Saturday, November 30, 2019

Serratia Marcescens Lab Report Essay Example

Serratia Marcescens Lab Report Paper In bacteria, temperature, pH, and other chemical agents a II affect the expression of genes. In this lab, the effect of temperature change on the gene which codes for a red pigment called prognosis of bacterium Seer TIA mercenaries is being tested. Seriate mercenaries is usually found in OSI I and plants, and the accumulation of prognosis in the bacterial cells makes them appear red. Prognosis is produced only at certain temperatures, so b y regulating the temperature in which Seriate mercenaries is cultured, the optimum temperature for the most prognosis to be produced can be tested. Purpose The purpose of this lab is to observe the effect of temperature c anger on the production of the pigment prognosis by the back terbium Seriate mercenaries, and also to determine whether previous culture conditions affect gene expression. Hypothesis If the bacteria is cultured in 27 , then it will produce more prognosis than the bacteria cultured in 37 Regardless of the first culture conditions, the bacteria recaptured in 27 co will produce more prognosis than the bacteria recaptured in 37 Materials see attached lab, materials, page 25 Independent Variable: Temperature (in Celsius) Dependent Variable: Amount of prognosis produced Methods/Procedures see attached lab, procedures, page 2527 Data see attached lab, data, page 25, 26 Analysis 1. You should label the bottom off Petri dish instead of the top because this way, the lids will not accidentally be sit ached. We will write a custom essay sample on Serratia Marcescens Lab Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Serratia Marcescens Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Serratia Marcescens Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is also easier to read the label if it is on the bottom, because the Petri dishes will be put into the incubator upside down to minimize condensation. 2. You must not touch a non sterile surface with the applicant or tip before obtaining the innocuous from the stock culture because the applicator tip might become contaminated, which would compromise the experiment. 3. You should lift the lid of the Petri dish only 23 CM rather t Han remove it completely in order to keep as little of any thing other than the bacteria from contaminating or getting into the Petri dish. . If I cultured two samples of bacteria and grew them at 32 co , I predict that the samples will produce less prognosis (be less red) than the bacteria cultured in 27 co , but produce more prognosis (be more red) than the bacteria cultured in 37 co 5. If the new cultured were grown at 37 for 8 hours, then at 27 for 24 hours, I predict hat the bacteria will produce prognosis (be red) because according to the data, the c onditions of the recapture have more of an effect on the production of prognosis than the conditions of the initial culture. . The temperature at which the bacteria were originally re cultured has more effect on the production of prognosis t Han the temperature at which the bacteria were originally cultured. Both samples recaptured in 27 were red, meaning that they produced prognosis, regardless of their initial culture c notations, while both samples recaptured at 37 ere white, signifying the absence of prognosis production, also regardless of their original culture conditions. 7. Prognosis is not only a pigment; it is also an antibiotic. Its function may be to kill other microorganisms which might be harmful to the Seriate mercenaries that live in the same temperature range. 8. An advantage of the temperature sensitivity of prognosis proud action might be that the bacteria would only produce it when needed d. The ability to control the production of prognosis according to temperature helps the bacteria to synthesize the pigment helps it o not produce excess prognosis when it is not needed. Conclusion My hypothesis, which was that the bacteria cultured in 27 co will produce more prognosis than the bacteria cultured in 37 , and also that the bacteria recaptured in 27 (regardless of the original culture conditions) will produce more p Rodings than the bacteria recaptured in 37 (also regardless of the original culture condition s), was supported. The S. Mercenaries cultured in 27 turned red, indicating the production of pro disposing, while the S. Mercenaries cultured in remained white, indicating that no prognosis was synthesized.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

World Trade Organization Regulations

World Trade Organization Regulations Overview World trade organization (WTO) was established in 1995 for the purpose of overseeing international trade. It has 153 members and its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. WTO members use three official languages: French, English, and Spanish. It replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which was in force since 1947.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on World Trade Organization Regulations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It regulates trade between the trading countries and forms a basis for negations and formation of trade agreements. It resolves dispute between the trading nations by ensuring their compliance to the WTO‘s agreement. These agreements are usually signed by the representatives of the different countries whereas the parliament ratifies them (World Trade Organization 2010). WTO is the sole (international) association known to incorporate rules (trade) among nations. It was in troduced for the purpose of assisting producers in the productions of goods and services to be traded across borders. It also assists importers and exporters in carrying out their businesses. WTO is headed by a ministerial conference that converges after every two years to discuss crucial issues concerning international trade. The first ministerial conference was held in 1996 at Singapore and since then the organization has been holding subsequent meetings. During the first conference, many contradicting issues were raised some of which have not been solved up to date. WTO is administered through a general council, which implements made decisions. Doha Development Agenda This is a trade negotiation that was commenced in 2001 with the aim of boosting participation by third word countries. This has received disagreements from countries which rely on export from agricultural products in a bid to protect their farmers from heavy imports. At the moment the future of this Agenda is not cl ear. The Doha agenda has been discussed in subsequent conferences but it is yet to receive recognition by majority of the members. If this happens, poor nations will be able to participate in the global market where they have been faced out. Doha agenda aims at protecting these poor nations from exploitation by the developed nations. It aims at abolishing all trade barriers imposed on the poor nations as a way of encouraging them to participate in the global market. WTO and Globalization Today almost all nations depend on the global economy. Governments are finding it difficult to respond to their domestic issues as their used to do. WTO influences the performance of member countries and puts restrictions on the use of their monetary policies. These governments have to rely on the international monetary fund for regulations.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Poo r nations are becoming poorer day in day out because of the low comparative advantage they have in the international trade. They have to rely on the World Bank for aids and grants for development. For this reason, the Doha Development Agenda was proposed but it has to yet been accepted. Unless it is accepted, the poor nationals will continue to suffer at the expense of the rich nations which have developed economies and comparative advantage in terms of trade. The fundamental purpose of WTO is to help developing, least developed and poor nations. It gives them trade assistance and helps them to adjust to the rules of WTO regarding trade policies. As we have earlier, WTO is the only international organization that has rules restricting the conduct of member countries. For instance, member countries are required to publish their trade regulations and to abide by them. WTO is propagating trade and industrial standardization of products, market access, and national treatment for all the products and services produced either within or outside any member countries. Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce is a new area in global trade that involves trading of goods and services across borders electronically. It is the use of telecommunication networks to produce, advertise, or sell goods and services. With the advancement in technology, electronic commerce has been growing drastically calling for the attention of WTO. In 1998, WTO members adopted a declaration on global electronic commerce during a conference held at Geneva (World Trade Organization 2010). According to the declaration, the general council was required to set up an inclusive work program that would be used to scrutinize all electronic commerce trade issues and present a report at WTO’s conference. The declaration also incorporated a cessation that required all WTO members to abolish any customs duties imposed on all electronic transmission. The work program was later adopted at the third confer ence held at Seattle in 1999. At the fourth WTO conference that was held in Doha, members decided to carry on with the work program and to continue the practice of not imposing custom duties on electronic commerce. After wards, members engaged in various conferences where they could discuss in depth the crucial issues that would affect growth and development of e-commerce. Such issues included competition among others. The WTO’s general council main agenda include working on the relationship between trade, finance, and debt among the member countries (World Trade Organization 2010). It works to strengthen international trade especially e-commerce since it is easy and consumes a less period of time to finish a transaction. The council is working to solve the problem of indebtedness in the less developed countries.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on World Trade Organization Regulations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn Mor e Reference List World Trade Organization (2010). Electronic commerce. Retrieved from https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/ecom_e/ecom_e.htm

