Tesco.Com as an Online Distribution Channel free essay sample

This case discusses and analyses how Tesco started online-grocery-retailing as a new distribution channel for its business, as well as the challenges, milestones, and rewards it encountered along the way. In recent years the internet has served as a platform for online retailing for most products, take the case of online retailers such as Amazon. com or EBay who have successfully been able to sell a wide range of products over the internet. However, most companies have not been able to emulate this success in online grocery retailing. In fact, most early attempts resulted in failure as it is the case of Webvan. com and Peapod. com among others. Failure in this arena can be attributed to three main reasons. First, many customers want to actually sample the products to ensure their freshness, specially fruits, vegetables and meats. Second, high distribution costs due to large volumes and the fact that many products are perishable. We will write a custom essay sample on Tesco.Com as an Online Distribution Channel or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And third, grocery retailing is a low margin/highly cost-competitive business. Tesco PLC also struggled in the 1990s when it first tried to deliver groceries to customers’ homes via catalog and phone ordering â€Å"It was an operational mess and very inefficient† as CEO Laura Wade-Gery recalled. With the emergence of the internet, Tesco found the platform it needed to satisfy its customers by being able to deliver the groceries to their homes in a cost-efficient manner. Tesco PLC sales increased from $55. 3 billion in 2005 to 64. 6 billion in 2006, and profit before tax from 2. 8 billion to 3. 3 billion. Today, Tesco is the biggest and most successful online grocery retailer in the world, and it has been able to do so without cannibalizing its brick and mortar business. The next section analyses the process Tesco went through in implementing this new distribution channel and the key factors that allowed its unprecedented success in online grocery retailing. The success of Tesco. com has a lot to do with what the company did at the very early stages of implementing its new distribution channel. Tesco followed a very conservative approach to reduce the risk of failure. The company used what they call the â€Å"in-store picking model† which basically means picking the goods the customer wants from their existing brick and mortar stores. The other option was to build large warehouses and use them exclusively for their online distribution channel; this is the strategy that failed online groceries retailers such as Webvan. com and Peapod. com had used. In this context, Tesco was wise to stay away from the warehouse model, which would have also required an initial multimillion investment that the company was hesitant to undergo on an unproven business. Another important initiative from the company at the early stages of Tesco. com was to open cyber-cafes in stores across the country during the year 2000 to empower customers that were not comfortable with using the internet. This idea was probably crucial in gaining customers that were interested in the convenience of having their groceries delivered to their homes but that might have stayed away from Tesco. com just because of their internet illiteracy. Additionally, Tesco. om focused all the efforts on designing their website to be as user-friendly as possible rather than aiming their efforts towards a highly technical and complicated website, and keeping in mind that convenience is what the customers wanted in the first place. The previous shows how Tesco successfully aligned technology (its website) with its business, which ties right with the article â€Å"Key Issues for IT Executives 2011† where IT and business alignment is at the top of the list of issues for IT execut ives. (3). Tesco also offered convenience to their customers by making the transition from the brick and mortar experience to the online experience as smooth as possible. When customers registered into the online system, they were encouraged to key in their Tesco Clubcard number which allowed the system to identify the customer’s most frequently bought items (in physical stores) and then suggest those items for their online shopping cart. By doing this Tesco was not only offering its customers convenience, but it was also providing them with an incentive to get the Tesco Clubcard which in turn would increase customer loyalty. An additional benefit of having customers use the Tesco Clubcard was that it allowed the company to track how many online shoppers were also frequent Tesco (physical) store shoppers, and this would in turn help the company gather useful data to analyze performance metrics to compare and contrast the two distribution channels. Once Tesco. com was up and running, the company still had challenges to overcome and decisions to be made in order to become successful in the unproven business of online grocery retailing.

