Gothic Literature free essay sample

The gothic style originated in Europe during the 12th to the 18th century. It applied to medieval styles of art and architecture, particularly buildings such as cathedrals and other churches. Gothic literature began in England with the novel the ‘Castle of Oranto’ by Horace Walpole. From this novel, gothic fiction developed and flourished, becoming a significant literary genre that inspired famous works such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Gothic texts share the central theme of horror, and incorporate elements of romanticism to create a dark, mysterious atmosphere and evoke feelings of fear within the reader. Gothic literature is, in essence, a genre which aims to create vivid moods and appeal to human emotions. It uses sensory language to create an atmosphere of foreboding and horror in order to create a feeling of terror. An important aspect of gothic texts is the heightened passion and sensibilities combined with an element of melodrama, a characteristic of the genre which renders it susceptible to parody and satire. We will write a custom essay sample on Gothic Literature or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The setting and characters are pivotal features in gothic literature and are used to reinforce the gothic theme whilst building suspense and intriguing the reader. The setting of gothic literature is a stereotype perpetuated within all texts of the genre. A typical gothic tale will be set in a place with a dark, sinister mood and a menacing feel. An old castle especially ruined or haunted, with secret passageways, labyrinths, crypts and dungeons, is a major convention of the gothic genre. The building is usually decrepit, and can have winding staircases, dark corridors and spooky attics. To increase the eerie feel of the setting, the light in the castle or ruins is often dim and flickering, with creepy shadows on the wall, or sources of light suddenly extinguishing. The setting of a gothic novel is a key aspect in creating the atmosphere of the text and arousing fear, two of the most important features of the genre. Weather is also significant in literature. It enhances the mood through use of violent storms, with thunder, lightening and torrential rain becoming a physical representation of the terror inflicting the characters in the novel. Mist and fog can generate a forbidding ambience and increase the tension. The gothic genre is abundant with stereotypical characters, including the human, the supernatural and the monstrous. The human characters are usually a heroic male and a ‘damsel in distress’ a maiden in frequent need of rescuing by the male protagonist. Fatal character flaws are emphasized and can lead to the hero’s downfall. The characters are often isolated and trapped, either physically or psychologically. There can also be a villain, who persecutes the lead characters and can intimidate the weak female through his power. Supernatural characters are prominent in gothic literature, and can include ghosts, vampires and magicians. Monsters such as werewolves and Frankenstein also feature in these novels. The choice of characters is essential to gothic texts as they develop the mystery, and create fear through the use of dangerous, inhuman creatures. These novels explore the ugly and repulsive to increase the reader’s sense of dread and to make use of the fear of the abnormal. Gothic fiction also utilizes the concept of the ‘doppelganger’, or evil twin to represent the evils of society, such as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Along with the archetypal characters and sinister settings of the genre, it is further characterized by distinctively gothic situations and themes. More than likely, a gothic novel will entail death and decay, in graphic detail, the entrapment and isolation of the protagonist, a character afflicted by madness in an attic, supernatural events, such as ghost sightings and skeletons, omens or visions, and a terrifying series of events that demonstrate the characteristics of the macabre. The elements that embody gothic literature are demonstrated in the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. It involves literary techniques such as rhyme and rhythm, sensory language and repetition. The meter of the poem is mainly trochaic octometer, meaning each second syllable is stressed. The rhyme structure is ABCBBB and includes heavy, repetitive rhyming and assonance such as â€Å"open here I flung the shutter, when with many a flirt and flutter†. Each stanza runs at a fast rate, and this combined with the frequent rhyming creates a building tension within the poem and increases the atmosphere of dread. The poem climaxes with the final stanza- â€Å"shall be lifted- nevermore! †, the last word exclaimed to conclude the poem. The language of the Raven is archaic and sensory, evoking a melancholy mood. Poe uses antiquated expressions, such as ’thy god hath lent thee’ causing the poem to have a medieval feel, once again conforming to the gothic conventions. His language appeals to the senses, particularly using imagery and visual words such as ‘ebony bird’ and ‘black plume’ to create an image in the readers mind. He uses emotive language to cause an emotional response in the reader, for example ‘leave my lonliness unbroken’. The poem uses repetition throughout, most significantly the single word of judgment originating from the raven- ‘nevermore’. This word adds to the sinister character of the raven, giving it an evil and foreboding persona. It also heightens the emotions of the narrator, as each question is met with ‘nevermore’, his anguish increases. The repetition emphasizes the distress of the narrator. Poe generates a feeling of dread and menace in this poem, along with an element of the grotesque. These are key factors in how this poem fits into the gothic genre. Gothic literature is a genre that shows the attitudes of the time, with the popularity of romanticism and Walpoles novel. the forms and ideas contained within the gothic convention are specifically suited to the society of its time, who discovered the pleasure of the thrill of horror, and found this genre to be new and exciting. The gothic revival of architecture was popular at the time, and it made sense for literature to follow suit. Along with this, it has been stated that the gothic movement was a direct reaction to the terror of the French revolution. In conclusion, the gothic genre is one that Follows a distinctive style of characters, settings, situations and language. It has been highly influential on today’s culture and gothic literature is unique for its ability to use suspense and tension to induce a feeling of terror in the reader.

