Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation

Introduction Nike Incorporation has been successful in designing, developing and marketing diverse products such as apparels, footwear and other accessories. In its operation, the firm contracts manufacturing of most of its products to firms which are located overseas. This has enabled the firm to attain a high bargaining power over its suppliers (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p. 90).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm has effectively positioned itself in marketing its products on a global scale. In the United States, the firm has established a strong distribution network through a number of retail outlets. For example, the firm runs approximately 20,000 retail accounts around the 110 countries in which it operates. Most of the firm’s products such as bags, bats, glov es, sports wear and other sports equipment are marketed under the Nike brand name. Nikes success can be attributed to its efficiency in implementing its internationalization strategy. Findings of a study of 132 organizations conducted by Veronica Wong and Professor Peter Doyle in 1998 revealed that marketing is one of the core drivers in the performance of business entities (Blythe, Coxhead, Lashwood, Partridge, Reed Simms, n.d, p.23). The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing as the process which involves a number of elements such as planning, execution, promotion, pricing and distribution of the ideas conceived. Marketing is made up of a number of components such as product development. In addition, marketing must ensure that the businesses’ and customers’ needs are met. Finally, marketing must result into creation of value between the two parties (the business and the customer). Marketing is therefore considered to be a highly invaluable business a ctivity (Kaser Oelkers, 2007, p.4).This paper is aimed at illustrating the various marketing strategies adopted by Nike Incorporation. Industry analysis The United States apparels industry is relatively large. In addition, the industry is in its maturity stage which is evident by the slow growth rate and a high level of fragmentation. Demand for apparels in the US is satisfied by both domestic and international markets. Similarly, the US footwear industry has experienced a significant growth over the past few years as a result of growth in demand.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has led into the industry reaching its maturity stage. In addition, the market has become very saturated. One of the reasons to explain this is the rise in intensity of competition. Some of the firm’s core competitors include the recently formed Addidas-Reebok merger, PUMA, Under Armour , Fila and New Balance Athletic. All these firms specialize in the production of sportswear. The global apparel and footwear market has become flooded with various sportswear brands. This has culminated into an increment in the consumer bargaining power. Consumers can easily switch from one product to another (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p. 90). However, the firm’s current strategy has enabled it to attain an effective market position. The firm has been able to create a relatively high level of customer loyalty. As a result, Nike Incorporation continues to lead in the footwear and apparel industry. In an effort to enhance its competitiveness, Nike Incorporation management team diversified its operations into the golf industry. This was achieved through the signing Tiger Woods who is a renowned golf personality as its spokesperson (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p.92). Competitive advantage Attaining competitive advantage is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to succeed in the long term as a going concern entity. According to Lussier and Kimball (2009, p.93), competitive advantage entails how a firm delivers unique value to its customers. In addition, competitive advantage is aimed at making a firm distinct from its competitors by enhancing its core competency. According to Porter (1998, p.70), there are three main strategies which a firm can incorporate in order to attain competitive advantage. These strategies include cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategy. Cost leadership entails ensuring that a firm becomes the leader with regard to low cost production. As a result, the firm is able to attain price competiveness by selling its products or services at a low price point compared to its competitors. On the other hand, differentiation entails production of unique products which are highly appreciated by the customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are various aspects which a firm can incorporate in an effort to differentiate its products. These include the product, sales, image, distribution and marketing. Focus strategy entails a firm being committed to be the best with regard to a particular product segment. Over the years it has been in operation, Nike’s Incorporation management teams have appreciated the importance of developing the firm’s competitive advantage. In order to achieve this, the management team incorporated the concept of product differentiation. The resultant effect is that the firm has managed to develop strong brand recognition by ensuring development of high quality products. In addition, the firm has a strong research and development team which ensures that the products developed meet the market demand. Product differentiation is achieved through effective designi ng such as by ensuring that the products such as the shoes are of different color. The high quality of the firm’s products has enhanced its reputation on a global scale. As a result, Nike as a brand name and the Swoosh logo has increasingly been recognized as status symbols globally. As a result, the firm has been able to increase its sales significantly (Porter, 1998,p. 72). The table below illustrates a competitive profile matrix comparing the firm’s competitiveness with some of its core competitors on the basis of quality of its product, marketing strength and price. A weighted scale of 10 is used. Critical success Nike Under Addidas- factor Armour Reebok Quality 5 5 5 Marketing 2.5 2 2 Price 2.25 2 2.25 Total 9.75 9 9.25 From the table above, it is evident that the Addidas-Reebok merger is likely to pose a threat to the firm’s competitive advantage. This arises from the fact that the merger has culminated into creation of a relatively st rong competitor. In an effort to remain competitive, the firm’s management team has incorporated the concept of continuous product improvement. To be effective, Nike Incorporation conducts continuous market research in so as to develop a product which meets the customers’ requirements. In addition, the firm has incorporated emerging technologies in an effort to improve the quality of its footwear, apparel and other equipments. The management team has also appreciated the importance of creating effective market awareness. One of the ways through which the firm achieves this is by integration of creative marketing campaigns. For example, the firm’s advertisements are a part of the pop culture.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Its campaigns feature prominent personalities such as Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Tiger Woods (Robert, Lussier and Kimball, 2009, p. 92). Through these strategies, the firm has managed to develop a strong competitive advantage thus being effectively positioned in the market. Pestle Analysis In order to determine the existing market potential, it is vital for Nike Incorporation to consider evaluating macro environmental factors. One of the ways through which the management can achieve this is by conducting a PESTLE analysis (Worthington Britton, 2006). Political Analysis According to Campbell and Craig (2005, p.123), the actions taken by the political institutions through formulation and implementation of various policies can have significant effect on the operation of businesses. In an effort to ensure continued economic growth, the US government has relentlessly ensured that there is a stable political environment. The US government has formulated policies which enable Nike Inc orporation to effectively produce and market its products. One of the ways through which the US government supports Nike Incorporation is by ensuring stable macro economic environment by advocating low interest rates, creating an environment which promote international competitiveness through an effective and efficient tax system and ensuring currency stability. This has culminated into formation of a foundation conducive to Nike’s growth. In addition, the US government is committed at forming trading blocs with neighboring countries through economic integration. Some of the countries the US is considering include South Korea, Panama and Colombia. The economic integration is aimed at boosting the country’s apparel and footwear industry. Economic Analysis Over the past few years, the US has experienced a relatively high rate of economic growth. This led to an increment in the citizens’ disposable income and hence their purchasing power. However, the occurrence of the 2007 economic recession adversely affected the country’s rate of economic growth. The recession affected various economic sectors including the apparels and footwear industry. In an effort to minimize the effects of the recession, organizations adopted various strategies such as laying-off some of their employees so as to minimize their operational cost. To cope with the economic recession, Nike’s Incorporation management team came to a consensus to reduce its marketing budget. In addition, the firm reduced 4% of its work force. Despite these actions, Nike maintained its dominant position with regard to advertising due to its size. The firm only concentrated on sponsoring prominent athletes. In 2008, the firms marketing budget on advertising was $ 143.4 million down from $184 million in 2007 (The New York Times, 2009, para. 1-7). With the recovery of the global economy, there is a high probability of the firm increasing its sales revenue both in the domestic and t he international market. Considering the fact that the firm operates on a global scale, the firm is affected by currency fluctuation. Social environment Changes in the social environment can also affect the success of a firm (Baron, 2005, p.87). Currently, there is a trend which is emerging whereby consumers are increasingly becoming health conscious. As a result, a large number of individuals are joining fitness clubs. This trend has led to a rise in demand for fitness products such as footwear and apparels. This presents a feasible market opportunity for Nike to produce and market its products so as to meet the market demand. In an effort to ensure maximum level of customer satisfaction, Nike Incorporation gives the customers an opportunity to design their own footwear and apparels. In addition, Nike Incorporation should focus