“the Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Profit”

Businesses have many responsibilities, the primary role being, to make profit and then in turn grow and expand as a business in the hope that they increase profits. After all, not many people want to be in the business of losing money, it is simply the function of a business †¦ to make money. However, in saying that, I would disagree in saying that this is entirely a â€Å"social† responsibility. Businesses have a responsibility to their stakeholders and/or their shareholders to increase profits, but socially they are required to do so much more. In terms of â€Å"social† responsibility, in this current day and age, businesses have a responsibility to society. I believe consumers are generally not concerned about the profit businesses makes, they are more concerned about the quality, service and value they receive from dealing with a business, and more importantly whether the success of the business was gained by them following socially and ethically responsible business practices. In the past, businesses would forfeit their social responsibility at the cost of increasing profit. A good example of this is multinational conglomerate, Proctor & Gamble, identified by PETA as a corporation that actively participates in animal testing1 to ensure that their products are safe for people to use. Yes, they are fulfilling their â€Å"social† responsibility in ensuring that their products do not harm their consumers, but now society and organisations are pointing the finger and actively boycotting companies such as Proctor & Gamble, for ignoring their social responsibility. Businesses have had to turn things around to adapt to the views of changing society. Being socially responsible is now a costly exercise. Due to their previous poor business ethics, they have to date invested almost $250 million in alternative testing methods in an effort to abolish all forms of animal testing. 2 Not only now is it socially unacceptable to practice â€Å"bad† business ethics, but it is socially unacceptable for businesses that make too much money to ignore the needs of the needy. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft together with the efforts of his wife Melinda have established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation donates millions of dollars every year, aiding many projects with their slogan being â€Å"all lives have equal value†. It is now the duty of businesses and many large corporations to be socially responsible and contribute to society on a larger scale. It is simply incorrect to say that increasing profit is the sole responsibility of a business. It is the social responsibility of a business to be socially responsible, in all facets. Portraying a ‘socially responsible’ image is detrimental to increasing profits, this has not always been the case, many companies that were once selfless entities who’s only mission was to profiteer at any cost have realised that with the changes in society, they have had to change the way they conduct their business. Sadly, many businesses and corporations participate in â€Å"socially responsible† activities for the purpose of increasing profit, businesses are not changing their packaging to pink to ‘secretly’ support breast cancer, they do so, so that you and I know about it. These so called acts of social responsibility are a form of advertising and they are done to show consumers just how â€Å"good† they can be. It is not the social responsibility of businesses to increase profit, but it is the social responsibility of companies to be socially responsible to increase profit.

Movie: The Birth of A Nation Essay

Tim Dirk’s review of The Birth of a Nation[1] is one of the most detailed and comprehensive reviews that has encompassed almost all the aspects of this masterpiece. This movie was made in 1915 by the producer/director D. W. Griffith. The story moves in the background of civil war affected America and are manifested in the form of lives of two families Stonemans and the Camerons. The pathos and miseries afflicted by the war are shown with close connection to key historical proceedings i.e. the growth and expansion of Civil War and the origin of the Ku Klux Klan.This film is also manifest   epitomize the historical justification for racial segregation. The movie tried to disperse the notions that Reconstruction was a disaster and African American can never be assimilated into white society. It further propagates the ideas that Ku Klux Klan emerged to restore the dominancy of whites in South that was at stake by uncontainable blacks. The film’s considerate depiction of whites lynching activities and emergence of Ku Klux Klan as messiah affirms the racial discriminations and notion of blaming the blacks for all evils in American society at that time. The Birth of a Nation further explores the two other themes related to post war era i.e. interracial sex and marriage, and the empowerment of blacks. Tim Dirk has analyzed all basic elements of the movie i.e. title, story, plot, narration, characterization, dialogue, motifs etc. Firstly, he takes into account the artistic and thematic aspects of the movies and then provides a brief synopsis of the story and at the end evaluates its technical merits. I agree with his overall verdict about the movies as â€Å"A controversial, explicitly racist, but landmark American film masterpiece† because despite its anti-black, it has introduced certain technical and artistic innovation for the first time in American cinema. Tom Dirk says that these innovations includes usage or ornamented title cards, the close-ups, the use of natural outdoors backgrounds, the wide-angle shot and panoramic long shorts. Director Griffith has further implied the amazing technique of parallels actions in a single sequence for example Gus’ endeavor to rape Flora and Ku Klux Klan salvage of Elsie and Margaret. He picturized the battle scenes in a way that hundreds of extras appeared as thousands. Dirk further pays homage to the work of Billy Bitzer, the cameraman of the movie who introduced the night cinematography with the help of Magnesium flares and the technical effects by camera iris i.e. expansion and contraction of camera’s circular masks. (Dirk, 2006) While analyzing the theme of the movie, he has rightly pointed out that Birth of A Nation is definitely one of the most significant contributions in nurturing cinema’s role as an art form. I concur with his stance The Birth of a Nation portrays some of the most chaotic and turbulent conflicts of American History. Dirk points out that the post civil-war period is picturised with colors of racial discrimination and African American are depicted as the cause of all socio-political and economic problems of the Reconstruction era. Dirk further takes into accounts set of components that must be taken into consideration while making a movie analysis. This set is known as MISE-EN-SCENE and includes Setting and sets, Acting style, costumes and lighting and asserts that in Birth of A Nation, ideological or symbolic information is conveyed through these particular setting. Overall, the review contains all the mandatory information about the story and provides an in-depth analysis of necessary paraphernalia of the movie. But it ignores the characterization by the author and its presentation by the actors and actresses. References Dirk, Tim. The Birth of A Nation (1915) Website:http://www.filmsite.org/birt.html [1] Initially it was released and premiered with the title The Clansman in January, 1915 in California but later on the title was changed to Birth of A Nation.

Laboratory Information Management Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laboratory Information Management Systems - Essay Example Since publication, the Bell-LaPadula model has helped in the advancement of science and technology by providing a mathematical basis for the examination of laboratory security. Moreover, this model is a major component of having a disciplined approach to building secure and effective laboratory systems. The Bell-LaPadula model can also be used to abstractly describe the computer security system in the laboratory, without regard to the system's application. The goal of modern security research is to facilitate the construction of multilevel secure systems, which can protect information of differing classification from users that have varying levels of clearance. There are some deficiencies inherent in the Bell and LaPadula model, and there have been efforts to develop a new approach to defining laboratory security models, on the basis that security models should be derived from specific applications. The use of the Bell and LaPadula Model, has been successful in modelling information that is relevant to security, even though this success might be responsible for the vagueness of the model about its primitives. This vagueness can also be examined with respect to the theory that the Bell and LaPadula Model and Noninterference are equivalent. ... laboratory reduces the need for human intervention and creates a more efficient environment in which human beings and technology can interact to produce a great deal more information and accurate data that was not possible prior to automation. Its approach is to define a set of system constraints whose enforcement will prevent any application program executed on the system from compromising system security. The model includes subjects, which represent active entities in a system (such as active processes), and objects, which represent passive entities (such as files and inactive processes). Both subjects and objects have security levels, and the constraints on the system take the form of axioms that control the kinds of access subjects may have to objects. (http://chacs.nrl.navy.mil/publications/CHACS/2001/2001landwehr-ACSAC.pdf) While the complete formal statement of the Bell-LaPadula model is quite complex, the model can be briefly summarized by these two axioms stated below: (a) The simple security rule, which states that a subject cannot read information for which it is not cleared (i.e. no read up) (b) The property that states that a subject cannot move information from an object with a higher security classification to an object with a lower classification (i.e. no write down). (http://chacs.nrl.navy.mil/publications/CHACS/2001/2001landwehr-ACSAC.pdf) These axioms are meant to be implemented by restriction of access rights that users or processes can have to certain objects like devices and files. The concept of trusted subjects is a less frequently described part of the Bell-LaPadula model.Systems that enforce the axioms of the original Bell-LaPadula model very strictly are often impractical, because in a real system, a user

(STEADY STATE MODEL AND PERFORMANCE) of SINGLE-PHASE INDUCTION Thesis

(STEADY STATE MODEL AND PERFORMANCE) of SINGLE-PHASE INDUCTION GENERATORS OF EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT - Thesis Example The single phase induction generator has become one of the devices in consideration to achieve this goal it was explored with a view of bringing cost effective small power generator acceptable to the users. The induction generator is considered more advantageous as compared to the synchronous generator. It has the following advantages: rugged in construction, low maintenance and operational cost, self protection against fault, good dynamic fault, capable of generating power at varying speed and do not need brushes and commentators. The self excited induction motor uses turbines (steam, water and wind) as the prime mover to produce power. The prime mover rotates the rotor windings thereby causing it to cut the magnetic flux induced by the excitation windings connected to an external power source. The end of stator main windings is taken and connected to the required load. The induction generator only operates when there is the slip that is the rotor should rotate at a speed greater th an synchronous speed of the stator magnetic flux. The self excited single phase induction generator structure consist of the rotor (rotor windings) and stator (has both the main and exciting windings).The rotor shaft is connected to the prime mover while one end terminals of stator main windings has provision for load connection. The main winding has a series connected capacitor that regulates voltage output and provide power of the connected load. With no load connected to the main winding the generator after self-excitation run at desired speed and produces certain no-load voltage which can only be changed by varying the self-excitation capacitor accordingly. Connection of the load leads to drastic drop of terminal voltage due to increased reactive power VAR. To maintain the terminal voltage, capacitor value in the series with the load is increased to counter for the