Comprised of Revisited

Comprised of Revisited â€Å"Comprised of† Revisited â€Å"Comprised of† Revisited By Maeve Maddox More than one reader has chided me for writing â€Å"comprised of† in a recent post. Here’s the culprit: In the ancient Roman army, a centurion was the officer in charge of a century, a unit originally comprised of 100 men. Anyone who has ever read a popular language blog has seen this dictum stated as an adamantine rule: One must never use the phrase comprised of. I’ve certainly read many articles that explain in great detail why â€Å"comprised of† is not only merely wrong, but really, most sincerely wrong. I was on the verge of writing to Daniel to ask him to change comprised to composed, but then I read my sentence again and had to admit that I don’t see anything wrong with it. Plenty of other writers reach for â€Å"comprised of† without remembering that it’s a no-no. The usage is found in edited articles published in The American Scholar, The Atlantic, The Christian Science Monitor, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. This confession from Francine Prose, a contributing editor to the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus and author of a string of books published by the world’s most prestigious publishing houses, illustrates the writer’s dilemma: It has been pointed out to me, more often than I care to admit, that you can say: The book comprises five sections. But you should not say: The book is comprised of five sections. In the second example, use compose instead: The book is composed of five sections. I have lost hope of ever getting it straight, so for now I find synonyms, and wait for so many others to make the same mistake that- as so often happens- grammarians simply give up, and decide that both usages are correct. I mistrust a rule of usage that is not only supremely forgettable but also targets a phrase that writers of formal English have been using for centuries. Even respected language commentators who officially uphold the notion that â€Å"comprised of† must not be used with the meaning of â€Å"consists of† recognize the hopelessness of remembering this particular â€Å"rule†: And no one will mind if you avoid â€Å"comprise.† Just say, â€Å"made up of.† Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl. But there’s so much confusion surrounding the usage of [comprise] that it may be better to avoid it altogether. Paul Brians, Common Errors in English Usage. The editors at Oxford Dictionaries Online state that â€Å"comprised of† is â€Å"more or less synonymous† with â€Å"consists of† and that this usage is â€Å"part of standard English.† The Oxford English Dictionary- without any indication that the usage is nonstandard- includes this definition for the â€Å"passive form† of comprise: â€Å"To be composed of, to consist of.† The earliest OED citation for this use is dated 1874. Several linguistic discussions of the topic reference earlier uses dating from 1704. Even the editors at Merriam-Webster, after defending the use of â€Å"comprised of† as acceptable usage, capitulate to the bogus rule: You should be aware, however, that if you use [â€Å"comprised of†] you may be subject to criticism for doing so, and you may want to choose a safer synonym such as  compose  or  make up. Geoff Nunberg calls the â€Å"comprised of† proscription â€Å"a pedant’s veto†: It doesn’t matter if you consider a word to be correct English. If some sticklers insist that its an error, the dictionaries and style manuals are going to counsel you to steer clear of it to avoid bringing down their wrath. That can be the prudent course, especially in an age when email and Web comment threads make things easy for what William Safire used to call the â€Å"gotcha gang.† All of us have our linguistic pet peeves, usage that produces â€Å"blackboard moments† of discomfort. They may not be defensible, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying to us. In deference to readers who cringe when they hear or see the phrase â€Å"comprised of,† I won’t use it in future DWT articles. But I will permit my centurion sentence to stand. Related post: Usage That Provokes â€Å"Blackboard Moments† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Idioms About NumbersDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

How managers in international companies have been affected by recent, Essay

How managers in international companies have been affected by recent, radical changes in the economic situation - Essay Example Multinational companies in order to survive in the foreign market developed several strategies during the crisis situation. Multinational companies which operate in emerging economy of developing nations took certain steps in order to handle the situation. A drastic change in economic situation in a worldwide basis has created an impact on various business sectors around the countries. The boom in economy may result in growth and benefit in business and slump down of economy may lead to loss in business. When the economic situation is favourable, i.e. in low interest rate and in rising demand, there is a huge growth in economy (The Times 100, 2011). There were two current issues of economic crisis: one was financial crises and the other was related to production and employment. The financial crisis emerged from the US and it had an impact on almost all of the developed nations. The government performed the fiscal stimulus package to fill the gap of demand slowdown of public sector (W ray, 2009). Lehman Brothers Investment Bank had led to huge loss of several billions of dollars in the mortgage market of the US. The stock market of the US fell down due to collapse of Lehman Brothers and the banking shares were hardly hit. The failure of Lehman Brothers had adversely affected the stability of global financial system (BBC, 2008). The policy makers are failing to address the structural reforms as well as regulatory changes which are essential in order to make certain that a repeat of the crisis does not take place and international policy coordination is proving to be insufficient to the task. German, French along with British banks hold the debt of the bordering countries. By the end of 2011, it is predicted that there will be European banking crisis due to sovereign debt defaults (Carnegei Endowment, 2010). The economic along with financial crisis will be affecting the global business time-to-time. The US has been under the threat of pressure of economic downturn. The growth of the country has turned to be negative again from the end of 2010. The unemployment rate is also rising as 2 millions of American workers were laid off within six months (Global Europe Anticipation Bulletin, 2010). In this paper, various economic crises that had cropped up in the global market will be described by analysing the worldwide financial crises. The crises which have occurred in relation to economy and finance have greatly affected the multinational companies. The paper will also highlight different difficulties faced by managers while handling issues related to different people during financial crisis. 2.0 Impact of Economic Changes on Managers The financial crisis in the US from the period 2007 to 2010 had resulted in liquidity shortfall. It has led to ‘collapse of large financial institution’ and also ‘bailout of bank’ by means of national government along with downturn in the stock market worldwide. This crisis can be considered as one of the major economic crisis after the Great Depression which occurred in the year 1930. The managers associated with such organisations were in great hardship. The economic deficits had become a challenging factor for them. The economic downturn had also affected both developed multinational com

