A Characters View, Drugstore Cowboy Essay

One page essay for Theater 19 acting class Due March 13 2012 By Charles (Chuck) Borges March 13th 5:30am This short essay is about a character in the film â€Å"Drugstore Cowboy† Bob. This is what I think his character is like, and what’s going on in his life before this next scene. Bob is a ringleader or mastermind of an underdeveloped group of drug store robbing addicts who Procure their vices by stealing them from local pharmacies. Bob likes doing drugs. He likes the whole lifestyle. While in the proses of robbing these establishments, Bob gets a euphoric Sense of power. The adrenalin rush is like no other. He risks going to jail, and losing his Freedom to obtain that rush at any expense. As long as it doesn’t come out of pocket. You see, Bob is a poor man†¦ He’s a hype that can shoot up enough dope to kill a horse. But that was then, and this is now. As he sits and ponders his mass confusion that he Called a life, in a small room, in some apartment complex, ran by a person like himself. An X Junkie named Tom. To say the last six months have been easy on Bob would be a lie. Sobriety Is kicking his ass and He’s starting to feel bored and becoming restless at work. Not a good sign. The daily grind was starting to bore into Bob like a drill bit. The addiction was winning its way Back into his life and he knew it. Bob’s life was better now. He has his boring job, boring apartment, boring life. But all in all, a respectable existence, surrounded by regular people with regular, Similar lives. But he’s still feeling alone and thinking of the good times he used to have with a Certain somebody he shared his tawdry past with. He’s feeling melancholy about the way he left her, but knowing that deep in his heart , it was the best solution from a destructive path. But still he is wondering to himself ,† I wonder what ever happened to my buddy who’s girlfriend died, and if they will ever find her body . † I’m thinking , he’s wondering â€Å" Is Diane alright?

Risk Management Plan of Little Falls Hospital

As the new risk manager, I have been asked to prepare a Risk Management Plan that will help to develop a culture of safety throughout Little Falls Hospital. The purpose of the Risk Management Plan is to provide guidelines and methods to assure that the broad range of both administrative and clinical activities at the facility are monitored and coordinated in order to reduce losses associated with consumer, employee, or visitor injuries, property loss or damage and other sources of potential facility liability. At this facility, Risk Management is the responsibility of every employee.Due to the size and complexity of this facility and its programs, it is necessary for all employees to participate for effective management of risk. Providing an ongoing, comprehensive, and systematic approval to reducing the risk of exposure is the focus of the risk management plan. The activities included in risk management are identifying, investigating, analyzing, and evaluating risk, followed by sele cting and implementing the most appropriate methods for correcting, reducing, managing, transferring, and/or eliminating them.This plan requires the cooperation from all departments, services, and patient care professionals. Policies, procedures and protocols will be provided to address exposure to events such as professional, business-related, general and motor vehicle liabilities, and workers’ compensation which may be created. The primary responsibility of this risk management program is to identify, investigate, and manage injuries, accidents, and other potentially compensable events.This process will be directed by me, the risk manager, and the others I have assigned to participate in the various components of events that may occur with patients, staff, visitors, and organizational assets. To achieve quality care in a safe environment and to protect the organization’s resources, this risk management plan will influence, persuade and educate leaders within all depa rtments—Administration, Billing Services, Human Resources, Legal Services, Medical Equipment—just to name a few.With this risk management program in place, the organization will use the patient satisfaction surveys to respond to issues the patients may have and measure the satisfaction of the patients. We will also directly participate in resolving any complaints received. Little Falls Hospital’s Risk Management Program will emphasize the following: Improving patient satisfactionImproving the safety of patients through our participation in National Patient Safety Goals, organizational safety strategies, and other patient safety initiatives Assessing systems that can contribute to the care, error and injuries of patients Educate the stakeholders on risk exposures and risk reduction initiatives as they arise Promote the quality care of patients while working to improve quality/performance activities Comply with the state-specific scope of practice, applicable laws , regulations and standards Minimize the frequency and severity of inauspicious eventsImprove the environmental safety for the patients, visitors and staff by participating in care-related environmental activities Achieve requirements advertised by accredited organizations Address contrary events and injuries to diminish any future losses By implementing continuous improvement strategies, this Risk Management Program is being designed to reduce potentially unsafe conditions and system-related errors.In order for this program to be a success requires there to be top-level commitment and support from all parties. This program and plan is authorized by the governing board via a resolution that will be documented in the minutes from the board meeting. As changes and issues come up, the risk management plan will be reviewed, updated, and approved daily, or as needed.

