The International Convergence Project Assignment

The International Convergence Project - Assignment Example Globalization has undoubtedly contributed to the economic growth in developed as well a developing countries through the principle of comparative advantage and increased specialization. With the benefits of globalization, the policy makers have also recognized the need for uniform disclosures by firms engaged in multinational businesses. As accounting is a universal language for business, it becomes all the more important to have sound and comparable accounting principles to enable the capital providers, analysts and regulators to understand the health of business and make relevant decisions. Understanding this need the standard setters have come up with the international convergence project for uniform accounting standards. This project includes the discussion on need for uniform accounting standards in modern financial world. The benefits that accrue on behalf of adoption of single accounting standard framework by majority of the countries have also been provided. Furthermore the e mpirical evidence post-IFRS adoption by European firms has been included. Lastly the current state of convergence project has been provided. ... Accounting standards play important role in regulation of global financial markets. This has made it important to establish a single set of high quality financial accounting standards. The function of financial accounting standards is to define the rules for national regulators and participants of capital markets such as banks and borrowing firms. A common accounting language can provide the investors greater confidence in transparency and comparability of financial statements. The global standards are seen as a key to safety of global financial arena. These standards are purported to be means of mitigating the volatility of capital flows across markets, reduction in probability of bankruptcies and reduce systemic risks. The foundation of convergence process was laid in early 2000s when in 2002 the two major standard setting bodies IASB and FASB formalized their commitment in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the convergence of IFRS and US GAAP under the Norwalk Agreement (Kieso , Weygandt & Warfield, 2010). The objectives of the convergence of standards were to achieve completeness and improve consistency, as historically both the accounting standards by IASB and FASB have been incomplete. As a result the two boards identified short-term and long-term projects that would eventually lead to convergence. Some short-term projects were borrowing costs and fair value accounting for financial instruments, issued in 2007 and since then uniformly followed by both the standard setters. Long-term projects included issues like the conceptual framework, leases and revenue recognition. Additionally European and US regulators have agreed to the recognition of each other’s accounting standards for firms listed on various world securities exchanges. The international

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 31

Essay Example who are familiar with Douglass narrative and as a writer, for Harriet, who would have read the same, the shaping and meaning of â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† would be specially filtered by their knowledge of the Douglass narrative. The incidents, motifs, themes, and symbols would possibly allude to or be influenced by Douglass narrative. This is intertexuality and it offers a rich meaning to the discursive features of the text either to heighten the contrast or to emphasize the similarities. Harriet Jacobs’ reference to the hypocrisy of the Christianity in the South as she witnessed alludes to the irony with respect to Christianity and slavery Douglass Narrative. Harriet exclaims â€Å"O, the hypocrisy of slaveholders!† when she talks about Mrs.Flint as a hypocrite as she turns brutal and insensitive to her slaves when she is suspicious of a sexual relationship between Linda and Dr. Flint and in turn is vicious towards Linda. She shows how the slave system changes the moral character of southern women. She tells of a minister who, shortly after Nat Turner’s rebellion, preaches to slaves about their Christian ethical obligation to be obedient, hardworking, servants to their masters. Harriet remarks, â€Å"There is a great difference between Christianity and religion at the south.† (p. 82); She describes how slaves are taught to obey their slaves as part of their Christian morals, and this alludes to Douglass’ reference to the hypocritical Christianity of the Slave owners when they â€Å"strongly believe that they have ‘god-given right to hold and sell and ill-treat slaves’. In addition, Harriet points out at the moral degrading effect of slavery as an institution on the slave owners and this is parallel to Douglass narrative. The editor Richard D. Webb, writes: "This book shows as forcibly as any story we have ever read the moral pollution and perversion inevitable in a community where slavery is a recognized institution†. â€Å"Yet few

Biotechnology: Applications and Arguments For and Against

Biotechnology: Applications and Arguments For and Against The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture is rising, but not without debate. There are many scientists who argue that genetic engineering in agriculture is the best way to solve many issues of poverty, food security, environmental harm, and the need for increasing competitiveness in sales, but others raise ethical issues regarding the health of the people who consume the genetically modified products, the possible harm to the environment, the depredation of the welfare of the farmers and their food security, and the general introduction of engineering into mainstream use in society. 1.2 Definition of Genetically Modified Organisms Genetically Modified Organisms, commonly called GMOs, refer to organisms whose genetic material has been altered using recombinant DNA technology, a method used to recombine the DNA of different organisms. 1.3 Sequence of Discussion I begin the paper with an introduction to the issues of using biotechnology and generating GMOs in agriculture. I continue with arguments both for and against the use of biotechnology in agriculture. I conclude the paper with information about the current debate on this issue and resources to obtain more information. 2.0 Prelude to the Issues The use of genetically modified organisms to enhance the production, yield, and quality of agriculture is under much discussion. Biotechnology companies are actively investigating the research and development of new technologies to improve food security and augment production of goods in both the developed and developing worlds, while activist groups work to ensure that biotechnology is not used in food production at all for fears of damage to the environment and human health, among other issues. On the other hand, according to Dr. Miguel Altieri, a leading spokesperson in the field, the view that GMOs can enhance food security in the developing world rests on two assumptions: that hunger is due to a gap between food production and human population density or growth rate and that genetic engineering is the best or only way to increase agricultural production and so meet future food needs.1 While it is clear that there are benefits to using biotechnology to improve crop production, th ere are also many fundamental and ethical arguments against its use, as is illustrated shortly. 3.0 The Argument for Biotechnology 3.1 Applications of Biotechnology to the Goal of Poverty Reduction Several objectives of using biotechnology in agriculture are associated with the reduction of poverty. Introducing GMOs into agriculture is predicted to increase rural incomes, sustain production in resource-poor areas, and provide more nutritious foods. Supporters of the use of biotechnology in food production believe that developed nations with technology have a social and political obligation to assist these poorer nations. In India, Vietnam, and Kenya, diseased vegetable crops and trees can benefit from genetically produced bio-pesticides. The cardamom crops in India, potato crops in Vietnam, and banana crops in Kenya are often farmers sole source of income, such that diseased crops can have an extremely damaging affect on the farmers lives. Problems with a lack of clean and pure seeds and planting material can be solved by using bio-pesticides, which allow for leniency in the purity of the seeds and planting material. In this way, GMOs can potentially provide a means for high-resistance and high-yielding crops.2 Biotechnology can also contribute to sustaining the production of foods, commonly cereals and maize, in resource-poor areas. Drought, pests, and acidic soil often cause detrimental problems to farming, but insect