The Age Of The Cosmetic Epidemic - 1042 Words

In 1959, Barbie was created and sent the world, including every little girl, into a frenzy (Unknown). Barbie was the new thing; she was beautiful, blonde, and seemingly perfect. Children and parents even to this day both want to be just like the blonde haired, blue-eyed bombshell. It is obvious people will go through whatever measures to be plastic just like her. An overwhelming amount of Americans teens are choosing to change their appearance to fit into a highly unrealistic and unattainable standard of beauty that was created and forced upon us by our physically obsessed culture. There is no doubt that teens feel an enormous pressure to look â€Å"beautiful† and feel obligated to do whatever necessary to reach â€Å"perfection.† Contrary to what many believe, American teens, like most teens around the world, are actually falling out of the cosmetic epidemic. Even though surgery numbers are still high, the total numbers have actually reduced over recent years. Nonethel ess, teens still seek perfection from the heavy burden placed on their shoulders by the media, peers, and, in rare cases, even parents. The most extreme form of physical modifications among adolescences is plastic surgery. Today there are only two types of plastic surgeries available, which include: cosmetic and reconstructive (Monohar). If a person is not entirely satisfied with a certain or many body parts, he or she can undergo cosmetic surgery to alter the body until he or she is satisfied. However, reconstructiveShow MoreRelatedMerriam Webster Defines Obesity Is A Condition Characterized1490 Words   |  6 Pagesaccumulation and storage of body fat. Carey Rossi points out â€Å"In one day the AMA classified 78 million adults, and 12 million children deemed to have a medical condition that needs treatment.† In the United States obesity, has become a major health epidemic. People are gaining weight in mass, and are also being diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease and, c ancer, every day. Changing the problem has become an issue, and what can be incorporated to help slow down, or fix the issue has become the problemRead MoreDid you know that in a 2013 study, 1,668,420 Americans underwent cosmetic surgery in order to alter700 Words   |  3 Pages2013 study, 1,668,420 Americans underwent cosmetic surgery in order to alter their body to fit the body image they view as the norm in society. More and more Americans are complying to undergo cosmetic procedures without understand the possible fatal risks. As medical advancements and improved procedures are being introduced, the risks seem to increase. Since society has placed significant pressure on the physical attributes of adolescents and adults, cosmetic treatments are being performed and consideredRead MoreEssay on The Harmuful Effects of Plastic Surgery862 Words   |  4 Pagessignificant pressure on the physical attributes of adolescents and adults, cosmetic treatments are being performed and cons idered at an all-time high with patients complying with the potential harmful and fatal consequences. In a 2013 study, 1,668,420 Americans underwent cosmetic surgery in order to alter their body to fit the body image they view as the norm in society. More and more Americans are now submitting to undergo cosmetic procedures without understanding the possible fatal risks. As medicalRead MoreThe Psychological Effects of Going Through Cosmetic Surgery1486 Words   |  6 Pages14.6million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in 2012. Cosmetic procedures range from skin rejuvenation to cleft palate repair. The most popular age range of cosmetic surgeries performed is 40 to 54 years old. Most of us are self conscious about how we will appear in the future. Our self conscious feelings towards our body image affects us psychologically and psychosocially by our own body-self image, sexual relationships, social interactions esteem and self worth. As we age our body dissatisfactionRead MoreThe Side Effects of Cosmetic Surgery1325 Words   |  6 PagesThe Side Effects of Cosmetic Surgery Reading and Writing Level 4 Kirsten Ringstrom April 14, 2009 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 The History of Cosmetic Surgery 3 The Trends of Cosmetic Surgeries 4 The Risks of Cosmetic Surgery 5 Conclusion References Throughout recorded history, a pale complexion has nearly always been more fashionable than a tan complexion because pale skin represents a woman who does not have to labour outdoors. So, most non-white women probably wantedRead MoreCosmetic Dentistry And Its Impact On American Society1283 Words   |  6 Pagesthat number to be 4 million in 2016, proving that the field of orthodontics is a rapidly growing industry. A modern debate in the field of dentistry is cosmetic dentistry and its recent rise in popularity. The United States of America, in particular, has gained a reputation for being overzealous in the pursuit of â€Å"perfect† teeth. In Europe, cosmetic dentistry is thought of as a collection of very unnatural procedures, not unlike breast enhancement, Botox, etc. While it is obvious that British and AmericanRead MorePlastic Surgery1709 Words   |  7 Pagesplastic surgery says, Theres a common belief among the public that a large percentage of young adults and teens are having cosmetic surgery (Obesity, Fitness Wellness Week). Despite the low percentage, young adults are considering getting face-lifts, breast implants, nose jobs, and liposuction. Advancements in technology have made it possible to receive these kinds of cosmetic procedures. Studies have shown that the medias influence has made it seem more acceptable within society. The pressureRead MoreImproving The Health Care System1706 Words   |  7 Pagesinsurance. In addition to receiving poor access to care, the costs to the individuals are both societal and personal. For instance, individuals who do not receive vaccines for flu may make others susceptible to the flu borne illness and it may become a epidemic to society if it does spread. To obtain quality access to care, one must †¢ gain entry into the health care system, †¢ acquire providers that meet the needs of the patient in developing trust †¢ And attain services at sites catering toRead MoreAnti-Drugs Policies in the 1960s Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pages Drugs have been influencing the ideas, culture, and music of America for ages. Illicit narcotics have left the Union in a state of immense debt. Anti-drug policies have been dumping billions upon billions of dollars in prevention, punishment, and rehabilitation. From the roaring twenties, to the prohibition, drugs have always been fought (Bailey). Most times, the drugs start off as medicines and end up being harmful (Morris). Perhaps, the most prominent and influential eras of drug use in AmericaRead MoreObesity And Its Effects On The Health Of Americans And People All Across The World1514 Words   |  7 Pagesclaim that the health risks of being overweight are greatly exaggerated by doctors and scientists. My research shows why this is a dangerous way of thinking and why obesity can be so harmful. We must take a deeper look into why obesity is such an epidemic , and what can be done to prevent or reverse it for the benefit of future generations. Obesity stems from chronic calorie intake that surpasses the bodies energy expenditure, in other words it happens when an individual ingests more calories than