on developing new styles so as to be inline with the market demand. The firm can attain this by undertaking effective research and development. Technologica l environment The high rate of technological innovation with regard to Information Technology has significantly contributed to the success of Nike Incorporation. One of the ways through which the firm has utilized the technology is by improving on its products through research and development. In addition, the firm has also utilized emerging technologies in marketing its products. This has been achieved through integration of an effective marketing information system. In addition to product innovation, Nike Incorporation also utilizes its MIS in conducting other functions such as market segmentation and product differentiation. This means that Nike’s success is owed to its effectiveness in harnessing Information Technology towards various aspects ranging from product development to its distribution. Legal environment The US government has created a suitable legal environment for conducting business. One of the ways through which the government has ensured this is by integrati on of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The IPRs entail diverse rights and responsibilities which are aimed at protecting a firm’s innovation, research and development and creativity from being exploited by other individuals. Some of the IPRs issued by the US government relate to patents, trademarks and designs. Through IPRs firms such as Nike Incorporation are able to invest towards development of brand equity. In an effort to enhance IPRs, Nike Incorporation has continuously worked with diverse policy makers such as governments so as to fight against counterfeiting (Public Policy and Advocacy, n.d, para. 5-6). Product In order to remain competitive, the firm conducts continuous product modifications. This ensures that its products are in line with the existing market demand. In addition, the firm ensures that its products promote customer safety by meeting the set safety standards. It is ensured that the various products meet the requirements of the market regions in which they are marketed. This arises from the fact that different regions have got different product requirements. To be effective in meeting the market requirements, the firm contracts the manufacturing process to firms which are located in the foreign market. This aids in ensuring that the product manufactured is in line with the existing market demand. Contracting to foreign firms enables Nike Incorporation to enrich the products style more effectively. Through market research, the firm is able to undertake effective product innovation. Pricing strategy The global economic recession negatively affected the purchasing power of consumers. For example, the recession led to a rise in the rate of inflation in most economies. This culminated into a decline in the consumers’ purchasing power due to reduction in their disposable income. The resultant effect has been a rise in the cost of living. Due to this, consumers have increasingly become price conscious in their purchasing pa tterns. In an effort to increase their sales revenues, firms in the apparel and footwear industry are increasingly adopting low pricing strategies. This has culminated into price war between firms. However, there is a high probability of firms with strong brands such as Nike succeeding. This arises from the fact that they can be able to adopt competitive pricing strategies despite the prevailing market conditions. One of the ways through which the firm is achieving this is by incorporating penetration pricing strategy. According to Lamb, Hair and McDaniel (2008, p. 53), the strategy entails setting the price of its products at a relatively low price point compared to that of its competitors. To be effective in the pricing strategy, the firm conducts competitor and consumer market research. The competitor market research is aimed at identifying the pricing strategy adopted by other firms in the industry. The resultant effect is that the firm is able to formulate its pricing strategy more effectively. Through the consumer market research, the firm is able to establish the degree of price sensitivity amongst the consumers. Through the low pricing strategy, the firm is able to appeal to a large number of consumers considering the fact that consumers are price sensitive and their consumption desire is to maximize their level of utility. In order to attract and retain a large number of customers, Nike Incorporation is integrating the concept of psychological pricing strategy in all its distribution outlets. Psychological pricing plays a significant role in ensuring that the firm’s products price appeals the emotions of different customers in their purchasing process. In most cases, Nike Incorporation adopts the psychological pricing strategy when introducing a new product into the market. The firm has also incorporated segmented pricing strategy. This is achieved by adjusting the price of its products depending on the type of consumer being targeted in the gl obal market. Segmented pricing is also incorporated while marketing to different customer categories such as the adult and children. Communication strategies Creating effective market awareness is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to succeed in the long term (Lamb, Hair McDaniel, 2008, p. 34). In addition, market awareness contributes towards a firm attaining an effective market position. Market communication is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to create communication (Koekemoer, Bird, 2004, p.76). In its operation, Nike’s management team has formulated a comprehensive marketing communication strategy. One of the core communication strategies which the firm has adopted is advertisement. Different languages are used in the firm’s advertisement campaign depending on the country’s national language. Over the years, Nike Incorporation has continuously advertised its products through various mediums which include television, print med ia and bill boards. In addition, the firm has also adopted other methods of market communication which includes sales promotion and public relations. Example of public relation campaigns which the firm utilizes include organizing fashion shows which are aimed at displaying the latest product offering. The firm’s decision to incorporate celebrities such as Tiger Woods has also played a significant role towards improvement of the brand’s value. In addition, endorsement of the firm’s brand by celebrities has also contributed towards creation of brand loyalty. For example, by wearing the firms’ clothes and designs, a firm’s brand can be improved significantly. This arises from the fact that consumers intend to associate themselves with successful individuals. In addition, firm also uses celebrities in their advertisement campaigns such as when promoting a specific product. Considering the intensity of competition, Nike Incorporation has adopted emergin g Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The core objective is to enhance increase the firm’s market share by increasing their market share. The firm has achieved this through incorporation of ecommerce. In marketing its products, the firm is increasingly utilizing the internet. Some of the internet technologies which the firm has incorporated include use of emerging social networking tools such as You Tube, wikis, blogs and Face book. Distribution strategy Product distribution is vital in a firm’s effort to ensure that it succeeds in the market (Kurtz, Mackenzie Snow, 2009, p. 57). A firm’s distribution strategy should ensure that the product can be easily accessed in the market. In marketing its products in the global market, Nike Incorporation has adopted a comprehensive product distribution strategy. The firm distributes its product to large retailers such as supermarkets in the countries in which it operates. Supermarkets form one of the largest poi nts through which the firm distributes its products. In addition the firm has established a number of distribution centers which ensure that the supermarkets are effectively stocked. The firm has also implemented a computerized point of sales program which enables the firm to track movement of inventories in the various distribution outlets. As a result, the firm is able to restock the stores more effectively. The role of marketing strategy Through its differentiation strategy, Nike Incorporation is able to able to position itself more effectively in the market. According to Lussier and Kimball (2009, p.90), attaining an effective market position is one of the defensive strategies that a firm can utilize. The firm’s Swoosh mark is one of the core selling features. This means that there is a high probability of the firm improving its sales revenue and hence its profitability level. In addition, adoption of the differentiation strategy will contribute towards the firm’s product being unique. The uniqueness of the firm’s products will contribute towards a large number of consumers considering purchasing the products relative to those of the competitors. In addition, product differentiation will enable the firm to address the diverse market needs (Morrison, 2006, p. 65). Through its market research activities, the firm will be able to undertake effective product development. In addition, the firm will be able to develop a high level of customer satisfaction by integrating the customers’ needs in the process of developing new products. This illustrates that there is a high probability of the firm increasing the size of its global market share. For differentiation strategy to be well undertaken, the firm will be required to conduct continuous market research (Brooks, Weatherston Wilkinson, 2004, p.54). This means that the firm will be able to understand the changes in the global market. The resultant effect is that the management team wi ll be effective in the planning process hence its ability to address future changes. In addition, product differentiation strategy will enable the firm to target the market more effectively. Conclusion From the analysis above, it is evident that Nike Incorporation has been very successful. This has resulted from its efficiency in formulating and implementing operational strategies. Additionally, the external environment has also provided an environment conducive for Nike’s operation. To be successful in the long term, Nike Incorporation should continuously adopt global strategies in its operations. This will contribute towards the firm attaining a high market share and at the same time retain its leadership. However, the firm’s management team should act locally in the various markets it penetrates. This will contribute towards the firm’s products being widely accepted in the market. Reference List Baron, D.P., 2005. Business and its environment. New York: Prent ice Hall. Blythe, J., Coxhead, H., Lashwood, M., Partridge, L., Reed, P. Simms, H., n.d.  