Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Effects Of Biodiversity Loss And Climate Change

Effects Of Biodiversity Loss And Climate Change Biodiversity is defined as the set of all living organisms and species on land and all natural things around them such as: oceans, rivers, mountains, deserts, land, forests, jungles, animals, plants, atmosphere, heaven and humans. Climate change: climate change is affecting biodiversity so that this becomes a major threat to biodiversity in the coming decades. Since this originated? Although throughout the history of the Earth climate has always changed with the ecosystems and species that came and went, rapid climate change affects ecosystems and the ability of species to adapt and thus increases the loss of biodiversity. While the loss of biodiversity increases the life of humans at risk enters e.g. climate change can dry the water taking into account global warming, and if no water, no human, this would also affect plants as without water, photosynthesis cannot be performed, also with animals and plants not animals without human life disappears. So if biodiversity has this enormou s threat we are under this threat also already there are evidence of how species are responding to global warming. Some examples are as follows: In Costa Ricas golden toad May Have Become Extinct Due to Their Inability to Adapt to Changing temperature Birds like the blue jay in Arizona are starting to reproduce early. Alpine plants are moving to Higher latitudes in Austria Such mammals as Arctic polar bears are feeling the ravages of global warming on ice decline The surface temperatures of the Seas Have produced a Phenomenon of coral bleaching, Yielding by an alga (Which Gives color to the coral) by high temperature, alters nutrient production Penguin Populations Have fallen by 33% in parts of Antarctica In Antarctic poles are melting because of climate change, and this at a major threat to the world as these poles melting caused sea level rise and it will cause flooding and losses till some cities on the coast, I chose these two themes primarily for their long relationship and sec ondly by providing extensive information with which I can learn and study the origins of biodiversity loss and that I can do to avoid it Why biodiversity is important? Life has been able to adapt to the most diverse places on earth, from microscopic creatures that habit in the icy landscapes of the poles to creatures that live in warmer places, since the birds that fly at high altitudes than fish living in depths of the ocean, our planet is full of living organisms. All of them are part of the history of the world in the last 3.5 billion years, which means since the onset of the first cell. Just the study of early life forms, has allowed us to see how they have evolved from the simplest of bacteria to the most complex. And even though we all know that in reality we are only able to identify with a name 10 percent of them, the remaining 90 percent are still a mystery to humans. The vast majority of them are not easily visible to us, but its importance is vital to our existence, are responsible for shifting the balance between different components of the atmosphere, purify the air we repair, recycle wastes of nature to that from dead organic matter can be reborn, and is that the distribution of tasks necessary for the maintenance of ecosystems is very complex and requires the activity of all its components. While more species living more productive and stable the ecosystem will be, and have greater capacity for recovery if there is a drought, fire or any other threat to this. Scientists have begun to realize how much of this, in 1997 a group of economists and environmental scientists tried to measure in economic terms, the services that the environment gives without asking anything in return, and results they achieved almost double the GDP of all countries in the world. We should not be surprising considering all the tasks that nature solves: regulate the at mosphere and climate, fresh water purifies, enriches the soil, recycles nutrients, decodes the waste, is responsible for the pollination of crops, produce fuel wood, food, fuels and humanity, as well as important is the planets biodiversity.http://danierap.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/biodiversidad3.jpg Climate change linked to human activity In the world, human activities have caused and will continue causing wear on biodiversity due to, among other things, changes in use and surface soil, pollution and land degradation and air pollution; the diversion of water into heavily altered ecosystems and urbanization, environmental decay, exploitation of species, introduction of alien species, ozone depletion and weather. The current rate of biodiversity loss is greater than the natural extinction. A fundamental question is how much can change (either natural or human-induced) increase or prevent such loss of biodiversity? The changes in climate create a secondary alteration to biodiversity that has begun affecting it. Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased since preindustrial times due to human activities, particularly fossil fuels and changes in use and on the surface of the soil. For example currently rain fall on the northeast of Europe and the eastern United States and Canada that is considered acidic. The more acid rain in Europe signed up to Scotland. Observed Changes in climate Earth throughout the twentieth century: the temperature has raised land surface and marin patterns have changed spatial and temporal rainfall, has raised sea level, and increased frequency and intensity of phenomena associated with El Nià ±o. These changes, particularly the rise in temperatures in some areas have affected the timing of reproduction of animals and plants and / or migration of animals, to the extent of growing season, distribution of species and population size and frequency of pest and disease outbreaks. Some coastal ecosystems have also been affected by changes in regional climate. Loss of species by climate change The extinction of species increases the biodiversity loss, and with them our existence. For example: bees are disappearing, disappear. The consequences are disastrous this can cause the pollination is what has made it possible for millions of years, to ensure the reproduction from the plant to flower. In addition, 35% of our diet depends on pollination: fruit and vegetables. The most famous food recommended by dieticians. Moreover, in certain regions of the world, the disappearance of pollinating insects forces from Polish farmers to pollinate by hand. Researchers and beekeepers are moving in different scenarios, it has not yet been clearly identified the main cause of the extinction of bees. All pressures on the ecosystem and the health of bees have been revised: GMOs, electromagnetic waves, pesticides, pollution, climate change, scarcity of flowers, viruses, diseases, parasites, fungi, etc. http://img.over-blog.com/299189/0/55/19/29/abejas_transg__nicas.jpg What is expected of climate change? It is expected that climate change affects all aspects of biodiversity. However, these changes must take into account impacts from human activities, past, present and future, including increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide to the wide range of scenarios of CO2 increase is forecast that the average temperature Earths surface to rise between 1.4 and 5.8  ° C by the end of the century, land areas experiencing the highest warming oceans and high latitudes will warm more than the tropics. It is estimated that sea level rise associated with such changes falls 0.1 to 0.9 m. In general, it is expected an increase in precipitation in high latitudes and equatorial areas and decrease in subtropical areas but increased heavy rainfall. It is expected that climate change directly affecting individual organisms, populations, distribution of species, and ecosystem functioning, for example due to increased temperatures and changes in precipitation and in the case of marine ecosystems coastal and expected changes in sea level and strong storm surges, and indirectly, including through the impact of climate change in the intensity and frequency of phenomena such as forest fires. The loss, modification and disintegration of the environment and the introduction and spread of alien species will affect the impacts of climate change. A realistic projection of the future state of terrestrial ecosystems should take into account patterns of land use and water, which will greatly affect the ability of organisms to respond to climate change through movement. Percentage of variation of precipitation over the average forecast for global next 100 years on America. It is expected a decrease in central Chile and an increase in the extreme south. Melt poles by climate change Tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean, continental, desert, polar, mountain high Nobody can predict what weather will need to consider children in 100 years. The warming will force change textbooks because, even worse, alter the ecosystem of more than 60 percent of the land surface. The impact will suffer the most severe tropical forests. If you escape to deforestation, it is likely that the warming stopped. The poles will be reduced, and high mountain climates are also at risk of disappearing. Among all possible future scenarios, scientists have taken two extremes. The first, in which nothing is done to curb the emission of greenhouse gases, the result would be up to 39 percent of the Earths surface, would experience a change in temperature and rainfall that would result in a new climate. Therefore, 48 percent of current climates disappear. In the best case, with an emission control, the change will affect 20 percent of the land surface. The most affected area is the tropical, equat orial forests of Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia as a major hit. According to the model, the equatorial forests could move to the tropics, the deserts (Sahara, Gobi, New Mexico, Kalahari and northern Australia), to the current temperate zones, including Spain, and thus chain, to poles.http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/imag/_v2/ecodiario/medio_ambiente/225250/cambio_clima.jpg Climate change consequences Changes in biodiversity at ecosystem and landscapes, in response to climate change and other pressures (such as deforestation and changes in forest fires), could further affect the global and regional climate through changes in absorption and emission of greenhouse gases and changes in the reflection. Similarly, structural changes in biological communities in the upper layers of the oceans could alter the absorption of CO2 by the ocean or the emission of precursors for cloud condensation nuclei, causing positive or negative reactions or in the climate change. The simulation of changes in biodiversity in response to climate change presents some significant challenges. The data and simulations needed to estimate the extent and nature of future changes in ecosystems and changes in the geographical distribution of the species are incomplete, which means that these effects can be quantified only partially. Flooding in Concepcià ³n by the overflowing of the river Bà ­o Bà ­o, July 2006. Because of climate change March 30, 2007 March, 2008 Effects of the drought of 2007 in Vegas Cayucupil, Caà ±ete. The image shows the same place a year apart Conclusion As I explained earlier biodiversity plays a very important in us as this is vital for human life, and this is being eroded by many factors, but here in this project. Mainly I just said the climate change, we cause rapid climate change which becomes a threat to