resistance and aluminum tolerance can circumvent these environmental barriers. The ability to provide a full farming season through using GMOs to assist in the production of larger quantities of food for these farmers helps to ensure a profitable growing and harvesting season.2 Finally, GMOs can contribute to generating more nutritious foods with higher nutrient content-this technology most commonly being applied to rice. The people in countries such as India and China rely heavily on rice in their diets, but rice alone does not provide the necessary nutrients for a balanced diet. 3.2 Applications of Biotechnology to the Goal of Financial Security for Farmers Farmers can make great use of transgenic techniques in their agriculture with the goals of both ensuring food security and increasing the competitiveness of their crops. Biotech companies and supporters of the use of GMOs believe that there exists a political obligation to assist in the security and well-being of farmers who supply goods to more developed countries. Food Security The biotechnology objectives in agriculture that are associated with issues of food security include meeting the demand predictions for staple foods, increasing livestock numbers, and increasing vegetable and fruit yields. Two major constraints that farmers encounter with regard to meeting the demand predictions for staple foods, which must be grown in large quantities, include the presence of pests and the consequential infectious diseases, and problems associated with biotic stress. Pests and disease are often a problem in rice crops in China, and the addition of genetically modified rice varieties with pesticides can assist in the prevention of diseases in these crops. In addition, GMOs are valuable for avoiding abiotic stresses, such as salinity and drought. In India, China, and Thailand, hydration and salinity tolerance in cereals, considered to be staple foods, assist in the security of high yields of these food crops to meet the demand.1 In India, biotechnology can help to avoid the major problem associated with the keeping of livestock, i.e., the probability of diseased animals, including cattle, pigs, and sheep. In addition, embryo technology can sidestep issues of productivity in dairy cattle. Both of these uses for GMOs lead to an increase in both livestock number and productivity.2 Biotechnology is also useful for securing a stable food supply by increasing vegetable and fruit production. Pests and diseases infect these crops, often completely depleting their production. Examples of crops are tomato and potato crops in Vietnam, as well as papaya crops, which can become infected with the ringspot virus.2 3.2.2 Increasing Competitiveness The use of biotechnology in agriculture can also assist farmers competitiveness on the global market, specifically by sustaining productivity exports, regulating food safety and quality control, and adding value to exports. Biotechnology is useful in sustaining exports by increasing the yield of crops, such as coconut crops in the Philippines, banana crops in countries such as India, China, and Vietnam, and potatoes, rice, maize, wheat, cassava, and beans in other developing countries.2 In addition, GMOs can contribute to food safety and quality control with respect to food exports by controlling pesticide residues and ensuring the competitive quality of exports.2 Improved quality can include characteristics such as texture, taste, appearance, and nutritional value, and the ability to delay the ripening of fruits and vegetables can greatly approve the longevity of some produce. Specific improvements for producers are an increased flexibility during production, harvesting, storage, distribution, and transport stages, leading to a reduction of overall production costs and a greater guarantee of quality product at the time of selling.3 3.3 Applications of Biotechnology to the Goal of Environmental Protection The introduction of technology into the environment can be hazardous and brings up ethical issues associated with protecting the environment through the use of technology (also see section 4.2). However, many supporters of GMOs claim that biotechnology in agriculture can enhance protection of the environment, specifically by reducing pesticide use and enabling the efficient use of water. Pesticide misuse on cotton and rice crops in China and on vegetables in Malaysia is a common problem when farmers are misinformed of use of pesticides, or when pesticides are overused in attempt to deter crop failure due to pests. Transgenic crops can potentially reduce the need for and usage of pesticides by assisting pest extermination and preventing weed growth. GMOs such as Bacillis thuringiensis (Bt), a natural soil bacterium, can be used to kill insects by allowing the plants to produce their own toxin against pests, sidestepping the problem of farmers who are mis- and overusing pesticides. In addition, herbicide tolerant crops ideally require fewer herbicide applications, because the crop is genetically programmed to more efficiently utilize the particular chemical product.4 Finally, transgenic herbicides can be applied to pre-treat the land, so that weeds are altogether prevented, and farmers can weight the options and costs of using more chemicals versus dealing with weed gr owth during harvest.3 4.0 The Argument Against Biotechnology 4.1 Uncertainty of the Safety of Humans After Consumption Although there is a lot of anticipation and excitement about the beneficial effects that can potentially result from the use of biotechnology in agriculture, there is also a lot that is unknown about the uses of transgenics and their impending consequences. Specifically, examples of these issues include the lack of available public information and knowledge about the content and effects of GM foods, the possible inactivation of many nutrients present in naturally-grown foods, and the introduction of allergens through the use of GMOs. These are all social, ethical, and legal issues based on the morality of tampering with foods in a way that will have an unknown effect on human health. As just stated, one major issue regarding the allowance of the free use of GMOs in agriculture is associated with the unknown potential health effects of consuming chemically treated foods. Consumers assume that the foods they buy are safe, even though many contain compounds that are potentially toxic or allergenic. The general public has a large misunderstanding about genetically modified (GM) foods because companies do not boldly advertise their use of transgenic components in their products. For this reason, people often consume GM foods without even knowing it. In addition, while many biotechnology companies advertise the use of transgenics in agriculture as beneficial to human health by improving the nutritional content of food, genetic engineering also has the potential to remove or deactivate many nutritional substances present in naturally-grown foods: Recent research shows that GE [(genetically engineered)] herbicide resistant soybean have lower levels (12-14 percent) of isoflavones, [which are] key phytoestrogens . . . that occur naturally in soybeans and may protect women from severe forms of cancer.1 These genetic modifications boost the activity of a gene that makes critical amino acids, but the resulting shift in amino acid levels shifts the metabolism of the plant to alter the levels of the aforementioned phytoestrogens. This effect is clearly seen in GM soybeans, even when the chemical residue data is within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tolerance limits.4 Finally, the use of GMOs in agriculture brings to question the compromise of human safety because of wide Finally, the use of GMOs in agriculture brings to question the compromise of human safety because of wide reports of increased allergenicity after consumption of GM foods. For example, a protein was expressed in a crop used for animal feed in order to increase the content of the amino acid methionine. This protein was subsequently shown to be an allergen, as are a number of related [proteins of this type] from other species.5 Another example of the use of biotechnology introducing an allergen into a food product is the use of a Bt protein in GM maize, which also shows the general features of allergenic proteins.6 These are simply two examples of how the application of biotechnology can introduce allergens into crops. Since research is still just beginning on many GMOs, the allergenic effects of the use of biotechnology in agriculture remains unclear and under investigation. Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a bacterium or microorganism to withstand the use of an antibiotic because of its ability to synthesize a protein that neutralizes the antibiotic.7 While it is thought that the use of genetically engineered pesticides and herbicides on crops might only have the effect of reducing pests and weeds, it can actually have an opposing effect as well. The generation of superbugs and superweeds, pests and weeds resistant to the GM pesticides and herbicides, respectively, can result. Not only can the crops that are sprayed acquire these characteristics, but hybrid crops can arise when crops cross. This can cause resistance in crops that were not previously sprayed with GMOs, and can also cause multi-tolerant crops when two crops that are sprayed with different chemicals cross. The result of this second cross is a crop that is resistant to multiple herbicides (i.e., superweeds) or pesticides (i.e., superbugs), which are even more difficult to control. In addition, this resistance can give these weeds and bugs a selective advantage over the naturally-tolerant weeds and bugs, allowing them to propagate efficiently.5 5.0 Conclusions While there are many points both in favor and against the use of GMOs in agriculture, some people believe that the question simply comes down to whether or not it is ethical to engineer in agriculture, which has always been managed by farmers themselves in conjunction with local biological cycles and ecological balances. Activists against the use of technology worry about future generations, and how the use of biotechnology in agriculture now will affect food production in years to come. They raise concerns that regulations are too loose and poorly enforced, and the eventual effects of the use of GMOs remain unknown. In addition, important issues revolve around whether or not it is ethical for well-fed people of developed nations to regulate access to agricultural technology in developing nations. According to Dr. Altieri, because the true root cause of hunger is inequality, any method of boosting food production that deepens inequality will fail to reduce hunger. Conversely, only te chnologies that have positive effects on the distribution of wealth, income, and assets, that are pro-poor, can truly reduce hunger.1 Therefore, questions regarding the use of biotechnology in agriculture should better address the needs of poorer nations. Many people are still under-informed about potential benefits and negative effects of using GMOs in agriculture, and are therefore not ready to form an opinion on the issue. For this reason, there are many forums on the internet and published books to help interested people learn more. In addition, several documentaries present these issues, an example being The Future of Food, a documentary by Deborah Koons.9 The issues regarding the use of biotechnology in agriculture are important and affect everyone, and should not be overlooked. People in favor of the use of biotechnology in agriculture argue that it is unethical not to help poorer nations when more developed nations have the technology to do so. On the other hand, activists against the use of GMOs in agriculture maintain that more harm than good comes from the introduction of GMs into food production. How does Culture Affect Parenting Styles? How does Culture Affect Parenting Styles? A family is a set of intimate social relationships that adults create to share resources so as to ensure the welfare of themselves and their dependents (Robert and Lie 77); a family is also a unit that gradually molds a persons personality. How you behave and what you become in life are very much dependent on your family life (Importance). To this extent, families play crucial role for people in their lifetime, let alone for children whose social interaction begins at first between family members. Researchers have demonstrated time and time again that the environment in which children are raised significantly affects their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development (Important). They further emphasize that those impacts on their childhood will probably be carried on even after they grow up and experience a lot of changes. For decades, researchers have also been interested in how parents influence their childrens development, and one approach in this area is the study of what has been termed as parenting style (Darling and Steinberg 493). This paper is a review of research studies on parenting styles within the ethnical (cultural) contexts. The idea of examining this field of study is partially derived from Chapter 2 (Culture), Chapter 7 (Race and Ethnicity) and Chapter 9 (Family) in the book named Sociology: The Points of the Compass, written by Robert Brym and John Lie. The whole paper is divided into several sections. First, it starts with the illustration of ethnical (cultural) aspects that differentiate families. It is then followed by the classification of parenting. The paper then focus on the influence of culture on parenting styles and finally provides a conclusion as a whole. Families Are Different Family define themselves as a family. Membership in a family can be decided only by each member of that family (Couchenour and Chrisman 22). Families differ from one another in many ways; ethnicity and culture are two crucial differences greatly impact on a familys beliefs, practices, and values (McGoldrick, Giordano and Garcia-Preto 1). Ethnicity Ethnicity is a shared concept and culture heritage by groups of people whose commonality are transmitted from their ancestors generation by generation (Couchenour and Chrisman 22). The identity of these ethnic groups is uniquely marked based on the combination of race, religion, traditions, and ancestors (Robert and Lie 302). They differ from others in terms of languages, foods, stories, customs, values, and other aspects. Families carry on their ethnicities through their own family traditions, celebrations, religions, stories, and entertainments (McGoldrick, Giordano and Garcia-Preto 14). The importance of ethnicity on each family varies (Couchenour and Chrisman 23). Culture Culture is the unique experiences of ethnic groups using languages, symbols, beliefs, values, ideologies, and material objects to deal with real-life problems (Robert and Lie 40). It acts to shape familys values, thoughts, reactions and socialization goals (Bigner 8). Therefore, the styles of communication between parents and children can be quite different among various cultures, which means what is considered to be an acceptable way of interaction in one culture could be very offensive in another cultural context. When parents are exposed to a dominant given culture with high frequency, they are affected by the norms and values of that culture (Keshavarz and Baharudin 67). Consequently, those culturally affected norms and values could easily serve as the guidelines for parents to interact with their children. In this sense, understanding the cultural context of the society can potentially help to predict differences parenting styles that predominate in that society and to understan d why these differences occur (Keshavarz and Baharudin 67). Trawick-Smith states, Only through a full understanding of parental beliefs, socialization practices, and family relationships, can the individual needs of individual children be well met (qtd. in Couchenour and Chrisman 25). The Classification of Parenting Styles The principal role of parenting involves the promotion of nurturing, balanced relationships or, contrastingly, the exacerbation of stress-prone, hostile exchanges between parents and children (qtd. in Keshavarz and Baharudin 67). Darling and Steinberg emphasize that parenting style is a constellation of attitudes towards the child that are communicated to the child and create an emotional climate in which the parents behaviors are expressed (493). Baumrind has investigated parenting styles in a series of studies and found three primary categories of parenting styles identified as authoritative, authoritarian and permissive (Reeves), which later on are conceptually expanded by with two linear constructs: responsiveness and demandingness (qtd. in Sonnek 8). Authoritative Parenting Referring to those studies conducted by Baumrind, authoritative parents are conscientious, consistent, warm secure in their ability to parent and unconditionally committed to their children (Reeves). On one hand, they state behavioral expectations to children; on the other hand, they respect their childrens opinions and independence; while setting high but realistic goals for their children, they also provide the necessary supports for them to achieve these goals. The authoritative parenting was found most effective in fostering social responsibility, sense of self-esteem, confidence and adaptability in their children to meet challenges of academic and other contexts where strong beliefs in ones abilities are required (Couchenour and Chrisman 94). Some researchers have examined the relationship between parenting style and childrens