Bad Study Habit free essay sample

Basic business concepts and basic accounting for information technology students. I enjoy what I do and I like my students (so far). That doesn’t mean though that I’m not a strict one. In fact, I have already gained the reputation for strictness and difficulty of exams (I once made my entire class re-take a certain exam because nobody passed! . But hey, a lot of them passed and graduated last April so I guess I wasn’t that bad. Unfortunately, not everyone graduated. One or two of them failed the whole subject (there goes my reputation again). I couldn’t do anything about it because their grade was a solid 5 (which is an F grade here) and no matter how hard I pushed and pulled, I just couldn’t give a remedy for their failing grade. So, bottomline, they did not graduate. Some of my students right now asked me about these failed students. We will write a custom essay sample on Bad Study Habit or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They wanted to know the â€Å"whys† and the â€Å"hows† for these cases.I tried to answer as tactfully as I can but their questions really got me thinking. Is it them or is it me? Am I not a good teacher or were they simply not good students? Simple answer? More of the latter instead of the former. I’m not kidding. I’m not saying I’m a good one but I’m not that bad either. And from jogging my memory, I can see how they failed and I can count the reasons why they failed. Three words – bad study habits – in plural, not singular. So what are these bad study habits? Let me count 7 of them. Poor Attendance. For any subject, especially accounting, attendance is really a must.Unless, of course, you’re a genius who can just scan your teacher’s or classmates’ notes and you can readily understand the lesson. If you’re not, the next best thing is to hear firsthand what your teacher has to say and to read through your own eyes everything written on the board. If you do not attend classes, your chance of understanding the subject is almost nil plus your points for attendance go down as well. No Assignments. Let’s face it. Basic accounting is still a numbers game and the only way a student can learn this subject is through practice.And practicing the subjects / topics means diligently doing the exercises and the assignments all on your own. I noticed some of my students (even those who passed) depend on their classmates for their assignments. So who learns the subject? The ones who did the assignments. The ones who didn’t, good luck. Failing to Take Down Notes. I know, I know, the student can always photocopy the classmates’ notes. But, personally, I don’t think this really works for those students who do not http://hubpages. com/hub/7-Bad-Study-Habits-A-College-Student-Must-Not-Have 5/31/2011 Bad Study Habits A College Student Must Not Have Page 2 of 4 take down notes and just depend on their classmates. Taking down notes mean you are listening and are focused on the subject. A student who doesn’t take down notes is either somebody who has a photographic memory or just plain lazy or is not concentrating on the subject at hand. The first reason is a good one but is quite rare. The second reason may be okay if the student is intelligent in the first place (but this is still not an excuse). The third reason may be the worst because the student is really not absorbing anything from the class.And when this happens, your grades are bye-bye. Poor Time Management. There’s this one time I gave a major exam for my students. Imagine my surprise when I saw some of them were not taking the exams (and they were just hanging around the school! ). Their reason for not taking the exam? They were not able to study on my subject. Gee, but they were able to study for the other subjects huh? Needless to say, I got hopping mad and told them to take the exam or I won’t give a make-up exam for them. I mean I know that they have a lot on their plates what with their subjects, case studies, thesis, exams, etc. etc. But hey, they have to know how to manage their time and accommodate everything. That’s part of a student’s life. And to think their schedule of exams were announced right from the start, so they should have properly prepared and planned their time to coincide with the official school schedule. Okay, ranting a little bit here. Next! Procrastination. This one can follow poor time management skills, but it’s a habit that can be left on its own. Let’s put it in another word – cramming (which was common when I was in college, still is apparently).What’s worse right now is that a lot of students have more distractions than when I was in college. These distractions (like Facebook, online games, play stations, texting / chatting) make cramming or procrastination a more dangerous bad habit now than it was before. Not Following Teacher’s Instructions. Okay, here’s comes the exam. The students are asked to write T for True and F for False. What do they do? Write the whole word (what the†¦? ). Or worse, give entirely different answers (had a student like that, thought immediately of recommending her to a psychiatrist, j/k).

Industrial growth essays

Industrial growth essays The Industrial growth changed the American Society. To start, Industrialization brought the rise of organized labor. Working conditions were poor and wages were low. Industrialization shortened work weeks and increased wages. It also produced and expanded the blue collar working class. The labor force that made this possible was the new immigrants who arrived and also migrants from rural areas. The American society started to become diverse. Many workers still suffered from unemployment and low wages which led them to move into the city in search of better job opportunities. Another change through the industrial growth was the growth of technology. The major source of light changed from candles to kerosene lamps and then to light bulbs. Technology helped the society grow because as more technology evolved more jobs opened up which increased the amount of blue collar workers. This industrial growth changed the ways millions of people worked and lived. Old industries were ex panding as new ones evolved, such as the railroads, steel manufacturing, electrical power, etc. The Spanish American War affected the United States in several different ways. One being that the United States was considered a major military power. The war also helped the speed in the construction of the Panama Canal. It also raised the awareness of Theodore Roosevelt who soon became president in 1901. A connection I see today which affected our society is post 9/11. I feel that after 9/11 the economy worsened and working conditions became poorer and wages decreased, especially in New York City. Their became bad debt, chronic unemployment, bankruptcies, etc. Unemployed Americans spent more time trying to find work, often finding only lower-paying jobs. I think that any major War or change in society will always effect the economy and the way people live and work especially when it has such an impact on the whole world. ...

Research-based paper on the Problem Solving Process (PSP) for a Term

Research-based on the Problem Solving Process (PSP) for a selected organization - Term Paper Example workers’ strikes and go slows, a high rate of workers’ turnover, lateness and absenteeism among workers, as well as, general theft and misbehavior of workers while at the premises of the organization (Avery, Auvine, Streibel, & Weiss, 1981). This research wants to focus on the best steps that the management can take in resolving a problem within the organization as fast as possible. The longer a problem runs within a company, the more risky and the less profitable the organization becomes due to increases inefficiencies, low productivity, as well as, low morale of workers, which might be the main cause of their underperformance. The research will evaluate the five main steps involved in the problem solving process, as well as, analyze its significance in the management and resolution of conflicts within an organization. This paper will enable an organization to define a certain criteria or standard of conflict resolution within the organization, and as such, empower the leadership of the company to take the forefront in effectively directing others in the research and resolution of issues. An organization in the modern world economy cannot go without a problem or a conflict that may threaten its performance or image in the market. As such, it is imperative for the organization to have an appropriate plan that will enable it maneuver through such a crisis without suffering any significant overhead complications. For example, the Airtel Corporation, a global telecommunications company with its base in India, once had workers strife. This became a global phenomenon whereby nearly 80% of the company’s dedicated workers at the home country went on an industrial action. The workers’ industrial action was to demand for a pay rise, as well as, demand for other benefits and allowances. Furthermore, these employees were not patient enough to let the organization resolve the issues and as such meet their grievances as some of them quit the organization for other

Lundy Marine nature reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lundy Marine nature reserve - Essay Example In 1969 the divers discovered the existence of warm water marine species and the idea of a marine nature reserve came into being and was discussed. After this discussion, a stimulated interest in protecting the area grew and in 1971 Lundy Field Society proposed to establish a marine reserve. According to lundy.org.uk (1999) provision for the establishment of statutory Marine Nature Reserves was included in the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. After public consultation, on 21st November 1986 the Secretary of State for Environment declared a statutory reserve at Lundy.The Management of Marine Nature Reserve was given to English Nature by â€Å"the statutory advisor to Government on nature conservation in England† (lundy.org.uk, 1999) i.e. the English Nature is responsible to look after the Marine Nature Reserve. Landmark Trust employed a Warden for funding who lease the island in association with the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee that regulates and manage fisheries in the area . Devon Sea Fisheries Committee and English Nature jointly proposed the first statutory No Take Zone which is a 3.3 square kilometre of sea on east side of the Lundy Marine Nature Reserve in the UK. According to this proposal of No Take Zone none of the marine life including lobsters, fish and crabs of the sea should be taken and if any one does he/she is punishable under Marine Life Act. The No Take Zone has received support from every quarter of life i.e. from local fishermen to Lundy management, Advisory Groups and Devon Sea Fisheries.