Starbucks Annual Report 2008 - 46643 Words

Starbucks Corporation Fiscal 2008 Annual Report Fiscal 2008 Financial Highlights Stores Open at Fiscal Year End (COMPANY-OPERATED AND LICENSED STORES) Net Revenues (IN BILLIONS) Net Revenue Growth (PERCENTAGES) from Previous Year 16,680 $9.4 $7.8 $6.4 $5.3 $4.1 24% 30% 20% 22% 21% $10.4 10% International United States 15,011 12,440 10,241 8,569 7,225 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Components of 2008 Revenue Retail Licensing Foodservice Other 84% 12% 4% Operating Income (IN MILLIONS) Operating Margin (PERCENTAGES) $1,054 $894 $781 $606 2008 Revenue Breakdown $421 United States International Global Consumer Products Group 76% 20% 4% 2003†¦show more content†¦All of this gives me conï ¬ dence that Starbucks—unlike many other retailers—has what it takes to endure as a vital part of the fabric of every community and neighborhood where we do business. In ï ¬ scal 2008, we invested in the Starbucks Experience and what we know our customers are looking for when they visit our stores. We put a signiï ¬ cant emphasis on coffee—starting with the launch of Pike Placeâ„ ¢ Roast, our new everyday brewed coffee. This emphasis included the introduction of the â„ ¢ Starbucks Mastrena, our new, lower-proï ¬ le espresso machines, and the purchase of the company that makes the Clover ® brewer, a state-of-the-art single-cup brewing system that allows us to serve the best cup of brewed coffee available anywhere. Our customers also told us they are looking to Starbucks for more in the health and wellness space, and in response, we launched our nutritious Vivannoâ„ ¢ Nourishing Blends and extended our breakfast platform with choices like Perfect Oatmeal, one of our most successful food introductions ever. Not surprisingly, our customers have asked us to reward their loyalty and provide value, and we did just that through our Starbucks Rewards program. Value continues to be key to meeting the needs of our customers, and we have our sights set on more ways to provide it—all while not diminishing our brand, which stands for quality above allShow MoreRelatedStrategic Initiative Paper1636 Words   |  7 Pageseconomy we are currently facing. Starbucks Corporation (furthermore, Starbucks) is known as one of the leaders for the retail sales of roasted and specialty coffee. Starbucks is focused on creating a detailed strategic and financial planning that can take the company to the next level. The aim of this paper is to investigate Starbucks’s actions upon creation of strategic and financial plans, and its impact on cost and sales and risks associated. Starbucks has a long-standing effortRead MoreGlobal Competition1344 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Competition Starbucks is the unquestionable market leader in the U.S. and is in the early stages of an international expansion plan that could lead to more revenue coming from international than domestic locations within the decade (www.beta.fool.com). Starbucks has significant strengths in coffee business. It is the current market leader with over 17000 stores worldwide. It has no debt and uses internal cash flow for expansion. Also since all of its stores are company-owned, itRead MoreStarbuckss Best Coffee Brands1699 Words   |  7 Pagesthat Starbucks is one of the most recognized specialty coffee brands in the world. With numerous locations in over 62 countries, (Starbucks Annual Report, 2013) most of them located in shopping centers and airports, it makes it difficult to drive a few miles without coming across one of their many locations. Starbucks is not only a premier roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffees, they also have many other brands within their portfolio: Teavana, Tazo, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Starbucks VIARead MoreStarbucks: Analysis921 Words   |  4 Pagesto close a number of outlets in the United States, there were several factors that played into Starbucks decision. These included the performance of the stores in question, and the companys expectations for the state of the US economy going forward. The long term plan for the company also played a significant role in the downsizing that the company went through. For most of its existence, Starbucks had expanded rapidly, but in the few years preceding the downsizing, the companys performanceRead MoreStarbucks Working Capital Strategies1584 Words   |  7 PagesStarbucks Working Capital Strategies Starbucks is one of the largest most recognizable names in the coffee industry known worldwide. Starbucks has been able to hold onto their business making revenue in these current rough economic times. Even though they have had to shut down some stores it is nothing new than what any other company does when stores are not brining in the revenue that is expected to cover expenses of the business. To see what kind of impact the decisions that Starbucks hasRead MoreStarbucks Corporation1716 Words   |  7 PagesStarbucks Corporation By Oybek Salimov Outline Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 1. Background of the company†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 2. Starbucks’s expansion.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 3. Risks associated with expansion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 4. Capital structure of the company†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Reference †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Appendix †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 Introduction GlobalizationRead MoreStarbucks Financial Analysis1739 Words   |  7 PagesStarbucks Financial Analysis Financial Analysis of the Starbucks Corporation 2401 Utah Avenue South Seattle, Washington 98134 (800) 235-2883 Financial Analysis of the Starbucks Corporation Company Overview Starbucks is the world’s largest specialty coffee retailer, Starbucks has more than 16,000 retail outlets in more than 35 countries. Starbucks owns more than 8,500 of its outlets, while licensees and franchisees operate more than 6,500 units worldwide, primarilyRead MoreStarbuck Industry Analysis (Malaysia)888 Words   |  4 Pagesstarbuck Malaysia industry analysis Threat of substitute products - medium The premium foods and even fast foods industry, there are substitute products for Starbucks. When the other industries can satisfy the customer need that coffee industry is satisfying then there will have a threat for Starbucks. Other beverage industries such as premium foods industry – Tony Roma’s, Chili’s both have provided a good atmosphere and environment for customers. These restaurants also offer free refill for certainRead MoreStarbuck’s Strategy and Internal Initiatives to Return to Profitable Growth1299 Words   |  6 PagesBowker, opened Starbucks Coffee, Team, and Spice in Seattle, Washington. They were inspired by the success of Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Berkeley, California. However, they focused on selling high-quality whole beans and coffee products, making the store was consistently profitable. By 1980, Starbucks had four locations in the Seattle area. In 1981, Howard Schultz, vice president and general manager of U.S. operations fo r a Swedish maker of coffee and kitchen equipment, visited Starbucks and was immediatelyRead MoreAcc 230 Final Starbucks Financial Analysis Paper1141 Words   |  5 PagesStarbucks Financial Analysis Author Axia College of University of Phoenix Starbucks Financial Analysis Starbucks Coffee originated in 1971 as a coffee and tea cafà © opening in a small neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Starbucks continued its service for Seattle residents for a decade when the new director of retail operations and marketing, Howard Shultz, decided to make some beneficial changes to the company. After two years of employment Howard Shultz decided

The Importance of French Education for Engineers Free Essays

French education for engineers is significantly different from that of the United States. This fact will be the topic of this paper as well as the sequencing of French education. There are four schools in France that provide for the bulk of the engineering education after high school. We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of French Education for Engineers or any similar topic only for you Order Now These are called National Instituts For Applied Sciences or INSA. These institutions are very comprehensive and high level. The National Instituts For Applied Sciences or INSA take students who have completed their secondary school studies and select them on the basis of their examination results and their academic records. The recruitment is highly selective. In 1991, 11,000 candidates with a science baccalaureat applied for about 1,200 places.[1] It is therefore obvious, that the INSAs attract students with a high level of scientific education in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The studies begin with a two-year basic study program in the Premier Cycle, which is comprised of general science courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics and computer science. These courses are also complimented with courses in the Liberal Arts. The students who pass the first and second year exams are admitted to the Engineering Departments where they continue their studies for three additional years. This enables the students to specialize in nearly all the different engineering sciences: computer studies, mechanics, physics, chemistry and biochemistry. One original aspect of the INSAs is that, the number of students in a department can vary depending on the state of employment prospects. All the INSAs train their students according to the same principles and curricula as the other four institutions. The First cycle is a two-year program of common core classes that welcomes secondary school graduates. Its goal is to prepare students for entry into one of the Institute’s specialized departments. The initial qualifications of those who apply for admission to INSA guarantee the high quality of the students: 80% of them graduate in 5 years and 5% in 6 years. [1] Engineering studies start concurrently with the first year of their training. After a two-year preparatory phase, the first cycle begins putting an ambitious regiment into place. The goal of this regiment is, first of all, to give students the common scientific, technical, and liberal arts training necessary for all departments. In order to achieve this goal, course work is divided into modules that are independent of each other. The second goal of the regiment is to encourage students to make the transition from high school student to a responsible higher level student with clearly defined professional goals. As a result of the quality of these different goals, the first cycle plays an important role in both engineering sciences as well as the liberal arts through both years. EURINSA is another two-year European first cycle in engineering studies that has, since 1991, been training European students (including French students) to be part of an international team. The scientific training, conducted in French but adapted to engineering students from different backgrounds (language abilities), allows the students to enroll in any one of the four INSAs in France or even in one of their European counter parts. The program is open to approximately 100 students (at each institution) of whom 1/3 are French, 1/3 are from other European countries, and 1/3 from Central and Eastern Europe.[3] The INSAs produce highly qualified engineers. There are some main differences between studying at an INSA and in the universities of the other European countries. One difference is that French students specialize only at the end of the first two years (the â€Å"Premier Cycle†). This form of training provides them with a vast scientific background, which guarantees a good overall training in the engineering sciences. This method also allows them to change their area of concentration, if necessary during the course of their career. As the INSAs and the â€Å"Grandes Ecoles† are highly selective, very few students drop out during the Premier Cycle whereas, in the traditional university system, there is a high dropout rate or at least a decision to change their course of study. Unlike the University system, the students at an INSA have many general courses. Although all European countries announce a training scheme which lasts approximately 5 years, the fact that attendance is not 100% and that students are permitted to repeat years, means that becoming a qualified engineer could take two or three years longer.[3] Engineering training fields and engineer status differ widely among countries. In other European Countries as well as the United States for example, the seemingly simple problem of correspondence among degrees, not to mention equivalence, is far from being solved, and the notion of harmonizing the numerous systems does not seem realistic. Educational system’s specification’s are deeply rooted in the country’s culture, industry and economy. Large discrepancies appear in Europe between: kinds of high-school studies and their length before college entrance, means of student recruitment, length of training (in terms of number of years of study), degree awarding, academic recognition, professional recognition, etc. In many countries, two engineer profiles coexist: a design engineer with a broad background training, and a production and application engineer. For each profile, there are nevertheless important national particulars. With such diversity, one may understand why a foreign candidate admission in a French engineering college does not assume automatic level equivalence rules. Instead results from various factors: number of study years, major and minor fields of studies, major projects, etc. Therefore, there is only one European general objective in this area, dealing with recognizing degrees obtained after at least three higher education years. These are valued for entrance in professions having regulated access. Because of this definite lack of equivalence standards, Europeans have decided to develop student and professional mobility by recognizing and validating studies engaged in at colleges in other countries . This process has strongly developed in some cases, through the development of programs leading to double degrees, or through the E.C.T.S. project (European Credit Transfer System), based on academic credits which are transferable within higher education institutions of the European Union.[3] Institutions wishing to participate in E.C.T.S., particularly those following non-university framework, must make great efforts to adapt. They have to reorganize their training programs or curriculum with credit hours and they have to use a universal grading scale. The University of Technology of Compiegne (UTC) was the first French engineering school to engage in ECTS in the field of mechanical engineering. Other schools, like INSA of Lyon have more recently done the same. Apart from this very structured system, recognition of study periods among institutions from several countries appears more and more to be an essential component of an international open policy. Partnership agreements exist also with American universities, for instance between the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine and Kansas State University and University of Wisconsin at Madison. Developing this practice and expanding the student exchanges depends on firm relationships between foreign schools. A new attitude has developed, where one takes notice of differences between systems, without making value judgements. Thus, these new relations are creating more awareness of the equivalence problem and providing better methods for rectification. The École Polytechnique constitutes the â€Å"graduate schools.† It takes 2 to 3 years of study and, in 1993, there were 46,000 students enrolled in the second cycle.[3] Each year, the École Polytechnique admits slightly more than 400 students into the Second Cycle, via traditional competitive examinations.[4] These students are of both sexes, may be either French or foreign, and are approximately 21 years old. The instructional program for the Second Cycle consists of two years of advanced courses in the fundamental sciences. The program is evenly divided between a core curriculum, and an elective curriculum that includes individual research projects. All students follow the core curriculum, which includes courses in pure and applied mathematics, computer science, mechanics, physics, chemistry, biology and economics. The core curriculum also includes courses in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in several modern languages. Upon successful completion of these two years, students are awarded the diploma of Ingenieur de l’École Polytechnique. Relatively few of them begin their careers upon graduation. The vast majority of graduates choose to follow their studies with specialized training in engineering or business administration, or with the preparation of a doctoral degree. The French nationals, in view of the obligations of their status as polytechniciens, may choose to pursue technical training in France, at one of its engineering schools (such as the École des Mines, the École des Ponts et Chaussees, or the École des Telecommunications) They complete their last two years of education, and receive the corresponding Diplome d’Ingenieur. Since 1996, French nationals have undertaken such training at foreign institutions, in Europe, America or Asia: they have a choice among 100 different instructional programs, at 29 foreign institutions, leading to an Engineering degree or a Masters of Applied Science or Engineering, depending on the institution selected.[3] These programs generally require between two and two and a half years. Special arrangements with the École facilitate admission to some of these institutions. After research training in France or at a foreign university, engineering school, or public or private research center, approximately four years, they obtain a doctoral degree, a Ph.D. or a similar degree in a basic or applied science. For business studies abroad, after several years of practical experience, they earn an MBA degree at one of seven institutions. Foreign students may undertake specialized training or prepare dissertations at institutions of their choice, including, of course, their home institutions. The past shows, however, that they tend to favor the programs offered to their French classmates. In any case, the École attempts to arrange that the two years of study at Palaiseau be properly validated in the programs of the students’ home universities. Foreign students are entitled to the same agreements as those offered to French nationals. The École Polytechnique’s Second Cycle in the fundamental sciences together with a specialization acquired at another first class institution, represents a training that is proving to be in particular demand in today’s economic market place. Indeed, each year large corporations come forward with expressions of their needs and suggestions as to where they believe the necessary applied training may best be obtained. How to cite The Importance of French Education for Engineers, Papers