Death of a Salesman: Symbolism

Langston Hughes's poem â€Å"Dream Deferred† is basically about what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. Hughes probably intended for the poem to focus on the dreams of African-Americans because he originally entitled the poem â€Å"Harlem,† which is the capital of African American life in the United States; however, it is just as easy to read the poem as being about dreams in general and what happens when people postpone making them come true.Overall, Hughes uses a carefully arranged series of images that suggest that people should not delay their dreams because the more they postpone them, the more the dreams will change and the less likely they will come true. In the opening of the poem Hughes uses a visual image that compares a dream deferred to a raisin. Hughes asks the question, â€Å"Does it [the dream] dry up, Like a raisin in the sun? † (2-3). Here you can see the raisin, which used to be a moist, healthy-looking grape, has shriveled up to becom e a raisin.Like the raisin, the dream has been on hold for a long time and eventually it has transformed into something very different than it once was. Because they look so different, few people would believe that raisins were once grapes unless they had been told. Similarly, a dream that continues to be postponed will go through a transformation as well-it won't be the same as the original. On the surface, readers may not view the outcome as negative because raisins are valuable on their own. However, Hughes does not stress the taste of the raisin; he emphasizes the fact that a raisin â€Å"dries up† or loses its moisture.The comparison of the dream to the withered raisin shows how a dream that is postponed changes dramatically and will not turn out as the person originally intended. The next image in the poem â€Å"fester like† a sore and then run† (3-4) gives you a sense of infection and pain. Comparing the dream to a sore of a body, Hughes suggests that unfu lfilled dreams become part of us, like a longstanding injury that has gathered pus. The word â€Å"fester† meaning something decay and â€Å"run† literally refers to pus in my opinion.From this perspective, it explains the pain that someone has when their dream always defers. A postponed dream is like a painful injury that begins to be infected. The next image â€Å"Does it stink like rotten meat†(5) intensified the sense of disgust. A dream deferred may also stink. If dreams are stashed away, will they haunt us like rotten meat haunts us when it sits too long in the refrigerator? If rotting meat didn't smell so bad, how much longer do you think it would sit in your fridge? The smell is often what reminds us to do something about it, to throw it away.What kinds of things crust or sugar over(6)? Honey; cheese or candy. Usually things that left out in the open and that aren't put away properly. Can dreams be put away properly? Can dreams be preserved if they aren' t pursued? Hughes compares dreams to sweet-tasting things, and comparing the bitterness of lost dreams. â€Å"Maybe it just sags like a heavy load† (8-9). Sagging things are things that are old, for example our skin, furniture or even curtains. I think Hughes is pointing out how important dreams are because they are heavy and if we ignore them, they grow to sag. Or does it explode† (10)? I think when Hughes uses the word â€Å"explode† he leaves it up to question. Explode could mean either from built up pressure or something more positive like fireworks or celebration. Whichever comparison, I think either are strong outcomes become your dream has some sort of result. Because of the time period Hughes wrote this poem, I think he wants the readers to question and think about their dreams, and what you are going to do with them; especially for African Americans.