Product Standardization Strategy of Starbucks Case Study

Product Standardization Strategy of Starbucks - Case Study Example The rise of multinationals such as Starbucks came with the advent of globalization, where trade restrictions were eliminated. Doing businesses in most countries abroad became much easier than before. Government regulations are more relaxed and tariffs were reduced or totally eliminated. These developments have given chance to big companies in the developed countries to capture bigger markets including the Third World. This has given rise to the issue of how to standardize product internationally and at the same time adapt to the individual idiosyncrasies of each country. Multinational firms such as Starbucks face this type of dilemma.   Product standardization is the introduction of domestic products internationally with a little or no modification (International Product Decision). Product standardization is done in commodities such as shoes. Multinational shoe firms such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok release shoes that are sold across different countries. The other way of marketing product is through adaptation. If the firm spouses this marketing strategy, it adapts domestic product to suit the foreign market. Product modifications are done. They can be specifically designed for foreign markets.   It is believed that ‘global marketing of standardized products can, however, lower operating costs, and with effective coordination exploit a company best product and marketing ideas† (Powers). One of the benefits of standardization is it allows current technology to adapt products and services to the local needs and wants. â€Å"It is also possible to tailor standardized strategies for different worldwide segments that exist cross-nationally† (Powers).   

Role of Elevated Levels of Homocysteine in Blood Plasma

Role of Elevated Levels of Homocysteine in Blood Plasma Homocysteine, a non-protein amino acid, is an intermediate in the metabolism of methionine and biosynthesis of cysteine. It has gained prominence in the past half-century because its accumulation in the body has been linked to increased risk and occurrence of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Homocystinuria is due to errors in metabolism and homocysteinemia is attributed to polymorphisms in the genes involved in methionine metabolism and cysteine biosynthesis, and deficiencies in the nutrients folic acid, and vitamins B12 and B6. Proof of these can be found in the results of genetic and dietary studies. The clinical quantification of homocysteine has evolved through the years and routine tests are currently available. Baseline homocysteine concentration for normal adults has been identified to be between 12-15 Â µmol/L. Elevated levels of homocysteine can be reduced with folate and B vitamins supplementation, but this intervention does not work in patients who have suffere d stroke or heart attacks. More research studies have supported the hypothesis that elevated homocysteine causes CVD and is not just a marker for the disease. However, despite the amount homocysteine research performed, many issues remain to be resolved, among which are the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the direct action of homocysteine and the standardization of techniques for the quantification of homocysteine levels. Brief introduction. 200 w The role of elevated levels of homocysteine in blood plasma has been the subject of intense study and literature reviews for more than 50 years since an association between defects in homocysteine metabolism and thromboembolism was observed. This role was further verified in patients with homocystinuria and abnormalities in vitamin B12 metabolism with general vascular damage and widespread thrombosis. Subsequently, the homocysteine theory of arteriosclerosis was formulated by McCully and Wilson in 1975. Since then, the positive association between the risk of cardiovascular disease and homocysteine levels in the general population was validated in many epidemiological studies (Boushey, et al., 1995; Verhoef, et al., 1996; Eikelboom et al., 1999; Humphrey et al., 2008). Significantly, these studies found that small increases of homocysteine levels in blood increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Another important finding was the role of diet, vitamins and folic acid in lowering h omocysteine levels. Some authors have questioned the direct homocysteine-cardiovascular disease link, basing their conclusions on a review of longitudinal, prospective studies (Kaul, Zadeh and Shah, 2006). Accordingly, the evidence is not strong enough to warrant a causal effect, the mechanisms for how homocysteine causes cardiovascular disease has not been elucidated, and that there has been no proof showing that interventions of decreasing homocysteine levels have modified the risk for atherosclerosis (Kaul, Zadeh and Shah, 2006). Moreover, homocysteine has been proposed to be a marker, and not a cause of CVD (Wierzbicki, 2007). Recent studies have proposed a mechanism on increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to elevated homocysteine. Inhibition of the growth of endothelial cells and promotion of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation results in damage of vascular cells (Zou, 2007). The abnormality in the production of endothelial cells was caused by homocysteines inhibition of DNA methylation in the promoter region in the gene of an activator of the cell cycle (Jamaluddin, et al., 2007). Amino acid and focus on cysteine. 300 w All living cells contain the biomolecules proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and lipids (Mathews and Van Holde, 1996; McKee and McKee, 2004). These are made up of the repeating sub-units of amino acids, sugars, nucleotides and fatty acids respectively. Cells also contain small organic molecules that are involved in complex biosynthetic and regulatory pathways that are tightly controlled at the molecular level. Amino acids are naturally occurring compounds containing an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a unique side chain or R group (Figure 1). The chemical and functional properties of an amino acid are largely determined by its R group (McKee and McKee, 2004; Mathews and Van Holde, 1996). Although there are hundreds of amino acids, only twenty have been identified to be building blocks of proteins. Among these is cysteine, which contains a sulfhydryl, or thiol (SH) in its R group (-CH2-SH) (Berg, Tymoczko and Stryer, 2002). The sulfhydryl group is very reactive and could react with another thiol group, forming disulfide bonds or sulfide bridges. These bridges are important in increasing the stability of some proteins. Two sulfhydryl moieties of two cysteine bonds can oxidize forming cystine. This commonly occurs in extracellular fluid like blood and urine. However, the solubility of cystine is very low, and in large amounts, cystine can cause kidney stones (McKee and McKee, 2004).The sulfhydryl moiety also forms weak bonds with nitrogen and oxygen. Another amino acid which contains a sulfhydryl group is methionine. Its side chain is -CH2CH2SCH3. The sulfur in methionine can form bonds with electrophiles (Berg, Tymoczko and Stryer, 2002). The methyl group (-CH3) can be activated and is involved in many reactions where just one carbon atom is being added to another compound. Cysteine is considered a non-essential amino acid because it can be synthesized de novo in both plants and animals (Figure 2). In animals, cysteine is formed from the cleavage of cystathionine through the action of ÃŽ ³-cystathionase. Cystathionine is produced when serine condenses with homocysteine that is derived from methionine (McKee and McKee, 2004). Methionine, an essential amino acid, cannot be synthesized in humans, and thus, have to be provided in the diet. Its metabolism involves homocysteine. Homocysteine structure and metabolism. 200 w Homocysteine is a non-protein amino acid and thus, it is not utilized in protein synthesis. Its structure is similar to cysteine but it has an additional carbon before the sulfhydryl moiety (R group: -CH2 -CH2 -SH). The tendency of homocysteine to form cyclic compounds may have limited its potential as a protein building block. Homocysteine is not provided in the diet, but is biosynthesized from methionine in a process involving several steps. Methionine is first adenosylated to form S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), and then the methyl group is transferred to an acceptor molecule to form S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) in a process called transmethylation. Adenosine is then removed thereby forming homocysteine (Figure 3) (Durand et al., 2001; Selhub J. , 1999; Marinou, et al., 2005). Transmethylation is the only pathway for producing homocysteine in the body. Homocysteine then undergoes two pathways: remethylation to methionine, and transsulfuration to produce cystathionine, cysteine, pyruvate and taurine. Remethylation requires folate and cobalamin (vitamin B12), and transsulfuration requires pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Homocystinuria results from genetic errors in the metabolic pathways (Kluijtmans, et al., 2003; Klerk, et al., 2002), but the current focus is on the more common hyperhomocysteinemia that results fr om genetic variations or nutritional inadequacy (Finkelstein and Martin, 2000). Polymorphisms in the gene methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) which catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group to homocysteine to re-form methionine have been found in many studies to increase homocysteine levels (Klerk, et al., 2002). Among the proposed effects of increased homocysteine levels resulting in CVD are oxidation of low density lipoprotein, decrease in the thrombomodulin expression inhibiting the anticoagulant pathway leading to thrombosis, platelet activation and aggregation, and smooth muscle cell proliferation (Eikelboom, et al., 1999; Jamaluddin, et al., 2007). Normal Homocysteine levels. 200 w The concentration of circulating total homocysteine (tHcy) is an accurate marker of low folate and vitamin B12. In 1999, 3563 male participants and 4523 female participants were surveyed to determine the normal blood homocysteine levels (Selhub, et al., 1999; Selhub, 1999). The survey found that homocysteine increased with age and was higher in adult males than and females. Screening of babies confirmed that homocysteine levels are higher in baby boys (Refsum, et al., 2004). It was recommended that blood homocysteine levels equal to or greater than 11.4 Â µmol/L (males) and 10.4 Â µmol/L (females) are to be considered above normal and was associated with low vitamin concentrations in two-thirds of the subjects surveyed (Selhub, et al., 1999). This verified that an assessment of homocysteinemia requires the knowledge of the health status of the patient. The degree of homocysteinemia is classified based on determination fasting levels of serum homocysteine. Currently, a plasma tHcy level of 15 Â µmol/L is considered as normal (Refsum, et al., 2004). In healthy adults with good folate and B vitamins status, the upper reference limit is 12 Â µmol/L. Accordingly, homocysteinemia is classified as moderate (15-30 Â µmol/L), intermediate (30-100 Â µmol/L) and severe (> 100 Â µmol/L). This categorization is necessary to come up with a decision regarding the treatment of the condition. Homocysteine and nutrition. 