Electronic medical record implementation in correctional facilities Assignment

Electronic medical record implementation in correctional facilities - Assignment Example A carefully designed and well managed continuous monitoring program may effectively transform an otherwise static electronic medical records technology. Monitoring also helps in determining emerging risks and barriers during the implementation process. This offers fundamental information to the relevant change managers and the corrective facility officials to identify risks, take mitigations actions, and make credible decisions with regard to the operation of the electronic medical records. While implementing electronic health records in correctional facilities, two main methods will be employed to monitor the change process. These are the issue log monitoring and surveys. Issue log monitoring One approach to monitor the implementation of electronic health record is to employ the issue log or to make an extra log for concerns. Concerns in the case of electronic health records refer to the matters that are not directly actionable or solvable. Taking that the staff and the implementing teal are meticulous in reporting record keeping and information technology related matters, the frequency and severity of issues may signal an emerging problems. This is especially so when sudden increases in a certain concern are observed in a single area. If the management or the change facilitator compares the issues arising or issues log with the risk register that identifies risks associated with electronic records change, certain aspects in the issues log will stand out and may be construed as increasing risks potential. This calls for a contingency plan to be instituted to deal with the problem that may arise (Schwalbe, 2006). Surveys Surveys in form of questions to monitor fundamental elements of electronic health records offer a structured manner to monitoring organizational change risks. In this manner; the change implementation team makes a assessment premeditated to draw out feedback from the organization and the staff on their perception of the project. Survey also hel ps to identify the organizational change factors that may contribute to the success or failure of the implementation effort. By carrying out surveys and assessment at various intervals and comparing results from assessment to assessment, the implementing team can swiftly establish areas that necessitate more consideration and intercession. While making and conducting an assessment, it is essential to represent extra time and cost to the electronic records technology, various benefits needs to be considered. One benefit is that gathering time and cost information forces regular and system review of the project as it is perceived by the impacted employees and patients. As the analysis is employed from time to time, it can be enhanced and reused (Schwalbe, 2006). Additionally, the analysis can speedily gather feedback from a large part of the organization, enhancing the visibility of the electronic records implementation project and minimizing unexpected or unwarranted reactions. The r elationship between the organization’s related processes, systems, and personal or professional roles and their affect on EHR The provision of electronic health records in correctional facilities is an increasingly involving exercise. Complexities arise due to the complexities of correctional facility services and systems, as well as the various processes and relationships. Electronic health r

Capital Punishment and Tortures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Capital Punishment and Tortures - Essay Example Taking the deterrence argument first, as the course module suggests, "those who believe that deterrence justifies the execution of certain offenders bear the burden of proving that the death penalty actually is a deterrent." Yet numerous studies have shown that the death penalty is no more a deterrent than life imprisonment, and indeed, those countries such as the United States who widely use the death penalty actually have the highest murder rates in the industrialized world (Bowers and Pierce, 1980). The brutalizing effect of the death penalty, particularly through well-publicized, infamous executions may actually bring about more murders as there is a general atmosphere of acceptable violence within a society (Zimring, 2003). There is thus no concrete proof that the death penalty actually deters violence, and indeed, the opposite may be true. As the module suggests, "those states in the US that do not employ the death penalty generally have lower murder rates than the states that do". Thi This argument against the deterrence effect is further bolstered by the fact that many murders are spur of the moment, emotional outbursts, often within a domestic situation, in which the consequences are not truly considered. These murders are committed by normally rational people while in a temporary state of irrationality in which judgment as to consequences is impossible (deathpenalty, 2007). It is these domestic murders that are most often solved. The 'professional' type of murder such as that which exists within organized crime or within the more haphazard gang killings are similarly undeterred because far fewer of these cases are actually solved (Zimring, 2003). The other, much smaller category of murderers, serial and spree killers, are also unlikely to be undeterred. The first because capital punishment holds little fear for them because of their often objectified view of human worth, including their own (Lahey, 2002). The spree killer will not be deterred because he normally takes his own life at the end of the spree anyway. Capital punishment holds no fears for a dead person. The second major argument for the death penalty si based upon the idea of "justice" and "morality". This claims that it is ethical to have a death penalty because it is a just punishment for the taking of another life. This theory is based upon the "eye for an eye" type of mentality. But as the module suggests, "the concept of retribution is simply another way of describing revenge." In fact, "a mature and civilized society , , , should respect all life, even that of a murderer". So the moral argument against the death penalty is based upon the same set of ethics which makes murder the most serious crime within a society in the first place. The most valuable thing is a human life, according to this type of morality, and so all human life should be preserved, whatever the person has done. This argument