Green Building and Sustainable construction Essay

Green Building and Sustainable construction - Essay Example Some of the methods used to address the environmental sustainability of a structure involve recycle and reuse of materials, ensuring the building uses renewable energy source or employs energy and water saving methods. Besides the accessibility of the building, can make be used to gauge whether the building is environmental friendly? Buildings, which are far away from transport network, can be considered less environmental friendly. Sustainable construction involves use of environmental friendly materials for construction. Use of wood from trees, which have been certified by the United States Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one way of promoting sustainable construction. FSC ensures the trees which are used for construction purpose are replaced and the existing biodiversity is not affected by cutting down of a particular tree. Sustainable construction also involves the use of renewable materials which can be recycled or reused. While promoting sustainable construction additional materials, which may not be renewable in nature, are used. The purpose of using such materials is to improve the overall performance of the building. A good example is use of plastic to insulate buildings; here plastic is used because of its availability and energy saving nature. Use of locally available materials is an economical way of saving on cost and reducing pollution of the environment. Transporting materials from another place would require use of means e.g. trains; heavy trucks which would definitely pollute the environment. When a building use available energy effectively, it is economically and environmentally sustainable. Measures to ensure such state is achieved included use of insulate which prevents loss of heat, use of glass windows on most part of the building to promote natural light penetration thus save on lighting and heating. Ensuring the lighting and appliances within the building are

Sales management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Sales management - Essay Example To make matters worse, various selling jobs in the same organization can involve very different tasks and the tasks may vary between organizations in the same industry (1996). Thus, to give a clear picture of what is expected out of new hires, sales training is important. To explain the personal and professional characteristics necessary for a successful sales career: New hires expect to know the growth path in the organization and also the requirements to progress on the growth path. Sales training involves the training on aspects such as personal characteristics attitude, role perception, skill refinement and professionalism which chart the progress of employees on growth path. To enthuse the new employee to pick-up quickly: A new employee is often uncertain of the environment/culture and working of the organization. Hence, it is important to enthuse the new employee with a training which will clear his doubts about the working and climb the learning curves speedily. To motivate the employees: One of the biggest challenges employers face is keeping staff morale high and enthusiasm up. Sales trainings will not only improve the knowledge base of the employees but add to the feeling that they are valued. This will result in making their sales call more effective, and also increasing their confidence & earning potential (Penistone 2002) . To impart the latest tactics or knowledge on current/ future market practices: The market place keeps evolving and competitors keep coming up with new ideas which should be either countered or emulated in an effort to stay in the race. With the daily routine job, sales people often miss to keep a tab on new and famous in the market. Hence, sales training is important to teach the existing employees the latest tactics in sales. To encourage specialization: Sales trainings, if carefully crafted, encourage sales persons to choose a line of sales

Implications of Automating the Seat Switch Substrate Production Assignment

Implications of Automating the Seat Switch Substrate Production Process - Assignment Example The purpose of this report is to analyze the benefits that would accrue to the firm when it adapts automation process in the production of seat switch substrate. Advantages of adopting automation will see a reduction of cost and an ease in the achievement of demand. After reviewing whether to outsource a manufacturing company for automation or use our own team for the automation, it was found that our own team is the best in terms of value for money. The investigation of automating seat switch substrate production process considered the merits and demerits that will accrue to the incorporation, the cost of automating and implications to the employees. The automotive industry has experienced numerous changes over the years. Until the mid-1970s, North America vehicle assemblers designed the whole product, including parts and some of the machinery used to produce them. There was a very minimal role played by external players in parts design and testing. Factors such as increased competi tion, globalization, and popularity of foreign vehicles led the automobiles to rely on suppliers. Polymer Technologies Inc. was started in1985 as a tool and die shop, in 1996 it was struggling financially and could make annual sales of $9 million and was losing money. This prompted Polymer to change its strategy and began making integrated metal and plastic to produce higher margin switches, relays, electromechanical products and decorative products for the automobile industry. The company worked closely with its customers, and the company’s automation group has been a key player in making test equipment which was crucial in quality control. Seat switch is an integral component of power automobile seats, the product controlled seat movements by translating instructions from the driver-or passenger –controlled switches into a signal to motors which moved the seat.

The Positive and Negative Aspects of Developing an Organizational Assignment - 1

The Positive and Negative Aspects of Developing an Organizational Culture - Assignment Example From this paper it is clear that specifically the presence of an organization culture can strongly influenced not only the business performance of a company but also the ability of the company to fulfill its current and future business goals. On the contrary, having a weak organizational culture can also lead to the development of a poor business performance. To ensure that business organizations could benefit from having a strong oranizational culture, this study will purposely examine the positive and negative features of organizational culture.   Commonly shared by the managers and staffs, the presence of a well-defined organizational vision, mission, and goals serve as a guiding attitude and behaviour within a business organization. This discussion outlines that employees within a business organization with strong culture are subconsciously sharing assumptions on how they will achieve the organizational goals. In the absence of any of these features, it would be more difficult on the part of the business managers to come up with more effective business decisions and strategies in the near future. Aside from having a clear organizational vision, mission, and goals, other typical features of having a strong organizational culture include:   having a unified organizational identity; performed work activities are considered as a group performance;   each department within the business organization are well-coordinated;   supervisors and business managers have a higher control over the group of employees; and   the team has a strong ability to control and tolerate risks and conflicts among others. Contrary to having a strong organizational culture, a business organization that has a weak organizational culture is often characterized by having no clear organizational vision, mission, and goals. It means that a business organization with a weak or no organizational culture are the ones that has a group of employees with no shared purpose.

Difference in Elderly Care between US and Japan Essay

Difference in Elderly Care between US and Japan - Essay Example Elderly Health Care in US and Japan become very important because of the increasing number of the elders in these countries and the fast growth of the country, even without having much time to spare for their family. One of the recent studies conducted in U.S. about the ratio of the elders points out that the number of elders in U.S. is estimated that "35.6 million people -12.2% of the population ...are 65 and older and by 2011, the baby boom generation will begin to turn 65, and by 2030, one in five people is projected to be age 65 and older." (Senior facts: Non medical in home care facts: Facts on aging, n.d). The given data points to the number of elders in U.S. and shows that their number covers 12.2% of the population. It also shows the necessity of giving great care to elders that their number is expected to be one in five people by 2030 which is not at all a lesser number. The United States contains less than five percent of the world's population and thirteen percent of its p eople are above the age of eighty. The growth rate of elderly population is considerably increasing day by day. It may double manifold in the coming years. It indicates the need for more activities to give assistance to the elderly people. When one analyzes the Elderly Care in U.S. and Japan it is understood that elderly care in these countries are different and U.S. stands much better among the two in Elderly Care. The United States has implemented many facilities for the elderly people especially for their health. An observation of U.S. health care reveals that the health care in United States is consistent with basic standards is largely unknown. One among the methods of elderly care in U.S. is Hospital Care. It is generally provided by physicians. They provide both inpatient and outpatient services. As the elders are in need of great care and concentration a group of doctors and nurses are needed to monitor them. These elderly patients who are admitted to the hospital are physically unstable and they need full time observation and care to maintain their physical as well as mental health. The hospital care is equipped with all the care taking measures so that the people who want to give a satisfactory care to their elderly relatives automatically turn to the Hospital Care facility. Another facility is that of the Nursing Home. The elderly people will have a facility where they are watched over by nurses and staff as well. Here they get help for all sorts of daily living activities. Say for example, they get food in correct time, get bathed and the pills that help them to sustain their health sound.  

Brand Evaluation of Paul Smith Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Brand Evaluation of Paul Smith - Assignment Example brand value, brand position, and brand image. Moreover, to present comprehensive outlook of the brand’s successiveness, the paper has also implied the multidimensional approach of brand evaluation. Subsequently, the discussion of the paper initiated to suggest few strategic measures to eradicate the shortcomings of the brand. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 1.0. Introduction 4 2.0. Brand Evaluation of â€Å"Paul Smith† 5 2.1. Brand Value 6 2.2. Brand Image 7 2.3. Brand Positioning 9 2.4. Multidimensional Evaluation 10 2.4.1. Branding Vision of Paul Smith 12 2.4.2. Organisational Culture 13 2.4.3. Brand Objectives 13 2.4.4. Audit Brand Sphere 14 2.4.5. Brand Essence 14 2.4.6. Internal Implementation 15 2.4.7. Brand Resourcing 15 3.0. Conclusion 16 4.0. Recommendations 17 References 18 1.0. Introduction Evidences reveal that the concept of branding has changed drastically from that of the past. In the present era, brands are perceived to be assets. According to the Oxford American Dictionary, brand can be defined as â€Å"a trade mark, goods of a particular make†¦.† (Clifton & Ahmad, 2009). According to many marketers and analysts, it is also referred as â€Å"a promise of satisfaction† which exists between the manufacturers, sellers, performers, and the consumers and environment at large in an unwritten form. While brand is termed as an intangible property, branding is recognised as a multidimensional process through which a marketer continuously strives to improve its products and/or services to develop the trust relationship with the customers. Thereby, brand emerges to be one of the crucial components of businesses in the highly competitive environment of the 21st century. With all its virtues, a well-developed brand rewards numerous advantages to an organisation. It reinforces a superior reputation of an organisation, assures quality-performance from its end and above all, builds customer loyalty besides their stimulate d confidence on the product and/or services. This in turn facilitates shareholder values rewarding the organisation better growth and strength (Healey, 2008). Realising all these aspects of brands numerous companies have initiated to enhance their brand value, brand image and brand reputation in their targeted markets, e.g. Marks & Spencer, Wal-Mart, Gucci, D & G, and others. On the similar context, Paul Smith can also be recognised as a brand. However, in the modern context, few brands can be identified as successful while few others can be recognised as inefficient and less beneficial to the organisations. With this concern, the paper will intend to discuss the various features of branding initiatives adopted by Paul Smith. The objective of the paper is to critically examine the brand, â€Å"Paul Smith† in order to identify its successiveness in the international market. Perpetually, the paper will aim to document the various branding strategies adopted and benefits gained by the organisation, through an extensive research. 2.0. Brand Evaluation of â€Å"Paul Smith† Paul Smith is recognised as a marketer of fashion wears and accessories to the international customers of the fashion industry. The first initiation was taken by Sir Paul Smith, the owner of the organisation in 1970. However, for the first time he showcased his designs as menswear collection in Paris in the year 1976 with his own name. This initiative made the young marketer famous in the region and also rewarded the recognition