300 w Studies have shown that the enzymes regulating the metabolism of homocysteine are activated by the B vitamins and folate which can be sourced from the diet. The balance of the remethylation and transmethylation pathways are coordinated by nutritional inputs, specifically methionine (Selhub, 1999). Decreasing dietary methionine increased homocysteine remethylation, while increased methionine increased the production of cystathionine through upregulation of the transsulfuration pathway. The molecular mechanisms for the effects of dietary methionine are based on the capacity of S-adenosyl methionine SAM to inhibit methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTFHR) and activate cystathionine synthase (Selhub and Miller, 1992). Thus, when dietary methionine is high, there is a rapid conversion of methionine to SAM. The high levels of SAM promote the inhibition of MTHFR and subsequently, remethylation of homocysteine is also depressed. The pathway is channeled to the transsulfuration pathway, to produce cysteine. In opposite conditions of low dietary methionine, low SAM levels are not enough to inhibit MTFHR activity, resulting in the remethylation of homocysteine. The role of folate in homocysteine metabolism has been the subject of many research studies (Antoniades, et al., 2009; Boushey, et al., 1995; Lonn, et al., 2006). A diet that is poor in folate was also found to impair remethylation and synthesis of SAM (Miller, et al., 1994). Folate deficiency increased the concentration of tHcy and hepatic SAM concentration. Introducing dietary folate and methionine also decreased tHcy. Since vitamins and trace minerals are lost due to food processing, fortification is proposed in order to replenish the lost nutrients. Folic fortification of breakfast cereals when consumed daily was recommended to be the most effective means of decreasing serum folate (Riddell, et al., 2000). High-dose folic acid supplementation also decreased tHcy levels in cases where there is vitamin B12 deficiency (Min, 2009). However, a high methionine diet is not recommended since it can decrease body weights and HDL-cholesterol production in mice (Velez-Carrasco, Merkel and S mith, 2008). Aside from the observed effects of folic acid on reducing tHcy concentrations, folic acid is also thought to be involved in ameliorating endothelial dysfunction through its action of maintaining endothelial nitric oxide synthase in its coupled state which favors the formation of nitric oxide, and not oxygen radicals (Moens, et al., 2008). Role of Homocysteine and vitamins. 200 w The enzymes involved in metabolism of homocysteine require the participation of vitamin cofactors B6 and B12, and folic acid. The direct association between low folate, vitamin B6 and B12 status and hyperhomocysteinemia have been validated many times Hao, et al; 2007; (Hao, et al., 2007; Boushey, et al., 1995; Kluijtmans, et al., 2003; Koehler, et al., 2001). Investigations have geared towards the probability of using these vitamins in the prevention and treatment of homocysteinemia in the general population, and in those who already have cardiovascular disease. The use of multivitamins supplementation for several months improved the concentration of the B vitamins and folate acid in plasma, and decreased homocysteine and LDL cholesterol levels in 182 study participants (Earnest, Wood and Church, 2003). Similar homocysteine-lowering effects were also observed in patients with celiac disease, who have malabsorption problems, who take vitamin supplements (Hadithi, et al., 2009). However, the case for the vitamins is different in patients who already have CVD. Although the treatment of different combinations of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid of patients with coronary artery disease resulted in a 30% reduction of tHcy one year after receiving vitamin B12 and folic acid, follow-up measurements of homocysteine levels showed that the vitamin supplementation did not significantly affect the total cardiovascular events (Ebbing, et al., 2008). Thus, the findings do not support the use these vitamins for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. The Norwegian Vitamin Trial (NORVIT) also found that vitamin supplementation did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease recurrence after a heart attack (BÃ ¸naa, et al., 2006). Moreover, preliminary results of the NORVIT suggested that the B vitamin treatment increased risk of cancer, and that such treatment should not be given. Role of Homocysteine in atherosclerosis. 500w Many studies since the 1960s have validated the relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and risk of atherosclerosis (Eikelboom, et al., 1999). Severe hyperhomocysteinemia (homocysteine levels greater than 100 Â µmol/L) can be caused by several inherited genetic disorders. Foremost among the disorders are mutations in the gene encoding for the major transsulfuration enzyme cystathionine ÃŽ ²-synthase, remethylation enzymes methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, methionine synthase in the methionine cycle, or defects in vitamin B12 metabolism (Finkelstein, 1998; Kraus, 1998). These genetic conditions lead to extreme elevations of plasma homocysteine and early atherothrombotic disease, where the typical pathologic features of endothelial injury, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and progressive arterial stenosis are observed. While these genetic errors in metabolism are rare, they gave researchers a model for studying cardiovascular injury that was associated with high homocys teine levels. The clinical and pathologic features observed under the conditions of homocystinuria resulted in the homocysteine theory of atherosclerosis that declared high plasma homocysteine concentrations to be responsible for vascular damage. Results of individual studies and meta-analysis have come up with support for the homocysteine theory of atherosclerosis. However, there are still controversy over whether homocysteinemia causes CVD or vice versa, or is it that homocysteinemia is just a marker or indicator of CVD. Mounting evidence for the causal effect of homocysteine was backed up by basic and cellular studies which utilized advanced molecular and genetic techniques. Early studies infer that homocysteine damages the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels and increase the production of vascular smooth muscle (Berg, Tymoczko and Stryer, 2002). From a pathophysiologic point of view, homocysteinemia is associated with increased oxidative stress in the cells, and development of thrombosis (Tyagi, et al., 2005), impaired endothelial function (Stuhlinger, et al., 2001) and the activation of inflammatory pathways that are sensitive to changes in cellular redox states (Weiss, et al., 2003). It was originally proposed that homocysteinemia promotes the accumulation of S-adenosyl homocysteine, a potent inhibitor of cellular DNA methylation (Zou, 2007). The hypomethylation of DNA could affect promoter activity resulting in remodelling of chromatin and changes in the transcription of certain genes. However, it was found that In the case of homocysteinemia, increased tHcy levels cause the hypomethylation of DNA promoter region of the cyclin A gene (Jamaluddin, et al., 2007; Zou, 2007). Cyclin A protein is a sub-unit of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) that activates CDK during the cell cycle. In the presence of high tHcy concentration, methylation was inhibited at two CpG sites in the cyclin A promoter, resulting in a 6-fold increase in promoter activity, and therefore increased proliferation of endothelial cells. Homocysteine directly inhibited the activity of DNA methyltransferase I (DNMT1) by 30% (Jamaluddin, et al., 2007). Furthermore, homocysteine reduced binding of methyl CpG binding protein 2, while it also increased the binding of cyclin A promoter to histones H3 and H4 which led to chromatin remodelling. Review methods of analysing homocysteine and differences between measurements. 2800 w Total homocysteine, tHcy, is the sum of all chemical species of homocysteine that is present in the blood (Figure 4) (Ueland, et al., 1993; Refsum, et al., 2004). As mentioned earlier, only a small portion of the tHcy comes from free homocysteine, a large portion comes from mixed disulfides and protein-bound homocysteine. All the assays used to quantify tHcy cleave and convert all these forms into a single species by adding a reducing agent, therefore what is measured is the reduced form. Blood for homocysteine determination is collected in tubes. If plasma homocysteine is to be measured, the tube contains anticoagulants like EDTA, heparin or sodium citrate. If serum homocysteine levels are to be determined, then the samples are allowed to coagulate, which takes thirty minutes and not more, to reduce the risk of increased homocysteine levels coming from the cellular fraction of blood (comprised of red blood cells and platelets). Increased release of tHcy from cells also makes it necessary to centrifuge and separate blood components within 30 minutes of collection. Centrifugation time and speed are relatively low (5 min and 300g respectively, for example) and is performed at 4Â ° C. The supernatant (serum/ plasma fraction) that is collected may be analyzed immediately, or stored for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator or frozen for 2-3 months (Homocysteine, 2008). It is possible to store the samples once processed because the homocysteine levels have been shown to be stable after separation of plasma/serum from the cellular fraction (Refsum, et al., 2004). There are reports showing that tHcy in serum can remain stable for several years if stored at -70 Â °C. Scheme for the steps followed in the determination of total homocysteine from blood serum or plasma. (Hcy-SR, Hcy-mixed disulfide; EC, electrochemical detection; LC, liquid chromatography; CE-LIF, capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection; Ab, antibody; EIA, enzyme immunoassay; FPIA, fluorescence polarization immunoassay; MS-MS, tandem mass spectrometry). Figure from Refsum et al., 2004. The first step is to generate free homocysteine by chemical reduction of disulfide bonds using dithioethritol, sodium borohydride, n-tributyl phosphine, 2-mercaptoethanol and phosphine tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine, which is water-soluble (Jacobsen, 1998). After the reduction, homocysteine is separated from the cysteine, glutathione and cysteinylglycine, low molecular weight thiols, by HPLC. Homocysteine can also be derivatized for gas chromatography determination/ HPLC or subjected to immunoassay (Jacobsen, 1998; Refsum, et al., 2004). The development of the methodologies for determining total homocysteine started in the 1980s. There are many variants of the methodologies, but they can be categorized into three general methodologies: (1) chromatographic, (2) enzyme immunoassays and, (3) enzyme cycling. Chromatographic methods The earliest methods used were the chromatographic methods, of which high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is more used compared to gas chromatography (GC). Variations in the methodology include the combination of liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS) and