biodiversity, bone for us, but we can do something to prevent it? Yes, there are many things you can do to help or participate in improving the current condition of the Earth and future conditions are: Improving the efficiency of cars. Be achieved through better technology, lightening the structure, improvements in engines and transmission, reducing aerodynamic drag, decreasing resistance of the wheels, etc. Accelerate improvements in energy efficiency of industries, residences and commercial establishments and public, through effective policies. Stimulate and accelerate research and development of technologies based on energy sources of renewable energy. Ending deforestation and encourage reforestation Recycle Resources http://www.globalissues.org/ http://www.weblens.org/scholar.html http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/Academic.html http://virtualprivatelibrary.blogspot.com/Scholar.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_academic_databases_and_search_engines http://www.un.org/en/

Monday, August 5, 2019

Mainstream Media Is The Mouthpiece Media Essay

Mainstream Media Is The Mouthpiece Media Essay There is no doubt that mainstream media and social networking websites have ballooned over the past few years to encourage the acceptance of 1Malaysia Concept to citizens. The 1Malaysia Concept was initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak on 16 September 2010, as a platform to build upon the unique strength of the diversity of multiracial Malaysia. It is the Prime Ministers fervent belief that the preservation and enhancement of this unity in diversity will remain the countrys best hope for the future. So promoting the realization and greater understanding of the 1Malaysia Concept by Malaysians is extremely important for the mainstream media to cover by reaching citizens. This 1Malaysia program consists of 1Malaysia Shop, 1Malaysia Clinic, 1Malaysia Menu, 1Malaysia Peoples Housing (PR1MA), to help the middle income group to have better access to house ownership and 1Malaysia Peoples Taxi (TR1MA) aimed at improving the countrys public transport services and so on t hat provides many benefits and services that citizens can enjoy and save money. According to The Star Online News (Understanding 1Malaysia, Joshua Foong, 2010), various strategies, programs and activities have been implemented through the ministries various departments and agencies to promote the 1Malaysia Concept. In order to take stock on the effectiveness of the 1Malaysia promotional initiatives, the ministry undertook a random survey on the extent of the peoples public awareness, understanding and acceptance of the 1Malaysia Concept as part of the ministrys KPI (MKPI). According to figures by the ministry, a total of 12,212 respondents participated with 82% from the number saying they were aware of 1Malaysia and while a further 69% understood the concept. The ministry targets on having at least 50% of the total population of 27mil in accepting the 1Malaysia concept this year. A statement released by the ministry said continuous dissemination of key messages on the 1Malaysia Concept will be a pivotal factor towards inculcating better understanding and accepta nce of the concept by Malaysians in time to come. From here, we know that media plays an important role to deliver the government policies or information to citizens. We have employed various channels to spearhead the promotion. They include the electronic media (TV and radio), print media (newspapers, booklets, leaflets and posters), new media (websites, blogs, Facebook), face-to-face communication (talks, briefings, seminars) as well as cultural activities (acting, singing and dance performances), said by Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. Such dedicated programs and activities all over the country have received positive response, strong support and participation from all sectors of the community, heralding much promise for the future. (Understanding 1Malaysia, Joshua Foong, 2010). Despite the traditional mainstream media, new social media technologies such as facebook and blogs are being used by the government to promote and encourage citizens to accept this information, resulted the 1Malaysia Concept are getting popular. While in (Najib Urges Media to Help Promote Mederation, 2010) our Prime Minister urged the media to play the role as a promoter of moderation to take back the centre and reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism. He said the movement of the moderates could marginalize the extremists, and that the media had a significant role to play in this quest. While according to The News Straits Time (1Malaysia concept a great vision,2012), the 1Malaysia Concept is a great vision in promoting unity not only to the Malaysian people but also to the region, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said today. He said the concept could help in raising tolerance towards the different religions, cultures and traditions as Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, religious and cultural country.    Another article from The Star Online News (Najib: Translate 1Malaysia concept to benefit people, 2012), Najib said the Barisan Nasional government had introduced various 1Malaysia services and products to assist the people, such as 1Malaysia Peoples Aid (BR1M), which was warmly received. 