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Find the Best Private Student Loans 4 Tips

How to Find the Best Private Student Loans 4 Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students who go to college have to take out loans to afford the cost of attendance. Private student loans can be a good option for you if you need more money to cover your college costs. However, which private loans are the best ones? When should you decide to take out a private loan? In this article, I'll thoroughly explain the different types of loans and the most important factors to consider when getting a private loan. What Are Private Student Loans? There are two primary types of student loans: federal and private. Federal loans are funded by the federal government, and private loans are made by a lender such as a bank, credit union, state agency, or a school. The lender will give you money, and you’ll have to pay back the loan amount (principal) plus interest. Private Student Loans Should Be Your Last Option Generally, private loans are the worst way to pay for your education. First, before considering private loans, you should try to get grants and scholarships. You don’t have to pay back grants and scholarships. Essentially, you’re being given free money to finance your college education. You can’t beat that. If there’s a gap in how much your college costs and how much you can afford after accounting for grants and scholarships, then you should consider a federal loan. Federal loans can be subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are preferable because the federal government will pay the interest on your loan while you’re in school. To qualify for most need-based financial aid, including federal loans and many grants and scholarships, you have to complete a FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Here’s a thorough breakdown of the financial aid process. If you don’t get enough scholarship and federal loan money to cover the cost of your education, then you can consider getting a private loan. Why Are Federal Loans Better Than Private Loans? Here are the major reasons why federal loans tend to be better than private loans. Lower Interest Rates Often, federal loans have lower interest rates, so the total amount of money you’ll have to pay back will be lower. Some private loans have lower interest rates, but these rates might be variable, which means they can change over time. Eventually, the rates on these loans may be higher. More Flexible Repayment Plans Also, repayment plans tend to be more flexible with federal loans. Your required payments may be more proportional to your income. If you get a job with a low salary when you graduate from college, you’ll have a lower minimum loan payment. More Likely to Offer Deferment Federal loans are more likely to offer deferment. During a period of financial hardship, you won’t have to make loan payments and interest won’t accrue. Many private lenders don’t offer deferment. Loan Forgiveness Federal loans offer loan forgiveness. You can reduce the amount you have to pay back on your federal student loans by pursuing certain public service jobs like teaching, joining the military, volunteering, or moving to certain areas. If you become a teacher, you can get some loan forgiveness. How Do You Find Private Loans? If you find yourself in need of a private student loan, where do you turn? Because there are a ton of private student loans out there, an easy solution is to turn to sites like ElmSelect, Credible, or simpletuition where you can enter basic information and compare loans that match your search criteria. Also, universities often have a list of private lenders that will disburse your loan payments right into your student account. Furthermore, you can start your search with the more well-known lenders. Sallie Mae is probably the most well-known lender of student loans. Some of the other big lenders include Wells Fargo, PNC, and Discover. Finally, you can just look up private student loans online and wade through the sea of options, but that’s probably less efficient than using a loan comparison site. How Do You Find the Best Private Student Loans? Unfortunately, the best private student loans are dependent on a number of factors including your college, how much you have to borrow, and your creditworthiness (or your cosigner’s). Generally, you won’t get the definitive terms like the interest rates on your loans until you apply. However, here are some tips to follow to get the best private student loan for you. Compare Many Options Like anything else you buy, you’re most likely to find the best deal by shopping around. Compare rates from different lenders and try to determine how much money you’ll have to pay back. Keep in mind that you won’t know how much money you’ll have to pay back if you opt for a loan with a variable rate because the interest rate can change. Often, loans with low variable rates will end up costing more than loans with a higher fixed rate. You can use tools like the Loan Analyzer from FinAid to determine the quality of different loans. Shop around to find the best private loans. Get Your Credit Right Typically, lenders will offer lower interest rates to those who have excellent credit. If you anticipate that you’ll have to apply for a private student loan, work on getting your credit as good as possible. Because most students have limited or no credit history, you may need a cosigner who hopefully has good credit to get the best interest rate available. If you anticipate needing a cosigner (probably a parent), get that person to agree to cosign for your loan and make sure she is doing everything possible to improve or maintain her credit. There’s More to Consider Than Just Interest Rates Beyond interest rates, you need to consider the fees associated with loans. Some loans have origination fees, which are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan. Also, you want to consider how flexible the repayment plan is and if you’re able to defer payments. Moreover, how long is the grace period before you have to start paying back your loan? Are there any borrower rewards? Sometimes, you can lower interest rates on loans for setting up automatic withdrawal, paying on time, or getting good grades. You may also get a rate discount if you take a loan from a bank or credit union where you’re a member. Apply for Multiple Loans Before you apply for loans, you’ll be given a range of possible interest rates, but you won’t know the exact rate until after you apply. For example, here’s the information for a $10,000 PNC loan I found on SimpleTuition for a hypothetical Stanford student from the class of 2020. As you can see, the interest rate for the PNC loan ranges from 3.62% to 9.85%. This is a huge difference. The total cost of the loan with the highest rate is almost double that of the loan with the lowest rate. You won’t know the exact terms of the loan and interest rate until after you apply. The interest rate will be determined based on the amount you’re borrowing, your or your cosigner’s credit history, and whether you choose a fixed or variable rate. Final Advice If you want some specific ideas forthe best private student loans, you can check out this list of the top 17 best-rated student loans by Consumer Affairs.Keep in mind that this list includes federal loans. If you read the reviews, you’ll realize that very few people seem to be happy with their student loans. Try to minimize your private student loans. Private loans can be tempting because they’re easy to apply for, and you can often borrow as much as you want to pay for your educational expenses. However, remember that private loans should be a last resort. You don’t want to burden yourself with extremely high debt that you’re going to have to pay off for the next 20-30 years. I know people in their 40’s who are still paying off their loans. Also, remember that you won’t be able to accurately compare loans until after you apply. Lenders will often advertise their most attractive terms, but you may come to find out that you're only eligible for a much less favorable interest rate. If you’re a US citizen or permanent resident and you need financial aid to attend college,make sure you fill out the FAFSA and submit it by the deadline. The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal aid, and many states and colleges use it to determine how much state aid or institution-based aid to give you. Get good grades and high test scores. You can reduce the amount you’ll have to take out in private loans by getting merit scholarships. You don’t have much control over how much need-based aid you’re eligible for, but you can get more scholarship money by excelling academically. Many colleges and organizations offer merit scholarships for outstanding students. Additionally, the most selective schools usually offer the best financial aid. If you’re able to get into one of these schools, you may get enough aid to cover your cost of education without having to take out private loans. Apply for scholarships: the more, the better. So many students don’t apply for scholarships just because they don’t want to spend time writing essays or filling out applications. However, depending on your situation, you may be eligible for a number of great scholarships that will help you avoid taking out private loans. Because some scholarships are highly competitive, you'll increase your chances of getting scholarship money by applying for more scholarships. What's Next? If you're looking for scholarship money, check out our expert guide on how to find scholarships. If you're specifically hoping for a merit scholarship, read our guide to getting one. Finally, learn the best ways to save for college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Health Protection Scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Health Protection Scheme - Essay Example As the essay states Hong Kong has had private health insurance for many decades in various forms. In 2009, about four million policies covered two million individuals and over 1.5 million groups. This was representative of 34% of HK’s population being privately insured. The number of people buying private insurance has gone up in the past four years. Private health insurance has contributed 12% of HK’s financing in health care between 1998 and 2009, while it has continued to grow at 9% every year with regards to total health expenditure share during the same period. In 2010, hospitals in the private sector spent a quarter of their entire expenditure on caring for inpatients, of which at least half was covered by insurance from the private sector. According to the research findings the Food and Health Bureau, through a study on private health insurance, outlined various challenges and inadequacies that insurers, providers, and consumers were confronted with, particularly in the private health insurance sector. This led to proposals on the health protection scheme, which sought to address several issue. With regards to the insurers, it sought to address rising and non-transparent medical fees, unnecessary admissions and moral hazards because of investigations, non-disclosure and anti-selection when underwriting, and the challenge of public insurance that was dimming attractiveness for private health insurance.... Despite these statistics, the Food and Health Bureau, through a study on private health insurance, outlined various challenges and inadequacies that insurers, providers, and consumers were confronted with, particularly in the private health insurance sector (Gauld & Gould, 2012). This led to proposals on the health protection scheme, which sought to address several issue. With regards to the insurers, it sought to address rising and non-transparent medical fees, unnecessary admissions and moral hazards because of investigations, non-disclosure and anti-selection when underwriting, and the challenge of public insurance that was dimming attractiveness for private health insurance (Dembe & Boden, 2000). For consumers, it sought to address uncertainty of charges and coverage and lack of quality assurance and medical fees that were non-transparent. Finally, it sought to address coverage of procedures for outpatients and inadequate coverage for private doctors and hospitals (Shek, 2012). A rgument for Health Protection Scheme One area that the HPS will help the situation is in financing, particularly with two tiers in the HK health system, i.e. public and private. The private sector mainly gets its funds from private sources like out-of-pocket payments and private insurance. In contrast, the public health insurance sector gets heavy subsidies from the Hong Kong government that come from taxes (Wong et al, 2011). While the HK government spends relatively less compared to countries from the west, the expenditure trend has been increasing. The health protection scheme has proposed to improve controls on expenditure through inclusion of voluntary participation in premiums by individuals. The government is encouraging HK citizens to join the scheme to enjoy