GC with MS. The equipment and the skill requirements for these techniques have limited their use mainly in research laboratories. In the HPLC method, the reduced samples are deproteinated and then directly separated on an ion exchange column. The separated homocysteine molecules undergo derivatization with ninhydrin (a chromophore for colorimetric quantification), or fluorescent compounds (e.g. fluorescamine, SBD-F). Alternatively, the reduced homocysteine molecules are first derivatized before separation through reversed-phase HPLC. 6-Aminoquinolyl-n-hydroxylsuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) is a fluorophore that gives higher sensitivity when used to derivatize cystathionine and homocysteine (Seo, 2005).The derivatized samples are then passed through an ion exchange column. The length of time that it takes for the sample to go through the column is called the retention time. The samples leaving the column pass through a detector, which could be a UV absorbance detector (spectrophotometer), a fluorescence detector or a mass spectrometer which is a powerful detector. The detectors quantify the samples, and send signa ls to a recorder which produces the chromatogram, where quantities can be seen as peaks. An internal standard of known quantity is used in the determination of the actual quantity of the sample. Normally, the internal standard should have a retention time that is the same as homocysteine. Internal standards are added to the sample tubes and derivatized together with the reduced homocysteine. To quantify homocysteine, the tHcy peak area is compared with the peak area of the standard eluted at the same retention time. Although there are many advancements in the HPLC technology, tHcy quantification using this method is relatively slow, time-consuming, requires very careful sample preparation and handling, and skilled technicians. Sample pre-treatment requires 30-60 minutes, while an HPLC run takes 10-30 minutes. Samples are run sequentially, which makes HPLC not suitable for high throughput determinations. Some laboratories use gas chromatography or gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to get more sensitive results. The principles behind GC and HPLC determination are similar, except that in GC, the samples are vaporized and passed through a gas before elution from a column. Similar to HPLC, GC is also more time-consuming compared to other methods. Homocysteine of dried blood samples have been determined using reversed phase HPLC (Bowron, et al., 2005). In this technique, blood samples were collected in tubes that contain potassium EDTA. After mixing gently, the blood was spotted on filter paper cards that are used in standard neonatal screening. The cards were air-dried and stored at room temperature until analysis. Six-mm discs of the cards were punched out, and incubated in tubes with an internal standard and a deproteinization agent. The produced thiols were then derivatized for fluorescent detection, and separated by reversed phase HPLC. The resulting measurements showed that the method was linear up to a homocysteine concentration of 140 Â µmol/L, in comparison with HPLC of plasma homocysteine which showed a linearity up to 200 Â µmol/L. The coefficient of variation within a batch of measurement was 5% and within batches was 8%. HPLC of plasma samples was only 1% within batch and 4% between batches. Storage of the dried blood sample spots for more than 24 hours in room temperature decreased the homocysteine concentration, probably due to the hemolysis of whole blood during drying. The hemolysis could have been accompanied by the denaturation of enzymes that release homocysteine from blood cells. Overall, although the use of dried blood samples offers flexibility in sampling and storage, the assay had lower precision compared to HPLC. It may not be able to quantify dried blood homocysteine in newborns because its lower limit of detection is above the levels that some healthy neonates have. The method can be used in the detection of homocysteinuria. A more rapid protocol for tHcy measurement is liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) (Gempel, et al., 2000). It removes the derivatization step and can perform 400 analyses daily. Blood samples are applied to filter cards that are used for neonatal homocysteine screening. The cards are incubated in the presence of a reducing agent and a deuterated internal standard. The tHcy is then extracted in an acetonitrile solution and loaded on a cyano column. Eluates are ionized with an ion spray device before passing through a mass spectrometer. The procedure makes use of an autosampler, which hastens the analysis. The advantage of the method is the removal of the derivatization step, because the mass spectrum is determined directly. Impurities of the samples are removed by passing them through the cyano column. Since the procedure takes only 3 minutes to finish 1 sample, more samples can be processed in less time compared to HPLC (Gempel, et al., 20 00). An innovation in a high throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method is the use of a 96-well plate format that skips precipitation, centrifugation and derivatization. Plasma samples, calibrator and control were mixed well in 96-well plates. From each well, an aliquot was transferred to another plate with sodium hydroxide solution (diluent) and dithioethritol (or another suitable reductant). After thorough shaking and a short incubation period, the plate was placed in the autosampler for LC-MS/MS analysis. Comparison of the results with those obtained by HPLC showed that the LC-MS/MS method gave consistently higher homocysteine readings, which was attributed to the use of different standards by the two methods. The biggest advantage of the new method over HPLC was the expense, because LC-MS/MS reduced the costs for material and manpower by more than 50% (Arndt, et al., 2004). Enzyme Immunoassay The immunoassay-based tests for homocysteine were developed in the 1990s. Most assays employ a mouse monoclonal antibody against S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), which is formed when adenosine and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase are added to reduced total homocysteine of the plasma/serum sample. The earliest report on the procedure involved the use of flouresceinated SAH as tracer. This method is fluorescent polarization immunoassay or FPIA. After SAH is generated, it is mixed with a fluorescein-tagged SAH. The mixture is coated onto a microtiter plate, then made to bind with mouse anti-SAH (Figure 6). When antibody-SAH bind, the changes in fluorescent polarization of the SAH-tracer are detected and serve as basis for the quantification after a standard curve of known homocysteine calibrators is constructed (Shipchandler and Moore, 1995). The newer versions of enzyme immunoassays were performed on microtiter plates and used the formation of colored complexes to measure absorbance which was used as the basis of the quantification (Figure 7) (Frantzen, et al., 1998). After the conversion of reduced tHcy to SAH, another enzyme is added to the mixture to hydrolyze the excess adenosine. After reaction with a monoclonal anti-SAH antibody, a specific anti-mouse-antibody is added, which forms a colored product that can be detected spectrophotometrically for quantification. The immunoassays are simpler to perform compared to chromatography because they do away with the derivatization step and the expensive equipment needed in chromatographic separation. The method has been proven to be rapid and precise. The coefficient of variation between and within assay is 8% and less than 6% respectively, and the results also correlated well with those obtained using HPLC. The advantage of the immunoassay over HPLC is speed and ease of determination (Frantzen, et al., 1998). Many samples can be run simultaneously on several microtiter plates, which make the immunoassay ideal for routine screening. Furthermore, the technique can be and has been fully automated using robotics technology, and is highly flexible and can be used on different analytical platforms. Other similar imunoassays have been developed. In a variant of the assay, recombinant homocysteine lyase, converts homocysteine into ÃŽ ±-ketoglutarate, with the evolution of ammonia and H2S (Tan, et al., 2000). A second reaction reacts H2S with N,N-Dibutylphenylene diamine (DBPDA) resulting in the formation of form 3,7-bis(dibutyl amino)phenothiazine-5-ium chloride, a highly fluorescent compound. Both highly purified recombinant homocysteine lyase and DBPDA were synthesized in the authors laboratory, which somehow limits the utility of the procedure because their production requires skill and specialized equipment. Another assay utilizes the recombinant enzyme, methionine ÃŽ ³-lyase, and the commercially available fluorophore N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (Chan, et al., 2005). The rest of the procedure is similar to that used in typical immunoassays. The method can be used in an automated analyzer or manually, which makes it ideal for laboratories that cannot afford the expensive automated analyzers. Although the recombinant enzyme was purified only from a crude extract of E. coli, the results compared well with those that were obtained using HPLC. These results showed that the need for tedious and careful purification procedures can be removed. However, a main drawback was the non-specificity of the enzyme for homocysteine; it also reacts, although with less specificity, with cysteine which is present in larger amounts than homocysteine in the plasma. Thus, the use of pure homocysteine as calibrator is not suitable for the assay. Instead, the recommendation is to use pooled plasma as the cali brator, but this requires the determination of the tHcy by HPLC, which complicates the procedures for small laboratories who do not have access to HPLC equipment. Moreover, the precision of the procedure is also lowered if samples are diluted, because this also reduces the amount of cysteine in the sample relative to its concentration the calibrators. The presence of cysteine is also the cause for the lower sensitivity of this assay, because at lower tHcy levels the background fluorescence due to cysteine is amplified (Chan, et al., 2005). Enzyme cycling The most recent method for tHcy determination is the enzyme cycling method which amplifies the detection signal to improve the sensitivity of the detection (Figure 8) (Dou, et al., 2005). Similar to the previous methodologies, all protein-bound and oxidized forms of homocysteine are first reduced to free homocysteine. Next, methionine and S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) are formed from the methylation of free tHcy by the action of the enzyme homocysteine methyltransferase with S-adenosyl methionine as methyl donor or co-substrate. The SAH so formed comes from SAM and the transmethylation reaction, and not from the free homocysteine molecules. Upon formation, SAH is hydrolyzed immediately to homocysteine and adenosine by SAH hydrolase. The homocysteine originating from SAM enters the homocysteine transmethylation reaction catalyzed by homocysteine methyltransferase to form homocysteine and methionine again, resulting in an enzymatic cycle and an increase in detection signals. The reacti ons caus