Strategic marketing. London: Select Knowledge Limited. Brooks, I., Weatherston, J. Wilkinson, G., 2004. The international business  environment. London: FT Prentice Hall. Campbell, D. Craig, T., 2005. Organisations and the business environment.  New York: Butterworh – Heinemann. Kaser, K. Oelkers, D., 2007. Sports and entertainment marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Koekemoer, L. Bird, S. 2004. Marketing communications. New York: Juta and Company Limited. Kurtz, D., MacKenzie, H. Snow, K., 2009. Contemporary marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C., Hair, J. McDaniel, C., 2008. Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Lussier, R. Kimball, D., 2009. Applied sport management skills. New York: Human Kinetics. Morrison, J., 2006. international business environment: global and local  marketplaces in a changing world: the international business environment.  London: Palgrave Macmillan. Porter, M., 1998. Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance:  with a new introduction. New York: Simon and Schuster. Public Policy and Advocacy. n.d. Taxation and intellectual property rights. Web. The New York Times. 2009. In recession, Nike is likely to cut marketing. Web. Worthington, I., Britton, C. 2006. The business environment. New York. Prentice Hall. This report on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation was written and submitted by user Trystan Parsons to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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When they were marked with a red dot in their sleep they used the mirror to try to clean the dot off. However, this level of performance was not evident in other primates. However, the so-called â€Å"hard problem of consciousness† (what is it really like?) may be insoluble. Thomas Nagel (1974) famously used animal life as an illustration of how difficult it is to grasp qualia (i.e. the subjective feeling of what something is like) by asking the question â€Å"what is like to be a bat?† Aside from bringing up again the issue of knowing others’ minds, the comparison here is stronger because it shifts from trying to second-guess the thoughts of fellow humans to trying to imagine the thoughts and feelings of a strange species. The implication is that, even if we were to understand all the neural processes tied up with the bat’s nervous system which bring about consciousness, we would still not be able to fully imagine what it is like to be a bat. Artificial intelligence and models of altered consciousness Although a large proportion of neuroscience involves backwards engineering of the brain (i.e. taking something which has already been engineered by evolution and trying to tease apart its structure and function), artificial intelligence, by engineering intelligent systems, can also be used to observe if a particular account of how the brain works actually produces a comparable output when you run it through a computer program (if the program doesn’t produce the same output as the â€Å"natural† brain, this may pose a problem for your theory, or vice versa). (Note this process of back-propagation is somewhat reminiscent of Edelman’s idea of re-entry). Takeno has found that the robot can distinguish between its own image in a mirror from either a second robot or another robot which follows the test robot’s instructions. The robot is equipped with LED lights allowing it to demonstrate distinct responses to its own mirrored behavior compared to that of another robot, including another robot engaging in the same behaviour (Takiguchi, Mizunaga, Takeno, 2013). See the following brief video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK0M02aKXLE A neural network was used to model how the excessive loss of synapses during adolescence could lead to auditory hallucinations reported in schizophrenia (Hoffman McGlashen, 1997). Pruning was carried out in a â€Å"Darwinian† fashion by removing neural units which were less well-connected to other units, in addition to modelling cell death which could be associated with excessive loss of neurons. Excessive loss of neural units produced a model of hallucination whereby words were coming up as perceived at the output layer of the network even when words were not being entered at the input layer. Although the authors admit that such models are vastly simplified models of the real thing, by reproducing (modeled) phenomena visible in the world (in this case, auditory hallucinations), they allow one to study such phenomena by testing if the mechanisms one hypothesizes explain such phenomena (in this case, excessive loss of neurons involved in working memory) actually produce the ph enomenon under investigation. Interestingly, the neurons pruned were modeled on corticocortical connections rather than thalamocortical connections (the type suggested by Edelman to play a key role in producing conscious experience itself). Consciousness: a clinical case A vegetative state is where a patient shows no overt signs of awareness, even though they are visibly awake. However, the idea that people in a persistent vegetative state lack consciousness has been challenged by recent research. Patients in a minimally conscious state or persistent vegetative state have been instructed to perform mental imagery tasks while undergoing fMRI (Monti et al., 2010). The tasks used are associated with activity in the parahippocampal gyrus and the supplementary motor area; areas which are associated with actually carrying out the activity. A minority of the participants showed activity in response to the tasks similar to healthy controls. However, bearing in mind that information can be processed without conscious awareness (as alluded to in the discussion of attention and consciousness), is it possible that this brain activity may have emerged automatically, without the patients having any conscious awareness of the scene described to them by the research ers? Such an interpretation is challenged by the following finding: a number of healthy controls and 1 patient were asked questions, and instructed to think of one mental image if the answer was â€Å"yes† and a different mental image if the answer was â€Å"no†. The patient showed signs of being able to complete this task. The fact that the participants could control what was imagined suggests that they may have been aware of their own awareness. Adrian Owen talks about these issues at the following link: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxUWO-Adrian-Owen-The-Quest-f Embodiment The idea that the brain is, or at least is very much like, a computer is quite popular. Indeed, computers themselves have increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Of course, a lot of the information we process is not purely symbolic for us; it is viscerally linked to our bodily states and physiological drives, and thus embodied. Returning to the question of what it is like to be a bat, we can consider the brain of this animal and how it works, but even if we could understand all brain functions of the bat, there would still be other differences between our species. For example, bats have wings which they can use to fly. What is it really like at a subjective level to do this? If we were to both given the chance to experience this kind of flight, your answer to this question could be completely different from mine, and yet perhaps we would both be right about our own experience. References Block, N. (1990). Inverted Earth. Philosophical Perspectives, 4, 53-79. Bogen, J.E. (1997). Some neurophysiologic aspects of consciousness. Seminars in Neurology, 17(2), 95-103. Burgdorf, J., Knutson, B., Panksepp, J., Ikemoto, S. (2001a). Nucleus accumbens amphetamine microinjections unconditionally elicit 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 115, 940–944. Burgdorf, J., Knutson, B., Panksepp, J., Shippenberg, T. (2001b). Evaluation of rat ultrasonic vocalizations as predictors of the conditioned aversive eà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ects of drugs. Psychopharmacology, 155, 35–42. Churchland, P.M., (2012). Consciousness, in: Gregory, R.L. (Ed.), The Oxford companion to the mind. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Crich, F., Koch, C. (1998). Consciousness and neuroscience. Cerebral Cortex, 8, 97-107. Edelman, G. (2003). Naturalizing consciousness: A theoretical framework. PNAS, 100(9), 5520-5524. Gallup, G. 91970). Chimpanzees: Self-recognition. Science, 167(3914), 85-87. Hoffman, R.E., McGlashen, T.H. (1997). Synaptic elimination, neurodevelopment, and the mechanism of hallucinated â€Å"voices† in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1683-1689. Jiang, Y., Costello, P., Fang, F., Huang, M., He, S., (2006). A gender- and sexual orientation-dependent spatial attentional effect of invisible images. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 17048-17052. Koch, C., Tsuchiya, N., (2007). Attention and consciousness: two distinct brain processes. Trends in cognitive sciences 11, 16-22. Monti, M.M., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Coleman, M.R., Boly, M., Pickard, J.D., Tshibanda, L., Owen, A.M., Laureys, S., (2010). Willful modulation of brain activity in disorders of consciousness. New England Journal of Medicine 362, 579-589. Naccache, L., Gaillard, R., Adam, C., Hasboun, D., Clà ©menceau, S., Baulac, M., Dehaene, S., Cohen, L., (2005). A direct intracranial record of emotions evoked by subliminal words. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102, 7713-7717. Nagel, T. (1974). What is it like to be a bat? Philosophical Review, 83, 435-450. Panksepp, J. (2005). Affective consciousness: core emotional feelings in animals and humans. Consciousness and cognition. Place, U.T., (1956/1990). Is consciousness a brain process?, in: Lycan, W.G. (Ed.), Mind and cognition: An anthology. Blackwell, Malden, Massachusetts, pp. 14-19. Takiguchi, T., Mizunaga, A., Takeno, J. (2013). A study of self-awareness in robots. International Journal of Machine Consciousness, 5, 142. Weiskrantz, L. (1997). Consciousness lost and found. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Database Migration and Architecture: Bee Colony Optimization Database Migration and Architecture: Bee Colony Optimization Abstract: It is compulsory for two servers to be compatible if you have to either import or export the data. All the servers have unique protocol service through which they communicate. It is not possible for a server to directly transmit or receive the data from any other server. A live example is the developed codes at different platforms like JAVA, Visual Studio and others. This task becomes more sophisticated when it comes to communication of data along with its architecture. This paper focused their work in migrating the data from one server to another with the use of XAML protocol in which three servers have been included to migrate the data. The first server is the server from where the data has to be migrated, the second server is the server where data is fetched to be migrated and the third server is the server where data has to be migrated. The entire work has been performed using Development tool visual studio 2010 with data base connectivity with SQL SERVER 05. In this pa per we are proposing a technique for migration of the platform architecture along with the data with perfect accuracy to another cloud platform using Simple Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) concept will take a lot of effort due to the sophisticated architecture of a system protocol. This may lead to a new era in the cloud computing. Keywords: BCO, Data Migration, XAML, SQL SERVER 05. INTRODUCTION: Cloud computing is an Internet based computing technology, where the word ‘cloud’ means Internet and ‘computing’ refers to services that can accessed directly over the internet. Cloud provider maintains the cloud data server or cluster that is collection of computer to provide computing services on a large scale. For providing both software services as well as management services this scale can be used. Any device like PCs’, tablets, smartphones, etc. personal can provide access to cloud computing services, as these devices can connect to the internet. This is because the technology infrastructure of cloud computing is not based on consumer premises. Cloud computing comes in various forms, shapes, and sizes as there is variety of cloud formations [1]. Cloud Computing can be also described as type of application and platform. Platform means to supply the servers or machines; machine can be virtual or physical. Machines can be configure and reconfigure. Type of application depends on the demand of its user, various resources are available over the internet through cloud computing. Resources come in forms – hardware and software resources can be used in scalable and flexible manner. Also the costs can be reduced. There are mainly three aspects of cloud computing: Iaas (Infrastructure as a Service) – number crunching, data storage and management services (computer servers). SaaS (Software as a Service) – ‘web based’ applications (like Gmail). PaaS (Platform as a Service) – essentially an operating system in the cloud like Google AppEngine [2]. Data migration the term ‘migration’ is the process of moving from one location to another. In the process of Data migration, the data is transferred between various computer systems, storage types, or formats. To achieve an automated migration, data migration is usually performed programmatically. To give an efficient data migration method, data is mapped to the new system from the previous old system providing a design by data loading and data extraction. Programmatic data migration consists of many steps but it mostly includes data extraction in which the data from the old system writes to the current system [3]. In migration, to improve the quality of data, eliminate the redundancy or invalid information, manual and automated data cleaning is mostly done. Before deploying to the new system, various migration steps like designing, extraction, loading, cleaning and verification are mostly repeated for many applications whether of high or moderate complexity. Four major types of data migration: Application migration Database migration Storage migration Business process migration BEE COLONY OPTIMIZATION (BCO): The bee colony optimization (BCO) has been recently introduced as new approach in the field of Swarm Intelligence. There is a colony of honey bees that can extend their selves over the long distances. To exploit large number of food bees extend itself in multiple directions at the same time. The artificial bees represent the agents, which collectively solves complex problems. The algorithm BCO is inspired by the original behavior of the bees’ in nature. By creating colony of artificial bees, BCO can successfully used to solve complex problems. The behavior of the artificial bees is partially similar to the behavior of bees’ in nature and partially dissimilar to the behavior of bees’ in nature. The BCO algorithm is basically, based on population. The population of the artificial bees searches for the valid solution in the population. An artificial bee solves complex problems and described as agents. One solution is generated to the every problem by the artificial bees [4]. Bee colony optimization consists of two phases: A) Forward pass: In forward pass, search space is explored by every artificial bee, also obtains a new solution and improves the solution and then bees’ again go back to the nest. B) Backward pass: After bees’ go back to the nest they shared the solutions of various information. RELATED WORK Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche et.al (2012) explain the working over the cloud platforms for the last few decades. According to him the general migration issue raises when your data is not secure at the one platform. Now the issue comes that whether we can transfer the data with the architecture from one end to another. He proposed that if we can use the TCP/IP technique to find out at which server the data is going to be migrated and if we can configure it to the server from where the data has to be migrated can make a difference into the migration but he did not talk about how an existing architecture allows the second server to be configured into itself [5]. Diva Agawam talks about the server compatibility, according to them as a basic network the PC equipments had been over, with the popularization of technology of embedded system and the internet. Traditional Ethernet fields are infiltrated from embedded equipments . Besides PC, there are several embedded equipments as nodes present. User can easily refer the correlative information if he has the web server accessing permission. The administrator can easily manage and validate the equipments but accessing it over IP, is a great challenge [6]. R.SUCHITRA said that in cloud environment, there is necessity of Server consolidation of virtual machines for cost cutting and energy conservation. With live migration server consolidation can be achieved of virtual machines. For Server Consolidation, we propose a been packing algorithm which is modified to reduce the instantiation of new servers and to avoid the migrations that are not necessary. The algorithm is simulated using multiple test cases and using java. For live migration of virtual machines, ideas are taken from the decreasing strategy of First Fit algorithm [7]. Jayson Tom Hilter talks about the SOAP proto calling in his words. SOAP is a messaging framework, based on XML. Over the internet for exchanging formatted data, SOAP is specially designed. It can be understand with the example of sending the complete documents and using reply and request messages or. It is not affected with the different operating system, programming languages, or platform of distributed computing. A more efficient way was needed to explain the messages and how these messages are communicated. The WSDL (Web Services Description Language) is a specific form of an XML Schema, implemented by Microsoft and IBM for defining the XML message, its operation, and its protocol mapping of a web service used during SOAP or other XML protocol [8]. Qura-Tul-Ain Khan, Said Nasser â€Å"talks that cloud computing is a computing platform which is present in large data center. To deliver cloud computing resources various problems occurs like privacy issues, security, and access, regulations, reliability, electricity and other issues. In every field cloud computing is able to address the servers to fulfill their wide range of needs [9]. RESULTS The proposed architecture migration system has been implemented using VSUAL STUDIO 2010. The performance of various database migration and architecture migration system is analyzed and discussed. Two servers minimum are involved in the data migration. To migrate the architecture system by using XAML language pattern avoiding the time delay of the data migration and ensuring the security analysis of the data getting migrated. The purpose of this work is justified when the data along with the architecture is migrated to another platform. To attain the goal, a mid level XAML architecture would be drawn which would show the compatibility with both the server. In the process, the middle server would first analyze the architecture of the first server from where the data has to be migrated and would generate the XAML for it. As XAML is one of the most light weight language and it is supported by all other platforms also, it would be easier for the second server to adapt the language. The mi ddle server would do amendments in the local XAML according to the architecture which has to be migrated to the next sever. Once the second XAML is generated, it would use the TCP IP protocol service along with the SQL Query injector to transfer the XAML from one end to another and would migrate the architecture completely. The successful migration of the architecture is examined by various parameters. Three parameters are used: Accuracy Reliability Error rate Accuracy: Accuracy is the proximity of measurement results. Here we describe the accuracy in terms of percentage. Percentage ranges from 0-100. Here we attain the highest accuracy that means data is migrated successfully [10]. (1) where, TN is the number of true negative cases FP is the number of false positive cases FN is the number of false negative cases TP is the number of true positive cases Fig.(a) Accuracy graph As shown in the above graph, maximum accuracy is attained i.e, 95% and more than this. In this proposed model for migration accuracy achieves best results. Reliability: Reliability is the ability of a component or a system to perform the tasks successfully for a given time under provided conditions. It is the Consistency and validity of test results determined through statistical methods after repeated trials without degradation or failure [11]. (2) Where, R(t) = reliability e = exponential (2.178) ÊÅ ½ = failure time m = mtbf (mean time between failures) t = time Fig. (b) Reliability graph As shown in above graph, maximum accuracy is attained i.e, 93% and more than this. In this proposed model for migration reliability achieves best results. Error Rate: An Error rate is a deviation from accuracy or correctness. A mistake is an error caused by a fault: the fault being misjudgment, carelessness, or forgetfulness [12]. (3) where, , (energy per bit to noise power spectral density ratio) or, Es/ (energy per modulation symbol to noise density). Fig.