Voting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Voting - Assignment Example Michigan as a state has 16 electoral votes, which are highly influential during the process of electing the next president. As a rule, the 16 electoral votes from Michigan will go to the presidential candidate who has won the majority rule. Majority rule at times is usually overlooked when electoral votes are considered. When analyzing the 1876 election, electoral votes proved to be powerful than the majority rule. Nebraska as a state has 5 electoral votes; the majority rule will determine the presidential winner (McCaffrey, 2004). In 1876, the presidential election in the United States was tightly contested, and it resulted in a lot of controversy. The presidential race was between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. Hayes was a republican candidate from Ohio, while Tilden was a democratic from New York. Although, Hayes was pronounced as the president, a lot of questions were raised. The results showed that, Tilden had a popular vote of 4.2 million, against Hayes’s 4.0 million. However, regarding electoral votes, Hayes had 185 electoral votes, a difference of 1 from Tilden who had 184 electoral votes (McCaffrey, 2004). The 1968 presidential election, tightly contested by top candidates Richard Nixon a republican, Hubert H. Humphrey a democrat, and George Wallace from the American Independent party, ultimately resulted in Nixon winning. The popular vote results were Nixon’s approximately 31,700,000 votes, Humphrey’s approximately 31,200,000 votes and Wallace’s approximately 9,900,000 votes. The electoral vote results were Nixon 301, Humphrey 191 and Wallace 46. The election was a plurality because the presidential winner, Nixon, only attained 43.4%, which was less than the required majority vote of more than 51%. The other candidates, Humphrey, and Wallace had 42.7% and 13.5% respectively (McCaffrey, 2004). The 1824 presidential election, contested

Write paper on gender in History of california Essay

Write paper on gender in History of california - Essay Example In the 1920s, the women workers enjoyed improved working conditions, protection by the state, limitations on the hours of work, and higher wages. However, the enforcement was irregular, the commission permitted many exclusions and modifications, and the interpretation of the regulations regularly favored the employers (Cherny, Irwin, and Wilson 272). The current laws are very clear on issues such as gender discrimination in the workplace. In 2011, the California State Assembly passes the Gender Nondiscrimination Act, which bans discrimination based on gender expression and identity. There are laws in place that protect against gender discrimination but the aim of this law is to broaden the definitions of gender discrimination and gender in the state laws (Grady & Associates 1). In conclusion, discrimination against a particular gender (mostly women) is something that has been happening for many years. Despite the fact that laws have been enacted to protect them, the same laws have favored the employers and commissions. Women have enjoyed almost all the workers’ rights and privileges but they are still viewed as inferior and unwanted workers. However, the trend has changed in the past years with the passing of several laws meant to broaden the definitions of gender discrimination and

Battling Clean Up and Striking Out by Dave Barry Essay

Battling Clean Up and Striking Out by Dave Barry - Essay Example The basic premise of this particular column is about the different sensitivity of men and women to dirt and to sports, and Barry uses humor consistently throughout it, while at the same time pointing out factual information as well. Barry makes stereotypical remarks throughout this column, such as the fact that basically 'all women care about is cleaning up and men care about sports'. In regards to my own personal opinion and how well I conform to Barry's generalization here, I would say that the answer to this would go hand in hand with the issue of what ways I am stereotypically male or female. I am female, however, I do not consider my only worries to be in regards to 'dirt', and in fact, I enjoy sports very much. Therefore, in regards to Barry's stereotypical generalizations, I would actually consider that I am more stereotypically male in this case. As well, in regards to whether or not such generalizations as this amuse or merely annoy me, I can honestly and truthfully say that they amuse me. Generalizations such as the ones that Barry produces in his Battling Clean-up and Striking Out column, are not harsh or cynical in any way but are rather general stereotypes that can be seen in the world around us every day. I find them to be amusing, and they are even more obviously kidded about in this column by Barry in order to allow readers to see that he is joking around. Generalizations such as this certainly can be made to be rude or hurtful, but in this work of Barry’s, they are anything but. Dave Barry is an intelligent and incredibly humorous writer, and this work of his goes to prove this.

Impact of Information Systems on Aalsmeer Flower Auction Essay

Impact of Information Systems on Aalsmeer Flower Auction - Essay Example This paper illustrates that as the world moves one step forward each day, the advancements in information systems move a hundred step ahead, and has advanced to an extent that once considered as a support function, today information systems drive the business model for many organizations. An interactive information system of the base organization allows its stakeholders to interact with the system in various forms and modes, with differing rights and restrictions. The classical example of such a scenario is the Walmart-P&G strategic partnership whereby the IS is inter-linked allowing the supply chain to be automated for inventory replenishment as well as for ensuring that the right product is placed at the right place, in the right quantity. Auction websites follow a business model that is based in the whole sum on the fundamental of the information system. A classical example of such models has been applied at eBay, Souq, etc. Amazon is another classical application whereby online s elling is displayed to perfection by the business. The right level of application of an IS has also led firms into a competitive advantage over their competitors, since most of the developments in IS by a particular business are patent for their usage. The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Aalsmeer Flower Auction, later referred to as ‘the business’ in this essay. The business is a mediator between the Dutch flower growers and buyers – it is a platform whereby they interact and enter into sale/purchase agreements. The business is often used as a price indicator since it presents the pricing where deals are made. Initially, the supply side ruled the markets; however, there are three trends that have changed the outlook of the respective industry, as stated by Bocij: development of e-markets, unsatisfied needs of retailers, and mergers and Acquisitions amongst retailers, and professional growth amongst sellers. With this, it seems visible tha t the business lacks an information system that can deal with these and the other growing trends in the industry – an IS that can swallow the current and the upcoming changes and trends in the flowers industry.