Bos vs Porter 5 Foreces Essay Example for Free

Bos vs Porter 5 Foreces Essay A philosophy which has been debated for the last three years, Blue Ocean Strategy.2 The authors W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgne challenges the classic battle market position by producing a mindset and approach based on creating a new market without competitors. What the book Blue Ocean Strategy is called the blue Ocean. According to W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgne achieved this by including creating and capturing new customer needs (blue ocean), as opposed to supporting the existing demand, which dominates the classical teorier3 (red ocean). Strategic Developments in Blue Ocean Strategy is focused on making it cheaper and better. Normally is firm theoretical and practical need to make a choice between these two factors. Michael E. Porter describes particular in his book Competitive Strategy Techniques for Analyzing Industries and competitor, its about the company is either highly differentiated or have a low pris.4 Blue Ocean Strategys thinking is to remove cost value barrier, and thereby offer something that is cheaper, better and different. There are both supporters and critics of the book, Blue Ocean Strategy The new winning strategies. Critics argue, among other things, that strategy is hindsight, since it is based on companies already created successful. In addition, they believe that many companies go bankrupt because they trying to find the blue oceans that critics do not believe findes.5 According to the strategies credibility and usefulness within the subject marketing, are all theories mainly built on experience from industry. Some companies have pioneered new thinking, and their experience in industry is described as theory. Blue Ocean Strategy can be a new approach for their future strategy schedules. Views are scattered in the strategy innovation. Some consider the strategy as being random for business success, and that no found a blue ocean. Others characterize the book as a new strategy classic, and call book for banebrydende.6 When the debate about Blue Ocean Strategy has been dominant for business in the last two to three years, it would be interesting to elucidate why the Blue Ocean Strategy theory has gotten so much attention. Blue Ocean Strategy can be changed the thinking of many managers in relation to classic theories from among Secondly, Michael E. Porter, and thereby created a new response pattern in business. Competition for some businesses it will be difficult to understand and modify, if they have no insight into Blue Ocean Strategys issues and thinking. W. Chan Kim and Renà ©e Mauborgnes mindset and production of Blue Ocean Strategy will be interesting to gain deeper insight into and analyze the theoretical recharge strategy for corporate strategy planning. Prerequisites Prerequisites for being able to answer the problem formulation include looking at questions below: 1. What is the theoretical thinking behind Blue Ocean Strategy? 2. Are the blue ocean in the real markets or just in theory? 3. Blue Ocean Strategy: a development of classical theory? Before there can be a qualified answer to the problem formulation, it will be necessary to conduct a thorough analysis of the theory behind Blue Ocean Strategy. To understand Blue Ocean Strategy will be the beginning of the analysis be prepared core definitions of particular it red and blue ocean. Before the actual analysis will be made, issues like value innovation and various analytical tools and frameworks will be described. This to reader gets the best possible understanding of the key linchpins in Blue Ocean Strategy. The depth review of Blue Ocean Strategy is modeled from six principles: 1. The first principle deals with six roads to the redefinition of market boundaries, where is important for the company to look beyond market boundaries. 2. Another principle delves into the overall picture of the company. Here you will be made a description of the preparation of a strategy canvas, from four stages of visualization of a strategy. 3. The third principle is the demand. Here the analysis will focus on how the company can see beyond existing demand for the creation of value innovation. 4. The fourth principle deals with the strategic order. The section has its pivoting around the layout of a business model for creating economic benefits of the new idea. 5. The fifth principle is the implementation of the strategy for the blue ocean. 6. Sixth Principle deals with integrating the implementation of the strategy through fair process.