1He said the 1Malaysia Concept should be translated into something tangible and benefits the people and not just remains political rhetoric. He emphasized that more 1Malaysia services and products were needed to help ease the rise in the cost of living. For example, specially-composed 1Malaysia songs and the 1Malaysia advertisement are aired daily via various TV and radio stations run by RTM. In Ai FM radio station, we can hear that the radio station everyday aired the information about 1Malaysia Concept in attempts to encourage citizen to accept the 1Malaysia Concept. For the private networks as well, they are tends to promote this concept and resulted the 1Malaysia Concept have been well-received a nd getting popular. Additionally, according to The Star Online News (Understanding 1Malaysia, Joshua Foong, 2010), showed that, around 18,070 lectures have been conducted by the information department this year in 139 districts involving about 550,000 people. Booklets and leaflets on 1Malaysia have been distributed as well at the state and district levels to be used as handy reference. The ministry has also been working towards disseminating the 1Malaysia concept to all participants undergoing National Service training (PLKN). From the articles above, we can see that various channels or mainstream media are being used by the governments to disseminate the 1Malaysia Concept that brings a lot of benefits to the citizens. Many channels have been covering this policies information to reach different levels of the citizens, and keep emphasize and re-emphasize the idea of 1Malaysia Concept is to harmonize citizens of different races in this country. As we can see that, the ways the mainstream media in order to cover 1Malaysia Concept is very neutral but had successfully shape the citizens mind gained the attention and the acceptance of citizens. More and more citizens can understand the concept for a better tomorrow. However, in today advanced social networking era, we can see that more and more people are using social media sites to get news and share the information, such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and so on. Facebook is the top media site in Malaysia and there are 90% of Malaysian uses Facebook as their prime social media network. In order to attract more citizens get to know about 1Malaysia Concept, or even to convenience the citizens to get more information, it is found that there were a homepage of 1Malaysia existing in Facebook that citizens can get the information and share it among their friends around the world. Other than that, the government also created a website of 1Malaysia The Personal Website of Dato Sri Najib Razak that intended to provide a free and open forum to discuss the things that matter deeply to us as a Nation. The website provides a chance to express and explore the many perspectives of citizens. Citizens can download the booklet as well from the website to get mor e detail about what kind of benefits that as a Malaysian can enjoy. In terms of today commercial culture, advertisements exist at anywhere and anytime. People are highly exposed with the advertisement indirectly. The 1Malaysia advertisement can be found in local newspaper, TV or radio advertisement as well as social network, shopping malls, billboards along the road and so on to make the advertisement intangible in order to reach everyone and their target audiences. We can see the logo of 1Malaysia Concept at anywhere especially in government webpage, government office, government clinic and hospital, banners of PROTONS flyer and even can be found in the products of goods which is made from Malaysia. TV and radio are the most effective ways to make the citizens to accept the 1Malaysia Concept because the 1Malaysia Concept. According to mass society theory, media were seen as only one of many disruptive forces, cancerous force within society and have to be purged or totally restructured. Media have the power to reach out and directly influence the min ds of average people. Once the peoples minds are corrupted by media, all sorts of bad, long-term consequences result bringing not only ruin to individual lives but also creating social problems on a vast scale. As it is say that, people are vulnerable to media because they have been cut off and isolated from traditional social institutions that previously protected them from manipulation. But in propaganda theories, media became the focus of attention. One of the common propaganda techniques is intended to make many people respond to the information overload situation pressured by processing the messages as quickly as possible, therefore by making mental short cuts. In addition, propaganda theory also is the no-hold-barred use of communication to propagate specific beliefs and expectations. For example, the slogan of 1Malaysia Concept in recent and past few year which in year For example, the slogan of 1Malaysia Concept in recent and past few year which in year 2009 People First, Performance Now (Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan), in year 2010 Generating Transformation  (Menjana Transformasi), in year 2011 Transformation Successful, People Prosperous (Transformasi Berjaya, Rakyat Sejahtera), and in year 2012 Promises Fulfilled (Janji Diterpati). It is can say that the used of the slogans in 1Malaysia Concept is to make the citizens believe in, seek to g ain the support and acceptance from the citizen as well as other expectations. In other words, the uses of propaganda attempt to change the way of people act and influence their perceptions. The social chaos initiated by media will inevitably be resolved by establishment of a totalitarian social order. In other word, mass media should debase higher forms of culture, bringing about a general decline in civilization. While in modern propaganda theory, the argument of this modern propaganda theory is that powerful elites are so thoroughly control the mass media and their content that they have little trouble imposing their truth on the culture. The theory is facilitated by three factors i.e. an audience, the use of sophisticated polling and survey procedures, and the incorporation of media companies into mega conglomerates. These factors combine to put untold power in the hand of powerful business and governmental elites without the publics awareness whether the information is true