Psychology Anthropology Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychology Anthropology Analysis - Term Paper Example Consequently, this action is undertaken as a means combating the temptation of unfulfilled wishes which need to be attained through the selection of a particular path, whether negative or positive (Freud 11). Analyzing, the selection made by Aphex Twin one can comprehend that the individual’s desire for the realization of pleasure was attained by the means of a positive outlet in the diverse form of art such as music. This notion is termed as Substitutive escapism where an individual may choose to explore the services that are provided by the mode of expression that is art (â€Å"Overview of Freud’s Civilization and its Discourse†). Within this context, Freud’s description of Aphex Twin’s life can viewed through the lens of the pleasure principle and the coping mechanisms that are favored by an individual to escape these pleasures. 1.2 According to the abundant literature which has aimed to unravel the mysteries of madness and its vivid association with the minds of poets, artists and musicians, the whims of such creations are understood to be the products of deranged souls whose yearnings often mask under the temperance of art (Foucault 29). Foucault’s theories on discourse, knowledge and power examine the evolution of mankind from the middle ages to modernity, the ramification of which has been a comprehensive understanding of madness and what the concept essentially implies. Within the context of western modernity, Aphex Twin’s life and career are marked by significant progress during the course of which the artist has been able to redefine music, represent a generation and utilize his capabilities to create an illusion that emerges from profound reflection (â€Å"Historical And Sociocultural Contexts For Foucault’s Madness And Civilization†). If Foucault’s views on madness and its gradual development with the progress of humanity are to be applied, then Aphex Twin’s artistic creati on can be viewed from the concept of creativity which is characterized by social transgression and a transcendence of socially accepted boundaries (â€Å"Foucault on Art and Madness†). This observation postulates that art and its forms can be comprehended as a means of liberation where an individual can only seek solace through expression that may appear abstract to those who have not dared to cross the borders of sanity. This notion essentially assesses the work of Aphex Twin in the light of madness, ingenuity and audacity. 1.3 An example of the dimensions of the pleasure principle that has been provided by Freud in his work encompasses the notion of pleasure in the form of intellectual effort and the role of the external environment in fulfilling an individual’s desires. Freud asserts that the pleasure derived by a human being is a notion which is dependent upon several factors, therefore, if an individual’s external environment is not able to assist the attai nment of his/her desires then it is likely that such a person would resort to the selection of substitute-gratifications and fall in the trap of a mental illness (11). For Foucault, the foundations of madness reside in the special bond that is shared by an artist and his work. In this context, Foucault refers to personalities such as Van Gogh and Nietzsche in describing their relentless commitment to the

Labor Union Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Labor Union Relations - Essay Example One should believe that labor unions would not come into existence if the two-tier wage systems are kept at a safe distance from the shores of the organization. This is a classic case of understanding the employees’ perspectives where the main emphasis is on setting things right and thus making all the employees feel well with the operational policies and standard wage structures. However this hardly happens and the end result leads up to a good amount of problems for the two tiers, and in essence the employees and labors themselves who feel the pinch in the best of times. More than anything else, it is the resilience of the organization which is not easily digested by the labor unions which are against the dictum of having two-tier wage systems in place. This is something that does not go down well with the people at large within the aegis of an organization that has seriously adopted the incorporation of two tiers within its wage systems. The element of fairness or the lack thereof creeps into the equation for all the right reasons. The labor unions usually fight for the sake of having a wage system which is based on fairness and does not have any problems for all and sundry.