Breathing Innovation into Shoes Case Analysis free essay sample

Introduction Geox is an Italian shoe and clothing company that started in 1995. Its products are available through over 10,000 stores around the world. The founder of the company, Mario Moretti Polegato, has built a company by offering a world an innovative concept of â€Å"shoes that breathe.† The companys brand-named shoe technology combines vented soles with breathable membranes that allow humidity and heat to escape while still providing protection from the elements. Product lines include casual and dress shoes for men and women, as well as childrens shoes. Geox has also adapted its technology for use in jackets and coats. Today, Geox holds the position of a second largest manufacturer of casual footwear market, but it is choosing the right strategy to improve its positions in other markets, renew its products while staying competitive. SWOT analysis In order to set specific growth objectives for Geox, first, we need to evaluate the company’s current position. We used SWOT analysis to determine the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths: Patented innovative technology, constant focus on research and development Cross-market positioning for products Brand recognition A growing presence on international markets Vast distribution network Optimized production Weaknesses: High cost of research and development Patent protection costs Opportunities: New-product development to attract new customers Expansion to new markets Diversifying the production to include sports footwear Partnerships Threats: Highly competitive industry Other companies’ similar technology development Economy and demand fluctuations Instable political climate Goals Reaching the leading position in the casual lifestyle market Differentiating the product line Expanding to emerging markets Developing new products Growth Strategies Overall, first half of 2009 was successful, and currently the company has $133.9 million of free cash flow to reinvest in future growth. 1. Continue expansion to China China is the second largest footwear consumer, following the US. And if the US footwear market is over saturated and highly competitive, which implies that in order to reach the customer, Geox would have to invest huge amounts of money in distribution and marketing. China, on the other hand, is an extremely attractive market that requires less investment and offers bigger outcomes. Furthermore, 95% of the production facilities are located in China, which ensures relatively fast and inexpensive distribution to the retailers in the Republic. European plants contribute only 5% of the output of the production, so it would be efficient to relocate those plants to China. 2. Expand to other emerging markets Such countries as India, Asia Pacific, Brazil and Russia are the other attractive markets for future expansion. They are some of the top footwear consumers, and rising incomes among the population of those countries ensure affordability, and therefore, the demand for Geox products. Thus, Geox is interested in future partnerships with department stores in those countries, as well as opening its own single-brand stores. 3. Focus on the casual lifestyle footwear In order to keep the leading position and to secure high profits, the company has to progress in this direction and not to shift from it completely as it risks losing its loyal customers who are the main sources of profit. Casual footwear is the biggest and fastest-growing product segment, and by 2009, Geox was second largest casual lifestyle sector operator with 31.9% percent increase over the previous year, which also makes it the fastest-growing company in this particular market. The leading casual footwear producer, Clarks, had experienced only 9.7% growth over the year. Therefore, there is an opportunity to get a bigger market share and take the dominating position in the casual lifestyle footwear market. 4. Find its own niche in sports footwear Geox has all the resources to continue developing its sportswear line. Biggest competition, companies Nike and Adidas together control nearly 60% of the athletic footwear market. Their budgets are higher than those of Geox, and they put all of their resources towards promoting and distributing only products designed for sports and active lifestyle. Eventually, in order to successfully enter the sport footwear market, Geox would have to find some support from athlete celebrities or well-performing sports teams to endorse its products. It does not necessarily have to be in the form of flashy marketing campaigns as it contradicts with company’s values, but it could be done in the form of sponsoring the events, teams, or single persons. As both sportswear leaders are American companies and focus primarily on US athletes, Geox could partner with someone representing European sports. Innovation and breathability are company’s main strengths; so high-intensity sports like racing would be a perfect match. 5. Invest in the new product lines Geox positions itself as a producer of innovative â€Å"breathable† products. Moreover, the company is aware that this is not enough to appeal to consumer, so it ensures that its shoes follow the fashion trends. For that matter, Geox employs the best Italian designers. So far, that has been a successful move that gained a lot of loyalty from more fashion-conscious buyers. Therefore, Geox could develop a new line for high-end formal wear. The other Italian brand and one of the competitors operating in that segment, Ferragamo, has shown a significant increase in sales and profits over the last few years, so there are a lot of opportunities in competing in this market. In order to do that, the company might need to develop a signature look, to add some other distinctive design features to the shoes, to develop a line of products on the cutting edge of both technology and fashion. 6. Continue research and development Innovation is a key competitive advantage of Geox, so as the competition is aware of that, Geox has to constantly come up with something new and add more and more unique features to stay on top of the game.