or not. In conclusion, in nation all over the world, the media has to adapt to the political system in which they are operating. How much freedom that the media can enjoys is indicative by the political system that they operate in. In a democracy country, media and politics will always have close ties. Mainstream media is the mouthpiece of the government in nation to disseminating the information on government policies, programs and messages to the citizen. But because of the mainstream media is often heavily influenced by the governments and corporate stockholders, the news it reports on is often kept as neutral as possible or typically of general interest, to avoid losing members and the audience, therefore, they avoid reporting on controversial or sensitive topics especially topics about cultures and religions. For this reason, some people speak disparagingly about the mainstream media, arguing that issues of importance often do not reach the general public. No private-owned newspaper or radio and TV stations are allowed to discriminate the government openly and thus no dissident voice is heard. The government decides what kind of information the citizens should know and the government tends to control or regulate the media by laws but allowed a certain degree of freedom, as long as the media operates within the prescribed perimeter, it will not be harassed. Mainstream media is often associated with reliability and integrity, enforced by firm journalistic standards and the presence of supervisors and review boards who are supposed to ensure that the news is accurately reported. However, the mainstream media is also accused by some individuals of being extremely biased. The political leanings of major media companies may come out in the type of coverage it has, for example, and the choice to refrain from publicizing controversial stories may be viewed as a lapse of integrity. Social justice issues often receive scant coverage in the mainstream media, to the frustrati on of people who want to alert people to such issues. Because of this, more and more people are moving forward to look for other sources that allowed them to know the truth, whether the 1Malaysia Concept is really beneficial as a citizens of Malaysia. The internet has held hope for many Malaysians who are seeking wider democratic space, to enhance freedom of expression and democracy in Malaysia.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Mathematical Models of Spacetime in Contemporary Physics and Essential Issues of the Ontology of Spacetime :: Physics Papers

Mathematical Models of Spacetime in Contemporary Physics and Essential Issues of the Ontology of Spacetime ABSTRACT: The general theory of relativity and field theory of matter generate an interesting ontology of space-time and, generally, of nature. It is a monistic, anti-atomistic and geometrized ontology — in which the substance is the metric field — to which all physical events are reducible. Such ontology refers to the Cartesian definition of corporeality and to Plato's ontology of nature presented in the Timaeus. This ontology provides a solution to the dispute between Clark and Leibniz on the issue of the ontological independence of space-time from distribution of events. However, mathematical models of space-time in physics do not solve the problem of the difference between time and space dimensions (invariance of equations with regard to the inversion of time arrow). Recent research on space-time singularities and asymmetrical in time quantum theory of gravitation will perhaps allow for the solution of this problem based on the structure of space-time and not merely on thermodynamics. Since the General Theory of Relativity is a fundamental model of spacetime, most often used as a starting point for a physicists' research, I will begin my analysis with an attempt to formulate the consequences of the GTR for spacetime ontology and, generally, ontology of nature. The preliminary remark, however, has epistemological character. The formulation of the GTR resulted in definite fall of a dogmatic thesis of distinguished value of the 3-dimensional Euclidean geometry, as the only geometrical structure, adequate for a description of nature. This thesis was formulated explicitly by Kant, who considered this structure to be apriori form of inspection, and as such it was to validate the science. Kant's epistemology was created mainly to validate science, whose best developed part was embodied in the classical mechanics. However, the attitude of the authors of the field theory of matter towards Kant's epistemology was not negative at all, which can be proved by the words of Weyl , who, although confessed that in himself a philosopher had been dominated by a mathematician, began his work Space, Time, Matter with philosophical considerations devoted to the question of time and space, considerations comparable to those of Kant. The formulation of the General Theory of Relativity was of major importance for the spacetime ontology, mainly because it ended the famous debate between Clarke and Leibniz concerning the ontological status of spacetime. In this debate Clarke defended the Newton's position in which he emphasized ontological independence of time and space with regard to physical events.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Saint Sernin Of Toulouse And Notre Dame Of Paris Essay -- Architecture