Free Essays on Adolesence

Adolescence is a time of "storm and strife" By: Ankit Jain E-mail: luv2et@hotmail.com : : Introduction : : Adolescence is a time of â€Å"storm and strife†. Adolescence is a period of time between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when one can either make something of his life or destroy it all, this is the time when a person makes those friends who changes the how he looks at life and how he faces it. An adolescent's main goal these days is to fit in and not be different from their peers. In this paper I will explore the probabilities of the following grievances experienced by the adolescent youth which are drugs, suicide, and homelessness. : : Body of the Essay : : Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from teen years through 20s. As now life is growing more complex, however, adolescents are increasingly cut off from the activities of their elders, leaving most young people with education as their sole occupation. Inexorably, this has isolated many of them from the adult world an d has prolonged their adolescence. Now almost all over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and others encounter death. Addiction is so powerful that it takes control of people's brains and only tells them to do wrong. Drugs are highly Addictive, and most of the adolescents main goal is to fit in the group by doing what the whole group does, this is how they get into crack, booze, pot and crystal. Dr. Nowinski's book in which he states his study of Adolescents drugs and addicts describes specific cases of adolescent drug abuse... Free Essays on Adolesence Free Essays on Adolesence The Developing Adolescent Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from age 12 or 13 through age 19 or 21. Although its beginning is often balanced with the beginning of puberty, adolescence is characterized by psychological and social stages as well as by biological changes (White & Speisman, 1977). In this paper I will discuss the cognitive development of adolescence and what happens during identity formation. Adolescence can be prolonged, brief, or virtually nonexistent, depending on the type of culture in which it occurs. In societies that are simple, for example, the transition from childhood to adulthood tends to occur rather rapidly, and is marked by traditionally prescribed passage rites. In more complex American and European societies, the transition period for young people has been steadily lengthening over the past 100 years, giving rise to an adolescent subculture. As a result of this prolonged transitional stage a variety of problems and concerns specifically associated with this age group have developed. Psychologists single out four areas that especially touch upon adolescent behavior and development: physiological change and growth; cognitive, or mental development; identity, or personality formation; and parent-adolescent relations (McKinney, Fitzgerald, & Strommen, 1977). Cognitive Development: Current views on the mental changes that take place during adolescence have been affected heavily by the work of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who sees the intellectual capability of adolescents as both "qualitatively and quantitatively superior to that of younger children." According to Piaget and the develop- mentalist school of psychology, the thinking capacity of young people automatically increases in complexity as a function of age. Developmentalists find distinct differences between younger and older adolescents in ability to generalize,... Free Essays on Adolesence Adolescence is a time of "storm and strife" By: Ankit Jain E-mail: luv2et@hotmail.com : : Introduction : : Adolescence is a time of â€Å"storm and strife†. Adolescence is a period of time between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when one can either make something of his life or destroy it all, this is the time when a person makes those friends who changes the how he looks at life and how he faces it. An adolescent's main goal these days is to fit in and not be different from their peers. In this paper I will explore the probabilities of the following grievances experienced by the adolescent youth which are drugs, suicide, and homelessness. : : Body of the Essay : : Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from teen years through 20s. As now life is growing more complex, however, adolescents are increasingly cut off from the activities of their elders, leaving most young people with education as their sole occupation. Inexorably, this has isolated many of them from the adult world an d has prolonged their adolescence. Now almost all over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and others encounter death. Addiction is so powerful that it takes control of people's brains and only tells them to do wrong. Drugs are highly Addictive, and most of the adolescents main goal is to fit in the group by doing what the whole group does, this is how they get into crack, booze, pot and crystal. Dr. Nowinski's book in which he states his study of Adolescents drugs and addicts describes specific cases of adolescent drug abuse...

Analysis of Monsanto Company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Monsanto Company - Term Paper Example Put in simple terms, the company products advanced pesticides, herbicides and crop seeds. Currently, the company leads globally in the production of the herbicide glyphosate, the famous herbicide marketed by the brand name Roundup. It also leads globally in the production of genetically modified (GE) seed. The company provides the technology used in as high as 90% of the GE seeds used in the US market (Barlett and Steele 2008). Positive impacts Monsanto is one of the leading global companies committed to sustainable agriculture. The company has been tirelessly working with farmers to help them achieve more yields while at the same time, conserving more of the vital resources and improving lives (Monsanto Company 2011). The company discovers, develops and delivers products that are innovative. These products help the farmers to keep in pace with the rapidly rising demands for such agricultural products. ...Monsanto has produced traits that are drought-tolerant and this has become a br eakthrough in improving water productivity in farming. Its first corn train that is drought resistant is under regulatory review and is expected to be commercially available by 2012. This is also a big step towards adapting farming to climate change. Monsanto’s products help farmers to maximize soil health both in long-term and short-term basis. This is because its products help farmers to maintain the productivity and integrity of their soil by enabling conservative tillage practices and improved efficiency in the use of nutrient inputs. Through its advanced biotechnologies, Monsanto has been able to improve the lives of many farmers and their dependents. It is projected by 2020, this will include an additional 5 million people from families with poor resources. Monsanto has also started projects like Project Sunshine in India which has tremendously increased corn yields in India (Business Standard 2011).  

Study Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Study Skills - Essay Example Being a competent independent learner is derived from being self motivated, being able to manage personal learning processes, good time management skills and continually reflecting on what and how you learn best and tailoring your energies to suit. Within this portfolio I will examine the development of learner independence, time management, self evaluation of personal learning, production of an action plan and improving my essay writing skills. If as anticipated this is completed successfully it will add additional skills to my current ones and aide me in my current quest to secure a higher second grade result on this degree course. Learner independence or autonomy can be defined as â€Å"capacity to take responsibility for, and control of, your own learning, whether in an institutionalised context, or completely independent of a teacher or institution† (Thornbury, 2006). Learner independence is the ability of the learners to control their learning process (Holec, 1981). In the present age, when knowledge is growing at very fast pace because of the ongoing research work and rapid advancements in technology, the importance of independent learning cannot be overemphasized. Learners must understand that the education they are provided with at institutions is time-constrained, and what they need to learn is not limited to what they are taught in schools. Most learners used to learning in the traditional classroom environment do not develop independence in learning because this behaviour is not emphasized enough by the teachers. Many students would opt for independent learning if the teachers tell them that t he resources can be used independently as well if they are interested in further self-study (Krzanowski, 2007). It is very essential for students to understand the process through which learning takes place and what style works best for an individual. Since distance learning requires

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic Research Proposal

Its an Argument-Source Paper on American Social Problems... My topic is Alcoholism - Research Proposal Example It is not only the media to blame for the radical directional change; the government has contributed to this course overwhelmingly by failing to enact stiffer laws to control alcohol consumption. By failing to launch massive anti-alcoholism campaigns, the government and the media have failed many families and individuals. The effect of alcoholism on families is immeasurable (Mezzasalma). Sander, when describing what became of their family when his father was enslaved by alcoholism says, â€Å""My brother became a rebel, my sister retreated to shyness†¦" (67). He further reiterates that what he considered â€Å"a private grief† was actually, â€Å"a public scourge† (138). As such, alcoholism qualifies to be a social problem that affects all the societal aspects, legal, economic, and political (Oshea 14). Quitting alcohol is a momentous task that requires everyone’s involvement and the government and the media cannot relent (Pittman 18). It is high time that all stakeholders should stand to be counted for doing what is right, regardless of the political implication, to fight alcoholism. Alcoholism is a monster that has destroyed many resourceful persons, broken many families, and cost lives and should be fought at all cost. Mezzasalma, Lorena. "Characteristics of Alcoholics Attending Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatmentà ¢ in Italy: A National Survey ." Oxford Journals | Medicine | Alcohol and Alcoholism. N.p., 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 3 May

Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant

Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant Developing Dictyostelium as a Predictive Model for Bitter Tastant Identification INTRODUCTION Bitter tastant (emetic) research utilises a variety of animal models for the identification of the emetic susceptibility of novel compounds and aim to characterise the underlining mechanisms that give rise to emesis. There are two categories of animals used in this type of research, those that have the ability to vomit (ferrets, dogs and cats), and those that lack the emetic reflex (rats and mice) (Holmes et al., 2009). In addition to this, there is a different sensitivity to emetic compounds amongst these animal models, due to the existence of multiple pathways for the emesis induction. There are also differences in the receptor pharmacology and distribution, and metabolic pathway regulation. This makes it very hard to use a unique animal model for emetic research, pushing research towards a multi-model approach, therefore increasing the utilisation of animals (Robery et al., 2011). Ingestion of bitter tastants can lead to innate aversive behaviour, reduced gastric emptying, nausea and vomiting in mammals and as such bitter tastants are thought to provide a potentially vital warning sign of toxicity (Robery et al., 2011). Humans recognise thousands of different compounds as bitter. Despite this ability only around 25 taste 2 receptors (TAS2R) have been identified. Common bitter ligands include cycloheximide, denatonium, PROP (6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil), PTU (phenylthiourea), and ÃŽ ²-glucopyranosides (Meyerhof et al., 2010). As previously stated, bitter substances are detected by a specific subset of taste receptors, known as BITTER TASTE-SENSING TYPE 2 receptors (TAS2Rs) (Meyerhof et al., 2010). These are part of the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and can be found on cell surface that mediate gustatory taste perception on the tongue. Signal transduction of bitter stimuli is accomplished via the ÃŽ ±-subunit of gustducin (Gulbransen et al., 2009). This G protein subunit activates a taste phosphodiesterase and decreases cyclic nucleotide levels. The ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³-subunit of gustducin also mediates taste by activating IP3 (inositol triphosphate) and DAG (diglyceride). These second messengers may open gated ion channels or may cause release of internal calcium. Although all TAS2Rs are located in gustducin-containing cells, knockout of gustducin does not completely abolish sensitivity to bitter compounds, suggesting a redundant mechanism for bitter tasting (unsurprising given that a bitter tas te generally signals the presence of a toxin). One proposed mechanism for gustducin-independent bitter tasting is via ion channel interaction by specific bitter ligands, similar to the ion channel interaction which occurs in the tasting of sour and salty stimuli (Gulbransen et al., 2009). The properties of TAS2Rs are different from other GPCRs, because of the ability of binding a wide range of compounds with low specificity and affinity. TAS2Rs have recently been suggested to have important extra-oral functions in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. In the human airway epithelium TAS2Rs are expressed on the solitary chemosensory cells and ciliated epithelial cells, where they sense chemical irritation and promote ciliary beat frequency, respectively. Thus TAS2Rs may be protective and part of the defence against inhaled noxious compounds (Zhang et al., 2013). Recent studies have found that in resting primary airway smooth muscle cells, bitter tastant activate TAS2R-dependent signalling pathway that results in an increase in [Ca2+]i levels, although to a level much lower than that caused by bronchoconstrictors (2-adrenoceptor agonist) (Zhang et al., 2013). Under physiological circumstances, bitter tastants can activate TAS2Rs to modestly increase [Ca2+]i levels without affecting contraction, but in the situation of muscle constriction, they can block L-type calcium channels to induce bronchodilation (Zhang et al., 2013). TAS2R agonists showed both greater relaxation and inhibition of airway hyper-responsiveness than a ÃŽ ²2-adrenoceptor agonist in mouse airways. Given the large selection of known natural and synthetic agonists recognized by the 25 TAS2Rs, the findings have introduced bitter taste receptors as a potential new family of targets for asthma pharmacotherapy (Zhang et al., 2013). Dictyostelium as  a biomedical model organism D. Discoideum is a well-established research model organism, especially in investigating chemotaxis. D. Discoideum is a social amoeba that feeds on bacteria as its staple food source. Once the food supply is exhausted, cells start a developmental program leading to the production of spores that are able to survive in hostile conditions (Frey et al., 2007). Starving cells produce a chemo-attractant, cyclic AMP (cAMP), which serves as a signal for 1 x 105 neighbouring cells to aggregate, which then develop into a mature fruiting body (after 24 hours), where 20% of the cells form a stalk that supports a spore head incorporating 80% of the remaining cells as spores. When food sources are available again, the spores germinate into amoebae, completing the life cycle (Figure 1) (Frey et al., 2007). (Frey et al., 2007) Figure 1 D. Discoideum, develops from a single vegetative amoebae (0hrs) through to the generation of the mature fruiting body (24hrs). Aggregation is caused by the chemotaxis of cells toward cAMP waves to give rise to a multicellular aggregate. Aggregation results in the creation of a mound, then a tipped mound, and as development proceeds, the tip prolongate and forms a finger. Ultimately, the finger collapses to form a slug or continues to form a fruiting body. During final stage of the development, the cells differentiate into vacuolated stalk cells that sustain a spore head containing spores, which can tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions. The full developmental process from starvation of vegetative cells to the formation of a mature fruiting body is accomplished in 24 h (Frey et al. 2007). D. Discodeum has been extensively utilised to investigate a range of fundamental biological processes such as cell migration, signal transduction, phagocytosis and signalling during morphogenesis and cell differentiation. The