Friday, May 1, 2020

Analyze Macro Environment of Australian

Question: Discuss about the Analyze Macro Environment of Australian. Answer: Introduction Marketing environment refers to the forces, which impact the ability of an industry towards building and maintaining its success (Broberg, Umans and Gerlofstig 2013). This study will be based on the scenario, where a large company wishes to invest in the retail book industry of Australia. In this context, the study will analyze the macro environment of the industry through PESTLE and Porters Five Force Analysis. Apart from that, the study will also analyze the segmenting variables of the industry. The purpose of the study is to explore the opportunity and threats of the industry, which will ultimately impact the new company. The study will also suggest some segmenting variables for the new company. Macro Environment PESTLE Analysis PESTLE Analysis of Australian Retail Book Industry Political Free trade agreement imposed by Australian Government assists smooth business operation of Australian retail book industry As per Australian copyright act, Australian booksellers are obligated to purchase bulk orders from Australian rights holder. They are restricted to purchase orders from overseas suppliers (Booksandpublishing.com.au 2017). It is ultimately pushing up the price of local book sold in retail shops and increasing the overall revenues of the industry. Reduced tax rate on retail book industry has ultimately increased its profit potential. Economic Strong economic condition of Australia has enhanced the business potential of book retailers Fluctuation in inflation rate sometimes hamper book retailing industry. Currency fluctuation rate also impact on the profit level of the industry Social Increasing social activity among the people towards sharing interest through book reading has increases the sales potential in the industry Increasing purchasing power of the consumer has enhanced the sales potential of this industry (Parsons and Descatoires 2016) Increasing numbers of retirees in this country has increased the demand for books Technological Advanced technology helps the industry to keep constant relation with the customers Technological advancement can help in building strong relationship with the book suppliers (Efendioglu 2015) Legal The industry comply with all the legal standards of consumer law The industry also comply with all the Australian labor law Environmental Book retail industry of Australia is highly concerned about protecting the environment It uses environment friendly packaging technique for all its products Table 1: PESTLE Analysis of Retail Book Industry in Australia (Source: Gump 2014) Porters Five Force Analysis: Threats of New Entrants The retail book industry of Australia faces low barriers from the localized small entrants. However, it faces significant barriers from the international entrants. Their established competition has created negative growth of the industry (Wehner et al. 2017). Moreover, the percentage of trade book sales was quite low in Australian till 2015 (Referred to Appendix 1). However, the industry has used price cutting strategy for beating the treats of new entrants and started to regain the sales volume. Threats of Substitutes Retail book industry of Australia faces high level of threats from the media and entertainment industry. Recently, consumers spend more time on watching TV and chatting in social media. It has reduced the demand of books, which is ultimately impacting the retail book industry (Pons et al. 2016). The total value of boo sales has been demonstrated in Appendix 2. Competitive Rivalry The retail book industry of Australian faces tough competition from the online retailers like Amazon and The Book Depository. It forced the industry to set cheaper prices for all of their books, which has increased its market share. However, the sales of the industry have been declined by 2.2% by the year 2016 (Ibisworld.com.au 2017). On the other hand, the recent revenue of the industry demonstrated an amount of 4 billion, which is a moderate amount (Ibisworld.com.au 2017). The sales channels of the Australian book have been demonstrated in Appendix 3. In the local market, the industry faces tough competition from Booktopia and Dymocks. Bargaining Power of Buyers Retail book industry faces high bargaining power of buyers. Moreover, the online bookselling companies are more likely to offer discounts on the books, which they sell to the customers through online channels (Barnard 2016). Hence, customers have more power to switch in those online booksellers. It can ultimately reduce the sales potential of the industry. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The copyright act of Australian Government has restricted the bookselling companies to buy bulk amount of book only from local book publishers. They are not allowed to get supply of the book from any foreign suppliers. It has ultimately increased the bargaining power of suppliers over the retail bookselling industry (Gray 2013). However, share of trade and educational books have increased the overall market share of the industry (Referred to Appendix 4). Figure 1: Porters Five Force Analysis of Australian Retail Book Industry (Source: Stephens and McGowan 2015) Segmenting Variables in Industry Segmenting Variables in Australian Retail Book Industry Segmentation Demographic Age: 6 year to Above: Almost all age groups having reading habits are targeted by this industry. Gender: Both Male and Female: Readings are not restricted to any gender in todays market. Hence, both male and female customers are selected. Marital Status: Both Single and Married: Single customers will be segmented to offer action and adventure books, science fiction, horror and mystery books. On the other hand, married customers are segmented to offer romance, diaries, religious and history books. Education: Mostly educated person: Books are valued to only educated customers. Students are offered by the book within their syllabus and others by different types of books. Occupation: Can be any type and even the retired persons: All types of professional are segmented by the industry. Income: Moderate income level: Books are kind of luxury goods. Hence, the customers having