Ethical Issues Faced By Multi

Introduction Multi-national companies operate in different countries around the world. Several factors have informed their decision to operate in different localities and especially moving into the less developed countries. Their movement into and operation in those countries has raised several ethical issues related to their impact on environment, culture issues, labour relations, and quality production.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Issues Faced By Multi-National Companies Operating In Less Developed Countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The management of such companies are experiencing difficult situations due to increased ethical awareness in the less developed countries. This paper seeks to look at ethical issues that face multi-national companies in less developed countries. Corporate Ethics Ethics refers to tenets that assist rational beings to choose between what is right or wrong and as su ch, an ethical behaviour gets universal acceptance in a particular community (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Ethics refers to â€Å"the set of standards used to judge the rightness or wrongness of a person’s interaction with others in terms of truth and justice† (Yuksel Guven, 2001). This definition implies a code that people consult to judge the actions of a person in a given society. Further, corporate ethics, inferring from individual ethics, refers to regulations that regulates business operations and the behaviour of employees as well as the corporation (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Corporate ethics and ethics in general concern moral issues of both an individual employee and of the corporation at large. When businesses operate within given laws and regulations, they are termed ethical. Over and above, ethics extends to the expectation of the community. The community expects the corporation to be ethical and in addition, be able to assist them in ways outside the corporationâ₠¬â„¢s core business of the company. This is where ethics goes beyond normal operations to taking care of the surrounding community in a concept known as corporate social responsibility (Yuksel Guven, 2001). The development of multi-national corporations has necessitated the development of global ethics, which have become a way of enhancing a corporation’s competitive advantage (Yuksel Guven, 2001). (Sengenberger Wilkinson, 1995).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As such, ethics becomes an added capability that compliments the strategic, technological, financial and organizational capabilities of an organization . However, global ethics is a product of negotiations between different stakeholders in a particular business environment and as such, it is neither absolute nor relative but consensus based ethics . This does not mean that broad tenets do not exist where glo bal ethics is concerned. Generally, â€Å"respect for human dignity, respect for basic rights and good citizenship† inform global ethics . Globalisation Globalisation is multifaceted concept that not only encompasses liberalisation of business practices but also includes the transfer of labour, capital, technology and capital (Mirwoba, 2009). Globalisation exhibits in the inventions related to communication (Mirwoba, 2009). The internet is a clear example of the high levels that globalisation has climbed and made it easier to communicate from and to any part of the world (Mirwoba, 2009). Globalisation has resulted in the integration of the global economy and with it, the emergence of related ethical issues (Mirwoba, 2009). Ethical Issues The culture of any community includes ethics. Culture is a people’s way of living or better still, â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another† . In this regard, therefore, â€Å"ethics is subject to cultural values and norms (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Every multi-national company that wishes to thrive in the less developed countries must understand the culture of the society they operate in and avoid practices that go against the accepted practices of that community Inherent illegal but almost accepted practices exist in a society. For instance, bribery is culture in most of African countries while in the US, and UK, bribery is pure corruption, which can lead to termination of business (Enderle, 2001). Less developed countries have sunk into corruption, which manifests through bribery, and appears as part of normal business procedure (Enderle, 2001).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Issues Faced By Multi-National Companies Operating In Less Developed Countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Multi-national corporations must deal with this issue decisi vely as it can break their business. To avoid such a practice, it is advisable that multi-national companies pay their staff well. As such, employees will not tolerate any compromise but will instead stick to business ethics (Enderle, 2001). As such, multi-nationals must reject negative cultural practices like corruption in whatever form and embrace positive cultural practices. Labour is another critical ethical issues that multi-national corporations must deal with and affirm this by applying global labour principles which to some extent are human rights on their own (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Child labour is a very critical ethical issue and as such, corporations that engage in such practice are bound to lose their standing. It is against the rights of children (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Poor working conditions are a common practice by multi-national corporations in the less developed countries. The Export Processing Zones in Kenya are a clear example where workers get inhuman treatment. The workers must meet production quotas everyday while the pay is so poor that it is only for sustenance and must therefore (IRIN, 2013) work for long hours. The employers fail to grant maternity leave and sick offs and this goes against the rights of employees (IRIN, 2013). However, where child labour is concerned, the corporation can apply the principle of lesser evil if and only if, sending such children away is worse than engaging them. This must involve dialogue with all stakeholders so that family welfare does not go down the drain in cases where such children have taken up guardian roles in the absence of their parents. In other words, applying absolute labour standards could be more detrimental to a particular societyAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Environmental degradation has arisen as another ethical issue. Corporations need to embrace practices that conserve the environment at all times; they should have sustainable business practices regarding the environment (Freeman, York, Stewart, 2008). Such practices as releasing effluence to rivers or use of hydrocarbons are not ethical if possible, stopped. Meeting the legal requirements on environmental conservation is not enough; the corporation should be on the forefront in the efforts to minimize global warming at all times (Yuksel Guven, 2001). Some corporations engage in the local politics raising some ethical considerations. This happens by ways of influencing policymaking and legislature in general through bribery of lawmakers in the less developed countries especially when a particular bill is not in their favour (Freeman, York, Stewart, 2008). For instance, tobacco companies may influence bills that seek to regularize smoking and imposition of strict rules on the corpo rations. Others may seek to oppose regulations concerning environmental degradation especially if their activities contribute to pollution of the environment through emissions or disposal of waste to local rivers (Enderle, 2001). It is unethical to influence such laws or oppose them when their aim is to conserve the global climate. Corporations would rather support such legislations that aim at promoting sustainable development (Freeman, York, Stewart, 2008). Conclusion Globalisation is an ever-growing and irreversible phenomenon. The less developed countries are part of the global economy and host numerous multi-national corporations. They benefit due to transfer of capital, technology and communication. However, there is an inherent risk of questionable ethical practices courtesy of the multi-national corporations. It is prudent that such corporations operate ethically with or without established regulations in the less developed countries. This will lead to increased competitive advantage for such corporations and good reputation to boot. Having ethical codes in place is just a step towards being ethical. The management and the staff must have the capability, morale and corporate backing in order to execute the established code of ethics. It is wise to handle all issues in an ethical manner. Such issues include transfer, promotions, employment of new staff, the environment and labour issues. Corporations must not seek to selfishly influence the policy making process at whatever cost as long as such policies are aimed at the good of all people and the environment in general. Where necessary, the corporations can dialogue with the relevant stakeholder to bend absolute regulations like those pertaining to child labour. The lesser evil carries the day. Globalisation should remain beneficial to the corporations and the less developed countries as it is in the developed countries. Mutual benefits must accrue to all stakeholders at all times. References Beauchamp , T L, Bowie, N 2004, Ethical Theory and Business 7th Edn. Pearson Prentice-Hall, New Jersey. Brinkman, L, Brinkman, J 2002, Corporate Power and the Globalization Process.  International Journal of Social Economics , vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 730-752. Enderle, G 2001, ‘Ethics in the New Millenium’, International Business Ethics Review,  vol. 4, no.1, pp. 8-9. Falkenberg, A 2004, ‘When in Rome†¦Moral Maturity and Ethics for International Economic Organizations’, Journal of Business Ethics , vol. 54, no. 1, 17-32. Ferrell, O, Fraedrich, J, Ferrell, L 2002, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making  and Case, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA. Freeman, R. E, York, J. G, Stewart, L 2008, ‘Bridge Paper: Environment, Ethics, and Business’, Business Roundtable Institute of Corporate Ethics, p. 8. †Kenya: Focus on Working Conditions in EPZ Companies†. IRIN. Web. Mirwoba, S E 2009, ‘Rethinking Ethical Issues in Global Business Envir onment’, KCA  Journal of Business Management, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 16-34. Turnen-Ren, A, Woodland, A 2001, The Anatomy of Multilateral Trade Policy  Reform, Regionalism and Globalization: Theory and Practice. (J. Michie, J. G. Smith, Eds.) Rutledge, Taylor and Francis Group, London. Yuksel, O, Guven, M 2001, The Globalization and Global Ethics: The Case of Less  Developed Countries. Web. This essay on Ethical Issues Faced By Multi-National Companies Operating In Less Developed Countries was written and submitted by user Tiana Morris 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.

Identifying Adjective Clauses Exercise

Identifying Adjective Clauses Exercise Instructions for the Exercise in Identifying Adjective Clauses Only some of the sentences below contain adjective clauses  (also called relative clauses). See if you can pick out the adjective clauses, and then compare your responses with the answers below. Identify the Adjective Clauses I bought a car from Merdine, and it turned out to be a lemon.The car that I bought from Merdine turned out to be a lemon.Pandora, who had recently celebrated a birthday, opened the box of gifts.Lila, who has been the fire warden for 30 years, lives in a trailer with some scrappy dogs and cats.Lila, who lives in a trailer with some scrappy dogs and cats, has been the fire warden for 30 years.People who smoke cigarettes should be considerate of nonsmokers.Jacob, who smokes cigarettes, is considerate of nonsmokers.Mr. Mann has small, dark eyes, which peer inquisitively from behind metal-rimmed glasses.My wedding ring is worth at least ten dollars, and now I have lost it.I have lost my wedding ring, which is worth at least ten dollars. Answers (no adjective clause)that I bought from  Merdinewho had recently celebrated a birthdaywho has been the town fire warden for nearly 30 yearswho lives in a trailer with some scrappy dogs and catswho smoke cigarettes  which peer inquisitively from behind metal-rimmed glasses(no adjective clause)which is worth at least ten dollars

The Advantages and Disadvantages on the Chinese Market Term Paper

The Advantages and Disadvantages on the Chinese Market - Term Paper Example Further on the development of external trade in China is seen by analysts as an extremely positive trend. China has already outrun Japan to become the third largest merchandise trading country right after the USA and Germany. â€Å"Merchandise exports rose by 35.4%, with production at foreign-funded enterprises estimated at about 58% of exports. Merchandise imports grew by 36.0%† (Asian Development Bank, 2005, p.20). China’s participation in WTO was followed by political reforms of reducing import tariffs and removing non-tariff barriers. All these trends along with strong domestic and external demand make China extremely attractive as an opportunity to invest funds. Positive general economic trends have also influenced the pharmaceutical industry of China. The analysis of performance in 2004 has shown that â€Å"China's pharmaceutical industry continued to maintain a momentum of steady growth, achieving a stable rise in both output and sales revenues. Exports maintained a stable growth and there was a continuous improvement in the industry's international competitiveness† (Research in China, 2005). Chemical preparation industry has showed the greatest uptrend among the industry segments, while the raw chemical material industry grew slowly. Overall tendencies of 2004 indicate the shift from the race for greater market shares to more complex and comprehensive competition based on various factors. While the evaluation of recent performance of Chinese pharmaceutical industry has shown a considerable positive momentum, the forecast for this industry are even more optimistic. Despite the challenge of operating in China, it is the fastest growing pharmaceutical market, rising by 28% in 2004, versus 7% global growth. It is currently the ninth largest pharmaceutical market but at current growth rates China is likely to overtake Germany and France by 2015. (Business Insights, 2005) The government of China has realised the importance of pharmaceutical industry to the national economy and has taken pharmaceutics under central planning. Initiated reforms have influenced the pharmaceutical industry positively.