adjustment, and confirmed that authoritative parenting style is positively associated with healthy adjustment and reducing maladjustment than other styles of parenting (qtd. in Keshavarz and Baharudin 67). Authoritarian Parenting Authoritarian parents provide firm and high control over their children and require them to be very responsive to their demands; they are very punitive and affectively cold; they set firm goals to their children but allow little verbal exchange; compared with two other parenting styles, authoritarian parents are less likely to use gentle methods of persuasion (Reeves). To this extent, children have poor communication skills, and social incompetence; they are easily to become anxious while being compared with others. Studies on the relationship between parenting style and childrens adjustment have found that children of authoritarian parents tend to have low self-esteem and lack spontaneity (qtd. in Keshavarz and Baharudin 68). Permissive Parenting Characteristics of permissive parents are identified as warm, high nurturance, responsive but low in parental control and demand few maturity behaviors (Reeves). Permissive parents would like to allow their children to control their activities as their willingness. They expect little of children, and place few demands on them. This parenting style tends to be unsuccessful in enabling children to develop a range of self-directing abilities that underlie academic success (qtd. in Keshavarz and Baharudin 68). Researches later on split the permissive parenting style into a fourth category- indulgent and neglecting parenting, which most fits with its definition (qtd. in Sonnek 8). Cultural Influences on Parenting Styles In the nineteenth century, parenting experiences varied considerably by gender, age, social class, and culture, just as they do today (Baker 94). Individuals may consider parenthood as fulfilling a moral obligation (Bigner 9). Vygotsky indicates that human knowledge is rooted in culture (qtd. in Couchenour and Chrisman 8), which means what much of what children know derives from their families, such as, how to celebrate holidays; how to prepare, cook and eat foods; and how to behave properly in the public places. On many occasions, childrens behaviors of are mostly based on their parents expectations and demands. The values and ideals of a culture are transmitted to the next generation through child-rearing practices (Keshavarz and Baharudin 68). Therefore, children in different cultural contexts can be cultivated by their parents to behave differently; in this sense, it is necessary to take into consideration the importance of culture when evaluating parenting behaviors. Cultural models of individualism and collectivism can bring direct as well as indirect impacts on parenting behaviors (Keshavarz and Baharudin 68). Its direct influence on parenting behavior could be explained by passing on values of a culture to their children to become productive and integrated members of their culture (qtd. in Keshavarz and Baharudin 68); its indirect influences on parenting behavior are via more societal forces such as language patterns and customs, and economic structure indirectly (Health Canada 8). To this extent, parents can relate their parenting with those direct and indirect cultural effects. Individualism and collectivism refers to the manner in which people perceive themselves in relation to other members in the society (Brislin 23). Literally, individualism indicates independence. It includes the wide-spread and growing belief that people have the right to choose their own martial partners, to be happy in marriage, and to find new partners if their relationships turn out to be unsatisfactory (Baker 24). In contrast, collectivism implies interdependence. It includes the mutual emotions and beliefs shared by people as a result of living together (Robert and Lie 371). Robert and Lie further explain that collective actions include routine actions and non-routine ones, which take place when people act simultaneously in accordance with or opposition to external changes, such as social, political, economic, etc; their difference is that the former ones are typically nonviolent and follow established patterns of behavior in existing social structures, whereas the latter ones o ccur when usual conventions cease to guide social action and people transcend, bypass, or subvert established institutional pat ­terns and structures (371). In this sense, different family relationships, family interactions, self-concept, and academic achievement can be assumed via collectivism and individualism (Newman 51). Therefore, the arrangement of childrens activities differs from parents to parents with differing childrearing goals and cultural meaning systems (Keshavarz and Baharudin 67). Collectivism can be fully reflected by most Asian countries. Parents emphasize desirable traits such as interdependence, duty, sacrifice, compromise, conformity, highly involvement in one anothers lives, however, it does not mean a complete ignorance of individuals well-being or interest; it actually means that maintaining the familys well-being is ultimately the best guarantee for the individuals well-being (Newman 51). To this extent, authoritarian parenting may be more appropriate in those collectivistic societies compared with other parenting styles (Keshavarz and Baharudin 69). High levels of economic hardship have been greatly linked with authoritarian parenting and even neglecting parenting -a split of permissive parenting (qtd. in Sonnek 16). In sharp contrast, cultures like Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia tend to value individual freedom, autonomy, personal development, and gratification over group obligation and duty (Newman 52); Newman emphasizes that childhood is sometimes regarded as the preparation for leaving home as the sign of independence, even those people who experience unwillingness and sadness at the thought of breaking these ties accept that it is a necessary step towards growing up (52). Therefore, it could be concluded that it is much more appropriate to examine parenting styles and their meanings in the cultural context (Bigner 9). In the conceptualization, culture is theorized to afford different meaning to behaviors (e.g., parenting) and has different effects on children and adolescents across different cultures (Keshavarz and Baharudin 69). For instance, in China, where I was born and brought up, proper and mild physical punishments are sometimes used by parents for controlling their children; they are considered as part of the authoritarian parenting; however, this parenting style is greatly opposed by many other cultures, and regarded unacceptable. Researchers mention that children will accept parenting behaviors which are consistent with cultural values (qtd.Keshavarz and Baharudin 69). For example, Chinese kids (including me when I was young) view spanking, which could be one of the physical punishment, as their parents concerns and affections on them in the Chinese culture. Conclusion Chapter 9 of Sociology: The Points of the Compass concludes that Parenting styles and behaviors perform a crucial role in the growth of children. Ethnicity, described in Chapter 7, is a socially constructed label which has profound consequences for peoples lives, and differentiates people by perceived physical or cultural differences (Robert and Lie 198); these cultural or ethnical differences can lead to different parental forms and behaviors in different social context; in other words, the ways that family members interact with each other are affected by the culture of the society, therefore, just as what has been examined in Chapter 2, what counts as good for raising children in one culture can be regarded as negative in another culture; to this extent, cultural and ethnical factors should be counted in order to better understand and examine parenting styles in different societies. Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome: Symptoms and Causes Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome: Symptoms and Causes Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome Introduction Cri-du-chat is an autosomal syndrome that is caused by a large or small deletion from a portion of the short arm of chromosome. This syndrome is also known as the 5p deletion syndrome where the P describes the short hand chromosome and Lejeunes syndrome. It is also called cat cry syndrome which is a French translation of Cri-du-chat, because of its similarity to the high pitched cat cry like sound a new born child makes. This sound is supposed to disappear a few weeks after birth and may or may not persists in to adulthood. In 1958 Dr. Jerome Lejeune discovered down syndrome. He discovered that the chromosomal link to down syndrome. This discovery was ground breaking for discoveries in genetics because it was the first time that an intellectual disability and a chromosomal defect were linked together and this earned him multiple prestigious awards. Up on continuing his research on chromosomal liked disorders, he also discovered that down syndrome was caused by an extra chromosome on pare 21 and he also noticed a deletion on the 5th chromosome which is the cause for Cri-du-chat syndrome. (1) Symptoms and OMIM Number Cri- du- chat The relationship of chromosomal alteration and genetic disease was observed that the main clinical feature was the high pitched cry and hindered mental capacity (Mainardi, 2006). The OMIM number for this syndrome is # 123450. The number sign is used to indicate that it is a well described partial aneusomy. Syndrome causes many phenotypical changes which depend on the size of the deletion. Some or all of the symptoms might be present in a patient. It has also been found that the deletion of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT; 187270) well as evidence that deletion of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT; 187270) is present which is also responsible for some of the phenotypical changes. (2) Besides the high pitched cry, Cri-du-chat is characterized by failure to thrive, broad nasal bridge, round moon shaped face with hypertelorism, Anisocoria, undersized jaw and heads , depleted motor senses hypertonia, small carpals, low birth weight and incomplete intestinal r otation in infants. There are some less distinctive symptoms such as separation of rectus and abdomen, cardiac abnormalities including atrial and ventricular septum defects, primary immunodeficiency, an epicanthal fold which covers the inner corned of the eye and inguinal hernia. (Chromosome 5, 2017).) Once the infant is born there is a low mortality rate until adulthood where most of the symptoms observed as a child continue on with addition of misalignment of teeth, skeletal problems, eye defects and in some cases neurological malformation, Syndactyly, undescended testis in male patients, and skin tags on the ear occur. (Mainardi, 2006,) Clinical causes of symptoms The syndrome is caused by a deletion of the short arm, which is also denoted by P, of chromosome 5. Chromosome 5 contains more than 900 genes that code for specific proteins such as interleukins, protocadherins and complement proteins. The function of these proteins range from regulation of immune system, nervous system controls and muscle formation and strength. The deletion of Some Sections of chromosome 5 such as 5p15.3, specifically at markers D5S731 and D5S760, are directly associated with the cat like cry and speech delay. Another region called 5p15.2, specifically CTNND2, is related to lower intellectual ability, and dysmorphism of head size and facial features. The severity of mental and motor capacities can depend up on the size of the chromosomal deletion (Chromosome 5, 2017). Although the affected family members apparently shared deletions of the same size, the variation in mental symptoms within this family suggested that other factors besides the size and location of 5p deletions may modify the mental presentation of patients with cri-du-chat syndromeThey suggested that a cranial developmental field, originating from the notochordal location, is involved in the manifestations of criduchat syndromehowever, the characteristic cat-like cry without the typical dysmorphic and severe developmental features of the syndrome has been found in individuals with a deletion confined to 5p15.3The cranial base angle was in most cases reduced and in no cases increased compared to age-related standards for normal individuals. Malformations in the bony contours of the sella turcica and the clivus occurred in cri-du-chat patients with terminal deletions. Frequency The frequency of the disease is 1:15000 to 1: 50000 of new born infants. Cri-du-chat makes up 1% of profoundly retarded patients who have IQ levels that are less than 30. Since it is a genetic deletion it doesnt have a preference as far as race nut it has a slight female dominance ratio of 4:3. This syndrome doesnt have a latency, the symptoms are present starting from birth and continue to show the symptoms in to adulthood. In most cases it has been seen that the symptoms become more severe in to adulthood. (Harvard et al., 2005, pp. 341-51). Inheritance pattern Cru de chat is not an inherited syndrome. It is a random deletion that occurs during meiosis and can occur without the parents being affected. However close to 10% of the affected individuals can inherit a chromosomal abnormality from unaffected parents. This abnormality is caused by chromosomal rearrangement called Balanced Translocation where the genetic material is still intact and doesnt cause any health problems. However when this trait is passed down from one or two parents it has a high chance of becoming and Unbalanced Translocation which can cause a genetic material to be added or deleted. In the case of cri du chat the short arm of chromosome 5 experiences a large or a small portion deletion which causes the syndrome. In some cases the catlike cry can be present without the physical abnormalities. This is more evident in the deletion at a specific location in the chromosome 5p15.3. Malformation in the cranial base was reduced and compared to a standard individual it doesnt show a major difference. However malformations in the contours the skull such as in Sella Turcica occur in patients that have terminal deletions. In one of the studies conducted with in the same family showed different symptoms and levels of mental retardation even though they shared the same size deletion. This suggests that not only the size but the location of deletion affects the severity of the syndrome (2) References Cerruti Mainardi, P. (2006). Cri du Chat syndrome. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 1, 33.  http://doi.org/10.1186/1750-1172-1-33 Chromosome 5. (2017, January 24). Retrieved January 29, 2017, from U.S National Library of  Medicine. U.S department of health human services website: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/chromosome/5 Chromosome 5. (2017, January 24). Retrieved January 29, 2017, from U.S National Library of  Medicine. U.S department of health human services website: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/cri-du-chat-syndrome#genes Harvard, C., Malenfant, P., Koochek, M., Creighton, S., Mickelson, E., Holden, J. Rajcan-Separovic, E.  (2005). A variant Cri du Chat phenotype and autism spectrum disorder in a subject with de novo cryptic microdeletions involving 5p15.2 and 3p24.3-25 detected using whole genomic array CGH. Clinical Genetics, 67(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ j.1399-0004.2005.00406.x https://lejeuneusa.org/genetic-intellectual-disabilities/cri-du-chat-syndrome#.WJpP-n_Rs8c (1) http://www.omim.org/entry/123450?search=cri%20du%20chathighlight=du%20cri%20chat (2)

Abouts On The Great Depression :: essays research papers

Abouts On The Great Depression To my amazement the Great Depression serves as a natural debating point that "justifies" or "refutes" various economic policies. The Great Depression and the New Deal are complex topics that are open to many interpretations. The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. Seeing the order in which events actually occurred dispels many myths about the Great Depression. One of the greatest of these myths is that government intervention was responsible for its onset. Truly massive intervention began only under the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, who was sworn in after the worst had already hit. Although his New Deal did not cure it, all the leading economic indicators improved during his tenure. To understand the Great Depression, it is important to know the theories of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes is known as the "father of modern economics" because he was the first to accurately describe some of the causes and cures for recessions and depressions. In a normal economy, Keynes said, there is a circular flow of money. My spending becomes part of your earnings, and your spending becomes part of my earnings. For various reasons, however, this circular flow can falter. People start hoarding money when times become tough; but times become tougher when everyone starts hoarding money. This breakdown results in a recession. To get the circular flow of money started again, Keynes suggested that the central bank, the Federal Reserve System, should expand the money supply. This would put more money in people's hands (through the multiplier effect), inspire consumer confidence, and compel them to start spending again. A depression, Keynes believed, is an especially severe recession in which people hoard money no matter how much the central bank tries to expand the money supply. In that case, he suggested that government should do what the people were not: start spending money. He called this "priming the pump" of the economy. I think that most economists believe that only massive U.S. defense spending in preparation for World War II cured the Great Depression. After the success of Keyne's economic beliefs were proven, almost all free governments around the world became Keynesian. These policies have dramatically reduced the severity of recessions since then, and appear to have completely eliminated the depression from those who follow such economic beliefs throughout the world. Events of the 1920s The Roaring Twenties were an era dominated by Republican presidents: Warren Harding (1920-1923), Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) and Herbert Hoover (1929-1933). Under their conservative economic philosophy of laissez-faire