moderate income are selected. Attitude: Positive attitude towards life: Customers having fantasy and positive attitude towards life are selected by the industry. Psychographic Customers having strong personality Customers having hobbies of book reading Demographic Customers seeking high level of benefits are segmented by the industry Target All age group Educated Persons Occupation: Business persons, school students, college students, job holders and even unemployed Customers having moderate income Customers having positive attitude over life Positioning Wide collection of books in the bookstores Various types of books including education, trade, entertainment and others Moderate price range attracts the readers Convenient stores of the book stores Table 2: Segmenting Variables of Australian Book Retail (Source:) Conclusion While concluding the study, it can be said that Australian book retail industry gets huge support from the government. On the other hand, the increasing reading habits of the customers have also enhanced the sales potential of the industry. The recent revenue of the industry is 1 billion, which is quite moderate. However, the industry is facing tough completion from the online book selling companies both from domestic market as well as international market. Hence, the industry has become forced to cut the price range of the books. It has ultimately declined the profit level of the industry. However, with the increasing popularity of trade and educational books, there is still hope in this industry. The new retail book company should target adult groups for selling their books. Recommendation to Segment for New Company Recommendation on Segmentation and Target of Book Retail Company Segmentation Demographic Age: 18-Above: All the adults customers will be segmented by this company, as they are mostly associated with the hobbies of reading Income: Moderate Income Group: The company will sell books having high prices like popular novels, Fictions, Non-fictions and many more. Hence, it will segment customers having stable income Occupation: College Students will be segmented, as they needs various types of books included in their syllabus. Business persons will be selected for selling trade books. On the other hand, retired persons will also be a significant segment of this company, as they mostly need book readings for spending their time. Marital Status: Both single and married customers will be segmented for their differing needs of books Education: All educated persons will be selected by the company. Even the educated household will be the customers of the company, as they may need books on getting ideas of cooking and foods. Attitude: Both having positive and negative attitude towards life. People having negative attitude can also buy books for overcoming their pain in life. Psychographic Customers having both positive personality in life will be selected Customers having hobbies of reading and entertainment will be selected Behavioral Customers seeking extra benefits over their purchase will be selected Target Customers between the age of 18-above will be selected Education: All types of educated Customers Occupation: Businesspersons, college students, media professionals and others Customers having moderate income Customers having both positive and negative attitude towards life Positioning Wide variety of books will attract different types of customers Affordable prices of the books will attract huge range of customers Discounts offered to the customers will attract them a lot Convenient store location will enhance numbers of customers Table 3: Recommendation on Segmentation of New Book Retail Company (Source: Created by Author) References Barnard, S., 2016. Retail or e-tail? Brick or click? Is e-tailing the ideal solution for all industries?: opinion.The Retail and Marketing Review,12(1), pp.89-91. Booksandpublishing.com.au. 2017.The market down under | Books+Publishing. [online] Available at: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/09/30/74713/the-market-down-under/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Broberg, P., Umans, T. and Gerlofstig, C., 2013. Balance between auditing and marketing: An explorative study.Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation,22(1), pp.57-70. Efendioglu, A.M., 2015. State of information technology in small retail and service businesses: an exploratory study.Journal of Small Business Strategy,8(2), pp.13-24. Gray, D., 2013. Out of the Box and into the Bookstore: Non-Traditional Use of the Bookstore.Against the Grain,15(3), p.10. Gump, S.E., 2014. Everyday Book Marketing: Promotion Ideas to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life by Midge Raymond (review).Journal of Scholarly Publishing,45(4), pp.409-413. Ibisworld.com.au. 2017.Book Stores in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld. [online] Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/specialised-market-research-reports/consumer-goods-services/book-stores.html [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Ibisworld.com.au. 2017.Newspaper and Book Retailing in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld. [online] Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/market-research-reports/retail-trade/other-store-based-retailing/newspaper-book-retailing.html [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Parsons, A.G. and Descatoires, E., 2016. Retail marketing: A novel research agenda.Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ),24(2), pp.102-107. Pons, F., Giroux, M., Mourali, M. and Zins, M., 2016. The relationship between density perceptions and satisfaction in the retail setting: Mediation and moderation effects.Journal of Business Research,69(2), pp.1000-1007. Stephens, P. and McGowan, M., 2015. Service Convenience: On-Line versus Brick and Mortar Bookstores.International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector (IJISSS),7(3), pp.1-14. Wehner, C., Wehner, C., Wehner, C., Wehner, C. and Wehner, C. 2017.Bookselling Industry Analysis for Australia - Porter's Five Forces PEST. [online] bluetrain. Available at: https://bluetrainenterprises.com.au/blog/2016/11/18/industry-analysis-australian-print-bookselling/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017].