Chinese and Australian Consumer Behaviour

These advantages can be gained through understanding what needs the Chinese place the cost Importance on In regards to the hierarchy and what type of brand personality can be created to most effectively target the Chinese market. Introduction: Cross Culture Analysis A cross-cultural study is a beneficial tool undertaken to effectively understand the foreign countries involved In exchanging goods Internationally. Marketers evidently desire to efficiently export large measures of goods and services to various developed countries.If the complex procedure of understanding the major alterations between China's and Australia's consumer behavior is effectively established; a result of costive outlooks and increased brand recognition will be identified. According to the Australian Embassy, ‘China is Australia's largest trading partner' thus allowing a beneficial exposure for further acknowledgment and marketing opportunities for an Australian exporter. China may be classified as a â₠¬Ëœcollectivist culture' (Horn, Merritt, Sun 2004).Collectivist cultures are defined by their ability to malignant strong connections within their groups and in order to belong, individuals are strongly influenced by other peers or family members to follow similarities within one society (Horn, Merritt, Sun 2004). They display a high need for social recognition and status and consume goods to communicate a symbolic expression of their status and prestige (Clans, Gambler, 2003). For example, the Chinese drink wine on special occasions to belong, but also to stress their status and prestige (Lulu, Murphy, 2007).As an exporting opportunity Australian marketers can capitalist on this by emphasizing their wine products to be a sign of prestige to target the Chinese collectivist culture. Australia on the other hand is viewed to have deferent cultural beliefs; the nation is ‘defined as a strongly individualistic culture'. This means individuals within Australia desire to express thei r unique traits with a minimum influence by others (Lee, Askance 2000) which Is In opposition to the Chinese.As an Individualistic culture, Australia has a greater tendency to be self-enhancing than collectivist cultures, and associates achievement with the individual rather than the group (which is typical of the Chinese culture) (Nevis 1983). Although these two countries have strong dissimilarities, marketers must take into account Australia's and China's similarities in consumer behavior, as there might be potential for an Australian exporter to succeed. Although In order to satisfactorily establish exporting analysis between the countries consumer behavior characteristics.The various differences in culture and personality must be used adequately to capture the target audience. Moscow Hierarchy of Needs and Consumer Behavior Mascots Hierarchy of Human Needs is a classification of five basic human needs ranking in order of most important to least important. The first is physiologi cal, which includes the need for food and water, followed by safety and security need (protection, stability), social needs (friendship and belonging), ego needs (status, restive) and self actualization (self-fulfillment) as the final need (Bedlam et al. 2010).This hierarchy can be applied to goods and services in determining what level of needs they satisfy and help marketers segment the on a needs basis. Most people in society express these needs, though in slightly different ways. Most needs could be classified under this hierarchy which makes it useful for marketers when segmenting (Bedlam et al. 2010). The theory of the hierarchy states that once lower levels needs â€Å"are satisfied, again new (and still ‘higher') needs emerge†¦ † To be fulfilled (Moscow, 943 p. 375). Which means that it is only once lower needs are satisfied, do higher needs emerge to be fulfilled (Bedlam et al. 010). For consumers this means that they will only buy products to fulfill high er needs once their lower needs have been satisfied. For marketers this becomes important when positioning on a needs basis as the demographics of the country may not allow those people to fulfill their higher social needs if their basic physiological needs aren't being met. Or it may mean that only a small percentage of the population would be marketable to if they hold most f the wealth of the country. Importantly if marketers design a product to meet the perceived needs of consumers, consumers are more likely to choose that product over competitors.In this way the needs hierarchy can be used as a basis on which to build the benefits the product can offer to the consumer, through fulfilling a need, making it more likely they will consume that product over competitors. Marketers can also bring about the arousal of needs through advertising, and the product they are trying to sell can become the consumer's goal specific product (Bedlam et al. 2010). This is ultimately the aim of the product. Therefore an understanding of Mascots hierarchy is important when segmenting the market.It can allow marketers to position to a segment on a needs basis and even create the arousal of need, of which the product can become a product specific goal. The Effect of Culture on Mascots Hierarchy of Needs As was described earlier, in the previous section, Mascots Hierarchy of Needs identifies the five basic levels of human needs. While generally accepted because it reflects the needs of most people in an individualistic society, it cannot be applied to all cultures. This is because despite the fact that most people express primary or physiological needs, acquired needs are leant in response to ones culture (Bedlam et al. 010). The Chinese and Australians will therefore place their needs with differing important to marketers when considering which needs basis to segment on. According to Nevis (1983), Mascots Hierarchy of needs is a reflection of an individualistic culture such as A ustralia and America, and therefore can't be applied to the Collectivist Chinese culture. Nevis (1983) proposes the Chinese culture subverts the traditional model by placing belongingness as the first basic need, allowed by physiological, safety needs and self-actualization in service of society at the top.This new hierarchy reflects the collectivist traits of the Chinese culture; high family and group orientation (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003), the expression of self as part of a group (brother, father, son, husband but never as ‘self') and gaining meaning through interaction with society. Belonging is therefore the basis of the Chinese society (Nevis 1983). For marketers this means positioning products in relation to the products acceptance by the targeted consumers social and family groups.This is an important approach to take regardless of what needs basis is segmented, as Chinese consumers will look to their social groups for guidance when buying a product rather than the offers and benefits presented to them before purchasing (Ability, Frank, Anemia, Achievement 2011). This is reflected in the pup commercial targeted at the Chinese consumer (See appendix 1). While the drink is targeting a psychological need in Mascots Hierarchy, a large part of the ad focuses on the acceptance of the drink by the family, which is reflecting the importance of family orientation to the Chinese nonuser and their need for belongingness.While the Chinese have self- actualization at the top like individualistic cultures, they differ to Australia, in that they fulfill this need through their success as being part of a group as opposed to being recognized individually (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003). This is echoed in their low individualism score of 20. Australia on the other hand has an individualism score of 90 and is reflected in its beliefs that an achieved goal is the result of the individual. Chinese culture also has a high degree of face, which is evident in the subverted Hierarc hy.Consumption in China has a strong social association because of its high degree of â€Å"face†; whereby Chinese consumers fulfill their needs through â€Å"placing more emphasis on publicly visible possessions†¦ † (ABA, Us, Chou, 2003, p. 737). This socio-cultural characteristic reflects the need for belongingness and acceptance by social and family groups. Furthermore, high face also means Chinese consumers are more likely to buy luxury products as a symbol of social status, and prestige of the family, rather than an expression of self as is common in individualistic societies such as Australia (Cyanic, Gambler, 2003).High face suggests a larger social need and indicates reference group influence is much larger in collectivist cultures than individualistic cultures, and this supports the subverted Hierarchy model with belongingness as the first need for the Chinese Collectivist culture (ABA, et al. 2003). The implications of this for marketers when exporting m eans centering products on their acceptance by the target market reference groups when segmenting on a needs basis.Positioning to the Chinese on product benefits is less important as they are more likely to look to the group when buying a product than the benefits it provides Cyanic, Gambler, 2003). Overall for marketers, understanding how culture affects the Hierarchy of needs is detrimental when positioning as not all cultures place the same emphasis on the same needs. â€Å"Brand personality is an association of a brand whereby it is imbued with human-like personality traits† (Bedlam et al. 2010 p. 108). Human personality traits