Fitbit: SWOT and PESTEL Analysis

Fitbit: SWOT and PESTEL Analysis Overview Fitbit was founded as Healthy Metrics Research, Inc. in 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman. The first product by Fitbit was launched later in 2009—the Fitbit Tracker. It was a small black device that could be clipped onto clothing and tracked steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, activity intensity, and sleep quality by combining an internal accelerometer with user data. A user could then upload their data to the Fitbit website, where they could see an overview of their physical activity, set and track specific goals, keep activity logs, and interact with friends. Initially, the Fitbit Tracker was only available online, but later was introduced into the retail store market through Best Buy.   Fitbit continued with the clip design type until later introducing the well-known wristband style commonly seen today which introduced even more features in 2013, and later introduced smartwatches beginning in 2015. By August 2015, Fitbit had two clippable activity trackers, four wristband-style trackers, and a smart scale on the market. Prices ranged from $99.95 to $249.95, depending on the product and its functions. By the time Fitbit went public in 2015, Fitbit led the U.S. fitness-tracker market with a share of 76 percent (globally with a share of 35 percent), and revenue had been growing every quarter since 2011. In the first half of 2015 alone, Fitbit generated $737 million of revenue with 8.3 million devices sold, with 80 percent of Fitbit orders being placed on Amazon or Fitbit’s official online shop. However, Fitbit was starting to face some strong competition, as more and more competitors began entering the market such as Garmin, Nike, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Apple. The most notable competitor’s product to enter the market was with the introduction of the Apple Watch in April 2015, which quickly captured the second largest global wearable device market share at 19.9 percent and caused Fitbit to fall from 35 percent to 24.3 percent global market share. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to better understand the situation that Fitbit is in, a SWOT analysis will be performed and a Porter’s Five Forces model will be created. SWOT Analysis Strengths: As one of the early movers in the wearable device industry, Fitbit was able to capture a commanding size of market share while they built their brand and established a solid user-base. Fitbit also offers many choices to consumers with their different types of products—namely the wristbands and smartwatches—but they were able to offer them in different colors and functionality as to be able to offer a whole range of products at different price points in order to maximize customer reach. Fitbit has also partnered with insurance companies in order to offer programs that emphasize physical activity while providing individuals that take advantage of the programs lower insurance premiums. Weaknesses: Fitbit faces strong competition from competitors like Apple, Samsung, Nike, Garmin, and Xiaomi. As a relatively new company, Fitbit does not have the established customer base and brand loyalists like these other companies have, and as such are having to make up ground in order to effectively compete. Fitbit also only has one successful product line—their fitness tracking wearable devices—while the other companies have products like computers, phones, and apparel that lower their overall risk since they are much more diversified in their overall product mix as a company. Opportunities: As mentioned in the Strengths section, Fitbit has some existing partnerships with health insurance agencies, but there is a tremendous amount of growth left in this area. Partnerships could also be created with companies for services for their employees as well as hospitals for patient monitoring and physical therapy. In the era of big data, Fitbit has an opportunity to be able to sell collected health and behavior data to health insurance companies and universities, but consumer privacy is crucial. Threats: As mentioned in the Weaknesses section, Fitbit faces stiff competition in the wearables market. Apple has a cult-like following of people loyal to its brand, while Xiaomi has taken control of the Chinese market with a much lower priced alternative to Fitbit’s trackers. These all threaten Fitbit’s market position, and as such, Fitbit needs to stay on the cutting edge of technological offerings with its devices in order to maintain their industry leader status as the market continues to grow due to increased health awareness by consumers. Porter’s Five Forces Model Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is at a high level, as there are many alternatives to Fitbit’s products which range anywhere from $34 to $850+, so switching costs are very low. This has forced Fitbit to drive innovation in their products in order to keep consumers engaged and for Fitbit to maintain their status as the leading brand in the industry. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers is at a low level, since Fitbit mainly outsources their manufacturing to companies in China and also buy product from them in bulk. Fitbit also has the ability to switch between any number of suppliers in China, and the entire design of the product is intellectual property of Fitbit with the software being written to the device by Fitbit employees themselves. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is at a high level, as smartphones are beginning to integrated many features of Fitbit’s wristbands and smartwatches. Smartwatches are also becoming more dominant in the wearables market, as they are also integrating features from Fitbit’s wristband product. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants is at a moderate level, there are many barriers to entry in the wearables market—namely significant capital investment, as the products need to be manufactured and distribution channels need to be established. Since competition is high, a lot of human and monetary capital is needed for research and development as well. Level of Competitive Rivalry in the Industry: The level of competitive rivalry in the industry is high. Fitbit has positioned itself as a premium brand in the industry, but other wearables offer much of the same functionality as Fitbit’s. Even though Fitbit has a tremendous advantage with being one of the first movers, Fitbit still needs to be able to differentiate itself from their competitors as the wearables market becomes more saturated. Overall: From the Porter’s Five Forces model, buyer power, competitive rivalry, and threat of substitutes are all at a high level, which can make it challenging in the fitness wearables industry to be successful and also sustain a competitive advantage. In order to do this, Fitbit must continue to drive innovation within the industry in order to retain its leadership status. Alternatives The following are strategic directions Fitbit could move in in order to capture more market share and/or increase profit. Expand Internationally As mentioned in the Overview, Fitbit in mid-2015 had a US market share of 76 percent, while their global market share was 24.3 percent. This shows that while Fitbit had a commanding lead here in the United States, it has tremendous potential for growth internationally. Marketing efforts may need to increase internationally in order to bring awareness to the brand, as Fitbit may not be as internationally recognized as their competitors since Fitbit is relatively young as a company. However, since Fitbit has positioned itself as a premium brand, they may need to adjust product offerings for other countries that have vastly different cultures and living standards compared to here in the United States. There is also potential here to increase the total potential market share for the industry as a whole and drive industry growth as a whole. Increase Brand and Product Awareness Since Fitbit is a relatively newer company, they do not have the brand recognition that their competitors like Apple, Garmin, Samsung, Nike, and Xiaomi have, at least on a global perspective. Here in the United States, Fitbit is very much a household name and is pretty much synonymous with fitness tracking, as can be seen by its commanding 76 percent market share (per the case as of mid-2015). Consumers may also not be aware of the range of products that Fitbit offers, so they may not know that a product may be available that fits their price and functionality needs. Even though Exhibit 7 in the case shows that Fitbit has double the next competitor’s percentage for consumers purchasing intentions for a wearable device within the next 12 months—42 percent compared with Apple’s 21 percent—it would be a good idea for Fitbit to be producing more surveys in order to better understand consumers’ preferences so that Fitbit can potentially better position itself within the market as well as understand how consumers view their brand and what features may increase usage. Add Features In this industry, there is high buyer power, competitive rivalry, and threat of substitutes as shown in the Porter’s Five Forces model. In order to overcome these, Fitbit must continue to invest in research and development and drive innovation in the industry if they wish to remain the market leader, so this means continually offering new and unique features to their products in order to create value and increase customers’ willingness to pay. Certain kinds of features, like a camera for instance, may necessitate being added to the smartwatch over the wristband in order to differentiate the products and offer multiple price points to consumers. Fitbit could also integrate their products more with social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in order to potentially restore some consumer interest, since consumers may be able to better track their friends’ activity as well as share their own. Increase Focus on Health and Wellness   Fitbit has a tremendous opportunity to grow in the health and wellness space by potentially integrating their product into hospitals for them to use to assist patients with health monitoring like glucose, blood sugar, and the heart in activities like physical therapy sessions. Alerts could even be set up for medications. This information could then be linked back to their healthcare provider for analyzing long term trends in a patient’s health. This would be a completely new addition to the fitness tracking wearables industry and could drive high amounts of growth as Fitbit’s product transitions from that of a ‘want’ to more of a ‘need.’ This could also help Fitbit connect with older customers rather than just targeting and connecting with the young and fit customer segments.   