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Magic And Mischief In Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, Reality B

Magic and Mischief In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, reality blends with imagination. For example, the fact that there are fairies with magical powers is very far-fetched, yet makes for an entertaining story. This comedy is mainly focused on the troubles of three groups of people: the two dedicated lovers, the bumbling actors, and the gleeful fairies. When these three groups collide, magic and mischief are created. Egeus, a nobleman, wants his daughter, Hermia, to marry a man named Demetrius, but she and Lysander, her fianc?, are in love, and that is the basis of the plot. Because Hermia's father is so attracted to the idea of her marrying another nobleman, he becomes angry with her and threatens to either have her killed or to force her to become a nun. Also, Demetrius is, in fact, in love with Hermia. However, the lovers' love and dedication toward each other forces them to run from the real world and enter the enchanted world of fairies and magic. There, they plan to get married and live somewhat of a peaceful life. Before she leaves for her journey, Hermia tells one of her trusted friends, Helena, the secret plan. Helena is deeply in love with Demetrius, so she tells him, knowing that he will follow Hermia anywhere and she could follow along. At the same time of the eloping: "Nick Bottom, an actor, and his comical friends are rehearsing a foolish play they plan to present at the duke's wedding" (Shakespeare). Nick Bottom is the comic relief in this play. He is an actor, who is intent on acting out a play by the moonlight of the night in the same forest that the two lovers are eloping. Bottom and his friends: Arrive in the woods for their rehearsal, and Peter Quince is ready to start immediately. But Bottom has been brooding over the script and has decided that it needs some changes. It is possible that the ladies in the audience may become upset by the bloody death of Pyramus, and therefore the play needs a prologue to assure everyone that Pyramus is not really dead at all (Shakespeare). As the men rehearse, Puck, an assistant to the king and queen of the fairyland, puts a donkey's head on the unsuspecting Bottom. Bottom, then, walks out on cue and frightens the other actors. In the midst of the acting, the lovers and their curious followers fall asleep in the woods nearby (Shakespeare). Among the people present in the forest, there are fairies, who: "...Were so delicate in their form that a dewdrop, when they chance to dance on it, trembles, indeed, but never breaks" ("Fairy and Fairy Tale"). These fairies only come out at night. Oberon, king of the fairies, and his wife, Titania have been arguing over their son, who Oberon wants to make his servant. Titania disagrees, which leads the argument on through the night. Oberon's other servant, Puck, is called to go on a mission to find a flower called love-in- idleness for Oberon to put on his wife's eyelids, which, in turn, casts a spell that makes her love the first person she sees when she awakens (Shakespeare). Puck then claims: "I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows..." (Shakespeare). He, then, flies around the world to search for this flower, and when he returns, is inclined to sprinkle the flower's juice on an Athenian, preferably Titania. Seeing that it is night and dark, Puck mistakenly goes to the sleeping lovers and sprinkles the juice onto Lysander's eyelids (Shakespeare). When morning comes, Lysander awakens, and the first thing he sees is Helena, therefore, he falls in love with her. Seeing this whole mess, Oberon instructs Puck to go and find some more juice to put on his wife's eyelids. When Puck returns, Oberon insists upon doing it himself. He sprinkles the juice on Demetrius, who, when he awakens, sees Helena and falls in love with her. The irony is: "Demetrius and Lysander attempt to woo Helena, who is naturally convinced that they are making fun of her, while Hermia is appalled to find that both suitors have forsaken her and is