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

How people are managed and how they lead. (There are four parts to the Assignment

How people are managed and how they lead. (There are four parts to the complete portfolio) - Assignment Example hostility, stress, guilt and sadness, increases the inevitability of an organization deviance, and how the outside world regards the firm or organization. Emotions normally are linked with some specific occurrences or events and are intense enough to interrupt thought processes. There are many consequences for allowing negative emotions to affect your general attitude at work. For a good organization, then emotions and emotion management plays a vital role in achieving its objectives. It is important to develop a desirable and observable emotional display as part of a job role. The ability to deal and manage emotions and emotional information in an organization helps workers in managing occupational stress and maintaining psychological well-being. This indicates that stress reduction and health protection could be achieved by increasing the personal resources of employees that comprise emotional intelligence. Additionally, stress reduction and health protection can be achieved by dec reasing work demands that cause stress. The increasing of EL skills responsible for successful job performance can help employees deal effectively with their emotional feelings, therefore reducing the level of job stress hence indirectly protecting their health (GRIFFIN & MOOREHEAD, 2012). Question 2 – Discuss, using ideas from the general model of stress, the causes (sources) of stress and thus how stress can be managed in the work place. In your response you must make reference to how the various causes of stress can be categorized. Work related stress is a harmful reaction a person has to undue demands and pressures placed on them at work. It is a chronic disease that result from conditions in the workplace that negatively affects a person’s performance or/and general welfare of his mind and body. Several mental and physical illness manifest job stress. But sometimes job stress can be disabling. In chronic situations a psychiatric consultation is recommended to validate the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Short Stories in the Gothic Horror Tradition Essay Example for Free