are developed on the basis of an individuals behaviors, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic characteristics.However, brand personality traits are formed and influence by the consumers interaction with the brand, the culture from which the consumer comes long with the way that the marketers attempt to portray the brand in the eyes of its consu mers (Luau, Papua 2001). For marketers, the aim of creating a brand personality is to create an identity to which consumers can respond emotionally positively towards, and to extend themselves through the brand (Bedlam et al. 2010). If the brand closely reflects the personality of the consumer, they are more likely to respond positively towards that brand and buy from it (Wee, 2003).By extension, brand personality can be seen as a reflection of the cultures in which the brand is surrounded by (Gerhardt, Houston 2001). For example, the Chinese place emphasis on harmony and relationships (Nevis 1983) and this in tern is reflected in the brand personalities aimed at the Chinese. When Audio marketed their brand to China in a TV commercial (See Appendix 2) the car isn't shown until the very end of the ad, until after several happy relationships have been shown. The aim was to try and make a connection between the car and the relationships it allows people to have, creating a brand image of relationships and connectedness.Chinese brand personalities, which keep in consistency with heir cultural collectivist traits, tend to portray belongingness and the brand as an avenue to express their acceptance by society and group members (Luau, Papua 2001). Whereas in the Individualistic culture of Australia, brand image is much more likely to take on an individualistic approach as Australian consumers are more likely to â€Å"purchase brands they deem suitable for themselves†¦ † (Lam, Lee, 2005 p. 165). As a result Australian brand images take on a self-centered approach that stress sophistication and express the persons personality rather than acceptance by the group.Consumers in individualistic cultures are also less likely to switch brands (Lam, Lee 2005). This could be due to personality being relatively stable (Bedlam et al. 2010), so Australians are expected to keep expressing themselves through the same brand that matches their personality. Yet fashion and status are constantly changing within groups, so collectivist consumers (such as the Chinese) are more likely to switch brands to belong to the changing influences of their peer groups. (Luau, Papua 2001).For marketers this means creating a brand personality for collectivist cultures hat are primarily fashionable and seen as acceptable by the consumers peer groups, while in individualistic cultures the brand personality must align with the personality of the consumer to be received positively. This idea of brand personality influenced by culture is vital for marketers to position their product in the eyes of consumers. If a consumer associates a product in a different light to the way the marketers are promoting it, it can have detrimental effects towards the longevity of the good.Subsequently, the opposite can happen, whereby the consumers take a greater liking o the good, and increasing the marketability of the product. Global branding brings forth an exposure to an increasingly c ulturally-diverse audience. In order for Australian marketers to understand the distinctly unique dimensions of brand personality in the Chinese market, it is vital to consider the socio-cultural characteristics that underpin Chinese consumer behavior and preferences. Chant, Saunders, Taylor and SHCOON (2003 p. ) note that â€Å"consumers seek brands with congruent personalities (to their own), and use brands' personality to define their sense of self†. Furthermore, these unique needs of consumers and owe they identify, relate, and associate themselves to brand personalities; alongside the inextricably linked pressures of economic, lifestyle and cultural conditions, must be considered collectively in order for marketers to successfully market their firm's offerings (Bedlam et al. 2010). Hefted (2001) puts forth that the dimensions of China's cultural differences are shown by a high degree of long-term orientation and collectivism.Unlike individualistic societies such as Austr alia, collectivist cultures support and adhere to standards and consumption decisions on a group axis (family, extended family, network of friends and community); in effect, providing the framework within which Chinese individuals and households function. Confucianism, the dominant philosophical influence in China, is an ideology that reiterates this collective nature, as well as the importance of these interpersonal relationships and interactions, the notion of â€Å"face†, and the concept of hierarchy.In addition, education level, sex, age and standard of living all influence how foreign brands are perceived in the Chinese market (Chin (3)). A recent study conducted by Chug and Sung (201 1), identified a six dimensional framework of brand rationalities present in China. They consisted of ‘Competence, Excitement, and Sophistication' (Chug, Sung, 2001 p. L); notions matching with those found in individualistic societies like Australia, and culture-specific dimensions su ch as ‘Traditionalism, Joyfulness, and Trendiest'.Through this research, Chug and Sung (2011) demonstrate that through establishing a Chinese brand personality structure marketers are able to identify the coexistence of both Chinese traditionalism and the implementations of Western modernization on cultural values in modern China. This means that in the past three decades, the Chinese market has increasingly opened p to the West, in a way that does not conflict with deeply rooted cultural norms.This notion is reflected in the consumer behavior of today's â€Å"young middle-class aspiring Chinese consumers; whom are increasingly becoming the most affluent consumer class in china† (Powel, 2011 p. 40). Powel (2011) proposes â€Å"Mr.. And Mrs.. Middle Class† are increasingly extending their brand preferences as a result of breaking down the barriers between cultures. However, cultural transitions are not intended to comply with Confucianism, rather, the role of bran d personality becomes an avenue to express wealth, success, youth and the â€Å"modernity of institution†¦ (Chin (3) p. 8). It is through these cultural characteristics and ties with economic and social factors, that perceptions towards brand personality exists among consumers from a society that is more culturally conditioned. In order to maximize exporting opportunities, adaptation is a necessity. Successful brands have philosophy; a shift from the traditional marketing concept to the more appropriate conceptualization of societal marketing (Bedlam et al. 2010).Unlike Australians whom project high levels of uniqueness and individuality in their consumption patterns, Chinese consumers rely on the importance of social interaction in making consumer based decisions. â€Å"It is assumed that the recommendations and comments from others play a very important role in the choice of brand† (Chin (3) p. 7). This notion is reflected in the Chinese commercial for milk (See Appen dix 3) where it can be seen that the reciprocity of and importance of trust-based interpersonal relationships is highlighted.Set in a time in Chinese history where many could not afford to drink milk every day, the positioning of brother and sister, over the course of time, provides depiction of milk as a commodity of value of which one should be grateful to have. Years later when the young boy grows up, he realizes that his sister was only pretending to dislike milk so that she could give it to him. As a result, he vows to provide milk for the well-being of his future family.This ad highlights the need for marketers to show the Chinese consumers that the brand is a part of their relationships with others in order for the brand to be received positively. This is because, as the ad depicts, belonging and relationships is central to the Chinese. The societal marketing concept takes into account the importance of adopting a long-term outlook, that â€Å"all companies would be better i n a stronger, healthier society and that companies that incorporate ethical behavior and social responsibility in their business dealings will attract and maintain loyal customer support over the long term† (Bedlam et al. 010, p. 17). It is through adopting accordingly to these sensitive cultural subtleties that provides an opportunity for brands to tailor their marketing mix strategies to realize the best and most effective ways that meets their needs as ell as adequately adopting brand elements (images, advertising etc. ) that appeal to, relate and reflecting the consumer preferences of the Chinese market. Conclusion Overall it is detrimental for marketers to understand how Mascots Hierarchy and Brand Personality differs between Australia and China.Without an understanding of how Mascots Hierarchy is subverted by different cultures, marketers would miss the opportunity to position based on what different cultures base as their most intrinsic need. Without an understanding of culture and how it affects brand personality, arresters may not integrate a brand to be adopted positively by a different culture. In order for marketers to export successfully, they need to adapt their marketing approaches to take into account these differences caused by the different cultures, therefore an understanding of both these concepts and how they are affected by culture is vitally important.