Strengthening Community Action Through Community Development Social Work Essay

Strengthening Community Action Through Community Development Social Work Essay Although the term empowerment is frequently used, the availability of high-quality research which demonstrates its success for improving the wellbeing of communities is fairly minimal (Woodall et al. 2010). There is, however, some evidence that shows that empowerment programs can lead to improve outcomes for participants. For example, in examining the effectiveness of interventions using community development approach, the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, which provides programs that targets particular community groups, including women, younger people, has recorded some promising ability to impact the lives of young refugees (MRCSA Annual Report, 2009). In fact, this essay argues that while community development interventions are difficult to measure, the migrant Resource Centre of South Australia has registered significant gains in the area of youth empowerment. This essay will highlight the various intervention programs implemented by the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA). However, case study will focus on its youth empowerment component and to evaluate the overall effectiveness of community development approach of the organisation. To achieve this task, the essay is partitioned as follows. The first part will examine the definitions of empowerment. The next section will discuss about community development as a strategy and a model of practice by the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA). The third section discusses the impact and challenges of this intervention. The final part of the essay will evaluate the impact of MRCSAs youth empowerment program among a number of interventions. Background and definition of the Concept of Empowerment In the 1990s the term empowerment began to replace community participation (Rifkin, 2003). Empowerment according to Rifkin has conceptually evolved from the idea of lay participation in technical activities to a broader concern of improving life situations of the poor. This evolution can be traced historically in the areas of policy and in community activities. In the policy area, Rifkin proposes that three theoretical constructs can be identified to trace the changing view of participatory approaches from consensus building to empowerment. These Rafkin stated correspond to the political and political environment of the time. The historical development of the concept of empowerment helps explain why there is no universally accepted definition of empowerment (Rifkin, 2003). However a number of scholars defined it as a process (McArdle, 1989; Laverack, 2005; Werner, 1988; Kilby, 2002). McArdle (1989) defines empowerment as a process whereby decisions are made by the people who will wear the consequences of those decisions. Similarly Werner (1988) and Laverack (2005) describe the concept of empowerment as a process by which people are able to gain or seize power to control over decisions and resources that determine their lives. Moreover, Kilby (2002) describe a process by which disadvantaged people work together to increase control over events that determine their lives. Expansion of individuals choices and actions, primarily in relation to others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ fundamentally a shift of power to those who are disempowered. From a public health perspective, empowerment involves acting with communities to achieve their goals (Talbot Verrinder, 2005). This implies working with disadvantaged individuals or groups to challenge structural disadvantaged (on the basis of class, gender, ethnicity or ability) and influence their health in a positive way. The application of the concept into the field of health promotion as outline by Laverack and Labonte (2000) is categorized in two folds; the bottom-up programming and the top-down programming. The former more associated with the concept of community empowerment begins on issues of concern to particular groups or individuals and regards some improvement in their overall power or capacity as the important health outcome. The later more associated with disease prevention efforts begin by seeking to involve particular groups or individuals in issues and activities largely defined by health agencies and regards improvement in particular behaviours as the important h ealth outcome. Laverack and Labonte (2000) thus viewed community empowerment more instrumentally as a means to the end of health behaviour change. They argue that community empowerment which is defined as a shift towards greater equality in the social relations of power is an unavoidable feature of any health promotion efforts. On a much broader scale empowerment promotes participation of people, organisations and communities towards the goals of increased individual and community control, political efficacy, improved quality of community life, and social justice (Wallerstein, 1992). The next section is a case example of how this approach is applied by an agency in dealing with question of social inclusion. Community Development: A case of Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA) By reviewing the previous definitions of empowerment and examining MRCSAs framework, It is clear that the worker in (MRCSA) understand and adopt empowerment concept similar to which all of McArdle (1989); Laverack (2005); Werner (1988); Kilby (2002) and WHO (1986) do understand and adopt where empowerment is a matter of giving people the right and the opportunity to exercise power and control regarding making decisions that affect their health promoting. In addition, in order to empower migrant people and communities, the (MRCSA) provide and still providing number of interventions based on community development model of practice. According to Tesoriero (2010), community development is the use of a set of ongoing structures and processes which enable the community to meet its own needs. Similar to Tesoriero (2010), Community Development is understood and implemented by the (MRCSA) as a multifaceted program of activities that concentrated on supporting the need of new arrivals and their new and emerging communities to understand their rights and obligations, to link into training and employment pathways and to develop networks of support within their local and in the broader community (www.mrcsa.com.au). In fact, The MRCSA has adopted Laverack and Labontes (2000) bottom-up approach in implementing their programs by consult sing and working closely with leaders and key representatives of new and emerging communities, including women and young people, to support them in gaining the knowledge and skills that they need to further their independence as well as their capacity to support and provide assistance to their members. Moreover, beside community development programs, MRCSA is providing number of womens advocacy programs, youth leadership and participation and employment advocacy programs, As well. The programs also include Refugee Mens Talk, an initiative supporting men to adapt to their new social environment. To ensure and facilitate the participation of new and emerging communities in their local areas and in regional areas where they settle, or resettle, the program includes local government and regional initiatives. MRCSA believes that new and emerging communities require a place in which to implement their own activities. The organisation provides these through its own community centres and through linkages with other community facilities. Also, Given that community development as an approach require working across divergent spheres, the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA) maintain link with a number of stakeholders. These include the Commonwealth Government, the state of South Australia and the NGO community.(www.mrcsa.com.au). At the level of the Commonwealth Government, the links include; Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Centrelink, Employee Advocate, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Australia Council for the Arts. At the level of the State Government the links are; Multicultural SA, Department of Health, Department of Families and Communities, Department of Education and Childrens Services, Skills SA, English Language Services TAFE SA, Arts SA, Office for Women, Womens Information Service, Womens Health State Wide, Local Government Association of SA and Be Active. The links within the Non-Government Sector includes; Settlement Council of Austra lia (SCoA), Refugee Council of Australia, Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) LM Training Specialists, SA Council of Social Service (SACOSS), Service to Youth Council (SYC), Working Womens Centre, Migrant Womens Support and Accommodation Service, Youth Affairs Council of SA (YACSA), Anglicare SA, African Communities Council (ACCSA), Middle Eastern Communities Council (MECCSA), Volunteering SA and Northern Territory. Analysing this web of networks from Labontes, (1992) community development continuum, the MRCSAs programs deal with individuals which transcend to small groups, community organisations, coalition advocacy and political action. With this wide array of networks, the organization has been facilitated to maintains a huge amount of social capital and through careful co-ordination, it stands a lot to gain in achieving its primary objectives (Butter et al. 1966) The next section will focus on one of its many programs in the area of youth enhancement. Youth Empowerment Program The Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA) works closely with the leadership and key representatives of its client communities, including women and young people to support them in acquiring the knowledge and skills that they need to further their independence and self-determination, as well as their capacity to assist their members with their settlement and participation (www.mrcsa.com.au)). These goals are achieved through a number of programs including ethnic leaders forum, adult migrant education, community management and leadership forum by way of funding and leadership training. This section focuses on its youth empowerment program with emphasis on the Newly Arrived Youth Settlement Services (NAYS). The primary objective of this program as outlined in the MRCSA Annual Report (2008-2009) is to empower young people to develop their own programs and to become advocates for themselves, their families and communities. In partnership with TAFE SA, the MRCSA conducted a number of training programs for young people who were not engaged in school or work. Specific training includes Certificate II in Information Technology, Productively Places Program Certificate II, Volunteering, work experience capacity building, apprentiships and traineeships (MRCSA Annual Report (2008-2009). Through its new arrival humanitarian settlement program, the MRCSA has been an advocate and a voice for the inclusion and participation of young people of refugee background (www.mrcsa.com.au). According to the 2010 MRCSA Youth Empowerment Program Annual Report, the program has since 1998 addressed the needs of young people from new and emerging communities in South Australia through a multi-faceted program. The program provides young people with a range of services that aim to further their resilience, leadership skills and pathways to employment and independence. The MRCSA Youth Empowerment Program for 2008-2009 provided assistance to five hundred and twenty-nine (529) young people of refugee background, most of them recent arrivals to South Australia, to achieve some of their goals (Annual Report 2009-2010). These achievements were based on strong foundations upon which MRCSA operate. The next section will discuss the guiding principles which form the basis of MRCSAs operations. MRCSA Guiding Principles The Migrant Resource Centre of South Australias philosophy and approach in working with young people from refugee backgrounds outline a number of guiding principles (Annual Report, 2008-2009). The principles discussed below indicate that MRCSA operates Laverack and Labontes (2000) bottom-up approach of community development. The guiding principles include the following: Firstly, any youth programs, initiatives or activities are shaped and driven by the young people themselves through consultation with their peers. Secondly, young people are encouraged and supported to speak for themselves to drive their own development; the role of the MRCSA is that of mentor and advisor only. Thirdly, the importance of young peoples connection to family and community is recognized, valued and supported. Fourthly, the ethnic, religious and cultural identity and heritage of young people is affirmed and respected. Fifthly, respect for gender differences and how these impact on the planning and delivery of the youth program. Also, young people are active decision makers. Finally, an action research approach informs continuous service improvement and best practice. These guiding principles are based on the premise that empowerment strategies focus on what people can do to empower themselves and so deflect attention from social issues (Keleher et al. 2007; Keleher, and Murphy, 2004) . However, Labonte (1990) warns that unless national and international trends are taken into account, the decentralization of decision-making may shift from victim blaming of individuals to victimizing powerless communities. In view of such warnings, Wilson et al (1999) suggest that effective primary health care as in the case of public health functions depends on efforts to link local issues to broader social issues. Intersectoral action can be used to promote and achieve shared goals in a number of other areas, for example policy, research, planning, practice and funding. It may be implemented through a myriad of activities including advocacy, legislation, community projects, and policy and programme action. It may take different forms such as cooperative initiativ es, alliances, coalitions or partnerships (Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca) What are the Barriers? In achieving their goal of empowering communities, the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA) faces a number of challenging issues. When young refugees arrive in Australia they face a number of challenges. They need to begin a new life, establish new friends and networks and find pathways that link them into mainstream community (MRCSA Annual Report, 2008-2009). Some young people may also be at risk and need to deal with issues around language, religious identity, grief and loss, the justice system, consumer culture and intergenerational tension (MRCSA Annual Report, 2008-2009). Young people also need ways of dealing with race, racism and their identity (MRCSA Annual Report, 2008-2009). There are fewer opportunities for young women from new and emerging communities to participate in sport due to the barriers they experience from within sporting environments and their own communities (MRCSA Annual Report, 2009). These barriers can be based on cultural, religious, and gender expectations of young women and their roles in their community. The report (MRCSA, 2009) also highlighted other factors affecting young women participation in sports. These include; lack of parental support, perceived fear of racism, lack of knowledge about the structure of sport in Adelaide and high cost of membership and registration fees. On the other hand, community development approach can pose barriers to Public Health Practitioners in a number of ways. Epidemiological, sociological, and psychological evidence of the relationship between influence, control, and health, provide a rationale for a community empowerment approach to health education. For example, studies show an association between powerlessness (or similarly, learned helplessness, alienation, exploitation) and mental and physical health status. Examining the application of community empowerment approach to health education, Israel (1994) identified a number of limitations and barriers to this approach. Firstly, situations where community members past experiences and normative beliefs result in feelings that they do not have influence within the system (powerlessness, quiescence) and hence, they may feel that getting involved in an empowerment intervention would not be worthwhile. Secondly, differences in, for example, social class, race, ethnicity, tha t often exist between community members and health educators that may impede trust, communication, and collaborative work. Thirdly, role-related tensions and differences that may arise between community members and health educators around the issues of values and interests, resources and skills, control, political realities, and rewards. Fourthly, difficulty in assessing/measuring community empowerment and being able to show that change has occurred. Fifthly, the health education profession does not widely understand and value this Approach. Next, risks involved with and potential resistance encountered when challenging the status quo, for the individual, organizations, and community as well as the health educator. Seventhly, the short time-frame expectations of some health educators, their employers, and community members are inconsistent with the sustained effort that this approach requires in terms of long-time commitment of financial and personal resources. Finally, the collecti on and analysis of extensive amounts of both qualitative and quantitative data to be used for action as well as evaluation purposes may be perceived as slowing down the process. Inspire of these barriers, community development is still relevant to Public Health Practitioners. Epidemiological, sociological, and psychological evidence of the relationship between influence, control, and health, provide a rationale for a community development approach to health education (Israel, 1994). For example, studies show an association between powerlessness (or similarly, learned helplessness, alienation, exploitation) and mental and physical health status (Israel, 1994). The challenges posed by community development approach also extend to the wider arena of state level. The demand on government and competition for resources by professionals is a major obstacle. Similarly, Inter-professional distrust and reluctance to share information also remains a major obstacle. The way in which governments fund departments can be an obstacle to collaboration (Baum, 1993). It is therefore argued that Stability of an organisation and its staff is important for interagency agreements and establishing trust (Walker et al. 2000). Walker (2002) further argued that Competition for resources can affect trust and intergroup conflict can occur when there is a lack of adversaries. However, insecurity brought on by political and economic uncertainty can facilitate political coalitions (Weisner, 1983). Overcoming the barriers Overcoming the barriers will require a concerted effort from communities, concerned organisations and government. The Proceedings of 2008 the Conference on Social Inclusion for New and Emerging Communities, outline some of the areas that need urgent interventions are discussed below. Racism and discrimination Identified as a major area of concern, combating discrimination requires coordinated and targeted social inclusion and human right measures. The focus should not be limited to what occurs in a social context (e.g. schoolyard, public places etc.) but also the systemic racism that supports discrimination, the perpetuation of racial stereotypes, and institutional inclusion e.g. within the justice system, the employment sector and in the blocks to the recognition of overseas qualifications and experience as well as the registration and utilization of these. Women and safety Women should have the right to feel safe in their homes as well as the broader community, to access culturally appropriate services for themselves and their families (e.g. health, childcare, education etc ), to learn English without it compromising their chances at finding a job and to undertake training that prepares them for work and improve their employment potential. Empowering young people The voices of the diversity of young people rather than a token representative from new and emerging communities must be listened to and give strong credence in the advance of a national or state framework for social inclusion. Supporting the empowerment and participation of young people as future citizens and leaders of Australia will serve the country culturally, socially and economically. Base on the above discussion in the case of challenges to MRCSA operations, solutions to barriers could be summarized therein; Barriers can be overcome through integrated structures, developing responsibility within structures Support of local leaders, developing leadership skills for negotiation and collaboration. Enhancing Regional networks/structures, established processes and relationships are important for collaboration. Conclusion From the case studies, it was found that the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia (MRCSA) utilize community mobilization approaches to improve equity of services, reduce institutional barriers within the society, enhance participation in new and emerging communities, strengthen civil society associations and create healthy social policies. The programs demonstrated that opportunities for community voices to be heard had been increased and this had raised community capacity to maximise their needs and create change. This study also found that empowerment can have a positive impact on participants self-efficacy, self-esteem, sense of community and sense of control and, in some cases, empowerment can increase individuals knowledge and awareness and lead to behaviour change. These findings were particularly apparent on youth empowerment approaches and those programmes concerning young women.