Short Stories in the Gothic Horror Tradition Essay The genre of short stories in the nineteenth century began to attract a wider audience all over the world. A very important factor in the growing popularity of short stories was the vast interest in magazines and journals. The market in short stories was also expanding due to the easy money available to young writers. Through the nineteenth century there was significant improvement in the printing technology which gave more variety to magazines. The nineteenth century was a time without television or radios, which meant that reading out loud was a good form of entertainment. Gothic horror is a story, which usually contains murders and torture in many forms such as supernatural, mental or physical. A supernatural example would be like the film Chukkie, that is where two dolls roam around Los Angeles killing people. Much gothic horror came in the nineteenth century written by Bram Stoker, one of his most famous novels was Dracula. Gothic horror is also a form of statues, which represent a more terrifying look in a very distinctive style.  I will be comparing two stories The Kit-Bag and The Judges House.  The author of the horrifying tale of The Judges House was the magnificent Bram Stoker and the author of The Kit-Bag was Algeron Blackwood. The Judges House is about a student, Malcolm Malcomson, wanting to get away from the pressures of every day life. While Malcolm was wandering about looking for accommodation, he finds this peculiar looking house with the cleaner working inside. After renting the strange house he got down to studying. When Malcomson had been there for a couple of days, he spotted a huge rat in the corner of the room as he was looking at some strange paintings. The next day he asked Mrs Witham, the cleaner, to dust the huge paintings on the wall as dust and grime obscured them. Malcomson gets back from another hard day of studying and discovers the picture behind the grime. It is a judge sitting in a huge chair, with a weird looking rope behind him. Later that night a huge rat with baleful eyes enters the room and sits on the huge chair with a rope behind it. Malcomson thought this was familiar. He looked at the painting and realised that it was the judges chair and that he was standing in the room the judge was sat in. He also noticed the judge was no longer in the painting. Malcomson slowly turned round and there on the great high-backed carved oak chair was the judge wearing his robes of scarlet and ermine, with his baleful eyes glaring vindictively. The judge then stood right up and pulled down the rope from the alarm bell and walked past Malcomson as if tempting him to do something. Mrs Witham and village people broke into the judges house and at the end of the rope of the great alarm bell hung the body of the young student, Malcomson, and on the face of the judge in the painting was a malignant smile. The Kit-Bag is about a man called Johnson who has just dealt with a major murder inquiry.  Johnson, a young man of about twenty-six, had a delicate face like a girls. As he was leaving the office, after hard days worked, he turned and said to his employer I knew there was something to ask you, would you mind if I could use one of your kit-bags? His boss replied Of course, Ill send Harry over with it Once Johnson had the Kit-Bag, he packed it straight away as he was going on holiday the very next day. While he was packing, he heard loud footsteps on the stairs below him. He thought it must be Mrs. Monk with his post, but the footsteps ceased. Ten minutes passed and the footsteps were getting louder and closer. Johnson decided to check what was going on. While he was there, he saw a strange figure dash into his room. Johnson could not believe what had just happened. When he was walking back into his room, the Kit-Bag made a sudden move for the door and John Turk, the murderer appeared. Johnsons heart was pounding. John Turk was looking at Johnson as if wanted something from him .He said, Its my bag and I want it now. Johnson then collapsed and lay unconscious for a long time. After he had woken up, Mrs. Monk came into his room. She told him that someone was down stairs and needed to see him before he left. It was Henry with a nice clean Kit-Bag. He told Johnson that he gave him the wrong Kit-Bag. Henry had given him the bag from the murder scene and he told him the news that John Turk had killed himself last night in his cell at ten oclock. Bram Stokers writing involves a lot of Gothicism. He wrote many novels and short stories and amongst them The Judges House.  Already two paragraphs into the story Bram Stoker is doing what he does best, being gothic, it says it was an old rambling, heavy built house of the Jacobean style, with heavy gables and windows, unusually small, and over higher than was customary in such houses, and was surrounded with a high brick wall massively built, so already we can imagine that there is this huge eighteenth century house that hasnt been touched for decades and is suitable for some strange goings on.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Spanish Influenza in Missouri :: Journalism St. Louis, Missouri Health Essays

The Spanish Influenza in Missouri Reports of the Spanish Influenza continue to bombard us from St. Louis, Missouri, as inhabitants of that fine city take many precautions to safeguard themselves and their families against this incendiary malady currently sweeping our great nation. At a time of war when our country needs our strength the most it is important that we fight this Influenza head on, taking whatever actions necessary to eradicate it from our fine shores. Let us take a page from St. Louis's book on how to prevent this illness from spreading. Culling through the pages of this fine publication you may notice many advertisements for products meant to maintain the health of your loved ones. Things to help them look and feel their best. Instructions and products for ridding oneself of dandruff or bleaching one's freckles with lemon juice abound--helping you, dear readers, to be your best! Most importantly [there are] prescriptions for how to keep your family healthy, and to avoid catching the Spanish Influenza that has the very city of St. Louis in its fiery grips! One of the most common preventatives are powders or liquids meant to cleanse the bowels of impurities which leave your body tired and open to infection by this dastardly plague. Also for your little ones who do not enjoy the tastes of medicines are Cascarets, delicious candy-like drops that cure children of biliousness and sour stomach. As we all know, purging one's system of impurities is a medical miracle that has been long-held and used to restore the healt h of many from early times in western Europe. However, there are drawbacks to using medicines as a preventative against the Influenza epidemic. Why, just yesterday the Water Commissioner answered complaints from the citizens of St. Louis who complained that "the water tastes like medicine." The water, he explained, is not being treated in any different fashion, but that "an unusually large number of people are taking medicine and its lingering taste might be attributed by some to the water." By October 3, earlier this year influenza had been reported in 43 states. It was at this time that St. Louis's Health Society Head, Dr. Evans, urged any members of the community with ailments as minor as the common cold to cover their mouths upon sneezing, and to please cover their faces with a hankie when in public. The Spanish Influenza in Missouri :: Journalism St. Louis, Missouri Health Essays The Spanish Influenza in Missouri Reports of the Spanish Influenza continue to bombard us from St. Louis, Missouri, as inhabitants of that fine city take many precautions to safeguard themselves and their families against this incendiary malady currently sweeping our great nation. At a time of war when our country needs our strength the most it is important that we fight this Influenza head on, taking whatever actions necessary to eradicate it from our fine shores. Let us take a page from St. Louis's book on how to prevent this illness from spreading. Culling through the pages of this fine publication you may notice many advertisements for products meant to maintain the health of your loved ones. Things to help them look and feel their best. Instructions and products for ridding oneself of dandruff or bleaching one's freckles with lemon juice abound--helping you, dear readers, to be your best! Most importantly [there are] prescriptions for how to keep your family healthy, and to avoid catching the Spanish Influenza that has the very city of St. Louis in its fiery grips! One of the most common preventatives are powders or liquids meant to cleanse the bowels of impurities which leave your body tired and open to infection by this dastardly plague. Also for your little ones who do not enjoy the tastes of medicines are Cascarets, delicious candy-like drops that cure children of biliousness and sour stomach. As we all know, purging one's system of impurities is a medical miracle that has been long-held and used to restore the healt h of many from early times in western Europe. However, there are drawbacks to using medicines as a preventative against the Influenza epidemic. Why, just yesterday the Water Commissioner answered complaints from the citizens of St. Louis who complained that "the water tastes like medicine." The water, he explained, is not being treated in any different fashion, but that "an unusually large number of people are taking medicine and its lingering taste might be attributed by some to the water." By October 3, earlier this year influenza had been reported in 43 states. It was at this time that St. Louis's Health Society Head, Dr. Evans, urged any members of the community with ailments as minor as the common cold to cover their mouths upon sneezing, and to please cover their faces with a hankie when in public.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Political Power Essay