Why is it Justifiable

Classical architects developed their approach to design, considering its form and function for both private and civic buildings throughout the 17th century. The Examination Hall In Trinity College, Dublin, stands in Parliament Square. Designed by the architect Sir William Chambers, but realized by Christopher Myers, and completed In 1785. Entering the college through the classical portico of the West Front of Trinity College, one emerges into a beautiful, elegant and enormous space consisting of two squares, Parliament Square, a cobblestones quadrangle, and Library square, which is set with lawns and trees.Facing across the main quadrangle towards the Chapel, these two buildings mirror each other. Both are large single vaulted chambers with an apse, and a temple front portico in the tetra style, the columns being of the Corinthian order, supporting a pediment with unadorned tympanum, this mirroring was a device used in classical architecture to try to achieve balance, majesty, space and calm. The roof of the portico is of groin vaults springing from the imposts of Corinthian pilasters on the inside and the front columns.There are three principle registers, the ground floor, the piano mobile and the upper or attic level. There are five bays on the front elevation. The fenestration is typical, neoclassical, symmetrical distribution; the windows on the ground floor are round headed in keeping with the three arches in the portico, and the three arched windows above the entrance. On the piano mobile the windows are large, rectangular, with a pediment above, and console brackets and festoons below, the sills united with continuous molding.The attic windows are smaller, and square with a lintel above them. The walls of the building are made from ashlars granite, with channeled rustication on the ground floor, giving the building a fortified and secure effect. The portico and three central bays are made from Portland stone, a sign of the illustrious economic climate du ring the last half of the 18th century (Portland stone was expensive and had to be imported from Dorset at some considerable cost). The longitude elevation of the exam hall consists of seven bays; the central window on the piano Mobile has a pediment.Again the fenestration is symmetrical, with square windows on the attic floor, above each window is a lintel, on the ground floor the ashlars granite is channel rusticated, and the rectangular windows again have lintels above them. An undecorated transfigures spans the building between the ground floor and the piano mobile. Central to the ground floor is a door with block rustication surrounding the entrance. A balustrade runs along the parapet on the roof. Behind the balustrade on the roof, semi-circular windows run the length of the building including the three semi-circular windows on the south facing elevation, which is where the apse is.The apse has three bays, the attic level contains the aforementioned semi-circular windows, the piano mobile contains three large rectangular, round headed windows which are framed with a keystone surrounded y five vigorous either side of it. Inside is an ‘aphasia hall with a three-bay arcaded vestibule and gallery above'2, the hall is lit naturally by the semi-circular windows on the clerestory, the round headed windows in the gallery and by the large round headed windows in the hemispherical semi-dome apse.