Thursday, March 5, 2020

History of Parle G Essay Example

History of Parle G Essay Example History of Parle G Essay History of Parle G Essay They are an upcoming store with excellent growth Premiums Words Pages Hp Company Soot Analysis Hewlett-Packard S I Analysis strengths Hewlett-Packard Is a global technology company and after its merger with Compact it became worlds biggest computer hardware and peripherals company in the world, ranking 20 in the Fortune 500 list. Company is doing business in more then 170 country Premiums Words Pages SOOT Analysis By Anthony C. Danna What is SOOT Analysis? SOOT analysis is a basic, straightforward model that provides direction and serves as a basis for the development of marketing plans. It accomplishes this by assessing an organizations strengths (what an organization can do) and weaknesses Premium Words Pages Toyota Soot SOOT Analysis Toyota Strengths New investment by Toyota in factories in the US and China saw 2005 profits rise, against the worldwide motor industry trend. Net profits rose 0. 8% to 1. 17 trillion yen ($1 1 bon; EH. Bon), while sales were 7. 3% higher at 18. 55 trillion yen. Commentators ar

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

The Saga of Mr. Jose Padilla Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Saga of Mr. Jose Padilla - Essay Example The case took a surprising turn in November 2005, when â€Å"Bush administration† filed criminal charges against Padilla in a Miami court. Surprisingly, the new indictment did not contain the original charges against Padilla and consisted of entirely different criminal charges. The new indictment claimed that Padilla, a former member of a Chicago gang, was a member of a group supporting violent jihad campaigns in Afghanistan. The group by the name of â€Å"North American Support cell† was known to support Jihad from overseas between the tenure of 1993 to 2001. During the time the new indictment was announced, Padilla, due to extreme isolation and abuse for more than three years, was suffering from severe psychological damage and on these grounds his lawyers were determined to have the new indictment dismissed because Padilla was now simply incapable of enduring the trial. The judge did not rule on the merits of the defense accusations of psychological damages and denied the motion of dismissing the charges. (Anonymous, 2011). The saga of Jose Padilla captured tremendous media coverage because it raised numerous questions, the most important of the raised issues was whether the US government had the right to subject arrested US citizens to indefinite military detention with mental as well as physical abuse. However, these fundamental questions did not receive any resolution during the trial of Padilla and his two co-defendants because Federal district judge Marcia Cooke, who was presiding over the case, clearly stated Padilla’s military detention was completely justified and questions about its legitimacy were totally irrelevant. The legality of Padilla’s three and a half years military detention as an enemy combatant was heavily questioned by media across the United States of America. In December 2002, the Southern District of New York stated during the first litigation that the military detention was authorized. However, this author ization by the Southern District was reconsidered and reversed a year later by the Second Circuit. On jurisdictional grounds, the Second Circuit’s decision was vacated by the Supreme Court. Moreover, the Supreme Court demanded re-filing of habeas petition in South Carolina District. The South Carolina District Court supported the Second Circuit by stating that the detention was illegal and Padilla should not have been subjected to such harsh military viciousness however, in September 2005, it was reversed by the Fourth Circuit. (Vladeck, 2007). Padilla trial, in total took almost five and a half years, during which Padilla, despite being a US citizen, was brutally tortured, and was held in incommunicado thus, in simple words it can be safely stated that Padilla was denied basic democratic rights. During the trial, he was subjected to what I must say were trumped up charges. During the trial, Padilla was claimed to have received training from Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1998. H is visit and training in Afghanistan was said to have been supported by Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyosi. Unfortunately, Padilla’s lawyers assumed that the Bush administration’s case against him was too thin and therefore, on Padilla’s behalf, they did not present any witness and evidence in court. Inevitably, it proved to be a major mistake and the damage it did was evident by the course of events which followed as the

Monday, February 3, 2020

DU (The Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company that operates Research Paper