(c) Error Rate graph As shown in above graph, minimum error rate is attained i.e, 5%. In this proposed model for migration error rate is very less. As mentioned above the three parameters are evaluated from the proposed work. Accuracy, Reliability and Error rate, all three parameters achieves best results. Table I: Accuracy, Reliability and error rate values (in %) calculated from different data’s schemas that are migrated. Fig. (d) Graph represents above table values per number of time execution The above figure has two axis x-axis represents the number of time the execution takes place and y-axis represents the percentage of all three parameters. CONCLUSION This research has a great scope in reducing the load over the server to provide the optimized result. In this work done till now, it successfully migrates the generated architecture and its data to another server. Here proposed a new approach based on Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) technique and Go Daddy server. The transfer accuracy is almost 90-95 percent. For successful migration XAML is used, as XAML is one of the most light weight language and it is supported by all other platforms also, it would be easier for the second server to adapt the language. Error rate is very less, so the proposed approach works well in migration. In future, this approach can be applied to the system with more than two servers in the migration. The current system does not evaluate any computation time for the evaluation that how much time has been elapsed in the transfer. So in future time elapsed in transferring the data taken into consideration. Also, the transfer of the data is limited i.e. in the generation of the architecture system; you cannot generate more than a fixed number of columns. Reactive Arthritis: Causes, Features and Treatments Reactive Arthritis: Causes, Features and Treatments Reactive arthritis Minor changes. References reduced. 64.58 Reactive Arthritis Ramesh M Bhat M and Rochelle C Monteiro Introduction Reactive arthritis (ReA) is defined as an episode of peripheral arthritis of more than one 1-month duration occurring in association with conjunctivitis and urethritis and/or cervicitis. It is triggered by an infection, most often in the gastrointestinal or urogenital tract. It is also known as Reiter’s syndrome, Feissinger– Leroy’s disease, Brodie’s syndrome and conjunctivo-urethro-synovial syndrome. The term ReA Reactive arthritis was originally introduced to define a sterile joint inflammation during and after an infection elsewhere in the body. The definition was later modified since nucleic acids and bacterial antigens were found in the inflamed joints. ² Etiology  Aetiology Reactive arthritis (ReA) follows an infection in the urogenital tract (venereal form) or gastrointestinal tract (dysenteric form). The venereal form follows recent sexual contact, whereas the dysentricdysenteric form is associated with a wide variety of intestinal pathogens and non-specific diarrhoeal illnesses. The most common organisms implicated are as follows: Post Post-dysenteric form: Salmonella (different serotypes), Yersinia tuberculosis, Shigella flexneri, Shigella S. sonnei, and Campylobacter jejuni. These organisms are found to be HLA HLAB27– dependent. Hence, Individuals individuals with HLA-B27 positivity are strongly predisposed to develop the disease. Post Post-venereal form: Chlamydia trachomatis. Some newer organisms have been implicated recently in causation of reactive arthritisReA, namely Chlamydia C. pneumonia, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma M. fermentans, Neisseria Gonorrhoeagonorrhoeae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Clostridium difficile, ÃŽ ²-haemolytic streptococci, Propionibacterium acnes, EscherischiaEscherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Calmette CalmetteGuerin bacillus, Brucella abortus, Leptospira , Bartonella, Tropheyreyma whippeli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Giardia lamblia. ³ Drugs are generally not implicated in the aetiology of reactive arthritisReA;, however, a single case of Lithium lithium precipitating pre-existing ReA1: Kindly check for clarity>aOKctive arthritis has been described.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ´ Pathobiology The prevalence of ReAactive arthritis is estimated to be 0.1% worldwide. The disease mainly affects people in the 2nd 4thsecond to fourth decade of life. The Infection infection occurs 1–4 weeks following genitourinary infection, with a male–female ratio of 9:1. The Enteric enteric type has an equal incidence in both males and females.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ Systemic Featuresfeatures The disease primarily affects the joints, eyesà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ·, the skin and genitalia. Rarely, patients present with cardiac, renal, and neural abnormalities. Arthritis Articular manifestations are most commonly of an acute, non-destructive oligoarthritis usually affecting the large joints of the lower limbs which persists for 4–5 months. ‘Sausage digit’ or diffuse swelling of an entire toe/finger occurs in 16% of patients. Enthesitis is another characteristic feature of patients with ReA. It is defined as an inflammation of the ligaments and tendons at their site of insertion into the bone. Patients may also develop heel pain and achilles Achilles tendonitis. Sacroiliitis is another distinctive feature of the disease which results in a low back pain.8-10 Urethritis ReAactive arthritis usually follows 1–3 weeks after an episode of urethritis. Urethritis may occur even in post postdysenteric cases. The non nonspecific urethritis presents with mild non-purulent urethral discharge. Haemorrhagic cystitis and prostatitis may develop in a few patients. In females, it manifests as cervicitis associated with cervical discharge. Rarely, bleeding and abdominal pain may occur.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ µ Mucocutaneous lesions Keratoderma blennorrhagica or Pustulosis pustulosis palmoplantaris is a specific cutaneous lesion in ReA. Patients present with pustules over the palms and soles which are gradually covered with thick horny crusts. Lesions may coalesce. Psoriasiform lesions are also common (Fig. 58.1). The biopsy of of skin lesions with acanthosis and epidermal neutrophilia (Fig. 58.2) Circinate balanitis is a painless geographic dermatitis occurring over the glans penis (Fig. 58.31). In addition, small, shallow ulcers are seen over the glans and urethral meatus and also over the oral cavity. Nail changes are a common finding and include subungual hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, ridging and nail shedding.10,11 Visceral lesions Visceral involvements mainly include the cardiac, renal and neural systems. Cardiovascular manifestations present as conduction delays and aortic disease. Proteinuria, microhaematuria, aseptic pyuria, and rarely, glomerulonephritis occur when the renal system is involved. Transient neurologic dysfunction such as cranial or peripheral nerve palsies have been described in some patients.10 The disease is usually self selflimiting. The joint manifestations regress completely within a few months (3–5 months). Enthesopathy, balanitis and psoriatic lesions may persist even after joint inflammation has subsided. Recurrences are common. Some patients develop chronic polyarthritis, usually HLA HLAB27– positive individuals.12 Ocular Featuresfeatures Bilateral mucopurulent conjunctivitis is the most common ocular manifestation of ReA that occurs in more than 50% of patients. It is one of the important components of the triad of the disease. Occasionally, the conjunctivitis may be purulent but remains transient, mild and associated with a sterile discharge. It subsides within 1–4 weeks. Acute anterior uveititsuveitis may be found in about one-fifth of cases, especially in those who are positive for HLA-B27.7 Other ocular complications of ReA include keratitis, corneal ulcer with or without hypopyon, episcleritis, scleritis, papilloedema, retinal oedema, retinal vasculitis and retrobulbar neuritis. ¹Ã‚ ³ Vision is usually impaired from corneal scar or recurrent chronic uveitis causing secondary glaucoma, complicated cataract or cystoids macular oedema. ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ´ Diagnosis Laboratory findings in ReA are non-specific and do not usually provide a conclusive diagnosis regarding the aetiology. Prognosis Individuals who are HLA HLAB27– positive have a more severe disease form. Male gender and a positive family history for spondyloarthropathies, ankylosing spondylitis and recurrent episodes of arthritis are indicators of a bad prognosis.9 Treatment Patient education has plays a major role in patients with ReAactive arthritis. The chronic relapsing nature of the disease should be explained to the patients for better compliance with therapeutic modalities. Conjunctivitis is usually self-limiting. A slit slitlamp examination is necessary to rule out uveitis, which if present has to be managed with topical corticosteroids, cycloplaegics and mydriatics. Keratoderma blenorrhagicablennorrhagica is treated using topical steroids and keratolytics. Low potency topical steroids are used in circinate balanitis.10 Non Nonsteroidal anti antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) are highly effective in pain management in patients with ReAactive arthritis. Intra Intraarticular steroids are advocated in oligo/monoarticular disease. The use of systemic steroids has been discouraged except in severe cases where short courses may be given.15 Antibiotics are useful in the post postvenereal form of ReAactive arthritis. Their role in the post postdysenteric form remains controversial. Commonly used antibiotics include erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and doxycycline.11 In patients who fail to respond to the above mentioned conventional therapy, a more aggressive therapeutic approach is needed. This includes Disease disease modifying anti antirheumatic drugs (DMARD’s). References 1. Fisk PK. Reiter’s disease. British Med J 1982; 284:3. 132. Kingsley G, Sieper J. Third international International workshop Workshop on Reactive arthritis Arthritis, 23–-26 September, 1995, Berlin : An overview. Ann Rheum Dis 55:564–570. 143. Kiss S, LetkoE, Qamruddin S, et al, Long-term progression, prognosis and treatment of patients with recurrent ocular manifestations of Reiter’s syndrome. Ophthalmology 2003;110::1764–1769. 154. Schumacher HR Jr., Reactive arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1998; 24:261–-273. Early Years Care and Education: History and Policies Early Years Care and Education: History and Policies This essay explores the range of early year settings that are involved in the care and education of young children, and discuss the roles and responsibilities of the professionals who work at these settings. Two critical incidents will be focused upon with the use of a Personal Reflection Diary, which has been taken throughout Practical Placements. The diary will emphasize the roles and responsibilities of the professionals that are key within the setting. The essay will also evaluate the curricula appropriate to the setting that were visited during placement and compare it to another practice setting. The essay will finish with a personal statement defining what has been learnt from the experiences. First, the history of care and education of young children will be reflected upon. Next, there will be a discussion on social care and health care legislation which is affiliated to the support of childrens health and safety (historical to present day). A Reflective Account will follow, which will consider two incidents which identifies the roles of the professionals who work in various settings. Subsequently, the author will define the importance of reflective practice. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to whether the objectives have been met. History of care and education- Education sector first started and when did children become important? Pre 1870 there was no organised system of education. Instead children were sent out to work to earn money for their families. Some children attended schools run by charities and churches or Dame schools run by women for young children. There were fee paying schools for those rich enough to afford them or the wealthier children were taught at home by governesses. In the social legislation of this period education did not become a real priority until the year of the first Education Act, 1870. The 1870 Education Act also known as the Forster Act, that we have the real birth of the modern system of education in England. This not only gave rise to a national system of state education but also assured the existence of a dual system voluntary denominational schools and nondenominational state schools. The act required the establishment of elementary schools nationwide. These were not to replace or duplicate what already existed but supplement those already run by the churches, private individuals and guilds. Elementary education became effectively free with the passing of the 1891 Education Act. The1870 Forster Education Act set up mass primary education (education for everyone). It was introduced because the government was worried that the working class was becoming revolutionary and also because it was thought that Britains economy was falling behind the rest of the world. The education received therefore a strong emphasis on obedience to authority. The Victorians soon realised the importance to read and write. Passage of the Education Act of 1870 was an important event because the act established compulsory elementary schools for all children from the age of 5. All children had to attend school until they were 10 years old. Education Legislation (historical to present day). By 1880 many new schools had been set up by the boards. This made it possible for the 1880 Education Act to make school attendance compulsory for all children up to the age of ten. The school boards were abolished under the 1902 Education Act. In their place Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) were created to organize funding, employ teachers and allocate school places. Under the 1918 Education Act school became obligatory for all children up to the age of 14. The Act was conceived by the liberal MP Herbert Fisher (1865-1940). Other features of the Act included the provision of additional services in schools, such as medical inspections, nurseries and provision for pupils with special needs. During the 1920s and 1930s Sir Henry Hadow (1859-1937) chaired a consultative committee that was responsible for several important reports on education in England. In 1926, a report entitled The Education of the Adolescent looked at primary education in detail for the first time. It prioritized activity and experience, rather than rote learning and discussed, for the first time, the specific needs of children with learning difficulties. The report also made the important recommendation of limiting class sizes to a maximum of thirty children. In 1931, another report was published: The Primary School was influenced by the educational ideas of Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget and advocated a style of teaching based on childrens interests. The 1944 Education Act saw the introduction of the tripartite system. Devised by Conservative MP Rab Butler (1902-1982), the Act introduced three different types of school: Grammar schools for the more academic pupil, Secondary Modern schools for a more practical, non-academic style of education and Technical schools for specialist practical education. Pupils were allocated to a particular type of school by taking an examination called the 11- Plus, which was also introduced under the Act. Secondary education now became free for all and the school-leaving age rose to 15. Comprehensive schooling was recommended in a document issued by the Labor Government in 1965 called the Circular 10/65. The system was developed in contrast to the tripartite system and was instead intended to suit pupils of all abilities. The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England) into Primary Education. The report was called Children and their Primary Schools and was named after the chair of the Council, Lady Bridget Plowden (1910-2000). It observed that new skills were needed in society, stating that, the qualities needed in a modern economy extend far beyond skills such as accurate spelling and arithmetic. They include greater curiosity and adaptability, a high level of aspiration, and others which are difficult to measure. (The Plowden Report: Children and their Primary Schools, London: Her Majestys Stationery Office, 1967.) The Education Act 1973 stated that schools leaving age was raised to 16. The National Curriculum was introduced in the 1988 Education Act. It made all education the same for state-funded schools, ensuring that all pupils had access to a basic level of education. A selection of subjects was made compulsory including maths, English, science and some form of religious education. It also introduced sex education for the first time. Pupils were divided into Key Stages, depending on their age, Key Stage 1 for pupils aged 5-7, Key Stage 2 for pupils aged 7-11, Key Stage 3 for pupils aged 11-14 and Key Stage 4 for pupils aged 14-16. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was introduced to replace O-levels and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE). In 1996, the Conservative government introduced the first stage of a Nursery Voucher scheme. The Voucher scheme allowed parents to use vouchers worth up to  £1,100 per child for up to three terms of part-time education for their 4-year-old children, in any form of preschool provision. However, in 1997, the incoming Labour Government abolished the voucher scheme and made its own plans for the development of early years services. The government provided direct funding to preschool institutions for part-time places for 4-year-old children and an increasing number of part-time places for 3-year-old children. Around 1999, the government introduced a Foundation Stage of early learning, which is a new stage of education for children age 3 to the end of their reception year when they will be 5. The Labour government revealed plans to introduce City Academies in 2002 as part of a five-year plan to improve education. City Academies are designed to improve inner city education by building new schools, introducing new technology and changing the ethos of schools. The scheme is controversial since schools will only get academy status if they raise  £2 million from private funds. Various types of early years education provisions There are a number of various types of early years education settings that can offer the free entitlement: day nurseries, private nursery schools, maintained nursery schools and nursery classes attached to primary schools, preschools and playgroups, primary school reception classes, where schools operate an early admission policy to admit four year olds, accredited child minders who are part of networks approved to deliver early education and Sure Start Childrens Centers. Theorists who may have impacted upon early years provision. The first infant school was opened by Robert Owen (1771-1858), utopian radical socialist reformer-mill owner who had set up crà ¨ches for the children of his workers as well as housing and health facilities. Pestalozzi (1745-1827) attracted the attention of some education reformers. Pestalozzian schools attempted to recognise the specific requirements of young children. Also very influential was the kindergarten movement, Froebel (1782-1852). First opened in England in 1851 Froebels vision was to educate the whole child. Outdoor activities played a signiFIcant part, but his vision was of the children as plants in the garden of the school flowering and blossoming under the correct care and attention as you would care for a plant. Gradually though the more precise nature of Froebels pedagogy and philosophies got taken over by a wider emphasis on play combined with domestic tasks as defined by the theories of psychologists. Stanley Hall (1884-1924) and John Dewey (1859-1952) Also these kindergartens were also rescuers of the children of the urban poor so the teachers became more like social workers. Another significant figure was Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Her work came to be seen as more a preserve of middle class private nurseries but originally she worked with deprived children of Naples and aimed to develop cognitive physical linguistic social and self care skills through carefully structured play activities and equipment. Advocate of natural materials wooden blocks sandpaper letters. She thought that too many brightly coloured toys and pictures could over stimulate. Children were taught to concentrate on one activity the put it away and move on to the next one. Margaret McMillan (1860-1931), was a Christian socialist and was regarded as the originator of Nursery School concept. Opened an open air nursery school in London in 1913 focus on sense training and health of the young child. Sand water clay and paint free cooked meals fresh air covered area so the children could be outside as much as possible. Roles of professionals that work in early years Then Early Years Practitioners (EYP) will be trained to often work as part of the team of skilled and committed people working with children in early years settings or wider childrens services. Take responsibility for leading and managing play, care and learning. Have a secure and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of early years practice with children from birth to five; and be skilled and effective practitioners. In addition to this, EYP will have an important role in leading and supporting other staff by helping them to develop and improve their practice, establish and maintain positive relationships with Children and communicate and work in partnership with families, carers and other professionals. Social care and health care legislation which is affiliated to the support of childrens health and safety (historical to present day) Range of health care settings in early years. There are many types of social and health care in early years for example Health clinics, residential care, home visiting scheme, children centres, paediatric services. Health and social care professionals, for example: Health visitors, GPs, midwives, childrens centre staff, social workers and mental health services.