The Governments Control of Freedom essays

The Governments Control of Freedom essays People are always fighting against the government's control of freedom. What are they fighting for? Are they fighting for absolute freedom? What is absolute freedom? How much freedom do we have to sacrifice to keep our freedom protected? Is the freedom we One of the major reasons freedom is so desirable is because many of the limitations by the government on freedom are disallowing humans the right to have control over their bodies. Control of the human body is the only thing that people have power over. When the government can take away your choice to smoke, tell you when to wear a seatbelt, set laws to limit your right to do what you want to your body, or decide what constitutes a religion we should all be concerned! To preserve the Bill of Rights for ourselves, we must defend them for everybody. A large number of the prohibited freedoms are crimes where the criminal makes himself the victim. For example, the use of drugs, prostitution, suicide, vagrancy, possession of illegal substance, dodging the draft, entering the country illegally, and disregard for the age limits set on the purchase of pornographic materials. All of these crimes are punishable under the law. These crimes are set apart from most others because the person willingly chooses to victimize themselves. What people choose to do to themselves, in my opinion is the least of our worries as a country or a society. The last thing the government should have control over is what you choose to do to yourself. As long as you are not directly harming anyone else in the process, the government should not waste their time and money on something that is so trivial in comparison to crimes involving a victim. In general, people do not agree with the government controlling what they can and cannot do to ...

Introduction to Behavioral Economics

Introduction to Behavioral Economics Behavioral economics is, in a way, at the intersection of economics and psychology. In fact, the behavioral in behavioral economics can be thought of as the analog of the behavioral in behavioral psychology.   On one hand, traditional economic theory assumes that people are perfectly rational, patient, computationally proficient little economic robots that know objectively what makes them happy and make choices that maximize this happiness. (Even if traditional economists acknowledge that people aren’t perfect utility-maximizers, they usually argue that the deviations are random rather than showing evidence of consistent biases.) How Behavioral Economics Differs From Traditional Economic Theory Behavioral economists, on the other hand, know better. They aim to develop models which account for the facts that people procrastinate, are impatient, aren’t always good decision-makers when decisions are hard (and sometimes even avoid making decisions altogether), go out of their way to avoid what feels like a loss, care about things like fairness in addition to economic gain, are subject to psychological biases which make them interpret information in biased ways, and so on. These deviations from traditional theory are necessary if economists are to understand empirically how people make decisions about what to consume, how much to save, how hard to work, how much schooling to get, etc. Furthermore, if economists understand the biases that people exhibit that lower their objective happiness, they can put on a bit of a prescriptive, or normative, hat in either a policy or a general life advice sense. The History of Behavioral Economics Technically speaking, behavioral economics was first acknowledged by Adam Smith back in the eighteenth century, when he noted that human psychology is imperfect and that these imperfections could have an impact on economic decisions. This idea was mostly forgotten, however, until the Great Depression, when economists such as Irving Fisher and Vilfredo Pareto started thinking about the human factor in economic decision-making as a potential explanation for the stock market crash of 1929 and the events that transpired after. Economist Herbert Simon officially took up the behavioral economics cause in 1955 when he coined the term bounded rationality as a way to acknowledge that humans dont possess infinite decision-making capabilities. Unfortunately, Simons ideas werent initially given a lot of attention (though Simon did win a Nobel Prize in 1978) until a couple of decades later. Behavioral economics as a significant field of economic research is often thought to have started with the work of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. In 1979, Kahneman and Tversky published a paper entitled Prospect Theory that offers a framework for how people frame economic outcomes as gains and losses and how this framing affects peoples economic decisions and choices. Prospect theory, or the idea that people dislike losses more than they like equivalent gains, is still one of the main pillars of behavioral economics, and it is consistent with a number of observed biases that traditional models of utility and risk aversion cannot explain. Behavioral economics has come a long way since the initial work of Kahneman and Tversky- the first conference on behavioral economics was held at the University of Chicago in 1986, David Laibson became the first official behavioral economics professor in 1994, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics devoted an entire issue to behavioral economics in 1999. That said, behavioral economics is still a very new field, so there is a lot more left to learn.

Governments and the arts week 9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Governments and the arts week 9 - Assignment Example The programs were a good avenue for the citizens to be employed through displaying of their artistic skills. The average wage was roughly $75 per work. The Work projects Administration was a noble idea during the Great Depression. A number of writers were contracted by the government to record and document the historical moment. As a matter of fact, the Library Congress has got more than 2,900 articles from the Federal Writers’ Project and WPA. Through this project, 3,789 artists were hired thus reducing unemployment (Adler, 2009), something rare during a depression. The good thing with artists is, they actualize the real event as they happen. Through such projects, it was possible in improving the country’s language because it was the best avenue of sharing the vernacular speech. For instance the narrator of Invisible man used a series of philosophical questions thus providing a range option. The U.S. Government displays the artifacts in museums to make sure the culture is still evident to the current public. For instance, the use of graffiti on cars could not have been familiar in the present world if it was not displayed through art. President Franklin Roosevelt was a political and social star who came up with social programs that were of great benefit to the country’s citizens. While understanding the outrageous effect of racial discrimination at such times, the use of such programs helped in bringing equality since art expressed what each group wanted. In addition, it was a source of employment, which helped reduce the effect of the Great Depression. Adler Jerry. (2009, June). 1934: The Art of New Deal. Smithsonian magazine. Retrieved on 2nd Dec 2014 from:

Recycler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recycler - Essay Example Based on the importance of trees to our environment, and the little being done by the responsible entities to protect the trees, my friends and I have developed a recycling method. One of the greatest damages to trees involves their use in charcoal burning and for use of other posts such as fencing poles. In an urge to curb the damage of trees in charcoal burning and building posts, we have come up with an idea of recycling used plastics and polythene bags in order to make fencing posts out of them. Used plastics and polythene bags are matter that usually makes the environment dirty and finding an appropriate means of disposal that would protect the environment was the best alternative. After collection of the waste plastics and bags, we then subject them through a process of melting then pouring the melt into metal containers designed in different shapes and sizes depending on the purpose of the posts. Despite the fact that this has not eradicated the falling of trees for making posts, it has significantly reduced the damage done on trees and we project that in the next five years we shall have fully eradicated the