Ã‚  The downside of this is it could potentially be very costly and require high levels of research and development in order to deliver products that healthcare providers would require. This would also be dependent on establishing partnerships with healthcare providers. Sell Data In the era of big data, Fitbit has the potential to profit from selling user activity data that is collected when uploaded to their website by the user. The data could then be used by health insurance companies and universities for research. Using machine learning, patterns could be detected from user behavior data that could improve product positioning and customer targeting for Fitbit, provide health and activity insights that may not have been previously known, and also help health insurance companies establish health programs that could lower premiums after studying how certain levels and types of physical activity affected an individual’s health risks. The key issue here, however, is customer privacy. According to the case, Fitbit announced that it was compliant with the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in September 2015, which indicates that Fitbit is already establishing protections for customers’ data and its security. Analysis and Discussion   This section will detail the recommended path for Fitbit, as well as discuss what I have personally learned about myself through the course. Recommendation Fitbit built its brand on providing a way for consumers to have a fun and engaging way to track their fitness goals, which also provides the background and experience needed to expand efforts into providing meaningful insights into an individual’s health. Fitbit has an incredible opportunity for long-term growth if they focus on what has made them into the market leader they are today, and focus their efforts on overall health and wellness by providing easier and more in depth ways for patients and healthcare providers to track an individual’s data. Fitbit’s style will also help to replace bulky devices that are not aesthetically pleasing. Fitbit will need to conduct market research to understand what patients and healthcare providers require in order to better develop the tools they need and know the data that needs tracking. This effort will also require Fitbit to invest in research and development to meet those needs. Partnerships could be created not only with healthcare providers, but with insurance companies and medical device companies as well. If Fitbit is able to integrate other medical devices into its app, then they would be able to gain a further edge over their competitors by offering more features and utility, which could be an incredible competitive advantage, especially with how high the competitive rivalry in the industry is as shown previously in the Porter’s Five Forces model. According to the case, corporate clients account for less than 10 percent of Fitbit’s business, so there is tremendous opportunity for growth there as well. Especially if there is a partnership formed between the corporation, Fitbit, and the insurance company to be able to provide cheaper insurance premiums for employees as well as cut health care costs for the corporation. This effort could also be combined with selling data uploaded through Fitbit’s app, and Fitbit is already showing they take data security seriously since they have become HIPAA compliant. If partnerships are being formed with insurance companies, they can use the data as mentioned previously to study how certain health habits can reduce certain health risks in order to form wellness programs that provide discounts to any consumer that uses a Fitbit device and willingly shares their health activity to earn the discounts. Ultimately, these efforts will help Fitbit to position itself and its products as the go-to for health and fitness tracking by transitioning its products from that of a ‘want’ to more of a ‘need,’ which will build their competitive advantage and further differentiate Fitbit from their competitors. Media Article Analysis: Effects of High Protein Diet Media Article Analysis: Effects of High Protein Diet Introduction Media claim from ‘The Telegraph’ that high ingestion of protein would be ‘as bad as smoking 20 cigarettes a day’ and ‘have as higher risk of developing cancer as smoking 20 cigarettes a day’ is misleading and misinterpreting to the readers of general public. The article itself is over simplified making the actual study that the article was based upon, over exaggerated and misleading. Dangers of reading this claim would suggest eating less foods containing protein in middle-age individuals. Proteins are one of the major components to sustain a healthy lifestyle through all ages. () Proteins are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acid. Main functions of protein within living organism are to replicate DNA, responding to stimuli, transporting molecules and catalysing metabolic reactions. (†¦) Although the alternative claims are found further down the article suggesting it is not as crucial to eat protein rich diet and maintaining healthy diet regardless of age, the article written suggesting that protein rich diet may be as bad as smoking 20 cigarettes a day through developing cancerous cells was written in the first few sentences. This may suggest to the public readers that they might need to change their diet. By posting this statement on the first few paragraphs the reader might only pick out the points that they are interested in and not continuing reading the article where most of the alternative suggestions are made by different professors and doctors. Describe media claim ‘High-protein diet ‘as bad as smoking’ published by ‘The Telegraph’ on 14th March 2014, written by Sarah Knapton was published to give the readers the idea of how high protein diet has the same effect of developing cancer as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. Researchers tracked thousands of adults for 20 years and found that consumption of high protein diet may have ‘The risk is nearly as high as the danger of developing cancer by smoking 20 cigarettes each day’. Dr Valter Longo of University of Southern California stated: â€Å"we provide convincing evidence that a high-protein diet – particularly if the proteins are derived from animals – is nearly as bad as smoking for your health’. Other comments from Dr Eileen Crimmins stated that with low protein diet the overall mortality longevity may be increased plus increasing an overall prevention of developing cancer in the middle-age individuals. With that in mind another proposition was made that older-aged individuals may need to avoid low-protein diets to allow maintenance of healthy weight and protection from frailty. In the article it is also stated other perspectives of low and high intakes of proteins. Dr Gunter Kuhnle and Prof Naveed Saattar stated that the results may come from a ‘survival bais’ plus public view on the article stating: â€Å"The smoker thinks: why bother quitting smoking if my cheese and ham sandwich is just as bad for me?’à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ° What is claim based on? Media has written this claim based up on ‘Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population’ study by several study groups from USA, Italy and Ecuador. The report was published by cell metabolism. The aim was to find if low protein intake associated with reduction in IGF-1, Cancer and overall mortality in adults ages 50 and over. Recommendations made: Reduction of protein intake may prevent development of cancer cells from 50+ individuals Reduction in red meat intake What is mechanism/theory to support claim? Somatomedin C also known as insulin-like grown factor 1(IGF-1), is a protein encoded within humans by the IGF-1 gene, consisting of 70 amino acids in a single chain with three iramolecular bisulfide bridges.(†¦) In 1970’s its effects were termed as nonsuppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA). It’s a hormone that has similar molecular structure compare to insulin.(†¦) IGF-1 has important roles through childhood growth to adulthood anabolic effects.(†¦) Cancer is an abnormal mass, resulted in dividing cells within tissues cell infrastructure. Cancer cells divide and uncontrollably grow, forming malignant tumorous growth, invading close part within the body. (†¦) Cancerous cells may also spread through the blood stream or lymphatic system, resulting in invading distant parts within body infrastructure. There are 200 different type of cancers that affect human body, over 60 different organs where cancerous tumours may develop. (†¦)Some of the tumours within the body are not cancerous, benignit tumours do spread within the cell but does not infiltrate neighbouring tissues nor do they spread throughout the body.(†¦) There are different studies in which ingestion of low protein diet have been found to be of benefit in the mid-age individuals, plus study’s that comply of ingestion of high protein may develop cancerous cells or speed up the growth of the tumour through IGF-1. (†¦) The growth hormone (IGF-1) not only encourages growth of healthy cells, but also provides sources in increasing cancer cell growth. (†¦) study suggested that increasing 10ng/ml of IGF-1 with the high protein diet have 9% higher chance of developing and dying of cancer compare to low-protein diet. But the proteins that the studies were analysing two-thirds of the protein resurces came from animal produce. When the study was performed on mice, they have found that from animal source proteins tend to have an effect on the growth of cancerous cells, whereas plant derivatives seemed to considered to be more of a ‘safer’ option. (†¦) What evidence is there to support/refute claim? Many studies were performed on low consumption of proteins and relationship between decreasing the development of cancerous cells. From the Cell metabolism article et al 2014, that this media article was based on suggested that from performing experiments on mice and monitoring human population of 50-65 and 65+ year old groups found that there is a correlation between consumption of high-protein diet and development of cancerous cell. But the article also suggested to look into 65+ year old group as instead of providing low-protein diet may have an opposite effect, promoting muscular atrophy and weight loss. Moreover, elder generations turn beneficial effects of protein restriction on mortality, into negative. Another study by Gyrd-Hansen et al 2004 proposed that ‘Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) promotes cancer cell viability by safeguarding lysosomal integrity’. The study came to a conclusion that Hsp70 has provided a platform for further investigation in alteration in cancerous cells, decreasing stability of lysosomes. So by finding this protein and deplete it from the cancerous cell it will destabilise lysosomal membrane which will then result in cancer cell depletion. On the other hand study from USA suggested that Mitrogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) provided strong correlation that inhibitors of signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK will provide effective antiseptic agents for treating wild range of human cancerous cells.( P JRoberts et al 2007) Summary The media article did provide some good evidence towards the end from different professors and doctors from both sides supporting the study that high-protein diets may have an effect of cancer development and others saying that more research need to be done to provide more of a valid proposal on high-protein ingestion and development of cancerous cells within the body. Conclusion The media article claim was over simplified and suggested false claim at the beginning of the article to the general public. Although the study which this article was based up on did provide information on low protein intake has effect on reducing the risk of developing cancerous cells, the claim that is made by the newspaper was falsely advertised, misleading general public in thinking that protein foods such as ‘meats’ may be harmful to their health. But in actual fact proteins have to be a part of healthy lifestyle.