Essay --

SW 4000/#1 Suicide is a preventable, yet a very serious public health problem. In 2009, more deaths resulted from suicide than from car accidents in the United States. Citation here! In the past, suicide prevention has been more geared towards youths and adolescents. However, recent research has shown an increase in suicide of middle-aged adults and this increase places suicide at the fourth leading cause of death among this age group. Citation here Little is known about midlife suicides, so with that in mind, direct practice workers need an understanding in how to address the needs and concerns of the middle-age group, so that suicide can be prevented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), suicide rates among persons aged 35-64 years has increased to 28.4% from a previous percentage of 13.7 per 100,000 populations. You misquoted, this should be 28.4 per 100,000 which is much different than 28% There needs to be a push for suicide preventive measures that are geared more towards this particular age group. Middle-aged adults are likely to have mental health issues and stress. Such stress can come from dual caregiver responsibilities, economic challenges, and health problems. As the â€Å"baby boomer† generation is increasing in numbers, many middle-aged adults are left with stress of caring for parents and children. The three most used methods for suicide involves the use of a firearm, poisoning and suffocation by hanging. The greatest increase in incidents of suicide was shown in men aged 50-54 years and women aged 60-64. Treatment of suicidal tendencies at any age, involves reducing risk factors for those tendencies. Maris (2010) listed some common single predictors of suicide. Some of the ... ... I think it is important to conduct more research on why adults choose to end their lives. Many families suffer every day because someone they have loved chose to commit suicide. A suicide attempt is an indication that something is wrong in a person's life, no matter their race, age, or how poor or rich a person is matters. Many who die by suicide have a mental or perhaps an emotional disorder. The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to act as a guide for professional social workers that contains many values, principles and ethical standards. Suicide falls under several of the professional standards. For example, 1:01 involves a commitment to clients, 1.04 concerns competence, and 3.02 standards involve education and training. I think as a future professional social worker, it is my duty to learn all I can about suicide and possible prevention to serve future clients.

Satirical Mouthpiece in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Typically when you hear â€Å"19th century literature,† you think of the formal and monotonous, yet gramatically and contextually correct writing of authors such as Charles Dickens and Harriet Beecher Stowe; but one author stood out among them and his name was Mark Twain. Twain started a new trend of including new aspects of writing into his pieces such as voice, dialect, and satire. The one particular book written by Mark Twain that is known to be the beginning of American literature called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, contains all three of these aspects. In the book, Twain uses the main character and narrator, Huck, to utilize his voice, dialect, and satire. Huck serves as a satirical mouthpiece for the author’s attitude by fulfilling his role as the naive narrator. There is a specific passage in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that accurately portrays the satire that Twain is trying to bestow upon the reader involving a character by the name of Emmeline Grangerford, a sentimental artist. Huck is inspecting the art of Emmeline and expressing his feelings about them in the text. If you read Huck’s explanations without examining the underlying meanings you will find that Huck is completely clueless as to the artists’ sentimental intentions. He evaluates one picture called â€Å"Shall I Never See Thee More Alas† by describing a woman â€Å"under a weeping willow† (Twain 119) in a graveyard, another picture with a woman â€Å"crying into a handkerchief† (Twain 119), and yet another with a crying woman about to jump off a bridge. All three of these illustrations are obvious cliches of sentimental art of the 19th century. Huck looks at the images and simply sees â€Å"nice pictures† (Twain 119), not realizing the intent of the artist, Emmeline. This is an excellent example of Huck’s role as the naive narrator. His lack of understanding provides a completely different take on the art than Mark Twain actually feels. Twain’s main intention of the passage is to poke fun at the sentimentalists’ artwork. He includes Huck’s explanations such as bulges on a dress â€Å"like a cabbage† (Twain 119), and â€Å"black slippers, like a chisel† (Twain 119) to mock the sentimental art which was poplular at the time that he wrote the book. Writing the passage in Huck’s point of view allowed Twain to add satire to the story by making Huck’s comments so cliche and ridiculous that it is obvious that this is not actually the way that Twain feels about the sentimental artwork. This is why the character of Huck, being as clueless as he is in the book, is necessary for him to serve as the author’s satirical mouthpiece. Huckleberry Finn is certainly not the typical narrator of a book. To understand the context of the writing, one must decipher what is actually occuring in the story and what Huck thinks is occuring because of his role as the naive narrator. Although this makes the book more difficult to comprehend, it also makes it more interesting to read and allows the author, Mark Twain, to include such factors of voice, dialect, and satire. The narrator’s conception of the storyline is extremely important to the book. Huck serves as a satirical mouthpiece for the author’s attitude by fulfilling his role as the naive narrator.

Zapata essays

Zapata essays Zapata: The Ideology of a Peasant Revolutionary Zapata: The Ideology of a Peasant Revolutionary portrays the fight of the Mexicans' and Indians' to gain freedom, from the people who were 'superior' to them. The powerful story tells about a group of peasants who put their trust one man, Zapata, who led them into a revolution. Zapata, written by Robert P. Milon is a very confusing work. He uses many wordy details and jumps between events in a very fluttery way. When new people make an entrance in the book he does not make a good transition between the events. He could have added more scenes to help the dialogue move smoother. The author also jumped around with a very confusing time-line. Emiliano Zapata was born on August 8, 1879, in Anenecuilco. Zapata was the son of a mestizo peasant who trained and sold horses. He was orphaned at the age of 17 and had to look after his brothers and sisters. In 1897, he was arrested for taking part in a protest. From this you can see that he was a hard worker from the start. He was mestizo, and therefore oppressed by the upper class. In 1909 he was elected president of village defense committee. This part is very moving because it happens early in the story but it shows the first glimmer of hope for these people. By 1910, Zapata, was already planning things and he led his people on two peaceful demonstrations. This was the start of a revolution with Zapata and his followers letting everyone know that they would not take it anymore. The story goes on about the struggle of Zapata and his followers, but by page 36 the hero is lying dead from a trap he fell into. Being that the book starts on page 11, the central character dies rather quickly for the whole book to be about him. After Zapata dies the author attempts to flash back and recap everything that happened between page 11 and page 36, so this book appears to be like in media res stlye. Which is a style of writing b ...