Potential impacts of climate change on food security Essay

Potential impacts of climate change on food security - Essay Example This is in either temperature or a decrease, as well as in precipitation since climate change does not affect certain areas in the same way. Current Trends A look at the production of food following the changes in climate, thanks to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, reveals that food production is bound to increase based on a number of factors. This is especially so in the case of regions that grow ice, maize and wheat, as carbon dioxide increases yields of these crops, but that implies that other regions not growing these crops as set to be left out in the bumper harvest (Parry et al, 2004). As per research, the most adversely affected regions are those found in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest variation in cereal production, in a negative level. As for most of Asia, and all of Australia, increases in food production will be increased. As a result, Africa is the only region to suffer from reduced food security, whilst areas close to the north pole suffer seco nd, and the rest of the world experiences improved food security. Carbon and climate change All across the globe, one of the most common causes of climate change is carbon emission that leads to increases in temperature, which begs the question what are the effects of this gas on the climate. This has been concluded that carbon dioxide is a chief contributor to global warming, which is part of why the climate is changing to be warmer in some areas, while others get cooler. As a result, the use of alternative sources of energy that do not entail then emission of carbon into the atmosphere should be encouraged and can be encouraged by use of statistical or empirical data obtained from environmental studies on climate change. One of the ways in which climate change can be mitigated by application of natural resources and sustainability option is through use of renewable resources that have minimal impact on the environment. Those that contain trace amounts of carbon can be used as they do not release any carbon into the atmosphere and temperatures remain stable. Implications of this are that food production remains the same throughout time, and in spite of economic and agricultural activities. Resource sustainability Although there are studies that are indicative of food sustainability through climate change, the larger percentage of the human population is bound to remain in poor nutrition due to food insecurity owing to poor distribution of food resources. The use of renewable resources such as wind power are bound to mitigate these climate changes in that African regions experiencing drastic changes in reduced food production, all thanks to carbon emissions, get to enjoy similar food distribution trends. In addition, climate change can be mitigated to ensure food security by using soil conservation measures, where soil is a renewable resource, and its conservation is a guarantee for agricultural productivity. Because of these conservation efforts maintaining m oisture in the soil adds up to conservation efforts that are a largely required to ensure that soil as a renewable resource is kept intact and highly productive. This then highlights the need for water conservation, as water is a renewable resource, and one that requires the extended use of conservation to balance many other aspects such as maintain

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Motivation - Essay Example KeySpan is the surviving entity of a merger between Brooklyn Union Gas and Long Island Lighting Company. It was Kenny Moore's job to bring together the personnel of the IT departments of the two merging companies. He decided to do it through an "open space" meeting, wherein the 400 IT staff members would come together to voice topics they would want to discuss in subsequent breakout sessions. Initially, the CIO was apprehensive that nobody would suggest any topic, and proposed planting topics with the directors in advance to "make sure some people came forward". Kenny discouraged this and said it was better to risk this chance and show the employees that the management trusted the process. In the end, some 50 topics for breakout session were proposed, and the breakout sessions were enthusiastically and energetically undertaken, making the open space meeting a huge success. Kenny observed that the key to success was the "Ownership for a successful merger from the hallowed halls of serious management into the cubicles of the ordinary work." He attributed the success to the freedom inherent in a business "invitation". A careful reader will note that the word 'motivation' is not used once in this case and yet, the case clearly has a lot to say about motivation and how it is managed in the workplace. Use the previously discussed theories to explain why people were motivated. While the word "motivation" was never used in the case, it was clearly such a case. Management intended for people to perform in a certain manner and act a certain way to yield a particular result. Through the process of the "open space" meeting, management was able to motivate the people to do just that. There are several motivational theories that may explain why the process worked. Herein we shall discuss the case from the point of view of four of these theories, for the sake of conciseness and relevance. McGregor's Theory Y In 1960, Douglas McGregor began a long-standing debate (that incidentally still exists today) with the publication of his book The Human Side of the Enterprise. He introduced in this work his theory for which he is famously credited, Theory X and Theory Y. Essentially, he posed the question, "Could employees be trusted and empowered to do good work, or did they have to be closely directed, monitored, and controlled to act in the interests of the firm'" (Kochan et al, 2002, p. 2) Theory X, which is defined as the authoritative management style, posits that employees need to be closely monitored and controlled. On the other hand, Theory Y, popularly known as the participative management style, answers this with the first alternative, that is, that employees, may be counted on to do good work on their own and thus may be empowered to act on their own initiative. Theory Y makes the following assumptions: 1. Given the