fully sequenced genome contains 34 Mb of DNA (84-fold smaller than the human genome). D. Discoideum has a genome that encodes for a variety of proteins that are human homologues, associated with a variety of disorders (Boeckeler et al., 2007). Therefore, it has been suggested that the primary role of those proteins can be analysed in the model to understand their related disease function. Nausea and vomiting are common but serious side effects associated with many therapeutic drugs. Whilst the physiological mechanisms behind the generation of the vomiting response are well characterised, the diverse range of emetic stimuli that can generate the response are poorly understood. The potential of using D. Discoideum, a eukaryotic amoeba, as a model for predicting emetic liability was examined in this thesis. The effects of a diverse range of known emetic and aversive compounds on Dictyostelium cell behaviour was investigated, resulting in the identification of a small number that strongly inhibit cell behaviour in a concentration-dependent manner. Recent studies using Dictyostelium as a simple model system for bitter related (emetic) research has shown the validity of using this approach for the reduction of animals in testing for emetic liability. Even though Dictyostelium does not contain genes encoding homologues to T2R proteins associated with bitter compounds detection, it has been identified the molecular mechanism responsible of PTU detection. The screening of mutants resistant to the effects of PTU on growth identified a putative G-protein coupled receptor mutant, GrlJ-. Translation of this discovery to human context identified an uncharacterised human gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type B isoform, with a relatively weak homology to GrlJ. The expression of the human GABA-B receptor restored GrlJ- sensitivity to PTU, implicating this human protein as a novel receptor for PTU. In addition, GrlJ only partially controls PTU detection but not detection for all bitter substances. This research was carried out by monitoring the cell behaviour (motility, circularity, protrusions formation and displacement) following exposure to a range of known emetic compounds. Results show that bitter tastants cause an acute, marked and concentration dependent effect on cell behaviour. Therefore, this suggests that Dictyostelium may guarantee a new model for the analysis and screening of novel bitter/emetic compounds, and therefore reducing the utilisation of animal models by identifying the best candidates in a range of molecules. In this study a range of eight compounds were tested to investigate their effects on Dictyostelium random cell movement. The compounds list was specifically created to understand if the model system was able to predict the bitterness of those compounds and ultimately obtain a ranking order comparable to the in vivo rat brief access taste aversion (BATA) and human sensory panel models (Rudnitskaya, et al., 2013). The set of substances consisted of both organic and inorganic – azelastine, caffeine, chlorhexidine, potassium nitrate, paracetamol, quinine and sumatriptan. Results have shown that the bitterness ranking order obtained by using random cell movement assays was comparable to the one obtained with the BATA and the human sensory panel models. In particular, amongst those compounds, Azelastine, a selective (non-sedating) H1 antagonist structurally similar to other anti-histaminic molecules has shown to be one of the most potent compounds in the inhibition of Dictyostelium cell behaviour. This bitter-tasting compound is pharmacologically classified as a 2gen antihistamine, with relative lack of CNS (central nervous system) activity. Clinical trials, in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the combined effect of direct inhibition and stabilisation of inflammatory cells. In vitro studies suggest that the affinity of azelastine for H1 receptors is several times higher than that of chlorpheniramine, a 1gen H1 antagonist. Azelastine directly antagonizes TNF-ÃŽ ±, leukotrienes, endothelin-1, and platlet-activating factor. In vivo studies in a guinea pig model have demonstrated that both histamine-related and h-independent bronchoconstriction were inhibited by azelastine (Williams et al., 2010). The second most potent compound tested is Chlorhexidine (CHX), a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, frequently used in dental-care to inhibit bacterial growth and in periodontal disease prophylaxis. It is classified as antibacterial, but it can also interfere with the proteolytic activity of some periodontal pathogens. This inhibitory effect is associated with its chelating properties (Trufello et al., 2014). One of the chemicals used as standard for bitterness measurements is Quinine, a natural occurring alkaloid with different medicinal properties, such as antipyretic, antimalarial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Methods D. discoideum discoideum maintenance Cells and spores were stored at -80  ºC, and every month an aliquot of the frozen stock was collected and placed on a Raoutella planticola bacterial lawn. After 3-4 days, plaques of growth were visible, which were then scraped and transferred into liquid dishes. Culture dishes were kept in absolute sterile conditions at the constant temperature of 21  ºC. Cells needed for experiments were transferred into shaking cultures (120 rpm/min) or washed off every 2 days. In order to make shaking cultures, cells were washed off the plate, transferred to a G0 media (Ax medium containing 100 µ/ml Penicillin and 100 µg/ml Streptomicin), and kept in the shaking incubator at 21  ºC and counted and or diluted every day. Cells were utilised for experiments after 2-3 days of shaking and flasks were kept for one week before replacing them with fresh cultures. The liquid content in flasks was 1/5 of the total flask volume, in order to maintain ideal growth conditions (oxygen and surface area) , and they were be kept between 2 and 5 x 106. Development assay Dictyostelium development assays were performed in triplicate experiments. Cells were plated onto membranes at the concentration of 1 x 107 per membrane (in KK2), then the membranes were transferred onto millipore filters embedded with the selected drug. Cells were placed in small petri dishes (6 cm diameter) and kept at 22  ºC for 24 hours in humid environmental conditions. Development images were taken after 24 