Wells Fargo & Company Financial Ratios Analysis Research Paper

Wells Fargo & Company Financial Ratios Analysis - Research Paper Example The bank has positioned itself with a niche in specialized lending activities. It is the nation’s largest consumer lending bank with profits as high as $4 billion for the third quarter of 2011. Since 2008, Wells Fargo & Company has enjoyed increased revenue year by year until 2010. The three quarters for 2011 have however, experienced an increase in its earnings. The highest rise in its net income was attained from 2008 to 2009 of 362% increase i.e. from $ 2,655, 000 to $12,275,000. This has since then stabilized at the $12million range. Financial ratios analysis Profitability ratios Return on assets The ratio was 0.96% in 2008 and has risen to 5% in 2010. The return on assets has been increasing steadily from 2009 to date. It rose sharply in 2008/2009. Investment in bonds and notes, preferred and common stocks and other securities in its diversified portfolio of assets have seen a tremendous rise in its assets for the last three years. The ratio indicates that the returns from use of assets in the company are effectively invested in to generate high earnings for the bank. A comparison with the peer shows a big difference. The peer has ROA of 2.2% currently and the trend for the 4 years is an increase from 0.8%. Return on equity The ratio rose sharply in 2008 – 2009 then has stabilized for the following years. The ratio was at 4.84 in 2008 then rose to 10.42. Currently, the range is 10 – 11. That of its peers rags behind with 2008 having a negative of 3.86, and in 2010 a ROE of 5.10. Wells Fargo and Company has doubled its ROE in comparison to its peer group. The ma nagement team of Wells Fargo & Company has done a tremendous job in investing the shareholders equity and generating a high return therefrom. The return on equity is very high compared to its industry. The management has achieved this high mark through the investment strategies it has adopted. The company retained earnings are as high as $61 million this year compared to $48.9 million in September, 2010. These have been used as internal equity for reinvestment. The company investments are seen as a high diversified portfolio in the different sectors of the economy. The 4 year analysis of Wells Fargo financials indicate that both preferred and common equity is in surplus. The company is not highly geared, but it uses its earnings for investment purposes. The year 2008 experienced a huge increase in its equity when the company added its share capital. Efficiency ratios: Net Interest Margin – This is a measure of the difference between the cost of funds and the income generated by those funds. This stands at highs of 20.66%. The increase is owed to the reduction in provisions for credit losses. Net Noninterest Margin - Measures fees and service charges relative to noninterest expenses. It stands at 9.62%. This has resulted from the decrease in operating expenses that are not directly related to credit taking. Net Operating Margin The figure stands at an increase of 30.28% in 2011. This is owed to both reduced noninterest expense and the provision for credit losses in the year. Earnings per Share This stands at 0.72 in 2011 and has increased for the 7 consecutive quarters. This indicates that the company’s efficiency is high although its revenues have decreased. Earnings Spread This stood at 6% in 2010 compared to the third quarter of 2011 of 22%. Its peers have however, managed highs

Culture, Power and Resistance in the Twenty-First Century Essay - 1

Culture, Power and Resistance in the Twenty-First Century - Essay Example However, the already present culture present in most central and western parts of Europe and North America, as well as other richly concentrated locations, simply witnessed an acceleration in such changes in culture has they were already accustomed towards it. As for the rest of the world, the change was highly volatile in nature. It has been regarded by Hobsbawm 1994, that around 80 percent of the middle ages culture were felt to be gone in the 1960s. Capitalism entails the globalization, the market and liberalization, where capitalist leaders are adamant in creating a true whole global economy. However, they do face opposition who can be supposedly classified as anti-capitalists. Heartfield 2003, states that these critics hold more weight in their standings, to what it may seem to be. They emerged as â€Å"fight backs of those who had been the targets of the neoliberal rollbacks of the eighties†. The declining influence of developed nations as well as the concept of nationalism in developing economies, which gave rise to the anti-capitalist movement. Capitalism has led to a major shift in culture as well as lifestyle. For example, the entire world has witnessed major declines in the agricultural labour force. This not only applies to developed nations, but to developing nations as well. Hobsbawm 1994 says, the population of Spain and Portugal comprised of just under 50 percent within the agricultural sector in 1950, which has then reduced to 14.5 percent and 17.6 percent respectively, within thirty years. Given the nature of capitalism and its free fall freedom in movement, the post war years did create many ‘direct action’ movements or resistances. There were instances of non violent civil disobediences such as the British Committee of One Hundred anti nuclear protestors, the Red Army Faction in Germany. Opposition towards capitalism could also be said to be a form of political terrorism, which was in its nature conspiratorial,