‘A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do’. Does this sum up the essence of political power? â€Å"Political analysis can be defined quite simply as the analysis of the nature, exercise and distribution of power.†1 This argument is criticised of being too broad, excluding almost nothing, nevertheless it is reasonable to argue that power is the central theme which lies throughout the study of politics. Therefore defining the concept of power is one of the crucial things in the study of politics consequently it is often contested and can never be agreed among the scholars. This essay will focus on so-called the ‘faces of power’ controversy in the post war period. First of all, the idea which consists of the first and basic part in interpreting power will be introduced. Then what its critiques argue and their flaws will also be discussed to draw the conclusion how far the argument ‘A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do’ reflects the essence of power. The ‘faces of power’ debate was raised from different theoretical traditions and approaches to political analysis. Basically the argument is about whether the concept of power is simple and quantifiable or it is rather complicated and intuitive concept which cannot be measured. Lukes2 acknowledges that this concept can never be settled. Alternatively he accepts the broad definition of power as A’s ability to get B to do what he or she would not otherwise have done but tries to highlight 3 different ways in which A can influence B’s behaviour: decision-making, agenda-setting and thought control. The one face of power – power as decision-making was suggested by Dahl in the early post war years. The thesis put forward above was originally proposed by him and this one-dimensional view of power was significant and influential in 1950s. â€Å"Power is somehow about getting things done, and is therefore most clearly reflected in decision and how they are made.†3 For Dahl, in order to find out power relationship, three steps are needed. First, a number of decision areas are selected and then the actors involved in that decision and their interests are figured out. Finally by comparing the decisions made and the actors’ preferences, the power relationship can be revealed. In this sense power is understood as a concept which can be simplified and quantified. A clear example was shown in?Political Analysis?: Anna buys Ben’s car for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500 which is actually worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½800 and both of them are aware of the real value. In this case, Anna’s power has been exercised over Ben in terms of decision-making since this decision would not have been the case if he had an influence in the process. One of the critical assumptions here is that the actors involved are fully aware of the information. Anna could have made this deal without exerting power if Ben did not know the real value. This argument of power as a decision-making does often make sense in tripartite political system where a number of different parties exercise their influence on controversial issues. In this case it is obvious to see the frequency of a particular party’s preference coincides with the final decision. Thus, how far they have influence on decision-making can be understood in terms of their political power. However Dahl’s argument faces critical attack in a sense that it too focuses on its narrow concept of power in decision-making. First of all, since only the key decisions are studied, it raises the problem of how far we are capable of distinguishing key issues and routine issues which are often ignored. Moreover, it does not take the potential power into account. In this manner, the power which is not exerted cannot be regarded as power. For instance, some business groups would not be concerned with the welfare issues until they realise the increased burden for welfare tax. Then it might be possible for them to begin exercising their power which has not been exercised without any explicit need for it. Also as assumed from its name, it only uncovers ‘one face of power’ ignoring other circumstances â€Å"in which decisions are prevented from happening, the area of non-decision-making.†4 This gave a rise to the second face of power argument by Bachrach and Bar atz. According to their view, power should be understood as agenda-setting which is the two dimensional approach. â€Å"Power might be manifested not only in doing things but also in ensuring that things do not get done.†5 What they basically insist is that power is exercised in choosing what should be involved in formal discussion and what should not be. In other words, who holds the power needs to be understood in agenda-setting process before the actual decision-making process. In this way, they have broadened the boundary in the concept of power. This kind of approach is well shown in the liberal democratic system where parties are seen as the medium of representing a particular preference on issues. However they can actually block a certain kind of issue to be discussed by disregarding it or make an agreement not to raise the issue. It is difficult to quantify the concept of power from this approach nonetheless not impossible. Thus they agree with the one-dimensional approach in a sense that there should be observable and demonstrable evidence of power relationship between the one who exercise power and the other who are subject to the power. However â€Å"the attempt to limit the concept of non-decision-making to observable behaviour is entirely arbitrary†6 since it does not take in the case in which the subordinated do not recognise themselves as being subordinated. Consequently this problem gave a rise to the third-dimensional view introduced by Lukes. According to his argument, the basic assumption of the above two views is not quite right. What people believe as their interests does not necessarily mean their ‘real’ interests. â€Å"The ability of A to exercise power over B, not by getting B to do what he would not otherwise do, but, by ‘influencing, shaping or determining his very wants'†7 What is meant here is that power lies in shaping people’s consciousness rather than their actions. In other words, without forcing them to do something visibly it is possible to make them do regarding that as natural and beneficial for them. This can be true where people’s preferences are often influenced by social experiences such as culture, education and media and these can be manipulated by those who have the power. In this way it naturally leads to the concept of ‘false consciousness’ which reflects the idea that people are â€Å"prevented from recognizing the fact of its own exploitat ion†8 However Luke’s argument also faces severe criticism. Back in the example of Anna and Ben, the critical point is not in the fact that Anna forced Ben to do something that he would not otherwise do, but in the fact that Ben behaved in a way which is contrary to his genuine interest. This raises a problematic point that who is to know Ben’s real interests. In effect, â€Å"It is impossible to argue that people’s perceptions and preferences are a delusion, that their ‘felt’ needs are no their ‘real’ need, without a standard of truth against which to judge them.†9 In this sense this debate become meaningless since there is no scientific method which to prove and make an absolute judgement over this. Furthermore it is contested that nobody is capable of distinguishing the autonomous decision based on real interests and the one based on felt interests being manipulated from powerful. To conclude, the debate over the concept of power has been developed from the shallow one dimensional understanding to a more intuitive and complex three dimensional one. It cannot be said that the effort of developing it into more sophisticated form has always been successful. However through this process, it is true to say that the concept of power has been understood from various approaches which enabled better understanding. Nevertheless the important point to note is that the latter has never attempted to replace or deny the former approach since no single argument can define the political concept of power by its own. Rather, it has its root in the former argument and tries to make it more convincing. From this point of view, power is definitely something which enables ‘A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do’. Therefore on one hand, it is possible to say that the essence of power lies in this argument to a certain extent but there can be plur al ways depending on approaches in doing so. (1,419 words) References Clegg, S.R. (1989:11) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Hay, C. (2002:168) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Heywood, A. (2004:122, 124, 125, 127 and 128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000:26) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Bibliography Clegg, S.R. (1989) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Goodwin, B. (1997) Using political ideas (4th edn). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Hay, C. (2002) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Heywood, A. (2004) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. McLean, I. & McMillan, A. (2003) Oxford concise dictionary of Politics (2nd edn). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1 Hay, C. (2002:168) Political Analysis: A critical introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave. 2 Heywood, A. (2004:122) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 3 Heywood, A. (2004:124) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 4 Heywood, A. (2004:125) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 5 Clegg, S.R. (1989:11) Frameworks of Power. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 6 Goverde, H. et al. (eds) (2000:26) Power in Contemporary Politics. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. 7 Heywood, A. (2004:127) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 8 Heywood, A. (2004:128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 9 Heywood, A. (2004:128) Political theory: An introduction (3rd edn)). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Case Analysis Questions on Leadership Online (a): Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.Com