hours at different magnification resolutions (x2, x3.2, and x4 side at 45-degree angle). D. discoideum Permanent stock At least 1 x 107 cells were collected from fresh culture plate, and resuspendend in 200ÃŽ ¼l D. discodeum freezing medium (7% DMSO, Horse serum), and frozen to -80 ºC using isopropanol freezing containers for two hours, then stored at -80  ºC in liquid nitrogen. Live cell microscopy To prepare D. discodeum cells (Ax2) for behaviour analysis experiments, cells were grown in shaking suspension in Axenic medium (Formedium Co. Ltd, Norfolk, UK) for at least 48hrs. Cells were washed and resuspended in phosphate buffer at 1.7 x 106 cells/ml. Cells were then pulsed for 5 hours with 30 nM cAMP at 6 min intervals whilst shaking at 120 rpm. Cells were then washed in phosphate buffer, resuspended at 1.7105 cells/ml, and 250  µL aliquots of cells were added to into a Lab-Tek 8-well chambered coverglass wells (Thermo Fisher, Leicestershire, UK), and allowed to adhere for 10-15 min, and for each experiment double concentrated drugs (250  µl) were administrated at the 15th frame by using a P1000. Cells movement was investigated using an Olympus IX71 microscope at 40X magnification, and images were recorded with a QImaging RetigaExi Fast1394 digital camera. Images were acquired every 15 seconds over a 15 min period for each compound, and at each concentration, with a minimu m of three independent experiments for each drug/concentration and an average cell number of 10 cells quantified per experiment. Solvent only controls were carried out for all experiments to ensure readouts were based upon compounds listed, with for example, no effect of DMSO shown at 1% – the highest concentration used in the experiments described here. References Ayana Wiener; Marina Shudler; Anat Levit; Masha Y. Niv. BitterDB: a database of bitter compounds. Nucleic Acids Res 2012, 40(Database issue):D413-419. Bachmanov AA, Beauchamp GK (2007). Taste Receptor Genes. Annual Review of Nutrition 27: 389–414. Choi, D.H. et al., 2013. Evaluation of taste-masking effects of pharmaceutical sweeteners with an electronic tongue system. Drug development and industrial pharmacy, 9045, pp.1–10. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23786206 [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Finger, T.E. Kinnamon, S.C., 2011. Taste isn’t just for taste buds anymore. F1000 biology reports, 3(September), p.20. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169900tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed December 9, 2013]. Finger, T.E. Kinnamon, S.C., 2011. Taste isn’t just for taste buds anymore. F1000 biology reports, 3(September), p.20. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169900tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed December 9, 2013]. Gulbransen, B. D., Clapp, T. R., Kinnamon, S. C., Finger, T. E. (2009). NIH Public Access, 99(6), 2929–2937. doi:10.1152/jn.00066.2008.Nasal Holmes, a M., Rudd, J. a, Tattersall, F. D., Aziz, Q., Andrews, P. L. R. (2009). Opportunities for the replacement of animals in the study of nausea and vomiting. British Journal of Pharmacology, 157(6), 865–80. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00176.x Margolskee, R.F., 2002. Molecular mechanisms of bitter and sweet taste transduction. The Journal of biological chemistry, 277(1), pp.1–4. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11696554 [Accessed December 4, 2013]. Meyerhof, W. et al., 2010. The molecular receptive ranges of human TAS2R bitter taste receptors. Chemical senses, 35(2), pp.157–70. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20022913 [Accessed October 17, 2013]. Pulkkinen, V. et al., 2012. The bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) agonists denatonium and chloroquine display distinct patterns of relaxation of the guinea pig trachea. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, 303(11), pp.L956–66. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22962016 [Accessed September 19, 2013]. Pulkkinen, V. et al., 2012. The bitter taste receptor (TAS2R) agonists denatonium and chloroquine display distinct patterns of relaxation of the guinea pig trachea. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, 303(11), pp.L956–66. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22962016 [Accessed September 19, 2013]. Robery, S. et al., 2011. Investigating the effect of emetic compounds on chemotaxis in Dictyostelium identifies a non-sentient model for bitter and hot tastant research. PloS one, 6(9), p.e24439. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3169598tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Rudnitskaya, A. et al., 2013. Assessment of bitter taste of pharmaceuticals with multisensor system employing 3 way PLS regression. Analytica chimica acta, 770, pp.45–52. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23498685 [Accessed October 10, 2013]. Ueda, T. et al., 2003. Functional interaction between T2R taste receptors and G-protein alpha subunits expressed in taste receptor cells. The Journal of neuroscienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 23(19), pp.7376–80. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12917372. Wiener, A. et al., 2012. BitterDB: a database of bitter compounds. Nucleic acids research, 40(Database issue), pp.D413–9. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3245057tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 17, 2013]. Williams, P.B., Crandall, E. Sheppard, J.D., 2010. Azelastine hydrochloride, a dual-acting anti-inflammatory ophthalmic solution, for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Clinical Ophthalmology, p.993. Available at: http://www.dovepress.com/azelastine-hydrochloride-a-dual-acting-anti-inflammatory-ophthalmic-so-peer-reviewed-article-OPTH [Accessed February 3, 2014]. Zhang, C.-H., Lifshitz, L. M., Uy, K. F., Ikebe, M., Fogarty, K. E., ZhuGe, R. (2013). The cellular and molecular basis of bitter tastant-induced bronchodilation. PLoS Biology, 11(3), e1001501. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001501 Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3589262tool=pmcentrezrendertype=abstract [Accessed October 15, 2013]. Trufello, a M. et al., 2014. Subclinical concentrations of chlorhexidine inhibit gelatinase activity of carious dentine in vitro. Australian dental journal, pp.1–6. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24494744 [Accessed February 10, 2014].