The congenital heart disease

The congenital heart disease Does an Exercise Program following Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Defects improve a Childs Cardiopulmonary Response to Exercise and Increase Exercise Tolerance? Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paediatric Cardiac Problems are prevalent throughout the world with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed each year. Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common diagnosis of heart problems at birth. Between four and nine per one thousand live births each year are diagnosed with the condition (Draper 2008). In 2007, 989 live births were recorded of babies with cardiovascular abnormalities (National Statistics 2007). Congenital Heart Disease is an umbrella term which encompasses all heart defects that are present when a child is born. The child may have one or multiple defects at birth which can either be detected by a scan ante-natally or are diagnosed soon after birth. Although the diagnosis of CHD is now becoming easier, some diagnoses of the condition do not happen till later on in life. Statistics show that around 60% of congenital heart disease are diagnosed in babies aged from birth to one year, 30% in children aged one to fifteen, and 10% in adul thood (16 years and over) (BHF 2003). Many common conditions include a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Pulmonary Artery Stenosis, Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) (Fig. 1) and Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) (Fig. 2). Congenital Heart Disease is now not just a problem of the child, many people with the condition are now living into adulthood. It is predicted that by 2010, 185,000 people will be living in the UK with CHD (Deanfield (BHF) 2003). Treatment for Congenital Heart Conditions has changed rapidly over the last 50 years. Now surgical management is needed in most cases however some defects will either resolve themselves or require medication. Surgical treatment has changed in recent times, fewer patients are requiring open heart surgery and more are receiving a catheterisation technique. Around 3,100 operations and 725 interventional cardiac catheterisations are performed each year on babies and children with CHD (BHF 2003). The effects of surgical interventions on cardiopulmonary function have been thoroughly researched in the past. The studies have concluded that surgery does improve lung and cardiac function and reduces secondary complications (Picchio 2006). Exercise is widely known as the best treatment for most musculoskeletal problems but its effects on the cardiopulmonary system has only recently been researched into (Cullen 1991). Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation have now been shown to have an effect in adults but the research into paediatric rehabilitation classes is not widely known about. Other studies have looked at exercise training or a cardiac rehabilitation programmes following surgery and the effect of this on the patients exercise tolerance. I am going to use this review to assess these studies which look at both cardiac rehabilitation programmes and also levels of exercise tolerance following surgery. I want to discuss whether there are any gaps in the knowledge base surrounding the effects of exercise in cardiac surgery of paediatrics. I also want to conclude whether the assumption that exercise is positive, can be correctly justified. Method After deciding a topic I was able to start researching into the background area of paediatric cardiology. I started by using a combination of terms including, Exercise, Sports, Physical Activity, Paediatrics, Children, Post-Cardiac Surgery, Congenital Heart Disease, Congenital Heart Defects and Cardiac Rehabilitation. The search pages I found highlighted articles of relevance and then I used the link to related articles to find the studies (see appendix 1). I also searched on individual journal websites including, Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiology in the Young. I used databases such as Pubmed, Medline, Ovid, Sciencedirect and Springerlink to read abstracts of articles and decide their relevance to my review. I then selected the most relevant and used excel to compile a table where I could easily see the differences in the studies under headings (see appendix 4). The studies I am looking at are all based on paediatrics and are randomised controlled trials dating from 1981 to 2009. Although some of the studies are nearly thirty years old, they hold some strong evidence compared to present day studies and therefore I have not discounted older studies from this review. Other reviews have assessed whether exercise has an impact on cardiopulmonary performance and have been shown that an exercise rehabilitation class does provide benefits in cardiopulmonary performance and exercise capacity. Some of the studies that are being reviewed however are concluding with insignificant findings. The reviews have stated that research lacks long-term effects of training and also a clear understanding as to which exercise type is best (Tomassoni 1996). In this review I will try look at newer studies and see if the areas of knowledge that were found to be omitted after previous reviews have now been researched into. Review of Studies Firstly I am going to discuss the testing of the participants. All of the studies completed two exercise tests to assess the participants ability before and after either the cardiac rehabilitation program or surgery. Exercise testing is very difficult to reproduce. Many studies have problems with ensuring the test is accurate and reliable and many struggle, causing results and testing to be different and therefore not comparable. If the results are not accurate and cannot be compared to other studies the results can cause a change in average results and therefore may mislead readers into a false positive result. Each of the studies used either a treadmill test or a cycle ergometer to test their participants cardiopulmonary function and exercise tolerance. Using these two tests is the most common technique of testing function as it is very reliable. (Washington 1994) All studies used a specific protocol outlined in the Washington Guidelines with all of the studies using a treadmill test with five of the thirteen studies using Bruces protocol. Bruces protocol is where the grade of exercise is increased every 3 minutes until the participant has reached their maximum capacity and cannot continue. The bicycle ergometer tests are where the participants are required to cycle continuously at approximately 50-60rpm where the grade of exercise is increased by 10-20 watts/ minute every three minutes. This is also completed until the participant can no longer continue (Washington 1994). Exercise testing using a treadmill or a cycle ergometer causes problems because the task they are undertaking in the test are is not functional and do not relate to daily tasks. Running and cycling is functional but not to that grade of exhaustion. Many children normally will stop an exercise when they are tiring and will never push themselves to the level that these exercise tests are pushing them. The tasks are also not fun for the participants and I feel that it should be fun otherwise children will get bored. This is the same with the intervention as well and the programmes should be child orientated and individual to each child. Outcome Measures are the basis to the results of a study and therefore its effectiveness. A lack of certain outcome measures may show large flaws in a study as many can be used to assess different parts of function and physiological activities. In the studies looking at the effects of cardiovascular surgery, there were a limited number of outcome measures that were looked at. Sarubbi (2000) only looked at heart rate and blood pressure as outcome measures and this limits results. The main outcome measures were heart rate, blood pressure and maximum work rate in all the studies. These outcome measures although very limited are values that help us to understand cardiovascular activities. Other helpful measures would have been oxygen saturations, which only Rhodes studies (2005/6) looked into. Saturations are helpful to assess whether a change in heart rate or blood pressure affects saturations or whether a change in these may be due to a ventilation problem. (Rivers 2001) The outcome measures of the cardiac rehabilitation studies are all different but all have similarly looked at exercise capacity after the intervention. This is shown by all the studies using VO2 as a measure and that all the participants improved their VO2 maximum to allow for a greater exercise capacity. The only study that did not prove an increase in VO2 max was Goldbergs study (1981) which only showed an improvement in maximum work rate. This could have been due to the date in which the study was undertaken. This was one of the earlier studies done in 1981 and therefore technology may not have been as accurate or as reliable as some of the later studies done since 2000. However Goldbergs study was the one that had the most intervention time of all the studies with exercise of up to 45 minutes completed on alternate days with a strict regime to increase grade of exercise over the 6 weeks. This leads me to believe that maybe it was inappropriate testing or inaccurate technology tha t changed the results of the study as previous reviews have shown that an increase in exercise time has shown to have positive effects on health. As technology has developed since the early eighties, this may be why more accurate testing is used and therefore making results more positive to the outcome we wish. Another problem in trials of this sort is compliance. Compliance is always an issue when completing studies (Burke 1997). Initially recruiting people to participate is difficult and many people with either choose not to participate or may drop-out early in the study. Many people will not participate because of exercise testing being too invasive or because of geographical implications as the distance to the base of the study being an issue. Some of the studies had large drop-out rates with almost 30% decrease in patients initially viable for the treatment plan and those who undertook the tests in the study (Arvidsson 2009). I think this could be explained by that the studies involved child participants that are less compliant to long term programmes and who tire easily to an activity. Also due to the nature of the surgery that they have all completed, many parents will be protective over their children and be pushing the participants exercise tolerance will make many parents worried about their childs health. Much of this can be avoided by specifically explaining the procedures and answering any questions that the parent or participant may have to educate them that this a treatment plan and is not going to hinder their childs recovery or health. Also intervention time is a major issue when looking at trials. Some may be days long and others have follow-ups of years once the intervention has finished. The studies that focus on Cardiac rehabilitation all have various time scales of their intervention with the shortest program being six weeks (Goldberg 1981) and the longest around twenty weeks (Opocher 2005). The difference in timescale and the different number of sessions that the