Money Chimp Essay Example for Free

Money Chimp Essay At the time of this writing, as the old saying goes, some could say it is the worst of times. However, for those who are planning for the long term, this is an excellent time to put money aside, as over time, the problems seen today will subside, and the financial markets over the long term have a way of balancing gains and losses. This being said, this paper will focus on the planning of a 401K over the long term for the best possible outcome. What is the Best Choice and Why In the case of the researcher, and indeed for other investors who do not have unlimited funds to invest and are looking toward the long term, within a 401K account, the best investment strategy is to first make contributions under the Traditional IRA rules, up to the limit of $5,000 annually, and then to make Roth IRA contributions. The reason for this is that the Traditional IRA contributions, again up to $5,000, is tax deductible today, providing present day financial benefit as well as the security of retirement income years later. The numbers show this; for example, the maximum $5,000 Traditional IRA contribution, each year for the next 20 years, will on average provide almost 5% more funds for retirement than the Roth option (Money Chimp IRA Calculator, 2009). It must also be understood, however, that over the $5,000 limit annually, the Roth will provide tax savings upon retirement, and in this way, tax savings can be maximized no matter what. Works Cited Money Chimp IRA Calculator (2009). Retrieved March 6, 2009 from the World Wide Web: www. moneychimp. com

miRNA as Biomarkers in Forensic Body Fluids Identification

miRNA as Biomarkers in Forensic Body Fluids Identification miRNA profiling: What does not work for blood and urine identification Sarah S. Silva a, b, Teixeira, A.L b, MJ Carneiro de Sousa a,c and Medeiros, R.a, b a – ICBAS, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal b – Molecular Oncology group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal c _ National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, North Branch, 4050-167 Porto, Portugal Abstract In forensics, the identification of blood, semen or vaginal secretions can represent an important support for a criminal investigation. They can be used as a source of DNA but also can hold, only by their presence, the most probative value. Through the years many methodologies were used to identify them but all presented serious drawback. Lately, mRNA surged as a potential tool for body fluid identification but their sensibility were a serious disadvantage, even more pronounced in forensic samples. Since 2009, miRNA profiling surged as a possible tool as a confirmatory test in forensics due to their tissue specific pattern of expression. Unlike mRNAs they are much more stable due to their proprieties whose makes them less prone to degradation processes. In this report, we studied the expressional patterns of miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 in 50 samples of urine and blood in order to define whether or not they could be used as biomarkers for urine or blood identification. Even though our aim was to assess whether or not our miRNAs could be considered as biomarkers, we came across 2 others interesting conclusions: the impact of RNA purity in miRNAs quantification and which miRNA cannot be used as a normalisation gene for blood and urine identification. Key words: miRNA profiling, Forensic, Serology, body fluids, biological biomarkers 1- Introduction Human body fluids are important components to rely on a criminal investigation [1, 2]. As a matter of fact, a complainant’s body fluids present on items belonging to a suspect – or vice versa – holds the most probative value. For example, in a case of a sexual assault in a child, where a DNA profile recovered from the child bedding and underwear coincide with his father DNA profile, can we consider his father responsible for the sexual assault? In a case like this, it is not enough to recover a DNA profile but it is also imperative to acknowledge its source. If no serological test were done, in court, the presence of DNA could be explained as a result of the presence of epithelial cells in the child clothing which is totally common when it comes from a sibling. On the other hand, if serological tests linked the DNA profile to semen it would be way more difficult to explain its presence there. Beyond the probative value that body fluid may have in a crime scene, it is also important to acknowledge them to optimize protocols to conduct a reliable DNA profiling [3, 4]. For example, DNA extraction processes are different for blood and urine. If we conducted the protocol of blood extraction in urine samples it may result in a reduced quality of the extracted DNA e enable any conclusive DNA profile [3, 4]. There is why, body fluids identification is considered as crucial step in criminal investigation. For some, it seems easy to identify body fluids such as blood (colour), urine (smell) or even sperm (texture) however, when dried, washed or mixed with