DU (The Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company that operates in the United Arab Emirates) - Research Paper Example Consumer segment focuses on people and households who are provided with mobile as well as fixed voice calling, apart from internet and related data services and television services. The business segment focuses on small scale as well as large scale businesses and corporations and government agencies. The company provides them with integrated fixed and mobile business solutions such as voice, contents, data and mobile or otherwise applications. Carrier segment focuses on providing carrier and international data networks as well as wholesale services to international companies and multinational corporations (Gulfbase.com, 2015). Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company is ranked as first in the telecommunication sector, and is ranked as fourth in the service market. The company holds 11.37 percent of the share in the telecommunication sector, and 7.56 percent of the market share in the service industry (Gulfbase.com, 2015). It employs 2000 workers throughout UAE and ensures a great working environment for both its home and expatriate staff. The company was late entrant to the telecommunication sector in the GCC, but it successfully competed against great players in the market such as Etisalat and managed to achieve 8.5 million prepaid mobile and data subscribers (Oracle.com, 2015). Solvency ratios give a significant metric to measure a company’s ability to meet its debts as well as other financial obligations. This ratio shows whether the cash flow is sufficient for the company to meet its financial liabilities of both short and long terms (investopedai.com, 2015). This paper presented a brief company profile of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, which is the leading provider of mobile and telecommunication services in UAE, and has been ranked to be the number one in the sector in UAE. This paper presented the income statement and balance sheet of the company and analyzed various ratios related to short term solvency or