participants attend makes it difficult to assess whether it is the content of the program that affects the patients or whether just exercising over a longer, more sustained period of time effects the participants in the same way. I think studies that look at different contents of treatment programmes but have a fixed intervention time may be beneficial in deciding the aim of this review. When looking at the studies, all of the cardiac rehabilitation programs only assess the patients exercise performance straight after the program and only one study looks at the effects of the program long term. Rhodes et al 2005 firstly looked at the immediate effect of a cardiac rehabilitation program and then in 2006 did another study looking at the same participants of the previous study six months after the original program. The studies that look at exercise capacity before and after surgery also do not look at the effects of the cardiovascular system in response to exercise on a long term scale. Long term effects are the best indicator to say that function and exercise capacity has improved (Miller 2005). Sociodemographics of the subjects in a study are also important to review as to its involvement in accuracy of results. Different age ranges or male to female ratios cause studies to be inaccurate in trying to generalise the population group. Many of the studies had a very large age range within their participant groups with the largest difference being 17.6 years in Marino et als study in 2005. I feel that the exercise difference between a seven year old is very different to that of a twenty-four year old. I feel that a large age range is used to increase subject numbers. Male: Female ratios are also important and that a large majority in these studies had male participants. The biggest ratio of male to female was in Opochers (2005) study where there were nine male participants and only one female participants. The best ratio of male: female was either Moalla (2006) study with 44 males and 39 females. This is important as I believe men and women react differently to exercise. Subject numbers is also a large problem with these studies. Due to most of the studies only looking at the children that have had surgery in their trust or hospital they have decreased their subject numbers and none of the studies look at the effects on large number of subjects on a national scale. The studies that looked at cardiac rehabilitation all have subject numbers under 16 which is a very big limitation. The only studies that have larger numbers are the ones that look at exercise capacity after surgery. By having participants that are only from the immediate area of the study base also means you do not get a generalised view of everyone nationally and you may not cover different children from different backgrounds socially and economically and so may have different attitudes to rehabilitation, treatment and self-management. Studies with participants that are not generalised to their population group can therefore produce a bias result to that specific population group. Also having different backgrounds of participants is important in assessing their compliance and what individual exercise programme they should be given. Having a specific age range is particularly important as many of the subjects may be inappropriate for the programme due to their age. Some of the subjects may be too young and using subjects that are under six years old would be inappropriate due to the subjects being too young to understand the instructions of the study. Using older subjects may also cause different results as their bodies have had longer to regain independent function and the body has had time to compensate for a lack in cardiopulmonary function. I think it is important to keep variables as succinct as possible and trials should be able to based on one variable alone and truly work on whether surgery or exercise has a n effect on that variable independently. Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation The studies looking at cardiac rehabilitation all have an exercise programme set up for their patients either at home (Moalla 2006) or in an outpatient setting (Ruttenberg 1983). These sessions ranging in therapy time from one hour alternate days to one hour once a week, all show an increase in either cardiopulmonary performance or in exercise tolerance. This shows that a rehabilitation programme is appropriate for these patients and does have a positive effect on the participants life. Rhodes studies (2005/6) had the greatest effect on the patients final outcome. Not only did most of the testing result in significant effects but the large range of outcome measures used means that we can assess not only the cardiovascular performance of the participant but also look at the pulmonary effects of the exercise and their effects of the heart and the cardiac system. What we can also see from this review is that the cardiac rehabilitation programmes are becoming more significant in results as the studies get newer. This is a good indicator that current programmes are being effective in their rehabilitation (Opocher 2005, Rhodes 2005/6, Moalla 2006) and that newer techniques and more knowledge on exercise has lead to better run classes which not only improve results more consistently than the older studies and that the effects from an initial programme can also be maintained for 6months after intervention (Rhodes 2006). Effects of Cardiovascular Surgery Two of the studies looking at effects of surgery only have exercise testing after the surgery. The study by Arvidsson only used the number of sports sessions a week that the participant goes to after the surgery. Therefore a direct comparison between their before and after the surgery ability cannot be done and so the study is only looking at their sports participation after surgery and not the effects of the surgery. However these studies do show that after surgery childrens exercise tolerance increases to the level that healthy participants are achieving (Zaccara 2003) and they are participating in equal amounts of sports participation following surgery (Arvidsson 2009) Future ideas In future studies, long term effects of cardiac rehabilitation should be researched, with a follow-up test of a least a year after their rehabilitation to see if the participant is now more active. I also think a control group should be used in the study to look at the effects of non-surgical patients that also participate in cardiac rehabilitation. This is to assess whether the improvement seen during cardiac rehabilitation is not just a response to any exercise and that if a child went back to normality and participating in sports then they will just be as exercise tolerant as children who do not have CHD. Also I would suggest that an exercise programme for the patients that is more functional but also fun and exciting for the patient should be used to increase compliance and also enjoyment for the participants and their parents. Conclusion In conclusion, Cardiac surgery is a commonly used form of reducing congenital heart defects and has been shown by these studies that the surgery does have an improvement on the patients cardiopulmonary performance. I have also found that a cardiac rehabilitation programme is beneficial for paediatric patients after cardiac surgery for congenital heart defects. References/ Bibliography Arvidsson, D (2009) Physical Activity, sports participation and aerobic fitness in children who have undergone surgery for congenital heart defects. Acta Paediatrica 98 pp. 1475-1482 Balfour, I. (1991) Pediatric Cardiac Rehabilitation. AJDC- Volume 145 pp. 627-630 Bradley, L. (1985) Effect of Intense Aerobic Training on Exercise Performance in Children After Surgical Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot or Complete Transposition of the Great Arteries. The American Journal of Cardiology Volume 56 pp.816-818 Burke, L. (1997) Compliance with cardiovascular disease prevention strategies: A review of the research. Annals of Behavioural Medicine. Volume 19, number 3, pp. 239-263 Cullen, S. (1991) Exercise in Congenital Heart Disease. Cardiology in the Young; 1: pp. 129-135 Deanfield J. (2003) Congenital Heart Disease Statistics (accessed on 8/11/09) British Heart Foundation Statistics Database www.heartstats.org disease participate in sport and in which kind of sport? Journal Of Cardiovascular Medicine, 7: pp. 234-238 Draper, Dr. Richard (2008) Congenital Heart Disease in Children (accessed on 3/11/09) http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Congenital-Heart-Disease-(CHD)-in-Children.htm ECHO (Evelina Childrens Heart Organisation) (accessed on 15/11/2009) http://www.echo-evelina.org.uk/ Goldberg, B. (1981) Effects of Physical Training on Exercise Performance of Children Following Surgical Repair of Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatrics Vol. 68 No.5 pp. 691-699 http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/01/health/adam/18088.jpg http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/01/health/adam/8807.jpg Marino, B. (2006) Exercise Performance in children and adolescents after the Ross procedure. Cardiology in the Young 16: 40-47 Miller, T. (2005) Exercise rehabilitation of paediatric patients with cardiovascular disease. Progress in Paediatric Cardiology Volume 20, pp. 27-37 Minamisawa, S. (2001) Effect of Aerobic Training on Exercise Performance in Patients After the Fontan Operation. The American Journal of Cardiology Volume 88 pp. 695-699 Moalla, W. (2006) Effect of exercise training on respiratory muscle oxygenation in children with congenital heart disease. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation 13: 604-611 National Statistics (2007) Congenital anomaly Statistics Notifications. Office for National Statistics. Series MB3, no.22 Opocher, F. (2005) Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training in Children After the Fontan Operation. The American Journal of Cardiology Vol. 95 pp.150-152 Picchio F. (2006) Can a child who has been operated on for congenital heart Rhodes J. (2006) Sustained Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Children with serious Congenital Heart Disease. Paediatrics Volume 118:3 pp.586-592 Rhodes, J. (2005) Impact of Cardiac Rehabiliation on the Exercise Function of Children with Serious Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatrics Volume 116:6 pp.1339-1345 Rivers, E. (2001) Central venous oxygen saturation monitoring in the critically ill patient. Current Opinion in Critical Care. Volume 7, issue 3, pp. 204-211 Ruttenberg, H. (1983) Effects of Exercise Training on Aerobic Fitness in Children after Open Heart Surgery. Pediatric Cardiology Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 19-24 Sarubbi, B. (2000) Exercise Capacity in Young Patients after Total Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot. Paediatric Cardiology 21: 211-215 Tomassoni, T. (1996) Role of exercise in the management of cardiovascular disease in children and youth. Medicine Science in Sports Exercise. Volume 28(4), pp 406-413 Washington RL. Et al. (1994) Guidelines for exercise testing in the pediatric age group. Journal of the American Heart Association. Volume 90;pp. 2166-2179 Zaccara, A. (2003) Cardiopulmonary Performances in Young Children and Adolescents Born with Large Abdominal Wall Defects. Journal of Pediatric Surgery Volume 38;3 pp 478-481