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owens Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est Essay e

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owen's Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est From the earliest records of history, accounts of war have been portrayed as valiant acts of heroism. Children and adults alike have gathered together to hear tales of war and its glory. From the stories of Alexander the Great to recent-day movies like Saving Private Ryan, war has been praised and exalted with words such as bravery, honor, and freedom. However, Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" shows the ugly, horrible side of fighting. By use of gripping words and vivid descriptions, Owen paints incredible pictures of what World War I was really like. He tears away the glory and drama and reveals the real essence of fighting: fear, torture, and death. No longer are we left with good feelings and pretty phrases like "Liberty and justice for all!" Instead, our hearts grieve over what these soldiers had to suffer through. Every line of the poem rebuts the Roman poet Horace's quotation: "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori--It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country." T he poem employs three different devices that work together to refute the belief that war is heroic and glorious: the speaker's descriptions, his similes, and his memories. First, the narrator's descriptions are clear and effective, leaving no dispute about what the soldiers had to endure with trenches and mustard gas. The poem does not use vague descriptions such as "It was terrible and horrible." Instead, the fifth and sixth lines read: "Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots / But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind." Right away, the reader can almost see the weary soldiers heading "towards [their] distant rest." They are so weary that some are sleeping while... ...ys will be a terrible, terrible thing. In conclusion, "Dulce et Decorum Est" is a magnificent tapestry of poetry. By the speaker's descriptions, similes, and memories, Owen weaves reality and memories together to create a masterpiece. Through the speaker, Owen seems to express his grief over those who have died fighting. He sees no glory in men dying horrible deaths from mustard gas, writhing with pain and agony. No, he does not feel that it is sweet or becoming to die for one's country. His opinion is expressed throughout the whole poem. Yet, his poem is not one of beauty. It has no pleasant words or pleasing sounds; it does not bring good feelings or happy smiles. But it is one of truth, the truth about war. Works Cited: Owen, Wilfred. â€Å"Dulce Et Docorum Est.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams. New York: Norton & Company, 2000.

Globalisation Creates More Opportunities for Uk Businesses Essay

Globalization is the growing trend towards worldwide markets in products, capital and labor, unrestricted by barriers. Globalization is not a new process but it has accelerated in recent years with the rapid growth of multinational companies and with the expansion of free trade with fewer quotas on imports. There are many key features of globalization, which has made an impact on business strategies such as; increased international trade, freer movement of workers between countries and finally the growth of multinational businesses in all countries. These create both potential opportunities but also limitations to businesses. In this essay I will discuss both sides. The expansion of national businesses has helped to raise productivity and efficiency in the UK economy. This provides a solid foundation and sustaining a comparative advantage in the areas where the UK still has some world class manufacturing businesses. Inward investment allows for the application of better manufacturing techniques, this could include Just-in-time supply strategies, which also speeds up the process of applying new technologies and spreading information. Honda use this system of JIT in the UK market, by doing this is creates more competitors within the business because you always order the right amount, which will keep your inventories low which therefore, means your costs will be lower. By Honda having this advantage it allows them to invest there saved money elsewhere in the business. Globalization creates threats for UK businesses because it has intensified the competition with in other businesses. Due to the rising import penetration and also the switch of manufacturing to find a lower-cost production centres in Eastern Europe and South Asia, this has caused a fall in output and therefore thousands of jobs are lost in the UK each year. By this happening it leads a rise in unemployment, which ultimately lead to worsening in the regional economic divide. An example of this is Dyson, they moved from a small village called Malmemsbery in the county of Wiltshire to South East Asia, by doing this is made 800 employees redundant and this has a massive effect on the local community. Globalization creates more opportunities than threats for UK business; due the current movement of globalization the terms of trade have moved into the UK favor. For example, the UK economy is moving further and further towards the high production, sale of high value manufacturing and high knowledge services which tend to command in global markets a price higher than the cost of importing cheaper manufactured goods e.g. the UK exports of high quality luxury cars such as Bentley and Rolls Royce which seem to command the market around the world the nit comes to luxury cars. Due to the manufactures high expertise it is very difficult for other car companies who want to enter the market such as Ford or Toyota as they do not have such as expertise in their business. This switch towards more expensive products as the main source of exports provides the UK with better living standards and most importantly the opportunity cost of exporting has moved in to the UK favor. Another threat in which globalization has caused is the threats to the UK service industries. O2 outsourced there call centers out to India as it has lower labor costs. This links back to my last point of making people redundant due to the outsourcing of a business abroad. Another negative claim is that O2 customers, the British public prefer to have English accents and easier to pronounce names this is not xenophobia on behalf of the British public but instead an ease of transaction as many customers report unsatisfactory calls. This also puts pressure on the businesses as they are taking a risk of moving abroad but also it may cause the business to drive down real pay levels in the UK serve sectors in order to compete more effectively. Over the last 12 years the UK has enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth, rising employment and improving living standards. The UK growth has been on a trend rate of 2.5% per annum, which is the one of the longest growth phases for nearly 100 years. This healthy trend is due to the rising levels of trade and investment spurred on by international competition. Finally a threat in which globalization can cause is the fear of the effect globalization will cause to the environment. The huge growth in competition in the UK has lead to a massive influx in pollution over the UK from sea freight transport to international air transport, this long distance travelling leads to pollution being spread all over the UK and the ever rising scale of household and industrial waste leads to an enormous external costs. The likes of Tesco and ASDA which freight and ship a variety of food products and cheap electrical goods has meant that the customer has benefited the most from cheaper costs however this has had a detrimental affect on the environment, with broccoli from Japan, oranges from Florida and lamb from New-Zealand this is meant that these companies are racking up huge amounts of travelling which leads to a massive increase of carbon footprint. To conclude this quote sums up my views of globalization in the UK: â€Å"The things that Britain has always had a comparative advantage in selling to the world — financial services, scientific research, education, entertainment and so on — are rising in price. Because of this shift in relative prices, the British people have effectively enjoyed a large pay increase without having to work any harder†