Activation of the G Protein-coupled Estrogen Receptor

Activation of the G Protein-coupled Estrogen Receptor Activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor ameliorates salt-induced vascular remodeling Abstract The mRen2.Lewis (mRen2) female rat is an estrogen- and salt-sensitive model of hypertension which may reflect the higher pressure and salt sensitivity associated with menopause. We previously showed in salt-loaded mRen2 female rats that activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) does not lower blood pressure but attenuates renal damage. The current study hypothesized that GPER protects against vascular injury in this model. Intact mRen2.Lewis female rats were fed a normal (0.5% Na+) or high salt diet (HS; 4% Na+) for 10 weeks and treated with vehicle or the selective GPER agonist G-1 for the last two weeks of the study. Systolic blood pressure was measured by tail cuff plethysmography, and aortic sections were mounted on a wire myograph or formalin-fixed for histological analysis. Systolic blood pressure increased with HS (137  ± 2 mmHg, n=7 to 224  ± 8, n=9; P0.05). While aortic reactivity to phenylephrine and acetylcholine were not different between groups (P> 0.05), chronic G-1 treatment reduced vasoconstriction to angiotensin II (Pex vivo G-1 vasorelaxation (P Introduction Sodium balance plays an integral role in cardiovascular homeostasis. A high salt diet is considered a major risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality independent of other cardiovascular risk factors (Beil et al. Blood Pressure, 1995). Excessive salt intake has been associated with vascular remodeling, including the reorganization of the extracellular matrix and hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia of vascular smooth muscle cells. Although vascular remodeling is considered a protective adaptation to a higher wall stress, it contributes to the development of hypertension by creating a thicker, less compliant wall. Aortic stiffness, which contributes to isolated systolic hypertension in human subjects, is an excellent example of the complications presented by vascular remodeling (Lemarie et al. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 2009). The ability of estrogen to attenuate vascular remodeling in injured arteries may at least partly occur via activation of the classic steroid receptors ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² in VSMC and endothelial cells (Xing et al. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2009). Brouchet et al. showed that estrogen’s protective effects on vascular remodeling were abolished in female ERÃŽ ± knockout mice (Brouchet et al, Circulation, 2001). Moreover, in porcine aortic smooth muscle cells, the downregulation of ERÃŽ ² protein levels by mRNA antisense oligomers abrogated the inhibitory effects of estrogen on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, migration, and proliferation (Geraldes et al. Circ Res, 2003; Xing et al. Am J Physiol., 2007). However, the protective effects of estrogen on vascular injury are evident in both ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² knockout mice, suggesting that another receptor may be necessary (Iafrati et al. Nat Med. 1997; Karas et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1999). The novel G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is a membrane-bound receptor linked to acute signaling pathways (Revankar et al. Science, 2005; Thomas et al. Endocrinology, 2005). Our previous studies showed that GPER activation lowers blood pressure in ovariectomized mRen2.Lewis rats and attenuates salt-induced renal and cardiac remodeling in intact mRen2.Lewis rats (Lindsey et al Endocrinology, Jessup et al, PLOS one, 2010 and Lindsey et al Hypertension). Therefore, this novel receptor may play an important role in mediating estrogenic effects in the vasculature. In the current study, we hypothesized that chronic GPER activation is protective against aortic remodeling due to salt-sensitive hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we utilized mRen2.Lewis (mRen2) rats, a unique congenic model of hypertension in which HS profoundly elevates blood pressure in females (Chappell et al, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol., 2006). We compared aortic remodeling in high salt-fed rats with or without treatment with the selective GPER agonist G-1. Because estrogen modulates oxidative stress to attenuate vascular remodeling in injured arteries (Hayashi et al, Biochem Biophys Bes Commun, 1995; Xing et al. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2009) and GPER reduces oxidative stress in the kidneys of female mRen2 rats (Lindsey et al. Hypertension, 2011), we further determined whether the effects of HS and G-1 were mediated by modulating oxidative stress. To further elucidate the cellular mechanisms responsible for vascular remodeling, we uti lized primary cultured female rat aortic smooth muscle cells to determine the effects of salt on cellular hypertrophy. Methods Animals All procedures were approved by the institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Hemizygous mRen2.Lewis congenic female rats were obtained from the Wake Forest Hypertension Center breeding colony. Rats had free access to food and water in a temperature-controlled room (22  ± 2 °C) with a 12 hour light to dark cycle. At five weeks of age, the normal salt diet (NS, 0.5% Na) was switched to high salt (HS; 4% Na), as previously described (1, 2). The selective GPER agonist G-1 (400  µg/kg/day; EMD Chemicals, Gibbstown, NJ) or vehicle was administered for two weeks beginning at 13 weeks of age via subcutaneous osmotic minipump (Model 2ML2; Alza Corporation, Palo Alto, CA). Blood pressure was measured via tail cuff plethysmography (Narco Bio-systems, Houston, TX). Animals were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: intact NS (n=7), intact HS+vehicle (veh; n=9), and intact HS+G-1 (n = 9). Vascular Reactivity. After sacrifice, the upper thoracic aorta was submerged in formalin for histology and the lower portion used for vascular reactivity as previously described (Lindsey et al Endocrinology). Aortas were equilibrated with 2 g tension and the responses to 1 uM phenylephrine, 1 uM acetylcholine, 10 nM angiotensin II (Ang II), and 3 uM G-1 were measured. Histology. Formalin-fixed aortas were embedded in paraffin, cut into 5 um sections, and mounted on slides. To evaluate aortic wall thickness, slides were stained with hematoxylin and images analyzed using ImagePro software (XXX company, XXX city,XX state). Aortic medial area was calculated by the subtraction of the area of the inner border of the lumen (inner area) from the area of the outer border of the tunica media (outer area). Collagen staining was performed using picrosirius red and images were taken using a Texas Red fluorescent filter. The medial area was selected and the mean luminosity was recorded for each section. The NovaUltra Orcein Elastin Stain Kit (IHC World, XXX) was used for elastin staining. For analysis of oxidative stress, sections were immunostained with an antibody against 4-hydroxynonenal as previously described (Lindsey et al Hypertension). For analysis of brightfield images, positive staining was identified and the percent of positive pixels in the medial a rea recorded. For all analyses, the average of four cross-sectional measurements was calculated for each animal. Cell Studies. Aortic smooth muscle cells were isolated from adult f emale Lewis rats by explant method. Aortas were excised, cleaned of fat, cut longitudinally, scraped of endothelial cells, laid luminal side down in a cell culture dish containing Medium 199 (Invitrogen, XXX) and 5% fetal bovine serum (Gibco, XXX), and cut into small strips. Cells were subcultured up to four passages. When cells reached 80% confluence, the medium was switched to Medium 199 without phenol red or fetal bovine serum and sodium chloride (Sigma) was added to the increase the concentration to 152 mM, 160 mM, and 182 mM. Add NaCl to make high salt CS medium (152, 160, and 182 mM), Normal medium 142 mM NO, I find 117 mM Add 0.02 g NaCl to 50 ml of normal medium, that makes 152 mM Add 0.045 g NaCl to 50 ml of normal medium, that makes 160 mM Add 0.11 g NaCl to 50 ml of normal medium, that makes 182 mM After 5 days of exposure to high sodium medium, cells were harvested for further experiments. Cells were harvested using trypsin to obtain single cell suspensions. A sample was taken for determination of cell number and diameter using XXX cellometer (XXX company, XXX city, XXX state). Mean cell diameter was determined on 200 randomly chosen cells in each sample. The remaining cells were lysed in XXX with protease inhibitor cocktail (XXX company). Cellular protein content was determined in duplicate using bovine serum albumin as a standard (Bio-Rad Protein Assay Kit). Results As previously reported, a high salt diet (HS) significantly increased systolic blood pressure in intact mRen2 female rats (Figure 1A). Chronic treatment with the selective GPER agonist G-1 for two weeks did not influence blood pressure. G-1 did not influence the aortic response to acetylcholine (Figure 1B) or phenylephrine (Figure 1D). However, G-1 treatment in vivo amplified the vasorelaxant response to ex vivo application of G-1 (Figure 1C) and decreased the vasoconstrictor response to Ang II (Figure 1E). Salt-sensitive hypertension in female mRen2 rats significantly increased aortic thickness, as determined by the media/lumen ratio (Figure 2A-B). This remodeling was associated with a significant decrease in lumen area but no change in the external diameter of the aorta (Figures 2C-D). Chronic G-1 significantly attenuated remodeling, as evidenced by a decreased media/lumen ratio and an increased lumen area, with no change in external diameter. The average measurements for all groups are graphically represented in Figure 2E. In order to determine whether extracellular fibrosis was altered by HS and G-1, aortic sections were analyzed for collagen and elastin content. Figure 3 shows that picrosirius red staining was similar in all groups (Figure 3). Elastin staining was significantly decreased by HS but this effect was not reversed by G-1 (Figure 4). Elastin Breaks Space between elastin fibers Sections were assessed for proliferation using antibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67. No evidence of immunostaining was found in the medial sections of aorta for these two nuclear proteins necessary for cellular proliferation (data not shown). However, in comparison to aortas from normal salt-fed rats, HS aortas showed a significant increase in oxidative stress as measured by staining for the lipid peroxidation product 4-HNE (Figure 5). In addition, chronic G-1 treatment significantly attenuated 4-HNE staining. Aortic smooth muscle cells were isolated and cultured in order to determine the Effects of HS and G-1 on cellular hypertrophy. Discussion The present study demonstrated that estrogen receptor GPER activation attenuated salt-induced increase of aortic wall thickness in mRen2 rats. The mechanism for the G-1 effect most likely involves counteracting oxidative stress and reducing vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy. This study demonstrating GPER-induced vascular protection nicely complements our previous work showing similar results in the kidney and heart (ADD REF). Interestingly, GPER’s renoprotective effects were also associated with a reduction in oxidative stress. Moreover, the beneficial effects in the heart were similarly independent of alterations in the extracellular matrix but directly associated with a reduction in cardiomyocyte size. Vascular GPER protein is clearly expressed in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells of the aorta (Lindsey et al, Endocrinology, 2009; Ding et al, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2009; Gros et al, Hypertension, 2011). In native vessels, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed mostly of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans. These proteins inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence cell functions and play an important role in maintaining vessel structure by providing tensile strength (collagens) and elasticity (elastin) (Lemarie et al. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 2009). One of the earliest steps of vascular remodeling is the reorganization of the ECM. In the current study, we have shown that HS increased collagen levels and suppressed elastin content in the aorta, indicating increased stiffness and less elasticity. Most importantly, the finding that G-1 ameliorates salt-induced collagen increase, without altering salt-induced decreases in elastin content, suggests that GPER activation protects against the remodeling process via suppressing collagen levels, instead of elastin. The amount and composition of collagen depends on a balance between synthesis / deposition and degradation. The exact effects of GPER on collagen protein expression, degradation, or both remain to be investigated. Another important step during vascular remodeling is the hypertrophy and / or hyperplasia of the VSMCs (Lemarie et al. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 2009). To address this possibility, we used primary cultured ASMCs isolated from female mRen2 rats. We found that both cellular protein content and cell size increased in high salt media (160 mM and 182 mM), indicating that high salt induces cellular hypertrophy. The cellular protein content of 152 mM media-treated cells is significantly higher than that of normal media (142 mM)-treated group. However, the cell size has no significant difference. One possible explanation is that the protein started to accumulate inside cells, but cells had not begun to enlarge yet. More importantly, we found G-1 abolished the hypertrophy of cells. The hypertrophy appears to result from an increase in the rate of protein synthesis and / or a decrease in the rate of protein degradation (Berk et al, Hypertension, 1989; Gu et al, Hypertension , 1998). Future studies are required to determine the effects of GPER activation on protein expression, degradation, or both. We further looked into the possibility of salt-induced proliferation in ASMCs. Although it has been shown that GPER induced the activation of MAPK signaling and cellular hyperplasia in VSMCs, other studies have demonstrated that G-1 inhibited serum-stimulated growth in VSMCs lacking ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² (Haas et al, Circ Res, 2009,; Ding, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2009; Gros et al, Hypertension, 2011). In our study, we did not observe any evidence of Ki67 or PCNA staining in the medial layer of aortas from any group, although significant staining was found in the adventitia. These results are supported by our in vitro studies which show no change in cell number in response to HS. The finding that G-1 attenuates aortic thickening and cellular hypertrophy, without altering blood pressure, suggests that GPER has protective effects in the cardiovascular system that are independent of blood pressure. One possible mechanism is acute increases in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is linked to damage within the vasculature and may contribute to vascular remodeling (Hayashi et al, Biochem Biophys Bes Commun, 1995; Xing et al. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 2009). To address this possibility, we first stained 4-HNE, a marker for oxidative stress, in the aorta. We found significantly stronger staining of 4-HNE in HS-fed rats. However, this was attenuated by G-1 treatment, suggesting that GPER activation attenuates salt-induced oxidative stress. To further confirm this finding, we used tempol, an antioxidant, or G1 to treat ASMCs and measured several hypertrophy parameters. Tempol or G-1 treatments abolished the increase of both cellular protein con tent and cell size. Broughton et al demonstrated that G1 reduces NADPH-dependent oxidase activity in isolated carotid and intracranial arteries of normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats (Broughton et al, Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 2010). Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of GPR 30 to attenuate reactive oxygen species within aorta awaits future studies. Another possibility is that HS stimulates renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in mRen2 rats. Ang II increased medial thickening of aorta due to VSMC hypertrophy without increase in cell number (Owens et al, Circ Res, 1982 1983). However, GPER activation may reduce expression of the angiotensin II (Ang II) AT1 receptor (AT1R) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) but increase the expression of ACE2. Alterations in ACE and ACE2 may increase the ratio of Ang-(1-7) to Ang II in tissues (Lindsey et al, Gender Medicine, 2011). Ang-(1-7) inhibited vascular remodeling in rat jugular vein grafts (Wu et al, J Int Med Res, 2011). In the present study, the HS medium (152, 160, 182 mM) was made by simply adding sodium chloride to normal medium (142 mM). This increases both sodium concentration and osmolarity in the medium. It is likely that increased osmolarity plays a significant role in salt-induced hypertrophy. Future studies using mannitol are needed to rule out this possibility. In summary, this study showed a beneficial effect of the GPER agonist G-1 in salt- and pressure-induced vascular remodeling. These protective effects of G-1 may be due to suppression of oxidative stress and associated cellular hypertrophy. What about aldosterone? 1.Chappell MC, Westwood BM, and Yamaleyeva LM. Differential effects of sex steroids in young and aged female mRen2.Lewis rats: a model of estrogen and salt-sensitive hypertension. Gender medicine 5 Suppl A: S65-75, 2008. 2.Lindsey SH, Yamaleyeva LM, Brosnihan KB, Gallagher PE, and Chappell MC. Estrogen receptor GPR30 reduces oxidative stress and proteinuria in the salt-sensitive female mRen2.Lewis rat. Hypertension 58: 665-671, 2011.

