invest time, energy, money in to the brand. Constantly customers of VERTU are invited to special social events created by VERTU worldwide, and they are participating.Therefore VERTU has a very strong relationship with its customer. SWOT ANALISYS FOR VETRU STRENGHT * Masterpiece of design, engineering, and craftsmanship * Was truly innovative pioneering brand * Strong reputation (Products have established strong reputation in their field) * Global expansion (Includes significant growth over last 10 years) * Customer service * Control of Quality(As produced just in one factory in England) * London Symphony Orchestra is creating ringtones exclusively for each model of Vertu WEAKNESSES Extremely high production price (which leads to high product price) * Limited access as distribution is exclusive and limited (Missing opportunities for new customers) * Not able to buy online (More customers now go online) * Not enough technical innovation again (Many customers claim that gadgets are beautiful but not really practical) OPPORTUNITIES * E-business (launch â€Å"buy option† online) * Emerging markets * Mix VERTU styling with Nokia (in order to increase awareness ) * Change of consumer lifestyle (growing demand from young and senior people) THREATS Increasing Quality of Competing Products and Number of those * Importance of counterfeiting (Chinese counterfeiting factories already picked up the idea) * Newer forms of luxury and innovation are constantly changing COMPETITORS GOLDVISH Brand established in Geneve, Switzerland in 2003. Very Haut-Couture style but extremely not practical. Cells are difficult to buy, narrow distribution channel. View itself as a pioneering brand of luxury cell phone on official website which is obvious l ie. The pioneering brand was VERTU. Only 3 lines of phones are developed since 2003.The most expensive gadget is â€Å"Le Millionaire† and it costs $1,000 000. MOBIADO Canadian-based manufacturer of luxury phones with modern minimalistic design launched in 2004. It has 3 main lines –Classic, Professional and Grand Line. Mobiado actively participates in social events in North America (such as Golden Globes and Couture Fashion Week in NY). The brand is not very popular in Middle East and Europe. Still Distribution channel is not wide enough. Price range is from $1,900 to $57,000 GRESSO Gresso is Russia-based company which started its activity in 2007, so it is the newest competing brand in luxury phones field.Gresso has 5 main lines and they also provide customized phone for their clients. But mostly popular in Russia and Vietnam, Ukraine and one distributor in USA so far, however it is compensated by their option to buy products online. For Gresso products price range i s from $3,000 to $42,000. RECOMMENDATIONS Focused and customized segmentation is valuable in this market, so VERTU must continuously concentrate on their customers’ needs and desires. As any luxury company which faces constant global expansion it has to pay attention to counterfeiting problem. For example, Apple Inc. ow faced big problem in China where whole Apple stores are opened and being â€Å"fake†. China already produces cheap unqualified cells, abusing the brand VERTU, so losses in long-run might be significant. VERTU must work on effective anti-counterfeiting strategy in order to preserve the â€Å"face† of the brand. During this study we have discovered that general awareness of the brand is still low, therefore VERTU might collaborate with mother-company Nokia in order to produce some kind of mix and make the brand more popular and easily recognized, as for example H;M and Roberto Cavalli collaboration.Vertu is constantly launching Limited Edition line s which are sufficient in this market, because â€Å"best consumer† wants something distinctive and really exclusive, and more important, the customer is ready to pay for that. Partnership with Ferrari, Boucheron and Ermenegildo Zegna increased popularity of the brand considerably. For that reason, we suggest VERTU to collaborate more also with fashion designers, thus gaining also â€Å"fashion† group customers. 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