What Happens To The Human Body In A Vacuum

What Happens To The Human Body In A Vacuum As humans get closer to the time when astronauts and explorers will be living and working in space  for long periods of time, a lot of questions arise about what it will be like for those who make their careers out there. There is a great deal of data based on long-duration flights by such astronauts as Mark Kelly and Peggy Whitman, but the life sciences experts at most space agencies need a lot more data to understand what will happen to future travelers.  They already know that the long-term inhabitants aboard the  International Space Station  have experienced some major and puzzling changes to their bodies, some of which last long after they are back on Earth. Mission planners  are using their experiences to help plan missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Crew members on the International Space Station work with such technology as 3-D printers to understand how these and other technology can be used in space. This is a printer inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox aboard the station. NASA However, despite this priceless data from actual experiences, people also get a lot of non-valuable data from Hollywood movies about what its like to live in space. In those cases, drama usually trumps scientific accuracy. In particular, the movies are big on gore, especially when it comes to depicting the experience of being exposed to vacuum. Unfortunately, those movies and TV shows (and video games) give the wrong impression about what its like to be in space.   Vacuum in the Movies In the 1981 movie Outland, starring Sean Connery, there is a scene where a construction worker in space gets a hole in his suit. As the air leaks out, the internal pressure drops and his body is exposed to a vacuum, we watch in horror through his faceplate as he swells up and explodes. Could that really happen, or was that dramatic license? A somewhat similar scene occurs in the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Total Recall. In that movie, Schwarzenegger leaves the pressure of the habitat of a Mars colony and begins to blow up like a balloon in the much lower pressure of the Mars atmosphere, not quite a vacuum. He is saved by the creation of an entirely new atmosphere by an ancient alien machine. Again, could that happen, or was dramatic license at play? Those scenes bring up an entirely understandable question: What happens to the human body in a vacuum? The answer is simple: it wont blow up. The blood wont boil, either. However, it will be a quick way to die if an astronauts spacesuit is damaged.   What Really Happens in a Vacuum There are a number of things about being in space, in a vacuum, that can cause harm to the human body. The unfortunate space traveler wouldnt be able to hold their breath for long (if at all), because it would cause lung damage. The person would probably remain conscious for several seconds until the blood without oxygen reaches the brain. Then, all bets are off.   The vacuum of space is also pretty darn cold, but the human body doesnt lose heat that fast, so a hapless astronaut would have a little time before freezing to death. Its possible that they would have some problems with their eardrums, including a rupture, but maybe not.   Being marooned in space exposes the astronaut to high radiation and the chances for a really bad sunburn. Their body might actually swell some, but not to the proportions so dramatically shown in Arnold Schwarzeneggers movie, Total Recall. The bends are also possible, just like what happens to a diver who surfaces too quickly from a deep underwater dive. That condition is also known as decompression sickness and happens when dissolved gases in the bloodstream create bubbles as the person decompresses. The condition can be fatal and is taken seriously by divers, high-altitude pilots, and astronauts.   Astronauts train extensively underwater on Earth, wearing pressure suits, to simulate working in space. NASA/Johnson Space Center.   While normal blood pressure will keep a persons blood from boiling, the saliva in their mouth could very well begin to do so. Theres actually evidence for that happening from an astronaut who experienced it. In 1965, while performing tests at the  Johnson Space Center, a subject was accidentally exposed to a near vacuum (less than one psi) when his space suit leaked while in a vacuum chamber. He did not pass out for about fourteen seconds, by which time unoxygenated blood had reached his brain. Technicians began to repressurize the chamber within fifteen seconds and he regained consciousness at around the equivalent of 15,000 feet of altitude. He later said that his last conscious memory was of the water on his tongue beginning to boil. So, theres at least one data point about what its like to be in a vacuum. It wont be pleasant, but it wont be like the movies, either. There have actually been cases of parts of astronauts bodies being exposed to vacuum when suits were damaged. They survived due to quick action and safety protocols. The good news from all those experiences is that the human body is amazingly resilient. The worst problem would be lack of oxygen, not lack of pressure in the vacuum. If returned to a normal atmosphere fairly quickly, a person would survive with few if any irreversible injuries after an accidental exposure to vacuum. More recently, astronauts on the International Space Station found an air leak from a hole made by a technician on the ground in Russia. They were in no danger of losing their air right away, but they had to go to some effort to get it plugged safely and permanently. Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Anthem by Ayn Rand Free Online Research Papers In Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the leaders not only enslaved the bodies of their people, but they also destroyed their minds and had seek to accomplish a tyrannical end. The leaders of Equality 7-251’s community took control of the bodies and mind of the citizens, by completely brainwashing them from the day that they were born. The people didn’t try to fight back nor escape because they didn’t know that the way they were living is wrong or that there was any other way to live. By making it a sin to be an individual they didn’t have to worry about those who were smart, figure out the truth. From the day that they were born every baby was taken to the house of infantry without ever getting to see their parents. Then as they grew older they are sent to different houses, at different stages of their lives, and once they turn of age they are sent to have a baby with someone they do not know and the cycle continues. Without the love and care of parents, the children grow to never know love so their whole world is loveless. Which makes it safe and easier for the leaders to control them. They never have normal experiences like privacy. They sleep in a room of one hundred beds and are never allowed to be alone. They are told it is a sin to be an individual. They speak in third-person and do not use the word †I†. Not allowing them to be individual means not allowing them to ever think for them. They will follow everything the leaders say if they do not have pride in themselves so they were never allowed to see there own reflection. They weren’t even allowed to have their own names; everyone who lived in the house got one name then a number. The most important reason individualism is not allowed, is because individualism is the key to ego. Ego is the one word of which all people were forbidden to speak of. Afraid of them forming ego’s the leaders made their lives so strict and cut so many things out, because ego is said to be â€Å"a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.† The one thing the leaders didn’t want the most was for any one to be different from anyone else. That would ruin the plan of their tyrannical end. Research Papers on Anthem by Ayn RandPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresHip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentBringing Democracy to AfricaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionQuebec and CanadaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