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Muscular Dystrophy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Muscular Dystrophy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments Muscular Dystrophy Background Information: Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that causes the deterioration of skeletal muscles, the muscles that enable the human body to move. People with muscular dystrophy have missing or incorrect information within their genes, which prohibits the development of the proteins they need for healthy muscles. Due to fact that muscular dystrophy is genetic, it is not contagious or contractible from another person; a person must be born with the problem. Muscular dystrophy breaks down muscles over a period of time, causing the patients of the disease to gradually lose their ability to do daily and simple tasks, like sitting up or bending down. A patient with muscular dystrophy may have symptoms as a baby or later on in their life. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, also known as DMD, the most common type of muscular dystrophy, is caused by the incorrect information with the gene called dystrophin. The function of this gene is to help muscle cells keep their strength and shape. Without the presence of this gene, muscles begin to deteriorate and a person’s health becomes weaker. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the types that affect boys, and symptoms of the disease begin to show between the ages of two and six. Most children with duchenne muscular dystrophy will require transportation by wheelchair by the age of ten or twelve. Patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy may experience heart complications, and need to be meticulously monitored by pulmonologists and cardiologists. They can also develop scoliosis and tightness in their joints. DMD is a muscle degenerative disease. Muscles that control essential tasks, like breathing may grow weak, requiring the patient to use a ventilator. Treatments Diagnosis: A basic physical exam will be performed by the doctor to look for the general signs of muscular dystrophy. Following this examination, the doctor will request information about your medical history. This includes any concerns you have, your past health, any medications you are currently taking, your immediate family’s health, any allergies you may have, and other matters. Blood tests can help the doctor narrow down which type of muscular dystrophy a person has and eliminate the possibility of other genetic diseases that damage nerves or muscles. One blood test analyzes the components of the patients blood, including, the levels of the enzyme, serum creatine kinase, and the levels of certain proteins that are responsible for chemical changes in the body. Abnormally high levels of serum creatine kinase in the blood from muscle cells indicates that the enzyme is causing damage to the muscle. Other blood tests are used to identify the presence of dystrophin, which is a gene that regulates muscle health and its shape. Blood tests are available to create a diagnostic from some of these disorders. There are also a few types of tests that look into the DNA of the patient. Different types of blood tests can be useful in diagnosing duchenne muscular dystrophy, and also a numerous amount of different types of muscular dystrophy. In some cases, a muscle biopsy is recommended. This procedure includes the doctor detaching a small sample of muscle tissue and analyzing it under the lens of a microscope. If a person is ill with muscular dystrophy, the sample of muscle tissue will visually show some abnormally enlarged fibers, and also evidence of fiber deterioration in different areas. How Is MD Treated? There is not a cure yet for muscular dystrophy, but any doctors and scientists are researching different methods to find a cure. Some scientists are trying to repair the abnormal genes that lead to muscular dystrophy so they will make the right proteins. Another group of scientists are trying to make chemicals and new medicines that will carry out the functions of the abnormal proteins in the body. Every single one of these scientists are working hard so that these chemical and genetic fixes will assist and hopefully cure the frail muscles to work properly in people with muscular dystrophy. There are a few activities children and adults alike can do by themselves to help their muscles. Certain stretches and therapy can help people with muscular dystrophy avoid stiffening of the muscles near the joints, also called contractures, which make mobility difficult and lock the joints in painful positions. In many cases, teenagers are equipped with custom braces to protect flexible joints and tendons. In a few cases, surgery is used to reduce the amount of pain and increase mobility that was reduced from contractures. Some of our body functions, like breathing, depend on certain muscles to properly work. A few patients with muscular dystrophy need artificial respiratory aids, such as a ventilator, to enable them to breathe. If a person was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy during childhood, that child may suffer complications including scoliosis, as a result of weakened muscles and joint inflexibility. For some variations of muscular dystrophy medication can be beneficial. For example, males with duchenne muscular dystrophy may be helped by a prescription called prednisone, and patients of myotonic muscular dystrophy might use the drug, mexilitine, to relax very tight muscles. Currently no scientific cure has been found for Muscular Dystrophy, disregarding its specific form. However, this is not a cause to be disheartened as various types of therapy and drugs are available and can assist a patient with DMD into their adult years. In order for you as a parent to fully develop an understanding about therapies available to your child, as this article continues, we will further discuss a rough outline