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Como ya se sabe la vida de un ser humano depende mucho en lo que la salud le brinde en su vida diaria. Para muchos de los seres humanos en el mundo, el no cuidarse les provoca enfermedades, las cuales producen que el ser sea parte de una vida la cual no sea protegida y sin ayuda mà ©dica. Con eso la exposicià ³n a la vida que se vive afuera expone al ser humano a situaciones severas y a veces causa una ayuda mà ¡s para ellos. En Mà ©xico como se sabe, el derecho a la salud es de una de las tantas principales bases para que el ser humano viva en el lugar correcto con una buena salud y con el bienestar que es necesario en su vida. La salud es el motor principal para que el humano sepa por donde su vida se pone en riesgo y por donde se puede pasar sin ningà ºn problema. Tambià ©n el ser humano es el cuerpo que en la ciencia forma parte por lo que la salud existe y mà ¡s teniendo a la piel expuesta a las bacterias y otras cosas que puedan afectar a la vida diaria de cada ser. Por el momento en Mà ©xico la salud es parte de la vida y pues con el derecho puesto en cada ser humano el producto resulta una ayuda mà ¡s para la poblacià ³n que la necesita. Con la promocià ³n del derecho de la salud en Mà ©xico se a puesto a prueba el uso de este para que los individuos se den cuenta la importancia y la necesidad que es tenerla. Teniendo el punto de vista de otro paà ­s, India, me a puesto otra perspectiva con la el significado que se toma en Mà ©xico de la salud. El contraste es masivo y pues la vida se puede poner en riesgo en los dos paà ­ses pero la salud se ve de otro modos en cada uno de estos paà ­ses. La India se mete en un lugar en donde las situaciones de su salud son normalmente provocadas por la escasez de higiene que existe en el paà ­s. Con esto se està ¡n provoca... ...mo el Programa Nacional de Salud, poniendo nuevos objetivos. Primero se querà ­a poner mas refuerzos interinstitucionales para el desarrollo de programas conjuntos e incrementar la cobertura y poner la oportunidad de los servicios de la salud mas gente de la poblacià ³n. Con todo esto, el gobierno mexicano esperaba elevar el à ­ndice de vida, reducir las tasas de mortalidad en todos sus tipos y mejorar la salud del paà ­s poniendo a la infraestructura primero que nada. Todo el tiempo se siguià ³ este esfuerzo y pues el sexenio que siguià ³ de Ernesto Zedillo, fue parte de esto tambià ©n. Durante el siglo XX, los gobiernos presentes en estas dos ultimas dà ©cadas el de De la Madrid, Salinas de Gortari y Ernesto Zedillo, trataron de meter unas series de medidas y programas para poder fortalecer y modificar el tema de la salud en el paà ­s y para poder ofrecerle mayores oportunidades

Digestive Process :: essays research papers

Digestive Process Digestive Process It is in the mouth, that the Thanksgiving feast begins its journey through the fabulous digestive system. It is here that the lips, cheeks and tongue, carefully position the food that the teeth will chew. This chewing process breaks up the food, this being a part of mechanical digestion. While the teeth grind up the turkey and tasty stuffings, the salivary glands begin emitting enzymes, these enzymes being contained in saliva. This saliva helps to dissolve some foods, and adds mucus to make the food's passage through the digestive system a little more "speedy". The saliva also attacks dangerous microorganisms which enter the mouth. Saliva also contains an enzyme which helps to break down carbohydrates into sugars. As the food is being ground and coated with saliva, it's passed over the taste buds, which in turn send messages to the brain. The brain uses this information to decide whether or not the food should be swallowed. The food is then gathered into a ball, cal led a bolus, and it is pushed down into the pharynx by way of the tongue. This bolus of "Thanksgiving meal" is then passed down the esophagus, the esophagus being a 24cm long tube which connects the pharynx and stomach. Lining the walls of the esophagus are rings of muscle which contract in waves, pushing the bolus down the length of the esophagus. At the base of the esophagus, where the esophagus and stomach join, a thick ring of muscle called a sphincter, is found. This sphincter acts like a valve, as it allows food to pass into the stomach but does not permit it to pass back up through the esophagus. The stomach, which is in the essence a large muscle sack, contains three sets of glands which produce gastric fluids. One set produces mucus which coats the food, making it slippery, and it protects the stomach walls from being digested by its own secretions. The second set of manufactures hydrochloric acid, which aids in the "break-down" of foods. In conjuction with hydrochloric aci d, pepsin, which aids in the "break-down" of protein into smaller polypeptides, begins the process of protein digestion. The stomach's muscular walls move around the "food" and mucus, mixing them with the gastric fluids produced. The "food" becomes a pasty substances referred to as chyme, after about 2 or 3 hours of grinding within the stomach.

Fossil Fuel Consumption, Co2 And Its Impact On Global Climate Essays

Fossil Fuel Consumption, CO2 and Its Impact on Global Climate Background: At the beginning of human history, we had to satisfy our energy needs (for food, heat and movement) by using our own muscle power and gathering or hunting naturally available plants, animals and wood. Each stage in the evolution of human society (the development of farming, domestication of animals, harnessing of wind and water power) increased the average per capita energy use, but it was the Industrial Revolution and the exploitation of fossil fuels which marked the transformation of societies into the energy-intensive economies of today. Since the eighteenth century the industrialising countries have come to rely on non-renewable energy resources, and at present about 80 per cent (Myers, 1994) of the world's commercial energy is derived from oil, coal and gas. Although it has been observed that the growth of energy consumption is closely correlated with the increases in gross national product thus our economic development, the major sources of energy (that is fossil fuels) are 'stock resources'. Fossil fuels are consumed by use and the current consumption patterns are non-sustainable. It is recognised that energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources will be needed to sustain economic growth. The quantity of ultimately recoverable fossil fuels is limited by geology and remains a matter of suspicion, but the view of the 1970s that scarcity was imminent is still popular. It is the 1973 Oil Crisis marked the transition from abundant, low-cost energy to an era of increasing prices and scarcity. Today concerns over scarcity have been overtaken by the question of whether human beings can afford to meet the environmental costs of continued fossil fuel consumption. One of the most widespread concern related to global climatic changes. Introduction: Climate represents normal weather condition of an area over a period of many years. This is in contrast to weather which is the day to day changes in the atmosphere. It is now realised that our global "climatic normals" had fluctuated in the past millions of years which was nowhere related to human activities. Nevertheless, with the increasing human population and our reliance on fossil fuels since the last century, we have definitely 'participated' in the climatic changes which are taking place to a certain e... ...creasing over the last decade. More on that, it is a fact that the burning of fossil fuels do release infrared-absorbing carbon dioxide to our atmosphere. Therefore, it is just a logical conclusion that the greenhouse is here, as it always does. It appears that there is excessive heating within the greenhouse which is induced by our increasing rate of fossil fuel consumption, and the problems that lies behind global climatic change are far reaching . Perhaps, the real limit to our fossil fuel consumption will be the CO2 problem but not the size of the resource. A Chinese proverb says that "prevention is better than cure." Approaches to energy conservation could be the key. Bibliography: Benarde, M. A., 1992, Global Warning†¦ Global Warming, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 52-65. Goudie, A., 1994, The Human Impact on the Natural Environment, Cambridge: The MIT Press, 301-7. Kraushaar, J. J. & Ristinen, R. A., Energy and Problems of a Technical Society, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 394-400. Myers, N., 1994, The Gaia Atlas of Planet Management, London: Gaia Books Limited, 96-113. Tolba, M. K., 1992, The World Environment 1972-1992, London: Chapman & Hall, 61- -71.

Demonstrative communications

Demonstrative communications occurs when someone uses ways to communicate other than their voice. This is done by facial expressions, body language, eye contact, or gestures. When someone discusses communication the first thought is generally speaking or verbal communication. What people say without words can be more informative than the words they speak. When a person speaks him or her says more with nonverbal communication than they are even aware of, such as with arm and hand gestures, head positions, and facial expressions as well s with body language (Non-verbal communication says a-lot, 2010).Effective communication is a reciprocal process that includes listening. Successful listening requires eye contact, objective processing and feedback to the speaker. Active listening may involve asking clarifying questions or restating what was heard to assure that the intent of the message sent was correctly received. Active listening becomes particularly important when the communication includes emotional content. An individual's body language is the most important factor in how a message is received.It would not matter what an individual may intend to say with words, because it involves communicating not with words, but with facial expressions, gestures, eye-contact, and posture. Body language that is consistent with the verbal message improves understanding. Body language that is inconsistent with the verbal message creates a question in the mind of the listener about the real message. For example, someone may be saying, â€Å"l really want to hear your opinion on this. However if the person is looking away, has his arms folded or is typing a text essage at the same time, his body language communicates an entirely different message. Effective communication requires that content and body language give the same message. The benefit of using nonverbal communication is that by watching and listening for signals, it can be easy to interpret the mood, actions, and rea ctions of other people.Nonverbal communication can help determine if someone is lying, telling the truth, under stress, or being sincere. A person can also use nonverbal communication to communicate with others if using words is too difficult or if he or he needs to communicate in a crowded or noisy room. If one individual is doing more talking than listening or more listening than talking, they are communicating ineffectively. To become more effective, it needs to be a two-way street for the sender and the receiver.The sender needs to double check with the receiver that the message is clear and understandable, while the receiver should confirm clarity by asking questions about the information that is not clear to them or who has not fully comprehended the information. The disadvantages of trying to interpret nonverbal ommunication are that there may be cultural differences or physical conditions that can contribute to misinterpreting someone's body language or tone or pitch of voic e.Another disadvantage to nonverbal communication is that it is as easy to read reactions as it is to be read by others. Anyone who pays attention to the nonverbal communication signals can have an advantage. In most cases a person may want others to find his or her actions and reactions to show they are being honest in a situation, in other cases he or she may not want others to be able to determine their houghts or emotions (Powell, 2011).In conclusion, verbal and written communication skills are important to learn, although much can also be learned from the demonstrative communication used by others. Sometimes the body language, facial expressions and the tone of voice a person uses can tell you more about a person's thoughts and emotions than then the words they use, and in some cases these signals can be a more accurate indicator. The benefits of effective communication will help businesses and people succeed.