other components their identification may not be that easy [1]. It is important to highlight that in court, there is no such thing as â€Å"It seems to be sperm because it looked like it and have the same particular texture†, it is needed an undeniable proof that it is sperm. Serological test are used in forensic biology to allow the detection and identification of body fluids in both native form or as a residue left at a crime scene. Serological tests are divided in two major fields: Presumptive and confirmatory test. Presumptive tests rely on methodologies that are sensitive and performed quickly, yet they are not specific to the body fluid. Those tests can only indicate if the fluids might be present and do not unequivocally states its presence. On the other hand, confirmatory tests are indeed specific to the body fluid we s eek to identify. As presumptive tests, confirmatory testing is sensitive however, it takes a lot more time. Idealistically, we should have a battery of confirmatory test for all important body fluids in order to reliably detect and identify them. Unfortunately, there is a large cluster of presumptive tests and far less of confirmatory ones. Moreover, till date no confirmatory test is able to reliably differentiate blood from menstrual blood which is an unquestionably important body fluid in sexual cases. Over the last years, mRNA profiling became a target for body fluid identification due to its tissue specific patterns. Still, mRNA susceptibility to degradation by physical or chemical factors was an unquestionable drawback. In order to sidetrack this problem, miRNA surge with a real potential as a confirmatory test. MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs with more or less than 22 nucleotides of length that, combined with the RNA-induced silencing complex, seems to regulate a major part of human gene (5 e 6 do meu artigo). Moreover, their tight relationship with Argonaute proteins, they are much less susceptive to both biotic and abiotic factors. In 2009, Hanson and colleagues were the first to introduce miRNA profiling and soon enough others followed. Those studies pointed out a large collection of miRNAs with potential as biomarker, however very few were confirmed by more than one group which revealed the lack of reproducibility of results. Moreover, when some tried to replicate the resu lts of others, they failed. For this report, we choose to test four miRNAs in both blood and urine of 50 healthy individual and study their behaviour within those body fluids. 2- Material and methods We conducted an expression profiling of 50 healthy individuals. The case group was composed by Caucasian individuals with no major pathological condition in order to erase a variable that could alter miRNAs profiles. Peripheral venous blood (Xml) and urine were collected from each subject following the obtainment of a written informed consent from all subjects. After collected the samples were processed. The samples were used for miRNAs extraction with GRS microRNA Kit (Grisp) according to the manufacturers instructions. Subsequently, miRNa priorly extracted were used as a template for cDNA synthesis using TaqMan ® MicroRNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Applied Biosystems ®). To quantify miRNA expression, real-time PCR assays were performed with a StepOneâ„ ¢ System using TaqMan ®Universal Master Mix II (Applied Biosystems ®). The target miRNAs were amplified by a set of designed primers for miR-127-5p, miR-221*, miR-222* and RNU48. miR-222* was used as a normalization gene miRNAs relative quantifications. The data analysis was performed using the StepOne Software v2.2 (Applied Biosystems ®). Statistical analysis was carried out by the computer software IBM ®SPSS ®Statistics (Version 22.0). In order to assess any statistical alterations in our normalized miRNAs expression we used 2−ΔΔCt method and Students t test. 3- Results 3.1- Cycle threshold vs RNA purity Urine samples were processed and the resulting pellet was diluted in 1ml of Tripure. Visually a wide range of pink colour was noticeable within our urine samples. Those with a deep pink were related with samples with a more substantial pellet unlike those with a less considerable pellet who presented themselves with a lighter colour. After miRNA extraction, we quantify miRNA expression of miR-222 in urine samples and perceived that only few of them were detected. Interestingly, only the ones with a lighter colour were indeed detected. This tricky situation could be explained by the ratio of absorbance at 260 nm and 280 nm which is used to assess the purity of RNA. In this case, lighter colour was also an indicator of a greater ratio, on the other hand, those with higher optical density had a very low ratio, far from the ratio of ~2.0 which is generally accepted as â€Å"pure† for RNA. In order to sidetrack this delicate situation, we choose a sample (MU26) that has an optimal 260/280nm ratio and diluted the other samples to equalize their optical density with Tripure. Posteriorly, we choose 5 samples to test and noticed a considerable