Earth with No Moon Essay Example

Earth with No Moon Essay Example Earth with No Moon Essay Earth with No Moon Essay Earth with No Moon A world with no moon would be much different without the Moon. Without the moon, Earth would be greatly different. The length of the day would be different, the origins of life on Earth would be slowed, and the biological evolution of life on Earth would vary greatly. But there would still be life on Earth, and many things on Earth would remain the same. Lunar tides are perhaps the most obvious effect of the Moon on Earth. The Earth without the moon would have a day that was only about 8 hours long. Tides occur because the gravitational force between the two bodies decreases with distance. This is because the tidal effects of the moon cause the high tides to flow westward, where they eventually run into land masses, which are moving to the east because of the Earth’s rotation. This, ever so slowly, slows down the rotation of the Earth. Overall, this causes the day to get longer by . 002 seconds per century. Over a few hundred years this doesn’t mean much, but over billions and billions of years it adds up to about 18 hours added on to the day. The faster a planet rotates the faster winds it has. Because the Earth’s tides, caused by the Moon, slowly slow down the rotation of the Earth, the speeds of the winds on Earth have slowed down significantly. Day to day life on Earth would be much different without the moon. The day would most likely still be around 8 hours long, with about three to fours or sunlight per day. Tall life forms like trees could possibly be knocked down because of their lack of time to grow deep roots and the wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on Earth. Certain studies show that many creatures function on a biological clock with days around 25 hours. If these animals were living on an Earth with no Moon, then their clocks would be thrown off. They might be hunting when they should be sleeping, or be hunting while they should be mating, which would make them easy prey for more well adapted predators. The high lunar tides gave the oceans of Earth the chemicals needed to evolve under the Sun’s radiation. An Earth with no moon would receive the same radiation from the Sun, but the chemical building blocks of life in the oceans would take much, much more time to develop. The only way these chemicals would enter the oceans is through rivers running into the ocean, nd the rate of that is much slower than what the high tides do. So the life on Earth would take longer to evolve without a Moon and high tides. Even though there are many things that would be different on Earth if there was no Moon, there are also many things that are alike. In an extensive sense, since the formation of the Moon was after the formation of the Earth, th ere would still be an Earth if there was no moon. Secondly, we would still have waves in our ocean, which are caused by storms out at sea, and are turned in to larger waves because of their motion up a sloping beach, which we would also have without a moon. And lastly, we would still have tides. These tides would be caused by the Sun. They would be smaller than the lunar tides, but there would still in fact be tides on Earth because of the Sun. Overall, life on Earth would be much different without the Moon. The length of the day would be different, the origins of life on Earth would be slowed, and the biological evolution of life on Earth would vary greatly. But there would still be life on Earth, and many things about life would still be the same.

Rather than being a medium for western culture alone,the internet Essay

Rather than being a medium for western culture alone,the internet actually help promote and strengthen the societies - Essay Example Today, social networking websites seem to have turned the whole world into one single social platform where people belonging to different cultures and ethnicities communicate with each other and promote each other’s cultures (Tomlinson 1999). According to Hermeking (2005), significant influences of international cultures can be seen all over the internet today. Cross cultural marketing is being done to promote products from countries all over the globe including the non-western nations. Internet may be regarded as one of the reasons behind the increasing trend of globalization in the world (Slevin 2000). It can be said that internet has become one of the best sources for any kind of information and communication throughout the world has become very easy after the advent of the internet. Business entities seem to have put internet to use at its maximum potential and still a number of possibilities of innovative use of the internet pop up every day (Lengert 2000). So many signif icant business entities all around the globe have put their products on their website and users can easily view the features of the products and buy them online. Some of the significant organizations that conduct online business are Walmart and Amazon. Internet has made online businesses very easy and the best thing about using this resource is that it is not limited to a single society or a nation, internet can be used by anyone all around the globe and this has given the opportunity to non-western nations to introduce their products to other parts of the world. Internet has not only helped non-western nations promote their cultures internationally through internet but it has also helped them boost their economies through the exposure of their potential in the global market (Slevin 2000). The internet is being used widely as a primary source for real time information all over the globe therefore it has become significantly easy for western entrepreneurs to access information regard ing non-western nations, their human resource and the way business is conducted in such nations (Lengert 2000). The real time availability of such information has helped the non-western nations to present their potential to the international market and it has increased the probability of investment in non-western nations. IMPACT OF INTERNET ON BUSINESS OF NON-WESTERN NATIONS Internet has played a very important role in promoting business of non-western nations in the global market. Internet is one of the reasons behind the increasing trend of Foreign Direct Investment in underdeveloped countries. Following is the analysis of increasing trend of international investment in non-western countries. Internet and Multinational Entities As mentioned earlier, internet may be one of the biggest drivers of globalization. The exposure of the potential of the non-western nations to the international investment drove the attention of multinational entities to such countries (Park & Jun 2003). Wi th the development in internet, it can be observed that investment in under

Integrated Logistics for DEP GARD Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integrated Logistics for DEP GARD - Case Study Example The present research has identified that Richard Binish who has been appointed by GARD wants to review these contracts and revive supply chain. Basically a lot has been changed in supply chain management and Binish wants to review all this supply chain with the change in situation (current market trends). Banished trimmed GARD's products line and primarily based it on faster moving products with higher moving velocity. Now more and more suppliers with specific criteria have come up and everyone's product is comparable. At present, GARD wants to review its supply chain with the improvement in its service window, and minimum threshold percentage. DEP's polymers having 6 major compounds which has been sourced from three firms as 60%, 25% and 15%. DEP has standardized its purchasing criteria and generally maintains a 7 days supply of each compound DEP is not using JIT because of bad experience, but it relies on electronic linkages for procurement. Most customers' orders are produced with in 6 to 8 days of order. In addition to it, DEP takes 3-6 days for shipment from its warehouse. Transportation and distribution which is done by DEP truck service to customers mostly within 200 miles through twice a week delivery routes. This needs maximum 6 days. So DEP supply chain is too much time consuming and hence needs to be streamlined. Basically in this case study, the kind of relationships between buyer and supplier is adding value to the supply chain, GARD and DEP's long relationship and understanding as well as DEP's knowledge about the requirement and quality with arm's length purchasing relationship is adding value to the chain, value in a supply chain is not simply the organizational value but it is the value created across different organizations that combine to create the supply chain. Inside an organization Porter identifies nine keys areas that need to be examined when examining how value may be created. He divided these 9 areas into what he referred to as: Primar y activities and support activities. The primary activities included: inbound logistics, processes, outbound logistics, marketing & sales, customer service. The support activities included: technological developments, human resource management, procurement and firm infrastructure. Basically in the case study, procurement stage of DEP is adding value to the chain because it provides certain option to purchase six basic compounds from 6 companies having different percentage of order completion as well as supply time. So we can analyze and reach out a suitable combination of companies and products to minimize the supply time and increased percentage of supply. DEP's supply bid has been divided into three parts and maximum quantity suppliers' supplies 60% whereas the remaining two are supplying 25% & 15% respectively. Firms' basic infrastructure with electronically connected procurement with marketing/sales department can easily assess demand of the market and proper information system can act fast. DEP is also adding value through outbound logistics with its own hired truck fleets. DEP also maintains inventory for 7 days so that they may have enough time for reordering and to get supply of raw material.