of the benefits your child will be offered under the care of a specialist. Please keep in mind that these are only possible options that your child may choose from depending on how strongly he is being affected. These therapies also coexist with a clean diet and moderate exercise so as to keep your child as happy and healthy as possible. Most medical care for cases of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy include steroids such as glucocorticoids, prednisolone, and deflazacort.These medications are meant to delay muscle deterioration among other things and could quite possi bly be taken in repetitive or continuous periods of time. Before giving your child these medications, we humbly advise you to further research about their side-effects that they might hold. Some people with DMD acquire osteoporosis or thinning of the bones which may be caused by steroid treatment. This can be prevented by allowing your child’s intake of Vitamin D to increase whether by taking him out to enjoy the sunlight, by drinking lots of milk, by taking dietary supplements, or by taking bisphosphonates. If your child faces complications towards breathing, you might consider non-invasive ventilation which is simply a mask which delivers pressurised air to your child with minimal intervention in daily activities. Your child will have occasional ECG’s and may have to take certain drugs like beta-blockers to assist a weakening heart. Physical and occupational therapy are both liable and recommended courses of action for your child. For further information about DMD tr eatment please contact your local specialist. We are here to inform you, not discourage. If you have any troubles please feel free to contact us and talk it out. We are always willing to listen to your troubles. Please contact your doctor right away if any unusual symptoms or worsening occurs. Current Research: Although frustrating, current research has not yielded very many breakthroughs on new treatments and therapy for muscular dystrophy. Many treatments are short-term and are only able to prolong the lives of patients with MD. There are many research facilities as well as non-profit organizations currently involved in the development of new forms of medical care but drug development is somewhat delayed due to all the complicated processes needed to ensure its safety. In the lead is the NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) and the other institutes that fall under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They are working diligently so that your child may benefit from modern-day technological advancements that will soon cleanse him of DMD. Recently, small scientific discoveries have been made that might lead to treatment production progress. Santhera, a pharmaceutical company, announced that Catena/Roxone might contribute to the delay of weakening abilities to respire. Another recent study was testing drugs commonly known as cialis and viagra. In a trial, young boys diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy were given a single dose of this drug and their blood flow to their muscles shot up. It is believed that this surge of blood flow may contribute to the delay of muscle deterioration, but has yet to be scientifically proven. Just a couple days ago a biotech company, Prosensa updated the scientific world about its latest program. They are planning to begin giving out doses of Drisapersen which is shown to skip over exon 51 in dystrophin and has shown promising results. For further updates on medical treatment for DMD and when it will be readily available to the global market, please feel free to contact us at our toll-free number during office hours and/or subscribe to our weekly emails in which we discuss the latest news concerning your child’s shining future. Why is its name Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? What is the definition of Muscular dystrophy? Duchenne muscular dystrophy was named after its discoverer, the French neurologist, Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne. The term muscular dystrophy is created by several numbers of medical terminology prefixes, word roots, and suffixes. Firstly, the word â€Å"muscular†, contains the word root â€Å"musc† which means muscle. The suffix of â€Å"muscular†, is â€Å"-ar,† which can be defined as â€Å"pertaining to.† The word â€Å"muscular,† means â€Å"pertaining to muscle.† Secondly, the word â€Å"dystrophy,† is composed of the prefix, â€Å"dys-,† and the suffix â€Å"-trophy.† The prefix â€Å"dys-â€Å"has the definition of â€Å"painful/difficult,† and the suffix â€Å"-trophy,† means â€Å"development.† In full, muscular dystrophy can be defined as â€Å"painful and difficult development that pertains to the muscle.† What are Genes A gene is the one sided unit that is passed down from generation to generation. A person can have changes (or mutations) in their genes which have the ability to cause many health problems for the person hosting the malfunctioning genes. Depending on the type of change, the effect can be small; like a change in eye color, or it can lead to major health issues. Mutations in a person’s genes results in the malfunctioning of genes. Within biology, we have learnt that in certain cases, there is a dominant gene that can hide the defective gene, which may also be called a recessive gene. In these cases, the dominant gene is strong enough to dampen the recessive trait, and keep the body functioning as it is supposed to. A person or any other organism can be born with gene mutations, or they can develop mutations over the years in their lives. If the gene mutation is present within the egg or sperm cells of the parents, the children/offspring can have the gene mutation passed down to them by their parents. When such a case as this occurs, the mutation is present within every cell of the body, and the human body is not able to fix the mutation on its own.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