Affirmative Action Should Not Be Continued Essay -- argumentative, pers

Affirmative action started in the 1960’s as a way to end discrimination against African American and later all minorities - including women. By migrating people of all color into workplaces and colleges/universities seemed to be the suitable solution to diversify our nation. Although blacks had been freed for a 100 years, they continually struggled with segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned the segregation of all sort in the United States, however that was not enough. Congress mandated the affirmative action program as a plan of desegregation. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy made reference to this plan, but it was not until September 1965 that it was enforced by President Lyndon Johnson. The program affected federal jobs, to include federal contracting company, and universities. In order to receive federal funding, each entity had to hire and enroll minorities. Affirmative action was a good jump start to get our nation to where it is today. However, affi rmative action should not be continued because it is a form of discrimination, it is more harmful than helpful, and it supplements race or gender for one’s qualification. The government thinks that implementing affirmative action will repair inequality, but it cannot. In the midst of tying to promote equality, they are promoting discrimination. Discrimination is the violation of one’s human rights based on gender, sex, race, ethnicity and/or relation. President Johnson felt that blacks being free and able to go to the same school as Caucasians were not just enough for the past discrimination and turmoil the African Americans went through. Affirmative action was used as a cure to remedy lost times. Sandal made some valid points; he noted that th... .../wp-srv/politics/special/affirm/stories/aaop031595.htm Murphy, S. (2010 July 23). Judge tells city to hire four white firefighters. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/26/judge_tells_city_to_hire_four_white_firefighters/ Plous, S. (2003). Ten myths about affirmative action. Retrieved from http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm Pottinger, J. (1972). The drive toward equality. New York: Change Magazine. Sandel, M. (2009). Justice: What’s the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux Sargis, D. (2004 March 2). Race-based college scholarships. Retrieved from http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3183.html Timeline of Affirmative Action Milestone (2010 July, 05). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html

Focus of the Final Paper Essay

Focus of the Final Paper You’ve just been hired onto ABC Company as the corporate controller. ABC Company is a manufacturing firm that specializes in making cedar roofing and siding shingles. The company currently has annual sales of around $1.2 million, a 25% increase from the previous year. The company has an aggressive growth target of reaching $3 million annual sales within the next 3 years. The CEO has been trying to find additional products that can leverage the current ABC employee skillset as well as the manufacturing facilities. As the controller of ABC Company, the CEO has come to you with a new opportunity that he’s been working on. The CEO would like to use the some of the shingle scrap materials to build cedar dollhouses. While this new product line would add additional raw materials and be more time-intensive to manufacture than the cedar shingles, this new product line will be able to leverage ABC’s existing manufacturing facilities as well as the current staff. Although this product line will require added expenses, it will provide additional revenue and gross profit to help reach the growth targets. The CEO is relying on you to help decide how this project can be afforded Provide details about the estimated product costs, what is needed to break even on the project, and what level of return this product is expected to provide. In order to help out the CEO, you need to prepare a six- to eight-page report that will contain the following information (including exhibits, but excluding your references and title page). Refer to the accompanying Excel spreadsheet (available through your online course) for some specific cost and profit information to complete the calculations. Final Paper Spreadsheet I. An overall risk profile of the company based on current economic and industry issues that it may be facing. II. Current company cash flow a. You need to complete a cash flow statement for the company using the direct method. b. Once you’ve completed the cash flow statement, answer the following questions: i. What does this statement of cash flow tell you about the sources and uses of the company funds? ii. Is there anything ABC Company can do to improve the cash flow? iii. Can this project be financed with current cash flow from the company? Why or why not? iv. If the company needs additional financing beyond what ABC Company can provide internally (either now or sometime throughout the life of the project), how would you suggest the company obtain the additional financing, equity or corporate debt, and why? III. Product cost: ABC Company believes that it has an additional 5,000 machine hours available in the current facility before it would need to expand. ABC Company uses machine hours to allocate the fixed factory overhead, and units sold to allocate the fixed sales expenses. Bases on current research, ABC Company expects that it will take twice as long to produce the expansion product as it currently takes to produce its existing product. a. What is the product cost for the expansion product under absorption and variable costing? b. By adding this new expansion product, it helps to absorb the fixed factory and sales expenses. How much cheaper does this expansion make the existing product? c. Assuming ABC Company wants a 40% gross margin for the new product, what selling price should it set for the expansion product? d. Assuming the same sales mix of these two products, what are the contribution margins and break-even points by product? IV. Potential investments to accelerate profit: ABC company has the option to purchase additional equipment that will cost about $42,000, and this new equipment will produce the following savings in factory overhead costs over the next five years: Year 1, $15,000 Year 2, $13,000 Year 3, $10,000 Year 4, $10,000 Year 5, $6,000 ABC Company uses the net-present-value method to analyze investments and desires a minimum rate of return of 12% on the equipment. a. What is the net present value of the proposed investment (ignore income taxes and depreciation)? b. Assuming a 5-year straight-line depreciation, how will this impact the factory’s fixed costs for each of the 5 years (and the implied product costs)? What about cash flow? c. Considering the cash flow impact of the equipment as well as the time-value of money, would you recommend that ABC Company purchases the equipment? Why or why not? V. Conclusion: a. What are the major risk factors that you see in this project? b. As the controller and a management accountant, what is your responsibility to this project? c. What do you recommend the CEO do? Writing the Final Paper 1. Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 2. Must include a title page with the following: a. Title of paper b. Student’s name c. Course name and number d. Instructor’s name e. Date submitted

The Virtue Of Sport Essays - Virtue, Ethics, Philosophy, Free Essays

The Virtue Of Sport Essays - Virtue, Ethics, Philosophy, Free Essays The Virtue Of Sport The Ancient Greeks believed that there were four cardinal virtues to living a good life. These virtues: courage, temperance, justice and wisdom can be applied not only to everyday life, but also to the society of sport and to the film, Hoosiers. In this film, many characters have these qualities, illustrating the virtue of sport. The characters in the film show a great deal of the first virtue, courage. For instance, Coach Norman Dale. He is brought into a new situation, as a coach of a small town basketball team. It is a formidable task, which he faces head on. Hickory, Indiana is like many other small towns. They are a close knit community, who are not especially welcoming to new comers and are generally against change, especially when coming from an outside source. This is where Coach Dale encounters most of his problems. He has new ideas for the basketball team and the townspeople resent his ideas and methods. In this sense, Coach Dale shows a great deal of courage. Another courageous character is Jimmy. He is the towns star basketball player and has chosen to give up the sport, due to the death of someone close. When he re-approaches the sport, he gives new faith to the town, team and himself. Shooter, the local alcoholic also shows a great deal of courage. With the support of Coach Dale, he is able to shed the label he has been given and face his illness head on. As a result of this, he is given a second chance, both in the community and with his son. Although it is a difficult road to travel, with many obstacles, Shooter is well on the way to recovery. Being made an assistant coach to the Hickory High School basketball team has given him direction in life, a meaning and a purpose. This shows that courage is a vital virtue for all to keep both in sport and in life. The second virtue is temperance. Illustrated in the film, this virtue examines the individual versus team play. The Hickory High School basketball team was all about team play. In fact, it was one of the central themes of the whole film. Coach Dale realized that team play was important, and that this virtue was important to the team. They barely had enough players to field a team. This would seem discouraging to many others, but the team was able to see that the most important aspect of the game was the team themselves. Coach Dale also realized that the virtue although present in the team needed greater expression in the community. By the end of the film, the residents of Hickory finally observe this aspect of the virtue. Temperance, shows the need for moderation and understanding in both team and community settings. Justice, the third cardinal virtue is also shown, to a certain extent in the film. Is it important to give each person his or her time in the limelight? Coach Dale believed this was true. He was fair to all of his players, giving each the chance to play, but also enforcing the rules at the same time. Sometimes this meant that the team had to play short handed, but it was all to get his point across. He gave each player the chance to show their ability and made each player feel that they were an essential part of the team, no matter how big or small they were. It was also Coach Dale that gave Shooter a second shot on life. Being a part of a team gave him reason to try and reprove himself to the community and his son. Justice will always be an important part of the society of sport. How would one even know how far they could stretch their abilities if never given the chance to try? Coach Dale shows us that this is necessary both in sport and in the community. That last virtue, wisdom was shown in a few instances in the film. The concept of wisdom is that of understanding self and controlling self. It took quite a while, however, Coach Dale realizes his possibilities as coach and also as a member of society. He