Saint Sernin of Toulouse and Notre Dame of Paris   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of St. Sernin and Notre Dame, one tends to think of two beautiful cathedrals, not to churches that portray two totally different styles of architecture. Those two styles are, of course, Romanesque in St. Sernin and the Gothic style of Notre Dame. Some characteristics that these two buildings share include quest for height, basic floor plan, and artistic flair. The period of Romanesque architecture, which lasted roughly from 1050 A.D. to 1150 A.D., concentrated mainly on achieving massive proportions, rounded vaulted bays, the round arch, the wall buttress, cylindrical apse and chapels, and towers. Early Gothic architecture, which began in 1144 with the dedication of Saint Denis, concentrated more on mastering the idea of an obscenely high ceiling, as well as ribbed and pointed vaults, the relationship between the structure and its appearance, and perhaps, most importantly the use of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most enjoyable things about comparing the two structures of St. Sernin and Notre Dame is that there are so many differences as far as the particulars go, but in general the two cathedrals are very, very much alike. Through the years, enough architectural and engineering advances had been made to raise the ceiling to staggering new heights of over one hundred feet. The materials remained the same as they had for years before, stone and mortar. The basic floor plan remained the same,... Saint Sernin Of Toulouse And Notre Dame Of Paris Essay -- Architecture Saint Sernin of Toulouse and Notre Dame of Paris   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one thinks of St. Sernin and Notre Dame, one tends to think of two beautiful cathedrals, not to churches that portray two totally different styles of architecture. Those two styles are, of course, Romanesque in St. Sernin and the Gothic style of Notre Dame. Some characteristics that these two buildings share include quest for height, basic floor plan, and artistic flair. The period of Romanesque architecture, which lasted roughly from 1050 A.D. to 1150 A.D., concentrated mainly on achieving massive proportions, rounded vaulted bays, the round arch, the wall buttress, cylindrical apse and chapels, and towers. Early Gothic architecture, which began in 1144 with the dedication of Saint Denis, concentrated more on mastering the idea of an obscenely high ceiling, as well as ribbed and pointed vaults, the relationship between the structure and its appearance, and perhaps, most importantly the use of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most enjoyable things about comparing the two structures of St. Sernin and Notre Dame is that there are so many differences as far as the particulars go, but in general the two cathedrals are very, very much alike. Through the years, enough architectural and engineering advances had been made to raise the ceiling to staggering new heights of over one hundred feet. The materials remained the same as they had for years before, stone and mortar. The basic floor plan remained the same,...

Friday, August 2, 2019

Apache And Cherokee Indians :: essays research papers

The Apache Indians of North America prospered for years throughout Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They were a religious society who believed in a “giver of life';. As any complex society today, The Apache had many inter-tribal differences, although the tribe as a whole was able to see through these conflicts. Women and the extended family played an important role in the society and also in the lives of young children. Groups of different extended families, called bands, often lived together and functioned democratically. The Apache also evolved as the coming of the white man changed their lives. These Indians became adept at using horses and guns, both introduced to them by the coming settlers. As with most Indian tribes in North America the lives of the Apache were destroyed as their life-blood, the buffalo were slaughtered by the whites. The Apache were forced into surrender after years of struggle. One leader, Geronimo, was especially hard for the whites to capture. After years of evading white soldiers Geronimo was taken to Florida and treated as a prisoner of war. Government sponsored assimilation saw English forced upon the Apache robbing them of their culture. In 1934 The Indian Recognition Act helped establish the Indian culture as a recognized way of life. This act gave the Apache land, which the Apache in turn used for ranching. The destruction of the Apache culture was not recoverable and saw the Apache lose much of their language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The documentary on the Apache was very well done. The Indians of North America series, produced by Chelsea House, seems to be a very well thought-out series and the film on the Apache was no exception. The film moved quickly throughout the life and times of the Apache. This film, as no surprise, is a great educational tool. I felt that the life of Geronimo, the best-known Apache throughout history, could have been examined a little more carefully. The Cherokee   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of the Cherokee Indians was probably the most disturbing of any we have seen so far. The Cherokee were the most unfortunate of the North American Indian solely because the lived on the Eastern half of the United States. Their geographical location left them to be the first major tribe to come in contact with the white men. The Cherokees saw one man, Andrew Jackson, as a sole enemy. Jackson, ignoring, a treaty President Washington had signed, waged war on the Cherokee.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Business Plan Analysis – Private Concepts