Boeing Case Analysis

Lincoln University Graduate School of Business Marketing Management Team Project Case 3: Boeing Company Team – 8 The five elements group: Derek Dellape : 7551 Synopsis As the largest aerospace company in the world, the Boeing Company employees more than 153,000 people in some 67 countries. The great dominance of Boeing is due to its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas Corporation, an aerospace manufacturer, and its 1996 purchase of the defense and space units of Rockwell International Corporation, an aerospace contractor.The corporation is the world’s number one maker of commercial jetliners and military aircraft with more than 9,000 commercial planes in service worldwide, including the 717 through 777 families of jets and the MD-80, MD-90, and MD-11. In the defense sector, the company makes military aircraft, including fighter, transport, and attack aircraft; helicopters; and missiles. Moreover, Boeing is the nation’s top NASA contractor and the leader of the U. S. industry team for the International Space Station and directly involved in commercial space projects such as satellite networks.History The Boeing Company was founded by William Edward Boeing and his colleague George Conrad Westervelt in 1916, in Seattle, Washington. The first plane built by Boeing and Westervelt was a â€Å"B & W† seaplane and it was sold to the government of New Zealand which employed the plane for mail delivery and pilot training. The enterprise was expanded due to opportunities in the airmail businesses which lead to development of an extremely versatile and popular airplane called the Model 40.This airplane could carry 1,000 pounds of mail and a complete flight crew, and still have room enough for freight or passengers. In the years leading up to World War II Boeing led the way in developing single-wing airplanes. They were constructed completely of metal to make them stronger and faster, more efficient aerodynamic designs were emphasized and finally, directional radios were installed which enabled better navigation and nigh flying. At this point, Boeing had established itself as the leading manufacturer of airplanes.During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Boeing was allowed to use the government-owned B-52 construction facilities for the development of a new civilian/military jet. This new jet, the B-707, first rolled off the assembly line in 1957. Boeing enjoyed a large degree of success and profitability with the 707. The company devoted its resources to the development of a number of other passenger jet models, including the 720 (a modified 707) and the 727 introduced in 1964, which was able to carry 143 passengers. During this time the company also recognized a demand for a smaller 100 passenger jetliner for shorter routes.As a result, Boeing developed the 737 model which was considered to be a very technological advanced jetliner. Meanwhile, Boeing expanded its involvement in the defense market through the 1960 acquisi tion of Philadelphia-based Vertol Aircraft Corporation, a maker of military helicopters. During the Vietnam War, Boeing Chinook and Sea Knight helicopters were heavily utilized by American forces. The 1960’s also saw Boeing active in the NASA contracting sector. As the Cold War continued, Boeing was selected to develop the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system.In addition, Boeing was heavily involved in NASA’s Apollo project of the 1960’s, beginning with its production of several Lunar Orbiters as well as the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used to explore the moon in the early 1970’s. During the 1970’s, Boeing tried to diversity its business by entering the metro-rail business, manufacturing mass transit systems for Boston, San Francisco, and Morgantown, West Virginia. The systems were modern, computerized, and efficient but prone to frequent breakdowns. After fulfilling its obligation to rectify the systems (at great cost), Boeing d ecided to discontinue its ground transport business.As the dominant aircraft manufacture for over three decades, Boeing began to experience a decline in its earnings and stock price during the middle of 1980’s even though it remained profitable. Unfortunately, Boeing jets were involved in four fatal air accidents from December 1988 to March 1989, and the company missed its first delivery deadline in two decades when the 747-400 experienced production delays. These internal problems were exacerbated by increased competition from Airbus, which was heavily subsidized by a consortium of European companies and governments.Furthermore, worldwide orders of all aircraft by the airliners declined from 1,662 in 1989 to 439 in 1991. Fortunately, in 1993 NASA selected Boeing as the prime contractor for the International Space Station, which was called the largest international science and technology endeavor ever undertaken. Boeing was also becoming increasingly involved in commercial sp ace projects and in December 1995 ten commercial space satellites were produced and launched from a floating platform at sea.In the middle of 1990’s, Boeing began its plan of acquisitions and in 1996 it paid $3. 2 billion for the aerospace and defense holdings of Rockwell International which was responsible for the Space shuttle and International Space Station programs, as well as activities in launch systems, rocket engines, missiles, satellites and military airplanes. Furthermore, in 1997 Boeing completed a $14 billion acquisition of McDonnell Douglas which was the world’s number three maker of commercial aircraft.The acquisition increased Boeing’s share of the world market for large commercial jetliners to more than 60 percent and left it with just one major competitor in that sector, the European Airbus which held about one third of the world market. Unfortunately, 1997 turned disastrous for Boeing for reasons wholly unrelated to its acquisition spree. Attem pting to take advantage of the upswing in airplane orders, which was in part caused by the aging of the airliners’ fleets, Boeing committed to doubling its production over an 18 month period.The eagerness of Boeing to increase its revenue lead to production delays, including the wholesale shutdown of some production units and reducing its workforce from 238,000 at year end 1997 to between 185,000 and 195,000 by the end of 2000. If the delays and reduction of workforce weren’t bad enough for Boeing enterprise, the contract awarded to Boeing by the Air force to undertake the Evolved Expandable Launch Vehicle program (EELV) was canceled due to allegations of cheating to win the Air force contract. Today Boeing is undertaking a major project, Boeing 787 Dreamliner which will provide a super-efficient airplane apable of flying long ranges with less fuel. However, Walter James McNerney, the CEO of Boeing Corporation, will have to deal with many issues such as competition, va lue chain and ethics in order to dominate the aircraft industry in next future. Analysis Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players: The commercial aircraft business is very important for Boeing because it covers more than 65% of its total revenue. In this market, losing market share can cause big impact on the performance of Boeing and its future development.The competition from Airbus is considered extreme and on the scale between 1 and 10, it can be ranked as 9. The level of competition between the two aircraft manufactures is very clear as it is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Graph of market share (%), gross orders between Airbus and Boeing from 1994 to 2006. The level of rivalry between Airbus and Boeing shown in Fig. 1 depicts Boeing as the market share leader from 1994 to 1998. However, Airbus took the market share from Boeing in 2001 and kept its position as the market share leader until 2004.Even though the number of orders was more superior with Airbus in 2004, the total r evenues of Boeing was still much higher than that of Airbus. While the revenue of Airbus in 2004 was $40 billion, Boeing had the revenue of $55 billion. This is due to the fact that Boeing gained profit from other activities such as military aerospace, defense, and space business. The competition from Airbus industry is getting more and more threatening to Boeing in the commercial aircraft market. Boeing has been the market leader since 1980’s.Nevertheless, Airbus has gained ground and expanded its market share very successfully by making great efforts in doing market research and development of new products. While Airbus spent 5. 