The German World of Disappointment :: Essays Papers

The German World of Disappointment From the youngest child to the oldest man, everyone has experienced the unpleasant feeling of disappointment. Everyone has been to a place that was not all that they anticipated it to be. No one can say that someone has never somehow let them down. At one point or another, everyone has been disappointed in something they have purchased. And what child is not heart-broken when he learns there is no Santa Claus? Whether it is in a person, thing, place, or idea, disappointment can be the most devastating and hurtful feeling people face. Disappointment is an experience that the German people, especially, have had to live through. The German writer, Heinrich Boll, uses his story â€Å"Pale Anna† to illustrate the universal experience of disappointment, an experience his countrymen are very familiar with, through both literature and history. When a long-lost German soldier returns to his hometown five years after World War II has ended, he returns to a place that is familiar, but everyone he knows is gone. His new landlady constantly asks him if he knew her dead son. She talks endlessly about her dearly departed son’s life and shows him again and again all the pictures of her son. The final picture that was taken of the landlady’s son was of him at his job as a streetcar conductor. All the other occasions that the soldier had seen it he reminisced about his own time spent at that particular terminus. He remembers the pop stand, the trees, the villa with the golden lions, and especially a girl that he thought of often during the war that always boarded the streetcar at that terminus. The soldier never recognizes any of the people in the picture until he had been there for three weeks and then he sees the girl in the streetcar. The landlady tells him that the girl was her son’s fiancà ©e and th at she is living in the room next to his. Pale Anna is what they always call her because of her extremely white face, but her face was unrecognizably destroyed when she was thrown through a window by a bomb blast. The soldier returns to his room and tries unsuccessfully to imagine Anna’s face being anything else but beautiful, even with scars. He thinks about his past romances and remembers them as complete disappointments.