Art: Birth of the Virgin

Description In Pietro Lorenzetti’s triptych, Birth of the Virgin, the artist’s gift for pictorial illusionism is clearly evident. The painting is 6’1’‘X5’11’’ in dimensions and painted with tempera on wood. Lorenzetti enhances the illusion by using various vertical lines as well as painting a column through one of the figures. This creates an illusion of extended space within the painting. Lorenzetti uses shades of red, brown, green, black and blue. The clothing of the figures are darker in shade compared to the background of the scene which is painted in tints of yellow and white. The contrast each other very well and draws more attention to the subject of the painting, Saint Anne. The strong contrast between the light and dark colors of the painting create a three dimensional illusion. Lorenzetti uses the tints of white and yellow to contrast the the wardrobe and appearance of the figures. The artist also used extensive shading on the wardrobe and curtains to add a three dimensional appearance to the painting. Lorenzetti was successful in creating depth within his painting for it shows the room as three dimensional rather that two dimensional. Overall, the colors truly create a sense of drama within this painting. The subject of the triptych, St. Anne, is in a reclining posture. There are three scenes within this painting. First, we see the child informing Joachim on the birth of his daughter. We also see women bringing gifts to the new mother. Lastly, the midwives attend to and wash the new child. The painting has two triangular aspects in this painting with St. Anne at its highest point and also the dome at the top of the triptych as another high point.

Ice-Fili

Ice-Fili â€Å"A storied market leader facing competitive pressures† To: Senior Management, Ice-Fili February 12, 2012 Current Situation Ice-Fili was able to maintain its leading position in the Russian ice cream industry during volatile times. However, it now faces even tougher challenges that threaten its future prospects: reduction in ice-cream consumption, emergence of cost-efficient regional players, and the lack of a quality distribution system. After analyzing the situation, we recommend a strategy that aims to grow sales through the earning of market share, and improving the distribution network.Porter’s Five Forces’ Model Industry Rivalry Industry rivalry is high. The ice-cream industry is fragmented; 300 producers compete in the market. Ice-Fili is an industry leader with 5% market share. Regional producers threaten Ice-Fili with their significant cost advantage and flexible production system. In addition, foreign companies such as Baskin-Robbins and Ne stle are expanding through relatively untouched segments such as cafes and restaurants. Threat of Entry Threat of entry is high.Numerous frozen imports companies have emerged as regional ice-cream producers with their cold-storage and production capabilities in pursuance of relatively high profitability in the ice cream industry. Economies of scale are not required for those small regional players. In addition, new entrants can enjoy significant cost advantages over Ice-Fili through more cost efficient equipment. Threat of Substitute Products or Services Threat of substitute is high. Ice-cream is not perceived as a family product that people can enjoy at home as a dessert.Impulsive purchasing consists of a large portion of ice cream sales in Russia, mainly through kiosks or street stalls. In 2000, ice cream consumption declined 3. 5 % from the previous year; in contrast, its substitutes such as beer, soft drink and confectionery products experienced strong market demand growth indic ating a change in consumer behaviour on the back of strong advertising. Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining power of buyers is high. Since Ice-Fili contracted with dozens of small distribution companies, no single firm has a significant bargaining power.However, there is a potential downside risk due to the absence of exclusive contracts. For example, Service Fili, an independent affiliate, can carry its competitors’ products without restriction. No binding provision exists to enforce Service Fili to carry Ice-Fili’s products. A potential risk arises when competition becomes severe. Ice-Fili could lose distribution volumes if competitors offer more favourable deals to its distributors. Lastly, when thinking about the end consumer as a consumer of ice-cream, we see low switching costs. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is low.For each of its major ingredients, Ice-Fili has 3~ 4 different suppliers and it is not hard to find new one. Thus, swi tching costs are low. Internal Environment Ice-Fili highly value employees, as shown by its financial director quoting Stalin’s â€Å"Human resource capital decides everything†. Ice-Fili understands its struggle in establishing itself in the open-market economy, so it actively seeks young and talented managers to help revive the company. Strategy & Key Success Factors Ice-Fili employs somewhat of a focus strategy as a few products make up a significant portion of revenues.However, they do have a very large product offering even though some products make up a very small portion of revenue. Thefore, Ice-Fili does not fully employ a focus strategy. Most of Ice-Fili’s ice cream products are priced at 6 rubles per portion, making it more expensive than products of regional producers and Nestle and at the same time a lot less than premium products which could be as much as 15 rubles per portion. Ice-Fili’s commitment to only using high-quality natural ingredien ts and eliminating the use of any artificial preservatives or colorants makes it clear its strategy is not low cost.Ice-Fili also does not directly compete with premium brands such as Baskin-Robbins and Haagen-Dazs which have twice the price and compete intensively in restaurants and cafes. To succeed in this strategy, Ice-Fili needs to do two things. First, it needs to broadcast its commitment to follow the legacy of the traditional Russian ice cream makers and inspire consumers to cherish and value traditional Russian ice cream making method, thus creating stronger brand equity. Second, Ice-Fili needs to restructure its current distribution system. Nestle already has its products twice as available as Ice-Fili. Summation of Key Problems ) Competition: Baskin & Robbins and Haagen-Dazs have already become incumbents in the premium ice cream space. Regional players have a big cost advantage so a price war or a move into a low cost strategy would be difficult. 2) Distribution: Ice-Fil i’s products have fairly limited availability. Distribution was also highlighted as a factor for the failure of other players in the Russian ice-cream market Reccomendation Possible Strategies The main goal of our recommendation is to stop the decline of Ice-Fili’s return on equity which has fallen from 27. 3% in 1996 to 14. 4% in 2001 (Figure 1, Appendix).We will look to do this through a combination of sales growth and margin expansion. We outline several possible options, and choose one which looks to be the most optimal: 1) Focus on a low cost approach to grow sales 2) Focus on restaurants and cafe’s to improve margins 3) Focus on a few key products and improved distribution system to grow sales Analysis of alternatives and final recommendation 1) Ice-Fili currently still has 25% of their products produced with old machinery which results in higher costs in relation to regional players who have recently emerged and structured their operations around more eff icient machinery.Ice-Fili could firstly invest in their equipment to modernize the rest of their machinery and improve the cost structure of their whole operation. They would then need to lower their pricing from the current 6 rubles closer to 1. 5 rubles to improve volumes. This could potentially be a lucrative strategy. However, the main problem we see with this is the possible reduction in margins that could emanate from this (although it could be made up through increased volumes and lowering of costs). Also, since almost 80% of sales come through Gastronoms and Kiosks with limited space, sacrificing price for volume may not be optimal. ) If Ice-Fili focus or even just expand into restaurants and cafes, they could potentially improve margins due to the higher price points seen in this space. Ice-fili is a market leader with the number one market share in the industry as a whole, and they have also been around for much longer than both regional players and foreign competitors. Th is bodes well for their ability to still sell significant volumes at higher prices. The downside to this strategy that we foresee is the fact that Ice-Fili is not the incumbent in this high end space with foreign competitors like Baskin-Robbins already fairly established.Secondly, we see that Baskin-Robbins’ factory utilization for 2001 was very low at 7%-12%. Although this may not be representative of the high end industry as a whole, it is still a concerning sign. 3) Our final alternative, and the one we recommend is the focus on a few key products, and the improvement of Ice-Fili’s distribution chain. Ice-Fili’s Lakomka was one of the three most recognized brands of ice-cream in Russia, but Ice-Fili was not able to trademark it. However, the industry has not historically spent much on advertising, and Ice-Fili is still a market share leader.This means there is still time to brand Lakomka as Ice-Fili’s product, just like how people think about Coke when thinking about Cola drinks or â€Å"Googling† something when thinking about doing an internet search. By focusing on a few key products, Ice-Fili can capitalize on their storied tradition, and take advantage of the limited space in their main distribution channel (kiosks). Along with this strategy to grow sales through taking of market share, we also recommend growing sales through improving availability.There are heavy capital requirements for building a strong distribution channel alone, but a joint venture with Baskin Robbins would be an efficient way to achieve this since these companies compete in different parts of the market, and a partnership with an international company will make foreign debt and equity investors more open to financing Ice-Fili. Appendix Figure 1. Financial Calculation (in thousands of U. S. dollars) Figure 2. Ice-Fili’s Current Market Position Price Price Brand Equity Brand Equity