Q1: Summarize Barnes & Noble’s business strategy and business model based in the case descriptions. How have these strategy and business model been evolved since the case was written? Barnes & Noble’s business model simply put was lower cost, and SCM. They sold merchandise at lower cost and they also decreased cost associated with procurement by obtaining better discounts from publishers than other book retailers and by publishing certain titles themselves. Since Barnes & Noble’s held a huge portion of the market share they were able to leverage scales of economies when it came to reducing costs. Lastly, they were able to achieve reduced inventory cost through the business perks provided to them such as longer payment terms and access to books in short supply. Barnes & Noble’s business strategy was to use economies of scale and economies of scope. They used economies of scale through procurement and logistics. Since they were able to get bigger discounts from publishers they were able to produce more revenue when selling merchandise. As far as economies of scope is concerned one can clearly see that Barnes & Noble’s implemented this because they offered other services and they acquired other companies as well as certain percentage stakes in them. They acquired a mail-order book business, a membership club, and a 20% stake in Canada’s largest book retailer to try and broaden their scope. I think one can argue that Barnes & Noble’s business strategy and business model in theory hasn’t changed (I. e. that they use economies of scale still) that they just added new products or services; however, I‘ll make the argument that both has changed. Barnes & Noble realized how big the virtual storefront became so not only did they try to create an on-line presence they also created the nook an e-reader device. They self-manufacture this product along with a couple other devices and currently sell them in their stores. They are aggressive in trying to obtain portions of market share in the virtual book retailing industry. Also in June 2011 consumer reports stated that the nook beat the kindle (amazon e-reader device) by one point. So it is apparent that Barnes & Noble is changing their business strategy and model we’ll just have to wait and see how successful they are. Q2: Summarize Amazon. com’s business strategy and business model based in the case descriptions. How have these strategy and business model been evolved since the case was written? The case describes Amazon. com’s business model as â€Å"sell all, carry few†. What that means is that Amazon will make money though SCM and though reduced cost. Amazon was able to achieve reduced or low inventory cost by only carrying a few select titles in their own warehouse in Seattle while offering over one million titles though publishers and wholesalers. Their business strategy revolved around virtual economies of scale. Amazon was able to sell a lot of books at lowers prices by leveraging their buying power with publishers and wholesalers. Amazon. com’s business strategy and business model have expanded a bit. As far as business strategy is concerned amazon is now offering a variety of services and products such as cloud services and other products that aren’t books. Amazon also just implemented a trade in service were you can trade cell phones, video games, and other electronics and books for an Amazon gift card. So this will put them under implementing economies of scope. Their business model is following the same path as there are making money from their new services and by leveraging their buying power with other non-book products. One can also argue that they followed the one of a kind business strategy by offering products through a virtual storefront as opposed to the traditional brinks and motor. Q3: In your opinion, how well did Barnes & Noble counter the moves that Amazon. com had made (up to when the case was written)? How about now? How is Barnes & Noble doing vis-a-vis Amazon. com? I think Barnes & Noble did very well in countering Amazon. com’s moves. They created College Bookstores, a student oriented on-line book site. They also launched a new transaction system as well as launch their own web-site and make a deal with AOL. They also embarked on other system develop projects and marketing ventures. However, even though Barnes & Noble made good stride I don’t believe many of their ideas were successful. Jump into 2012 Barnes & Noble is still competing with Amazon. om and I think they’re doing ok but Amazon. com is playing chess with them and using economies of scope to capitalize on other opportunities. As I mentioned earlier a June 2011 consumer reports stated that the nook (Barnes & Noble) beat the kindle (amazon e-reader device) by one point. As far as overall health of the two companies is concerned I created a bar chart below to depict important factors off of their balance sheets. T he information is current as of Sep. 2011. According to the two balance sheets it seems that Amazon is doing a lot better than Barnes and Noble. If I had to make a prediction I would put my money with Barnes and Noble. Also please note that Table one figures represents millions. Q4: Based on the case and your own research, how do you characterize the competition in the bookselling industry in 2000 and 2011? Applying the Porter’s Five-Force model, which forces are impacting most on the profitability of firms? The competition in the book selling industry is slowly increasing with new entrants and substitute products coming into the market. I would characterize the competition as increasing and becoming more dynamic as book retailers are using the economies of scope strategy to look for new streams of revenue. Applying Porter’s five-force model to the book retailing industry, there are two or three of them that are having the most impact on the book retailing industry. First, is threat of new entrants. Over the past few years there have been a couple of noticeable new entrants in the market, for instance Bilbo, half. com, and AbeBooks just to mention a few. These new entrants are fighting for a piece of the market share, thus likely taking market share from the major players such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. There also an increasing market with e-books or electronic books. This would fall under threat of substitute products or services in Porter’s five-force model. People are increasingly adapting to using e-books. There are also specific devices such as the kindle and nook that facilitate their usage. Even DePaul University is adopting such technology with their e-book program (books 24Ãâ€"7 and others). I don’t believe the buyers and suppliers parts of the model are having a huge impact because I would imagine that the company with the biggest market share would still have the most bargaining power when negotiating with the two; however, the entrance of e-books does add a dynamic aspect to the SCM part of the industry. I fi would venture to guess I would say that Barnes & Nobles will eventually go out of business unless business and that Amazon. com will survive as they pursue economies of scale by offering cloud services along with other potential revenue generators.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How To Conjugate Conducir and Other -ducir Spanish Verbs