Writing a Civil Engineering Term Paper That Impresses Everyone

Writing a Civil Engineering Term Paper That Impresses Everyone Civil engineering is an academic profession that is interesting to many learners. Many students across the world are enrolling for the course as learners desire to understand the design and development of structures. Civil engineering students usually become professional engineers dealing with the design, developmental, construction, and management of natural and physically built infrastructure. The course usually focuses on developing roads, bridges, canals, buildings, and dams. One of the primary skills learned by civil engineering students is writing a term paper. In this regard, the structure and makeup of the papers vary depending on the demands by the tutors. However, the civil engineering course focuses on developing a student wholesomely to have both theoretical and practical skills to create and maintain the physical environment. Whereas practical skills are vital in the execution of civil works, proficient writing ability is essential in developing building plans, editing p rogress reports, and filling grand application documents. The importance of essay writing in civil engineering is further stressed by its communication ability. Ideally, while working on large projects, communication between various sections occurs through written communication, which is often regarded as reporting. Practical assessment of structures and established recommendations are also communicated through reports thereby making essay writing a crucial part of civil engineering. Learners are involved in the report writing in civil engineering. There are those who find it hectic while others are comfortable with it. Principally, most learners prefer a one-sided learning process in which they receive information from the tutors and, in turn, are not required to produce the acquired knowledge through writing. Ideally, the unilateral approach provides an easy way of learning especially to students. However, it has a weak effect in installing vital skills that are required in the professional execution of civil engineering tasks. Moreover, the approach makes it impossible for the teachers to evaluate the students’ understanding regarding the taught information. It is critical that students view term paper writing as an essential aspect of the learning process in civil engineering. Moreover, it can be fun and enjoyable if proper considerations and tips are put in place before, during, and after the writing. In this regard, the primary aspect to posses is th e topic to cover. Furthermore, the need to have effective writing and communication skills should be complemented by the high relevance of the term paper to the information thought by instructors. Tutors also want to see how a learner can apply class knowledge to practical situations in the real world as civil engineering incorporates current influences on the environment. Choose a Striking Topic for a Term Paper in Civil Engineering Students may learn many topics during a particular term, which focus on different areas of civil engineering. The subject is wide with a variety of topics. Selecting a topic for a term paper, it is vital that it reflects aspects from all the topics within that term. Moreover, the topic should align with the objectives of the studies carried out. In developing a civil engineering term paper topic, students have to consider any questions posted by instructors, which have to be answered. In this regard, the questions can inform the learner on the type of a topic to choose. The approach limits the scope from which a topic has to be selected and eases the process for the students. In instances where there are no questions from the instructor, a student may need to evaluate the primary theme in a term’s lessons and create a topic from it. For example, if the semester’s lessons have focused on the application of civil engineering in the natural and physical environment, a student may choose a topic which evaluates the role of civil engineering in the environment. In this regard, the information used to write the term paper should come from the learned lessons. However, in term papers, one has to understand what the instructor seeks and then tailor the term paper that meets these particular needs. Primarily, in situations where there is no topic given to write a term paper on, students can consider various factors which include: Consider the history of the course. Students at different levels often write term papers during particular semesters. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and go through previous readings on civil engineering and then get to understand the particular information, which informed the student’s term paper topics. Particularly, it is important to critically analyze and relate the topics covered within previous terms. The approach helps the student not to go into a term paper writing blindly but, instead, understand how to use the class information as the primary reference for the paper. Carry out extensive research. The success of term paper writing in civil engineering is influenced significantly by how much information is presented in the paper as well as its relevance to the instructor’s needs. Furthermore, the information needs to be reliable and from credible sources. To achieve this, students have to take enough time for researching both the Internet and physical sources. Be factual. Civil engineering focuses on constructing and maintaining structures in the physical and built environment. The structures have to be safe and durable. Therefore, all the designs developed have to be 100% accurate with no margin for error. Thus, it is vital that one sticks to facts. Developing a topic that is factual is vital because it will evaluate both sides of the story and then offer an informed conclusion. Moreover, when some doubts exist in the study, learners should not draw any conclusions but offer recommendations that more research needs to be carried out to ascertain the facts concerning that particular phenomenon. Topic breakdown. A term paper topic should be designed in a way that grabs the reader’s attention. Breaking down of the subject into sub-headings and points helps to capture this attention. Relevance. The title selected should align itself with the objectives of the instructors and the class in general. The approach will ease the instructor’s role in evaluating the understanding of the issue. Moreover, the topic selected for the paper should be current. Primarily, various problems exist in the natural and physical environment. The chosen topic should be able to address these concerns within contemporary society. Current topics that can be discussed in a civil engineering term paper include: Automated highway systems; Earthquake resistant structure; Bacterial concrete; Sonication; Soil-cement; Top-down cracking. Any of these topics should be selected based on personal understanding and relevance to the learned information during the semester. After that, one can proceed to the preparation stage, which focuses on pre-writing activities. Pre-Writing Tips: Start Writing Properly Most learners face challenges in writing term papers because they do not prepare adequately. Therefore, before beginning the actual writing process, students should consider various aspects, which include: Confirming the allocated timeline for the paper: Nobody wants to be late delivering their task as it presents challenges for the instructor and is a sign of poor time management. Consequently, learners should carefully evaluate the allocated time for the task as well as other instructions. Time is crucial because it will influence how one sets up to carry out specific activities within the overall term paper. Moreover, the allocated time significantly determiners the amount of research required which can also inform a learner about the instructor’s objectives. In this regard, an extended timeframe for a short paper may indicate that the instructor wants the student to carry out extensive research on the topic. However, students should be careful with extended deadlines as they sometimes can lead to the development of laziness. Brainstorming: Once a topic is developed, particular ideas come to the mind even before carrying out any research. For a term paper, this is direct because the previously learned class lessons are the primary sources of information. Brainstorming requires that a student notes down these ideas as they come. They do not have to be positive or good ideas only, bad thoughts also have to be noted down. Furthermore, there is no need to follow any writing format or specifications during brainstorming. Free-writing: After brainstorming, students can write some of the ideas in a logical flow with complete sentences yet without consideration of writing mechanics. The approach helps one to avoid censoring ideas. For example, while writing about automated transport system, a student can note this down: All transport networks should be automated, be it the railway, road, or waterway. Also, the vessels using these systems should not affect the design of the transport networks. Moreover, people need to understand the value of automation in transport as well as should help to protect it. However, what will be the cost of these designs? Mind-Mapping: The approach refers to developing an answer or solution to a particular concern using various ideas. In this regard, one generates ideas from a specific topic and then develops other ‘sub-ideas’ from it. Mind-mapping is essential in ensuring the relevancy of the term paper to the instructors requirements. Question-Asking: Gathering information about a topic from a neutral position is tricky for some learners. The primary challenge lies in deciding what particular information should be picked and what ought to be discarded. In such situations, question asking could be essential. The technique involves asking yourself questions about the selected topic and then finding solutions to it. In the end, one manages to gain more insight into the title as more questions are developed then answered. For example, Question What are the primary start points in automating a road network? Response weighbridges, speed traps, and street lighting. The Key Concepts and Terminologies in Civil Engineering Writing a civil engineering term paper is different from other documents in many aspects. Primarily, the concepts used are unique to engineering and have to relate to the topics learned in class. Ideally, the terms are part of concepts taught by instructors with few additions from the carried out research. However, it is important to use common terminologies, which will be understood easily by the instructor as well as other people who might read the term paper. Common concepts in civil engineering include: Construction: The process of coming up or building infrastructure. Concrete: Is the material, which is composed of coarse and fine aggregates, bonded by the cement in the fluid form? Continuity: The transfer of loads from one member to another. Structural engineering: Organization and arrangement of components of a system. Load: Weight exerted on structural members. The stated terms are the most commonly used, but there are many others, which can be adopted in writing a civil engineering term paper. The Ultimate Writing of a Paper: The Hardest Yet the Briefest Stage The actual writing of a civil engineering term paper should begin with an outline. It should serve as a guide, which logically organizes all the ideas. Primarily, the civil engineering term paper uses a similar format as in other subjects. The term paper begins with an abstract, introduction, literature review, research methodology, results, and recommendations. However, there should be a title paper and another last page for references. Title Page: The section of the paper where the topic, name, and instructor’s details are written. Abstract: The paper section, which offers an overview of the term paper by describing the main points. Introduction: The paper’s first section which informs the readers about the topic and the primary objective. Literature Review: The section explains the studies and research articles, which have been carried out on the topic. Research methodology: Describes the techniques, which were used to gather information for the paper. Primary description includes research variables, models, and methods used. Results: The section offers a description of the findings from the research. Recommendations: The section describes the views of the researcher and possible future suggestions. Round up the Term Paper: Final Touches Our Writers Make After writing everything, a student has to read the document several times. The purpose of this is to make sure that the ideas written in the paper are the ones intended. Moreover, it is vital to ensure that all writing mechanics have been observed in the paper. Proofreading should also be done several times taking short breaks. Essential techniques while proofreading are as follows: Read the paper several times; Take breaks to relax your mind before proofreading; Proofread the paper in sections. Work on one part at a time; Ask another person to proofread the paper. References: Baker, K. M. (2016). Peer review as a strategy for improving students’ writing process. Active Learning in Higher Education, 17(3), 179-192. Cai, L. J. (2017). Students’ perceptions of academic writing: A needs analysis of EAP in China1. Asian-Focused ELT Research and Practice: Voices from the Far Edge, 127. Clevenger, C. M., Brothers, H., Abdallah, M., Wolf, K. (2017). Initial assessment of a newly launched interdisciplinary construction engineering management graduate program. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 143(3), 04017001. Hill, D. (2016). Engineering profession survey shows world is depending on engineers to solve key problems. Tuchscherer, R. G., Gray, R., Gray, C. A. (2017, June). Reshaping engineering classroom norms to expand the profession. In ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2017). Zha, T., Li, Z. (2016). 1. Course Description 1.1. Overview. The goal of this course is to develop (1) analytical skills to understand modern macroeconomics and (2) writing skills to compose a solid research paper. The topics cover asset pricing, the banking sector, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and bond markets (term structures). The course reviews recent financial and. Topics in Macroeconomics.