Memorandum Re: Business Plan Assessment – Private Concepts Critically analyzing a business plan for its viability and opportunity for success is absolutely necessary from any stakeholder’s perspective. Doing so aides an investor in knowing whether or not to invest, a bank in deciding on a loan, or even a partner in his/her decision to join a venture.But perhaps most importantly, a critical analysis of a business plan can and will help the entrepreneur to assess whether or not an idea under its current platform is worth undertaking, or if it is back to the drawing board they go. The purpose of this memo is to assess the business plan of Private Concepts, a company hoping to bring to market The Pevlon, a cervical cancer screening device made for private, in-home use. The opportunity for such a device absolutely exists both here in the United States and abroad.For one, the plan mentions The Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Act of 1990 which, â€Å"mandated a nationwid e program to increase access of medically underserved women to comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening services,† and when coupled with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was recently passed, the amount of free (to consumer; paid for by the government) access to this product creates potential for a high demand in this country.In foreign countries however, such as rural China and even Africa, where access to healthcare and proper healthcare facilities can be extremely rare, the appetite for this type of product could be tremendously significant. And there lies the first issue with this business plan. According to the Lancet Oncology medical journal, Volume 11, Issue 12, â€Å"75,000 women develop cervical cancer and 40,000 women die from the disease in China each year. † Those numbers in the United States are only about 12,000 and close to 4,000 respectively (cdc. ov). This exemplifies a larger need for this product abroad as opposed to right here in the states. And to focus on the opportunity in China, a Wall Street Journal publication explains how China’s healthcare system is lacking in general, but puts a microscope on the disparity in quality healthcare between rural and urban areas (Burkitt, 2012). These rural areas in China represent a large opportunity (much larger than any market in the United States) for The Pevlon.And so although the opportunity does exist for the business plan’s product, it is evident that the opportunity accentuated in the business plan is not the optimal one (aside from appealing to non-profits or other entities that would utilize the Pevlon in charitable, undoubtedly foreign ventures – this should have been a more significant portion of the plan). Additionally, the opportunity in the United States has not necessarily been proven to the point where one could consider the need for the product as pervasive enough to where the consumer is willing to pay for it.And pay for t hey would have to, because as the plan notes in the chart on page 10, a Pevlon screen costs 50% more than a typical pap smear. This exemplifies that pricing is going to be an issue. The health care market is highly dependent on the insurance industry, especially when there are product substitutes. Take pharmaceuticals for example. In group health care, policies are dictated by the contract that is in place and the majority of these contracts will sway the policy holder to utilize generic medications.This is done by the insurance carrier covering a larger percentage of generic medications than name brand ones, which ultimately costs the carrier less. So if a pap smear is less costly by 50% than a Pevlon test, carriers may still cover the device, but the â€Å"incentive† to utilize the cheaper procedure will absolutely be in place. Additionally, the business plan identifies lower income women as a target market, but fails to explain how a more expensive procedure will be a viab le option for this segment group. But even when the entire U. S. arket (via a sample size) is observed on page 19 of the plan, less than half of the women surveyed (46%) stated they would utilize the in-home Pevlon test even if most or all of it was covered by insurance. And if insurance reimbursement is removed completely, only 11. 2% of women would purchase the product. It would be interesting to see if there were follow up inquiries related to this line of questioning because a hypothesis is that some women, or maybe even a lot of women, may not trust themselves to complete such an important test at home.These women may simply prefer to rely on the expertise of a medical professional. And along these same lines, I feel as though the plan is silent on a very important aspect when it comes to assessing the true market of this product: how many women are in fact uncomfortable with going to a physician’s office to have a pap smear completed and would those women be more comfor table completing such a screen at home?Yes, there is a quote stating how uncomfortable the procedure is (which is in fact the first thing the reader sees underneath the Executive Summary heading), but it is somewhat suspect that this quote is anonymous and that there is no quantifiable evidence proving this notion to be true. So what is the actual desirability of this product? There really is no proof of it within the business plan and if I was investing in this product, I would need this â€Å"proof. † Aside from the ambiguous desirability of the product, there are a number of other concerns that should really stick out to the potential investor.On page 12 of the business plan there is a section that lays out the testing and approval stage for the Pevlon device. There are 6 steps in this section and only 1 of which have been completed, which happens to be the least significant of steps. The remaining rigmarole of securing FDA approval, obtaining the green light to conduct cl inical studies, actually conducting these studies, etc. could easily take upwards of a decade to complete. From the perspective of an investor or a bank assessing a loan, this is entirely too long a process for someone to simply START making their money back.This exemplifies how difficult a market healthcare can be to get into, and that the barriers involved are simply too high. Additionally, the Pevlon is not necessarily a onetime revenue generator, but it comes uncomfortably close. In 