9 percent of its total revenue on research and development in 1999, Boeing only spent 2. 3 percent. Therefore, it means that Airbus is now a big threat to Boeing and may take over its market leader position soon if Boeing doesn’t take any serious action to protect itself. Threat of New Entrance: It is not easy for new companies to enter the m arket of manufacturing large ommercial aircraft. The high cost of developing airplanes is a major factor in prohibiting new entrants to the market with costs as high as US$5. 5 billion to develop the Boeing 777 in the 1990’s. Furthermore, aircraft manufactures must sell between 400 and 500 aircraft at a rate of 50 sales per year in order to regain their investment after developing a new product. This means that companies which enter the market must be prepared to wait for around 10 years before showing any profit even though there is no guarantee that they will become profitable.For that reason, the threat of new entries is considered very low on the scale of 1 to 10, it is ranked as 1. Nevertheless, Boeing now has been faced the threat of new entrance by China. The Chinese government has officially approved the launch of China Commercial Aircrafts, which will manufacture large passenger airplanes. The plan is to have jets designed and built in China by 2020. Asian Airlines a re expected to buy nearly 10,000 new planes by 2025, with more than 2,200 of those going to Chinese airlines.Since Boeing and Airbus have been outsourcing most of the technical and engineering jobs to China, barriers of technology requirement to enter the industry can be overcome by the Chinese. As a matter of fact, a consortium of Chinese companies known as China Aviation Industries Corporation produces components for Boeing’s 747 and 787 wide bodies and operates a final assembly line for the Airbus A320. For that reason, China is now in advantageous position to build passenger aircraft due to its tremendous wealth, technological strength and a huge home market.Therefore, once China starts manufacturing aircrafts, it could also become a significant player in the world of passenger plane market and take part of the market share away from Boeing and Airbus. Nevertheless, the Chinese ambition to enter the aircraft industry is not a short run threat to Boeing because it may take at least 15 years to China begin to develop its airplanes. Despite its goal of eventually challenging Boeing, the Chinese will have to produce large jets which are able to meet only a small part of domestic demand while Boeing will continue to claim a big chunk of the Chinese market.Value Chain Analysis: For the past several years, Boeing has been grappling with problems in launching its latest major passenger airplane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner at a cost of $178 million each. Airlines around the world preordered over 900 787 airplanes before they ever took a test flight based on its projected fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, low maintenance costs, flexibility, and other major design elements. However, the first test flights for the plane were delayed, largely because of supply chain issues.Boeing subcontracted out the design and assembly of major components of the 787 to firms in Japan, Italy, China, and India but did not impose adequate coordination across these various suppli ers. For that reason, subassemblies did not fit together properly, there were numerous quality and delivery issues, and countless other problems occurred. The biggest problem was that Boeing didn’t realize that integrating the supply chain and choosing the correct suppliers was much more difficult than it could have anticipated for.In this case, Boeing outsourced the assembly of parts of the airplane to countries such as China and India where labor is cheaper so that it could reduce cost of operation. Unfortunately, outsourcing to foreign countries to save money can cause backlash from the media, current customers, as well as possible future customers. As a matter of fact, one risk Boeing is taking by outsourcing its supply chain is giving away technology to third parties such as foreign aerospace companies. For example, Chinese suppliers may use the knowledge acquired from their work to begin creating a company of their own.If this occurs, it would be a huge threat to Boeing as well as Airbus since they have plans to capitalize on the flourishing Asia-Pacific markets. Ethics at Boeing Over the years, Boeing is focused on a flood of scandals that have tarnished the company’s image. In July 2003, the Pentagon stripped Boeing of one million dollars in rocket launch business for possessing proprietary documents stolen from a competitor, Lockheed Martin. As a matter of fact, Boeing was suspended from doing business with the federal government for twenty months. In another incident, the department of defense reported that Boeing overcharged the U.S. army by $13 million for parts opposed to a fair sale price of $10 million. Due to a lack of ethics, Boeing may lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with Boeing. Moreover, Boeing lack of ethics is unfair to other companies as well as tax payers. Another ethic issue involving Boeing is that it has sacrificed American jobs for foreign government subsi dies. In recent years, Boeing has sought subsidies from foreign governments and it has pushed its manufacturing overseas in order to obtain such subsidies.For the 787 aircraft, Boeing reportedly secured a subsidy of almost $600 million dollars from the Italian government towards the manufacture of the rear fuselage of the airplane by the Italian firm, Alenia. Moreover, Boeing also reportedly obtained approximately $1. 5 billion in subsidies from the Japanese government for the same aircraft. In order to secure this Japanese subsidy, Boeing outsourced the manufactured of the wings and fuselage of the aircraft to the Japanese companies Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi.Sadly, Boeing outsourced the sort of technology that had benefited from years of American taxpayer-funded research and development spending. As a matter of fact, Boeing lack of ethics can leave many hard working Americans without jobs. Conclusion The dominance of aircraft manufacturing business by Boeing is impressive, but Airbus and threat of new entrants could take part of the market share away from Boeing. For that reason, Boeing should spend more money in research and development so it could improve its airplanes with new technological advances.In this market, technology is crucial because it can help differentiate one company from another; and therefore, the most advanced technological firm is more able to keep and gain more customers than its competitors. Even though technological advances are important factor that help distinguish one company from another, Boeing shouldn’t neglect the fact that supply chain is also very crucial to a company success. When Boeing outsourced its supply chain to China and India, it caused a delay on Boeing 787 Dreamliner production.If a company wants to be the market leader, it shouldn’t outsource supply chain because it is sometimes difficult to contact with suppliers and verify quality of products being used to assemble the aircrafts, for example. I n addition, Boeing shouldn’t outsource supply chain because it takes a risk of giving away technology to third parties such as foreign aerospace companies in China and India. If Boeing wants to keep its dominance of aircraft manufacturing business, it should be more ethical when doing business.The lack of ethics by Boeing can cause a great harm to the image of the company; and worst of all, Boeing could lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with it. The bottom line is that Boeing should have more consideration with its competitors as well as tax payers when doing business. Answers and Questions: 1) Discuss the nature of the market structure and demand for the Dreamliner. What are the applications of this for Boeing and customers?A) The nature of the market structure for the Dreamliner is oligopolistic which means that the market or industry is dominated by a small number of sellers in this case aircraft manufactures. T he oligopolistic market is comprised of a handful of competitors sheltered by significant barrier to entry. This means that firms are heavily restricted from entering or leaving the industry. For that reason, Boeing has the chance to take the market share away from Airbus since it has only one competitor and manufactures mid-size aircrafts capable of flying long ranges with high fuel efficiency.Since the demand for Dreamliners is not used for personal or direct consumption but rather for its use in providing other goods and services, the demand for the Dreamliner is known as derived demand. The Airlines that purchase Boeing aircrafts want to comply with customer demand for more comfortable and luxury airplanes. Passengers will experience during their flights and great deal of comfort with higher cabin pressure and humidity which reduces common flying symptoms like headaches, dry mouth and fatigue.At the same time, midsized wide-body airplanes will provide to airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environment performance while cutting costs with fuel consumption. If airlines are able to cut cost with fuel, consumers will be directly benefited with cheaper air fares. 