Management Task Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Task Analysis - Research Paper Example Although all the industries need to remain alert all the time so that they can keep their customers satisfied and attracted to their products and services. In case of manufacturing businesses, the processes of operations are the most crucial areas of emphasis and the organizations have to make sure that the end product is produced in compliance with the set standards (Zacharatos et al., 2007). In case of automobile companies, the complete operation process is important and every step which starts from the raw material selection to the final product production is vital that needs adequate attention by the management staff (Stanton, 2005). In order to make sure that the cars are produced in the best possible manner, the complete production process needs to be given utmost consideration by the management team. To understand the types of production processes employed in various forms of automobile companies, three companies are being considered, i.e., Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Toyota. Fer rari Ferrari is the leading name in case of the car racing companies; the company is well-known for the best range of cars that it manufactures for the racing events. In recent times, the company like other automobile companies has made sure that their operation system is flexible so that the engines can be modified according to the customers’ requirements. Crystal and Ellington (2004) stated that the automobile companies need to make sure that they implement those production processes that will help them in increasing their output processes. In case of Ferrari, the market comprises niche target market that values the performance of the engine along with the quality of the car and they are insensitive to its price. The company designs the products for the customers who want to participate in the racing events. For the customers of Ferrari, the most important factor is the smooth running of the cars and they will be paying any price for it. The management tasks for the company , as stated by Gray and Leonard (2009), can be divided as order selection, scheduling of the orders, batch size, inventory management and process improvement. The tasks will have to be carefully monitored by the management team to ensure that the end product has the best quality. The operation systems need to be flexible so that they can be modified according to the customers’ preferences. In the case of Ferrari, the operation process will be a continuous process and line process cannot be implemented as in most of the cases the end product will not be the same. In case of Ferrari, the most important management tasks comprise assessing the staff needs for capacity utilization, long-term planning and inventory requirements along with addressing long-term planning issues such as location issues (Mashilo, 2010) and technological advances that happen constantly (Embrey, 2002). Vertical integration with the suppliers becomes important and adequate inventory needs to be maintained so that the demands are adequately addressed; the labors need to be skilled in handling all the operative measures (Hertzum & Jacobsen, 2003; KPMG, 2005). Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce is the leading name in the luxury car assembly plant and it is important for the management team to make sure that the operation procedures are properly designed. In order to make sure that

Compare and contrast the ideologies and aims of VILLA and CARRANZA and Essay

Compare and contrast the ideologies and aims of VILLA and CARRANZA and their impact on the Mexican Revolution ( 1910-17) - Essay Example d his success in the revolution was mainly due to his ability to portray himself as a wise, stern patriarch who was the nations best hope for peace.† (Minster About.com Guide) Villa often opposes dictators during his time and revolted against the current regime twice. He strongly believed in his ways and that Mexicans should be free from oppression of people in power and injustice. Carranza joined the revolution due to high ambitions; he collaborated with Francisco Madero who was the brains of the revolution in 1910. As quoted by Christopher online, â€Å"Carranza was not a true believer in reform and he felt that a firmer hand (preferably his) was needed to rule Mexico.† (Minster About.com Guide) Carranza was more into the politics of the matter. One of his major reasons for joining the revolution was his plans of attaining power for himself. After Madero got assassinated by Huerta, another uprising came; this time led by Carranza himself. He was supported by Villa and Obregon on this one. Villa led his army to winning countless battles with his bravery. With his great charisma he was able to gather an army of 3000 in just a month time. He led them the last time against American Troops, after attacks on Columbus and New Mexico, before he was awarded pardon in 1920. Carranza, on the latter part of the second uprising, was sided by the United States. Villa went to the mountains during this time and was considered a fugitive of the New Mexican government. Little was changed during Carranza’s reign. Jennifer Rosenberg added in her online article that; â€Å"Villa retired from revolutionary life in 1920 but had only a short retirement for he was gunned down in his car on July 20, 1923.†(Rosenberg About.com Guide) After Obregon drove him off of power in Mexico, Carranza was gunned by Rodolfo Herrera in his sleep together with his top supporters in 1920. As Christopher Minster quoted it, â€Å"Herrera was put on trial by Obregon, but it was clear that no one missed