Manipulation in Documentaries Essay

Every night when we sit down to watch our much loved Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives, we know for a fact they are fictional dramas which allow us to escape the reality and boredom of our lives. We also realise the scripted shows use many tactics to manipulate our thinking. The producer does this to position us towards a specific view of life. But what do we expect from a documentary? We know documentaries to be faithful recounts of events; however, these events may be subject to just as much manipulation as the intriguing plots in our addictive shows. Many documentary makers include their individual cultural assumptions and discourses to distort the truth and position the target audience to react in a desired manner. This can be seen in the documentary, ‘Supersize Me’ by Morgan Spurlock and ‘Great White – Deep Trouble’ showcasing Peter Benchley, David Doubilet and Rodney Fox. Both producers desire to position the audience towards their discourse through their documentary. They accomplish this by presenting snippets of films, opinions and facts that agree with their discourse and disposing of the rest. ‘Super Size Me’, written, produced, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, is a producer dominated documentary. It shows Spurlock endeavouring on a thirty day McDonald’s binge to prove that regular consumption of the food is a fast way to heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity. Spurlock aims to prove his nutritional discourse by taking tests before and after the experiment to show the affects. Before the experiment began, Spurlock’s body showed healthy results both physically and emotionally, however, after the experiment, his body was physically rundown sporting clogged arteries, high cholesterol, weight gain and emotionally he showed early stages of depression. Spurlock’s aim in the documentary is to inform his audience that regular fast food consumption is extremely harmful to your body. It uses both fully narrated and self reflexive types of documentary to present the message. This means voice overs are used to interpret graphs, pictures and facts presented in the documentary to prove that fast food has a significant impact on the nation’s health. He also includes many techniques including camera angles, music and sound, lighting and many elements typical of documentaries. Spurlock uses Mise-en-scene to prove that obesity is a result of extreme fast food intake by purposely filming obese people walking through a shot at McDonalds. Spurlock also uses the technique of interviewing doctors and scientists to grab our attention and make it difficult for us, the audience, to make our own decision. He does this as the majority of us believe scientists and doctors have the most knowledge on this argument and therefore we will agree with his discourse. Similarly the documentary, ‘Great White – Deep Trouble’, produced by John Bredar, attempts to influence the audience to feel sympathy and love for the Great White which to many represents a killer beast. The documentary aims to manipulate us towards the view that sharks are gentle fish that are simply misunderstood by humans. Through the journey of David Doubilet, a famous photographer, the audience are presented with pictures, journal entries and filming of the Great White in the hope of capturing the perfect shot. One of the crew on the mission is Rodney Fox who previously had a bloody encounter with a Great White and survived. Although the majority of us would be too afraid to return to the water, Fox has chosen to partake in the mission of defending the creature. The producer uses this to his advantage by demonstrating that even someone who was attacked by a killing machine managed to love the animal and therefore we should too. The documentary uses techniques in order to create a calm ambience and make the shark seem vulnerable. They use relaxing music and bright lighting to create a sympathetic and almost angelic view of the shark. Camera shots are taken under water allowing the audience to see the scenery and true characteristics of the shark. The documentary provides close up shots to shows the sharks facial features and emotions. It also uses long shots to show the entire body and the provide insight into the sharks natural habitat. The documentary uses the feature of exposition to expose the true qualities of the shark in order to manipulate the audience. Both documentaries possess intertextualities that we are all familiar with. In general, when we see Ronald McDonald we are automatically reminded of McDonalds and their food products. In the Documentary, Spurlock shows Ronald McDonald as an evil clown rather than happy. This represents his negativity towards the restaurant. When watching ‘Great White – Deep Trouble’ our intertextualities towards sharks is that they are vicious man-eating machines like the shark off the movie ‘Jaws’. Although many facts, graphs and discourses are exposed and explained throughout these two documentaries it does not necessarily mean the producer’s opinion is correct. They simply want to manipulate and position the audience to believe what they say in order to sell their view to the public. When we hear the word,’ documentary’ our cultural beliefs tell us they are filled with true facts or recounts of events, however, we need to realise that documentaries are filled with individual discourses which aren’t essentially accurate. We as an audience need to ensure we do not fall victim to the producer’s manipulative techniques that are incorporated in the documentaries. In order to do so we need to be strong in our personal beliefs and discourses. That does not mean you should seclude all opinions from others. Be open to new ideas, but be strong in your own beliefs. That way you will not be manipulated as easily. Make your own decision and don’t let the producer sway that conclusion.

Adolescent (In)vulnerability by Marilyn Jacobs Essay

Adolescents are often viewed in a negative light that depicts them as risk-takers, irrational decision makers, and vulnerable to dangers. The validity of the above statement is proven true by the peer-reviewed journal article entitled Adolescent (In)vulnerability by Marilyn Jacobs Quadrel, Baruch Fischhoff, and Wendy Davis. The article reveals the results of three groups that were questioned on their perception of how likely they might experience different risks. The subjects included a range of individuals from different socio economic status such as middle class adults with their teenage children and high-risk adolescents receiving treatment for different diagnosis. Some of the risks included automobile accidents, unwanted pregnancies, alcoholism, being a victim of a mugging, and becoming sick from various elements such as air pollution or poison. The results show that all of the subjects feel that they would face less risk in comparison to others. See more: Basic Economic problem of Scarcity Essay The opinion of relative invulnerability was about the same for the adolescents and the adults. Boththe teenagers and their parents agree that the parents are less vulnerable to specific risks. The study reveals that there is a slight difference in the way adolescents and adults think when they are faced with making a decision. One huge problem is that adolescents may be perceived as incompetent to make a decision which could lead to their rights being revoked and wrongly diagnosing the true foundation of their risk behaviors. The study implies that one explanation for why adolescents take great risks is because they underestimate the likelihood that a negative outcome will occur to them. Although adolescents have awareness that risks are involved, they also have misunderstandings of risks associated with certain behaviors that vary due to the adolescent’s socio economic status. Overall, the study shows that there is not enough support to prove that perceived invulnerability is largely present during adolescence, but evidence is present to conclude adults steadily display invulnerability. When estimating one’s risk, the psychological process for all ages are similar and biased which leads to the result of ones belief as less vulnerable in comparison to someone else. Flaws appear in every study because of different variables such as the participants or their environment. One flaw of this study may be the aspect of time pressures created by the subjects that may differ in a real-life situation. A second imperfection of the study is pressure from peers is not accounted for and is  neglectful of social backing. This flaw is crucial because peer pressure is a huge part of teens engaging in riskier behavior. Evidence is revealed that teens are more likely to engage or partake in riskier behaviors without foreseeing the consequences when in a group or surr ounded by acquaintances. A follow up study to this one that would attempt to eradicate a major flaw would be to study both the adolescents and adults when in a group or a peer setting. The results might be different due to peer pressure and the desire to be popular or fit in. Two discussion questions that prompted from the reading of the journal article are: 1. Should the legal drinking age in the U.S. be lowered to 18? Are 18 year olds able to purchase and consume alcohol responsibly? 2. Should birth control be available to teenagers without parental consent? Would access to birth control prevent or lower the rate of unwanted teen pregnancies? I believe that this study presents many important aspects of the similarities and differences between adolescents and adults when it comes to making a decision and being perceived as vulnerable to a risk. I agree that individuals have a misconstrued awareness of one’s vulnerability to risks in comparison to friends, family members and strangers. Based on person al experience, I believe I was more inclined to be impulsive and irrational as an adolescent compared to my current age.