2) What examples of the major types of buying situations of you see in this case? Discuss the implications of each in terms of marketing strategy. A) The major types of buying situations are: straight rebuy, modified rebuy and new-task buying.In straight rebuy the buyer routinely reorders something without any modifications. The marketing strategy used in straight rebuy is based on getting high quality and low cost products, superior service, and prompt delivery from a partner seller. In fact, the buyer can save time with tedious paper work requirement since they have already ordered previously with the seller. In modified rebuy involves a business buying situation in which the buyer wants to modify product specifications, prices, terms, or suppliers.The market strategy of modified rebuy allows buyers to look at alternative offerings within their established purchasing guidelines. In fact, they might take this step if their current supplier has let a rebuy situation deteriorate because of poor service or delivery performance. In new-task buying involves a business buying situation in which the buyer purchases a product or services for the first time. The strategy of new-task buying in marketing is to acquire goods or services by carefully considering alternatives offerings.In fact, it is very important to a company entering a new field to search out potential suppliers, and evaluating proposals. 3) List the specific features of the Dreamliner. What customer benefits result from each? A) The Boeing 787 Dreamliner incorporates structural composite materials in the airframe instead of predominantly aluminum which offer customers a guaranteed reduction in maintenance costs. Moreover, the use of structural composites enhances fuel economy as well as trave l range of the 787 Dreamliner.This means that airlines will be able to save money with fuel so that consumers will pay less for air fares. Due to the use of composite technology, the Boeing 787 has a higher cabin pressure which helps customers have a better flight experience and reduce common flying symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. The cabin design incorporates increased legroom, and added rooms such as lounges which can benefit customers with a comfortable flying experience. In addition, the 787 Dreamliner also contains 19-inch electrochromic dimmable windows, which adds passenger comfort.At last, the Dreamliner is environmental friendly because it is a low emission airplane. In this case, customers will benefit from an airplane which emits less carbon dioxide which can help keep the air cleaner. 4) Discuss the customer buying process for a Boeing airplane. In what major ways does this process differ from the buying process a passenger might go through in choosing an airplan e? A) The process of buying an aircraft can be a complicated process due to the fact that a 787 Dreamliner can cost over 100 million dollars.In order to buy an airplane, buyers must take in consideration costs and benefits which come with the purchase of the airplane such as long-term operating and maintenance costs. Moreover, customers will have to wait for years in order to receive their planes since the aircraft manufacturer may take years to produce them. The purchase of an airline ticket by a consumer may be classified in a few different ways. Customers traveling the same route regularly do not require them to spend a great deal of time or mental effort in arriving at the purchase decision.On the other hand, leisure customers who travel occasionally, the purchase process would require considerably more time and effort. However, the decision of consumers to buy an airplane ticket has not as many factors to consider as in the case of an airline purchasing a 787 Dreamliner. In add ition, the outcomes are more numerous and the stakes are much higher. 5) What marketing recommendations would you make to McNerney as he continues to try to resolve the problems with the 787 Dreamliner program?A) The first problem that McNerney has to resolve with 787 Dreamliner program is improve ethics of the firm. If Boeing doesn’t have a good work and business ethic customer relationship can be compromised. As a matter of fact, Boeing could lose credibility with its suppliers and customers who may think twice before signing a contract with it. At last, McNerney should keep the supply chain in America because it is easier to contact with suppliers and verify the quality of products being used to assemble the 787 Dreamliner.

Battle with Skin Cancer

While eagerly awaiting the end of High School, in the year 2005, my world disintegrated. I was in the last Semester of High School when I was diagnosed with stage 3 Skin Cancer.In the US skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer and malignant melanoma, which constitutes one of the most virulent forms of this disease. The incidence of this disease has been continually on the increase.Moreover, there has been a drastic increase in its occurrence. The annual death toll due to this disease has been estimated in the thousands (The Burden of Skin Cancer, 2006).Basically, skin cancer can be classified as melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. The latter two forms of the disease make the patient quite ill and if ignored, result in significant mutilation and harm.The deadliest form of this disease is melanoma, which is responsible for around three – fourths of the deaths that occur in the US due to skin cancer. The principal culprit for this disease has been identified as exposure to the ultraviolet rays emanating from the sun. In addition, it is possible to develop skin cancer if over exposed to sun lamps and tanning beds (The Burden of Skin Cancer, 2006).Skin cancer is categorized as stage 0 or that which affects the epidermis, stage 1 cancer that is around three fourths of an inch in diameter, stage 2 where the affected area is greater than that in stage 1 and stage 3 in which the disease has spread to the tissues.Finally, there is the stage 4 cancer, wherein the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. In general, such cancers are detected and treated before they reach the third stage. Early diagnosis of this malady makes it possible to effect a cure. As such it entails the excision of the affected parts (skin cancer , 2008).I was unfortunate in being diagnosed with stage 3 skin cancer. Due to my comparatively, tender years, I had not encountered any major crises in life. This diagnosis was veritably like a bolt from the blue. However, after the initial despondency, I steeled myself.The endless visits to the health care professionals, the seemingly interminable treatment sessions and other therapy sessions occupied most of my time.I lost a lot during that time and I was constrained to discontinue further education for a period of two years. Now, by God’s Grace, I have recovered completely and I am eager and enthusiastic to study in college. In a way this disease proved to be a blessing in disguise, because it taught me forbearance and courage in adversity.I have developed a very strong and positive attitude towards life. I view even the small blessings of life with deep gratitude. I no longer consider any task or venture as being too difficult to accomplish or succeed at. I am confident that I will complete my college education successfully and make it to the Dean’s List.Referencesskin cancer . (2008). Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite . Chicago: Encyclopà ¦dia Britannic a.The Burden of Skin Cancer. (2006, March 27). Retrieved January 3, 2008, from National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/skincancer/facts.htm