2009, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released new cancer screening guidelines. According to ACOG, women now need to begin screening at age 21 as opposed to 18, and women ages 21 to 30 only need to be screened once every two years; women 30 and older only once every 3 years (Cox, 2009).The final qualms that I have concerning this business plan is the window of opportunity associated with the product, and the amount of time it will take for Private Concepts to become a p rofitable company. There does not appear to be an actual window of opportunity as the business plan does not thoroughly prove the market segment. Anecdotally I polled a number of women in my life with whom I am comfortable bringing this subject up and all of them (4) took the opinion that their screenings are not a major source of stress or discomfort, but rather they have come to accept it as â€Å"part of the routine of life. And in regards to becoming a profit generating entity, right up front on page 3 of the business plan, it is shown in the chart that Private Concepts would not be in the black until 5 years of doing business. What’s most concerning is that 5 years is still merely a hypothesis and that the organization is seeking over three million dollars in funding basically right out of the gate. Conceptually, the idea of a self administered, in home cervical cancer screening is a good idea.It poses benefits such as convenience and avoiding uncomfortable screenings a t a physician’s office. Private Concepts missed the mark in their business plan however, in a number of ways. The market was identified too ambiguously and the plan did not clearly exemplify certain key aspects of said market such as how many women actually would prefer an in home screen versus one performed in a physician’s office. Where to market and focus sales efforts was clearly stated, however, the idea to sell first in the United States is not the best possible plan of action.Private Concepts should as the plan mentions, manufacture the product off shore in order to maximize profit margins, but at the same time the pricing point should be rethought considerably in order to capitalize on the more fruitful markets of places like rural China and Africa. Appealing to non-profits and government entities that might focus on these foreign demographics was a small piece of the business plan, but it should have been more of a focus.Finally, in this assessment I had the a dvantage of hind sight and context. This business plan won the Moot Corp competition in 2002 with what appeared to be a viable business plan at the time. This product has yet to come to market and I was unable to find anything stating that the Pevlon has been approved by the FDA. This does not necessarily hold any bearing on this analysis of the business plan; however, it does prove to a certain extent, a lot of the shortcomings that were found within this business plan.Academically and structurally the plan was very well done, however in practical application it is easy to see how and why the Pevlon is still an unknown product to virtually the entirety of the woman population in the United States. Arbyn, Marc. HPV-Based Cervical Cancer Screening in China. The Lancet Oncology. 2010;11(12):1112 – 1113. Burkitt, Laurie. Report: China’s Healthcare System Deeply Sick. The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs. wsj. com/chinarealtime/2012/08/29/report-chinas-health-care-system- deeply-sick. 9 August 2012. Date Accessed: 23 January 2013. Cervical Cancer Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Gynecologic Cancers. http://www. cdc. gov/cancer/cervical/statistics. 20 December 2012. Date Accessed: 23 January 2013. Cox, Lauren & Dr. Joshua Hundert. New Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines: No More ‘Annual’ Pap Smears. ABC, Good Morning America. http://abcnews. go. com/GMA/OnCall/guidelines-ditch-annual-pap-smears/story? id=9131632. 20 November 2009. Date Accessed: 23 January 2013.

Money Bring Happiness

â€Å"It is not money that brings up happiness but what we do and how we do it† 309 Money is most often cited as a crucial material for people to satisfy their needs ranged from the simplest to the most complicated desire. Hence, many people spend their whole life seeking for money which offers them utmost happiness and super power. In contrast, I honestly believe that it is not money that brings up happiness but what we do and how we do it.Speaking of mentality, money is not necessary and sufficient condition leading us to happiness. What is happiness? Simply speaking, happiness is the way people feel satisfied with what they have. Let’s me back it up by some illustrations. A poet will definitely feel sublimated when he finishes composing a masterpiece of poem. A stamp collection will obviously happy with looking and treasuring his stamps. Even an old man can smile for whole day if he wins a game of chess.Doubtlessly, in such cases, money plays no role in the humans fe eling. Hence, I completely believe that people can feel extremely pleased and happy without any interference from money. Moreover, to tell the truth, being absorbed in earning money can result in the loss of happiness of the people in life. In the materialized world, people keep on intending which is the best way to invest their money, what the most profitable market segment is worthy to be put money in and who is the most suitable person who will control the portfolio.The people obsessed with money can easily forget their actually meaningful tasks such as caring for their families, having time with their friends†¦etc. They trap themselves in the materialized ambition and lose what are important to their life. How can they feel happy? To wrap up, in my perspective, happiness can’t be built up solely on money. That’s the reason we should care for many facets of life rather than money.