Free Essays on emand for International Regimes

God-Like Man In Robert O. Keohane’s article, â€Å"Demand for International Regimes†, there are many strong point expressed by the author. The main argument for the article is that international regimes allow for a more efficient flow of world politics by cutting cost of agreements, making more and higher quality knowledge available to the actors in world politics, and lastly making a solid framework for the legal responsibility of agreement making. In the paper five main points are expressed. First is the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of constraint-choice analysis. Second is the function of regimes and the contexts within they operate. Third are the benefits of international regimes and the demand by the actors in world politics. Fourth are the issues of closure and communication within regimes. Fifth, and last, is the suggestion that by 1980 control oriented regimes will be supplemented by insurance regimes. Overall Robert O. Keohane seems to be a strong activist for the implementation of international regimes and over the course of the article seems to be trying to sway the reader’s opinion on the use of international regimes by expressing the vast strengths and benefits of them. These benefits and strengths will be presented point by point in this paper. First point is the identification of strength and weaknesses of constraint-choice analysis. Constraint-choice analysis is the understanding that in world politics there exists no hierarchy. The stage that is world politics is in constant, yet controlled, anarchy. Constraint-choice analyzes and understands that, although there is no higher power per se, there still is power and inequality. The larger states posses a greater power than smaller ones. This is why international regimes may become an important power to the larger states because they may push forward ideas and pass international legislation that benefits other large states. This is all great for the... Free Essays on emand for International Regimes Free Essays on emand for International Regimes God-Like Man In Robert O. Keohane’s article, â€Å"Demand for International Regimes†, there are many strong point expressed by the author. The main argument for the article is that international regimes allow for a more efficient flow of world politics by cutting cost of agreements, making more and higher quality knowledge available to the actors in world politics, and lastly making a solid framework for the legal responsibility of agreement making. In the paper five main points are expressed. First is the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of constraint-choice analysis. Second is the function of regimes and the contexts within they operate. Third are the benefits of international regimes and the demand by the actors in world politics. Fourth are the issues of closure and communication within regimes. Fifth, and last, is the suggestion that by 1980 control oriented regimes will be supplemented by insurance regimes. Overall Robert O. Keohane seems to be a strong activist for the implementation of international regimes and over the course of the article seems to be trying to sway the reader’s opinion on the use of international regimes by expressing the vast strengths and benefits of them. These benefits and strengths will be presented point by point in this paper. First point is the identification of strength and weaknesses of constraint-choice analysis. Constraint-choice analysis is the understanding that in world politics there exists no hierarchy. The stage that is world politics is in constant, yet controlled, anarchy. Constraint-choice analyzes and understands that, although there is no higher power per se, there still is power and inequality. The larger states posses a greater power than smaller ones. This is why international regimes may become an important power to the larger states because they may push forward ideas and pass international legislation that benefits other large states. This is all great for the...

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategic management - Essay Example Organizational culture can be defined as an existence of shared understanding in a society, organization, team or group. Culture is understood to be a multifarious phenomenon which operates at various levels such as visible and invisible, conscious and subconscious. Culture helps in shaping the history and legacy of an organization (Wilkins and Ouchi, 2003). Cultural analysis of an organization can be used to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. Organizational culture creates patterns of behaviour and also includes the way through which strategy can be managed in an organization. Culture has its relevance in every organization. Culture decides the way the staff interacts in the organization. A healthy culture within the organization motivates the employees and encourages them to stay loyal to the organization. Culture of the workplace also ensures existence of a healthy competition in the workplace (Cooke and Rousseau, 2011). It is the culture of the organization that drives the employees to attain the goals of the organization by performing efficiently. The culture within the organization provides the employees with predefined sets of policies and guidelines which will direct them towards achieving success at workplace (Bloor and Dawson, 2004). Work culture ensures creating a brand image of the organization in the long run by providing a unique identity to it. Most importantly, organizational culture unites all the employees who otherwise belong to different cultural backgrounds. Every organization therefore must focus on enhancing its culture to bring in p ositive changes. Organizational stability involves maintaining status quo and emerging in a methodological and slow manner. The organizations that have attained a level of growth desire to maintain the stability of such growth in the future and for that various strategies are to be implemented by the organization (Schwenk, 1989 ).

Eastern Philosopher Letter Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eastern Philosopher Letter - Personal Statement Example You see, Vishnu, you are different in a similar way as I was. You see beyond the immediate; you even surpassed me in some ways, such as your seeing the futility of the way of the ascetics. Your questions regarding them impressed me; I will not forget when you asked me how one can attain enlightenment when continually starving, dirty and begging. You inquired of the balance in your years with me (Moore-Bruder, 2005, p. 499). It is indeed the balance between desire and self-denial that is the key to the detachment that leads to the finer levels of consciousness. There must be an incredible awareness, an ability to see beyond this world our senses recognize and apprehend. The awareness directs the senses, not the other way around; this is where the teaching cannot be transferred from one person to another through words only. Words in and of themselves do not have any intrinsic meaning, yet the way they are delivered has an impact upon the mind that contemplates the words. Each mind is unique in its ability to transcend itself. By adhering to the Eightfold Path, one's mind unfolds and begins to align with nirvana (Moore-Bruder, p. 502). First one must become aware of desires and cravings of the senses, which are the primary receivers of the mind. It is only when the mind is stilled and the senses are fully awake, hence overcoming their cravings, that one can begin to comprehend nirvana. This is what is most difficult to communicate with people, and this is what makes you weary. As we grow and develop, our thoughts and cravings form a unifying force that is very powerful in the physical realm. It is this force that is the fuel of life for most people and they do not or cannot know any different. Once the path to enlightenment, true enlightenment, begins, there is no way back to the limited mind with its busy activities and desires and plots for gaining more and more material things. Power and glory become dust in the winds of time and one can begin to feel separated from humanity as you expressed in your letter. Know that this, too, is an illusion.