The Secret Recipe of The Body Shop

The Body Shop is the 2nd largest cosmetics franchise in the world; their stores are everywhere throughout the world – 2400 stores in 61 countries. Its brand name is something but simply, and represents the shop that sells all the goods for body, beauty, and healthcare from top to toe. Its logo is unique and also defines its simplicity, with the green color that describes nature – clearly indicates that the company is environmental friendly. Finally, you will notice that The Body Shop anywhere in the world will not ignore its famous, green, and white logo; and those two colors will be pretty, dominant in any Body Shop outlet that you visit. The Body Shop's products are naturally made and against animal testing. There's something special with the packaging – First of all, the tubes and bottles are recyclable, made by minimum 30% of plastics. The company is trying to reduce of using plastic for higher level recycled content every day. Body Shop also likes to recycled things and made it into accessories. So, aside from being useful and unique, it's highly eco-friendly. The entrepreneurs of Body Shop, Anita Roddick, succeeded not because of a capitalist goal which is profit, but she thought of ways to survive in the market. The body shop always born with new ideas and innovations, and they keep improving customer services. Here, we are going to describe more about The Body Shop and its secret recipe to succeed in franchising world. 1. Franchising Anita Roddick appointing a head franchisee in each major national market to be able to concentrate on the development on new product lines and the company's global vision, rather than the complexities of administration or personnel management. Body Shop has their secret ingredient of selecting its franchisee; that is openly acknowledged a preference for women as franchisees. Roddick kept strict control over the franchising process, she was really careful with this franchising thing. Her objective was to ensure that The Body Shop image and the principles it was based on, were not diluted through franchising. 2. Team Management â€Å"We were searching for employees, but people turned up instead† – Anita Roddick Body shop selects staffs that support the company's vision, and the employees aren't kept in the dark – they are supported in the belief that they are part of an exciting future. The value of integrity defines its interaction with its customers, staff and suppliers. The teams are managed to build their passion through a fun and simple atmosphere within the firm. The employees are knowledgeable and fully committed to the company's goals. The trustees of Body Shop look for projects which are committed to addressing social and economic injustice, access to education and protection of the environment and animal life, taking into consideration current global issues and situations. The directors and the employees can build a good correlation. These executive directors are the people who develop their company's performance plans. The plans are signed by the employees and then passed on to the management for approval. They make sure that company performance plans are complete and adequate before signing the forms. Executive directors also discuss the company performance plans with the employees in a clear and organised manner. Non-executive directors document their company's performance and provide feedback to the executive directors from time to time throughout the company performance cycle. Furthermore, the company is maintaining good relations and open communications with its investors. As a matter of fact, shareholders are regularly invited by the corporation whenever there are gatherings to discuss trade updates. Moreover, whenever there is an annual general meeting, investors get the chance to meet The Board members themselves. And of course, for private investors, they can also access the company's website for various shareholder services. Undoubtedly, the company has good consideration for all of its stakeholders; past, present and future. It seems to be a very well planned framework in the firm's corporate division. It has good policies and procedures with regards to financial matters and operational concerns. Its procedure of assessing the different kinds of situations that come up is certainly a good move on their part. Not to mention, they have maintained good relations with their stakeholders. 3. Training The Body Shop management trainee program provides autonomy, a challenge and gives the opportunity to run our own store. The trainee will spend the first year in one of their top performing stores as an assistant store manager and in the second year the trainee will manage their own store. During the program, the trainee will also spend time with The Body Shop Commercial team, get involved in project work at head office and gain an insight into what The Community Trade team does. Beyond the program, there are number of opportunities available from managing a store internationally to moving into a commercial role. The company will support their trainee with training, on the job learning, progress reviews and support from senior management. 4. Operation According to the Body Shop Retail Sales report, the total sales worldwide boosted by 7% to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½772 million (Body Shop International. With the growing market capacities of the Far East Asian region, international brands like Body Shop will definitely create big. It is reported that Body Shop stores in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, increase its sales by 12% while operating profits to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½19.7 million. In 2002, The Body Shop shoppers do not just go to its chains just to buy its products, because the Body Shop products themselves are the ones that go to the American homes. Surprisingly, the results are promising. It has predicted a 35% profit in operations. In operating process, body shop always born with new ideas and innovations of their product. Definitely, innovations are proven to increase business' performance and existence. The special thing about body shop operation is not just in the manufacturing, but also the services that the company offers. Body shop is campaign for social justice and human rights; they fund the organizations environmental campaign. 5. Marketing Products: The company â€Å"body shop† sells organically grown body products, for the consumer who likes to take care of him or herself. It is known for its cosmetic products that are naturally made and environment-friendly. These organically products is used by different women across the globe, and different products with different functions composed by the ingredients that come from different countries. (Ex: sesame seed from Nicaragua, shea butter from Gnana, coco milk, mangoes, strawberries, etc). Those ingredients are kept on improving along with the new ingredients. Price: The products are priced more exclusively than the mass merchandised cosmetics, but well under exclusive department store lines. We can conclude from here that the company has sufficient information about the customer's prices – company knows exactly its target group and knows what the target group is willing to pay, so the products actually are comparatively cheap; which means, still, there are lots of people can afford them. Place: The company is B2C related which means that its target group is consumers on the B2C market. They use a mixture between intensive and selective distribution. All the shops are run on a franchising basis. Their customers are willing to pay in high prices and are in the medium class or higher; so they put their store mostly at exclusive department store lines, big shopping centers, and located in major cities. Promotion: The company is against promotion, so they don't do business by promoting, but they have their own internet site, where you can see their selection of products. The unique thing about Body Shop's promotion, it deviates from its fellow cosmetics line with regard to its advertisements. It never made use of famous celebrities nor supermodels to endorse its products. Furthermore, the characteristics those models posses are far from the stereotypical model or from the Western standards. If we are to access the Body Shop International's website, as cited in this paper, we will find out that these models are black. From this we can derive that the pioneer of Body Shop ventures into something that is more than just business. There is politics behind. The cosmetic business is bound by principle. 6. Hazard Management The body shop provides safety to its customers. The products itself are naturally made and environmental friendly. They are against animal testing. So the company supports animal and human rights, and the economically climate. In October 2009, the Body Shop was awarded a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award' by the RSPCA in Britain, in recognition of its uncompromised policy which ensures ingredients are not tested by its suppliers. Note that the promise of not testing on animals has no bearing on whether the ingredients are from animal sources. They are unique with the outlet decoration. The Body Shop's corporate identity provided a consistent visual cue in its shops. The company's original shop interior concept, nicknamed the â€Å"green box† was developed to complement the corporate image. It featured a dark green modular system constructed in timber, and dark green tones on both the exterior and interior. CONCLUSION Lessons learned from The Body Shop's success – Authenticity adds value – The importance of staff selection – Globalization can lead to greater success – Don't confuse your personal strategies with business strategies. Here, a company must have clear strategies. – Advertising and marketing add value – Don't underestimate your competition