How To Conjugate Conducir and Other -ducir Spanish Verbs Conducir, a verb that means to drive and also has meanings related to conduct of persons and things, and other verbs ending in -ducir are highly irregular. The most common of those other verbs are introducir, producir, reducir, reproducir, seducir, and traducir. Their conjugation is shown below with conducir as an example. Irregular forms are shown below in boldface. Translations are given as a guide and in real life may vary with context. Infinitive of Conducir conducir (to drive) Gerund of Conducir conduciendo (driving) Participle of Conducir conducido (driven) Present Indicative of Conducir yo conduzco, tà º conduces, usted/à ©l/ella conduce, nosotros/as conducimos, vosotros/as conducà ­s, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducen (I drive, you drive, he drives, etc.) Preterite of Conducir yo conduje, tà º condujiste, usted/à ©l/ella condujo, nosotros/as condujimos, vosotros/as condujisteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas condujeron (I drove, you drove, she drove, etc.) Imperfect Indicative of Conducir yo conducà ­a, tà º conducà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella conducà ­a, nosotros/as conducà ­amos, vosotros/as conducà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducà ­an (I used to drive, you used to drive, he used to drive, etc.) Future Indicative of Conducir yo conducirà ©, tà º conducirs, usted/à ©l/ella conducir, nosotros/as conduciremos, vosotros/as conducirà ©is, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducirn (I will drive, you will drive, he will drive, etc.) Conditional of Conducir yo conducirà ­a, tà º conducirà ­as, usted/à ©l/ella conducirà ­a, nosotros/as conducirà ­amos, vosotros/as conducirà ­ais, ustedes/ellos/ellas conducirà ­an (I would drive, you would drive, she would drive, etc.) Present Subjunctive of Conducir que yo conduzca, que tà º conduzcas, que usted/à ©l/ella conduzca, que nosotros/as conduzcamos, que vosotros/as conduzcis, que ustedes/ellos/ellas conduzcan (that I drive, that you drive, that she drive, etc.) Imperfect Subjunctive of Conducir que yo condujera (condujese), que tà º condujeras (condujeses), que usted/à ©l/ella condujera (condujese), que nosotros/as condujà ©ramos (condujà ©semos), que vosotros/as condujerais (condujeseis), que ustedes/ellos/ellas condujeran (condujesen) (that I drove, that you drove, that he drove, etc.) Imperative of Conducir conduce (tà º), no conduzcas (tà º), conduzca (usted), conduzcamos (nosotros/as), conducid (vosotros/as), no conduzcis (vosotros/as), conduzcan (ustedes drive, dont drive, drive, lets drive, etc.) Compound Tenses of Conducir The perfect tenses are made by using the appropriate form of haber and the past participle, conducido. The progressive tenses use estar with the gerund, conduciendo. Sample Sentences Showing Conjugation of Verbs Ending in -ducir No quiero conducir porque hay demasiados locos al volante estos dà ­as. (I dont want to drive because there are so many crazy people at the wheel these days. Infinitive.) Perà º es el à ºnico paà ­s latinoamericano que ha introducido una ley de divorcio rpido. (Peru is the only Latin American country that has introduced a law providing for quick divorce. Present perfect.) Los britnicos, al comienzo de la guerra, estaban escandalizados por la violencia que se estaba produciendo en la Espaà ±a republicana. The British, at the beginning of the war, were scandalized by the violence that was occurring in Republican Spain. Gerund.) Existen ms de mil laboratorios que producen estas sustancias en China hoy en dà ­a. (There are more than 1,000 laboratories that produce these substances in China these days. Present indicative.) Tradujeron el libro al francà ©s y lo distribuyeron en Ginebra en 1882. (They translated the book to French and distributed it in Geneva in 1882. Preterite.) La corrupcià ³n reducà ­a la inversià ³n y el crecimiento econà ³mico. (The corruption diminished investment and economic growth. Imperfect.) Al à ºltimo nos reproduciremos por clonacià ³n. (Ultimately we will reproduce by cloning. Future.) A mà ­ mismo me seducirà ­a si no fuera quien soy. (Even I myself would be tempted if I werent who I am. Conditional.) Le dio 10 dà ­as calendario para que produzca los documentos requeridos. (She gave him 10 calendar days to produce the required documents. Present subjunctive.) Un profesor de lengua rabe pidià ³ a sus alumnos que tradujeran el libro. (An Arabic-language teacher asked his students to translate the book. Imperfect subjunctive.) No conduzcas sin cinturà ³n. (Dont drive without wearing a seatbelt. Imperative.)

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Indice de aprobación de visas de turista por país

Indice de aprobacià ³n de visas de turista por paà ­s El à ºltimo aà ±o, EE.UU. emitià ³ un total de 6.740.754 visas de turista sus embajadas y consulados de todo el mundo, pero hay una gran diferencia en el porcentaje de visas que se aprueban segà ºn la nacionalidad del solicitante. En las estadà ­sticas del aà ±o fiscal 2018 de las visas de turista – tambià ©n conocidas como de placer, paseo, B2 o la conjunta B1/B2 o combinada con la BCC o de lser o de cruce. Estas à ºltimas solamente se emiten a los mexicanos que residen a lo largo de la frontera terrestre con EE.UU. Sin embargo, en estas cifras no estn incluidos los turistas que ingresaron sin Visa a EE.UU. por ser nacionales de uno los 38 paà ­ses incluidos en el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visados (VWP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), como chilenos y espaà ±oles. Por lo tanto, las estadà ­sticas de chilenos y espaà ±oles no aplica a la totalidad de turistas de esas nacionalidades que ingresaron a EE.UU. el aà ±o pasado sino tan solo a las personas que, por cualquier razà ³n, no pueden acogerse al VWP como, por ejemplo, haber previamente estado ilegalmente en el paà ­s o desear permanecer en EE.UU. por ms de 90 dà ­as, etc. Porcentaje de visas de turista aprobadas por nacionalidad Los siguientes son los porcentajes de visas de turista aprobadas en relacià ³n al total de solicitudes,  segà ºn la nacionalidad del solicitante durante el à ºltimo aà ±o fiscal: Argentina: 98,27%Bolivia: 77,81%Chile: 88,66%Colombia: 64,89%Costa Rica: 90,09%Cuba: 49,03%Ecuador: 68,62%El Salvador: 48,51%Espaà ±a: 85,96%Guatemala: 46,38%Honduras: 39,68%Mà ©xico: 75,07%Nicaragua: 53,35%Panam: 88,29%Paraguay: 91,98%Perà º: 71,47%Repà ºblica Dominicana: 50,46%Uruguay: 95,89%Venezuela: 25,72% Estas cifras son por nacionalidad, sin que importar en quà © consulado o en quà © paà ­s solicitaron la visa. Y es que à ©sta puede solicitarse fuera del paà ­s de residencia habitual, pero en ningà ºn caso mejora la posibilidad de sacar la visa y, sin embargo, sà ­ que puede perjudicarla.  ¿Por quà © algunas nacionalidades tienen à ­ndices de negacià ³n de la visa visa ms altas que otras? La visa de turista puede ser denegada por muchas razones. Pero la ms frecuente en todo el mundo es la de no acreditar suficientemente lazos econà ³micos y/o familiares o sociales en el lugar de residencia habitual. Es decir, el oficial consular sospecha que el solicitante de la visa puede quedarse en los Estados Unidos ms tiempo del autorizado o quieren aprovechar su estadà ­a para trabajar. Este problema puede afectar en todo el mundo por igual a solicitantes jà ³venes de cualquier paà ­s que cuando fueron nià ±os nunca tuvieron una visa americana. Sin embargo, en algunos consulados en particular ese tipo de sospechas son, en general, altas para todos los solicitantes, cualquiera que sea su edad. Las razones son varias, por ejemplo, la inestabilidad polà ­tica, econà ³mica y social de un paà ­s, que se refleja en el alto à ­ndice de sus ciudadanos que en los aà ±os anteriores obtuvieron una visa de turista, viajaron a EE.UU. y se han quedado ms tiempo del autorizado. Por ejemplo, el aà ±o pasado todas las solicitudes de visa de turista de ciudadanos de Andorra, Liechtenstein, Mà ³naco y Vaticano fueron aprobadas. Son paà ­ses estables con à ­ndices bajà ­simos de violaciones migratorias por parte de sus ciudadanos. En el otro extremo se encuentran Corea del Norte y Micronesia. En el à ºltimo aà ±o fiscal EE.UU. denegà ³ todas las solicitudes de visa de turista de los ciudadanos de esos dos estados. Un caso a destacar, porque ilustra muy bien este punto, es el de Venezuela. El aà ±o pasado, fueron rechazadas el 74,28 por ciento de solicitudes de visas de turista realizadas por venezolanos en cualquier embajada o consulado de EE.UU. en todo el mundo. En otras palabras, solo una de cuatro peticiones fue aprobada. Diez aà ±os antes, en el aà ±o fiscal 2008, solamente fueron rechazadas un 25,4 por ciento de las visas de turistas solicitadas por venezolanos. Es decir, tres de cada cuatro solicitudes era aprobada.  ¿Quà © saben los consulados sobre el solicitante de una visa? Otro factor que puede influenciar en la diferencia de à ­ndices de aprobacià ³n de las visas es la mayor tendencia en algunos paà ­ses a presentar documentos falsos o realizar declaraciones exageradas, en muchos casos animados por asesorà ­as que venden servicios varios para mejorar la chance de sacar la visa. Las informaciones de los consulados varà ­an de paà ­s a paà ­s pero en general puede decirse que antes de que el solicitante de la visa se presente delante del oficial consular para la entrevista ya el personal consular ha realizado una importante labor. Siempre se verifica la identidad del solicitante en bases de datos propias del gobierno estadounidense y que tienen la misma informacià ³n que los puntos migratorios de entrada a EE.UU. Tambià ©n se verifican los datos biomà ©tricos despuà ©s de tomar huellas y fotos al solicitante. Un grupo de empleados, que pueden ser estadounidenses o locales de gran confianza, busca por cualquier anomalà ­a que pueda aparecer en la aplicacià ³n de la visa. Si algo les llama la atencià ³n, proceden a una investigacià ³n ms en profundidad. Toda esa informacià ³n se presenta al oficial consular que va a llevar a cabo la entrevista y por eso puede tomar una decisià ³n sobre aprobar o negar la visa en apenas dos minutos. Adems, à ©ste puede acceder desde su computadora a todos los expedientes que puede tener el solicitante de la visa como, por ejemplo, previas solicitudes y conocer incluso todas las anotaciones realizadas por otros oficiales consulares desde otro consulado ubicado en cualquier lugar del mundo. Con respecto a la duda de si pueden verificar la informacià ³n de los informes bancarios, no es posible pedir un estado del balance de una cuenta de un ciudadano que no es estadounidense. Sin embargo, por diversos medios sà ­ que es posible para los consulados obtener confirmacià ³n por parte de los bancos sobre si los informes presentados son real y si fueron emitidos en la fecha que consta. La presentacià ³n de documento falsos da lugar a la negacià ³n de la visa por fraude de ley y equivale a cavar uno su propia tumba ya que es un problema muy difà ­cil de solucionar. Serà ­a necesario obtener un perdà ³n o waiver, que es muy complicado obtener. Puntos Clave: visas de turista aprobadas y rechazadas en FY2018 6.740.745: nà ºmero de visas de turista B2, B1/B2 y combinacià ³n B1/B2/BCC aprobadas por los consulados de EE.UU. en todo el mundo en aà ±o fiscal 2018.China: paà ­s con ms visas de turista aprobadas, seguido de Mà ©xico y, en tercer lugar, India.0% solicitudes de visas de turista aprobadas: Corea del Norte y Micronesia.100% solicitudes de visas de turista aprobadas: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Mà ³naco, Vaticano y Sahara Occidental.Factores que influyen en diferencias de à ­ndices de aprobacià ³n: falta de estabilidad econà ³mica, polà ­tica o social de un paà ­s, altos porcentajes de nacionales de un paà ­s que se quedan en EE.UU. ms tiempo que el autorizado y altos à ­ndices de presentacià ³n de papeles fraudulentos o declaraciones falsas durante el proceso de solicitud de visa. Este no es un artà ­culo legal, es solo informativo.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Cases Summary Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cases Summary - Case Study Example The company is facing the bankruptcy threat as a result of the poor management of the company’s funds as well as running of the other indirect monetary activities. The best strategic analysis tool that I recommend this case is PEST Analysis. This tool entails looking at the factors that may influence the company’s performance, and they include political, economic, social and technological factors (Karadag, 2015). For the case of political factors, the company has to look at the tax policies, labor law, tariffs and political stability among others. For the case of economic factors, the company has to consider the economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate since they impact on how business operate and reach on to their decisions. Social factors entail the cultural dimensions, consisting of population growth rate, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Finally, technological factors involve environmental aspects such as automation, technology incentives and dynamism in technology. The best solution is for the company to study the prevailing taxation policies in the country so that it can identify whether it’s spending a lot in paying the taxes (Karadag, 2015). Another solution is for the company to determine the trade restrictions that are in place and find out if there are some that tend to favor its operations. I recommend that the company, try as much as possible to fix itself in the regional market, if there exist some trade restrictions favoring its activities. Finally, the company should study the prevailing market and come up with implementation, control and evaluation plan to meet the demand of the identified market. The second case is where Pixar, the studio company owned by Walt Disney Company, had failed to obtain a single nomination from the previously given out awards. The company has undergone a lot of setbacks from this case since Pixar had won five trophies from the previous year. For this case too, I