decrease of Ct in the samples processed with the optimized protocol (Fig.1). The difference of Ct value is very significant, nearly 6 Ct, demonstrating that RNA purity is clearly a factor that challenge miRNA profiling. As showed, miRNA quantification goes with a low concentration or can go totally undetected when 260/280nm ratio is low however, when optimized, miRNA concentration increased significantly. As said previously, different reports indicated miRNAs as biomarkers for human body fluids identification though, when others tried to replicate them, they failed. Our results shows that for the same sample, different degrees of purity can decide whether or not a miRNA is detected, once it definitely affect their concentration. There is why, RNA purity needed to be optimal otherwise it may lead to unreliable results, which could explain, the failed attempts done by some authors when trying to replicate others results. Figure 1 Cycle threshold vs RNA purity. This figure presents the Ct values of miR-222 taken from 5 samples processed with both normal and optimized protocol (first and second column respectively). It is showed that the considerable fall of Ct values correlates with an increase of 260/280nm ratio. 3.2 – Normalization gene In qRT-PCR, data normalization is imperatively required for quantification analysis [5-7]. The integration of an invariant endogenous essay, also called as reference gene, has as its main objective correct systematic technical and/or experimental errors [6, 8]. For this essay, we choose to use RNU-48 as our reference gene for the data normalization. Widely used as normalization gene, RNU-48 is expected to have a stable pattern among samples. However, within our essay the opposite transpired. As showed in figure 2, RNU-48 was the one with a major standard deviation when compared with other 3 miRNAs analyzed which make it inappropriate as an endogenous control for our essay. Seemingly, we were not the only ones that concluded this, Sapre and colleagues also assumed that RNI-48 was inadequate as an endogenous control due to its systematic perturbation in its expression [9]. Remarkably, the unexpected miR-222 profile remained barely unaffected and presented no significant difference between urine and blood. miRNA-222 behaviour within our samples was surprising once, it is being aimed for its deregulation by many other groups. Here, it does not present any variation within samples, any variation among both body fluids, it did even remained stable within different stages of age and do not alter with gender. This particular behaviour is expected of endogenous controls. Therefore, we decided to use miR-222 as our reference gene in order to normalise our data. 3.3 – miRNAs as biomarkers Since 2009, miRNAs has been a target for forensic researcher, especially in forensic serology. The importance of both detection and identification for body fluids in criminal investigation is undeniable. Scientifically speaking, 5 years is such a short time to develop reliable new methodologies and, as already lay out by some authors, there is still so much to do. Here, we choose 4 miRNAs and decided to study their expression level in urine and blood samples. As stated earlier, we choose miR-222 as our endogenous control for our data normalisation due to its behaviour within our samples. As showed in figure 4, we can state that all miRNAs considered have different expressional patterns and all of them probabilistically significant (P RNU-48 is the one with a major difference between urine and blood. The one used numerous times as an endogenous control is upregulated about 141 times more in blood than in urine supporting our decision to not use it to normalize our data. Till now, a minor number of miRNAs have been acknowledged as tissue specific at least reliably. By definition, miRNAs are considered tissue specific when they’re found with high abundance in a specific tissue while it has low or non-existent expression in others. That differential profile patterns would allow body fluids reliable identification and serve as a significant confirmatory test. Considering our results, we can conclude that miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 are not suitable for neither blood nor urine identification. Despite a significant difference of expression, they do not present the expected expressional patterns to be considered as a good biomarker. Table 1 – miRNA detection in both urine and blood samples and its corresponding fold change within the body fluids. As we stated within our introduction, the miRNAs considered as biomarkers for body fluid identification in other reports have been difficult to replicate. We believe that those difficulties are linked to several factors as environmental factors, methodologies, age, gender, pathologies among several others. We know that miRNAs expression levels do alter with both biotic and abiotic factors, there is why we try to minimize the impact of those within our samples excluding, as example, acute pathological conditions. Despite considering that miR-127, miR-221 and RNU-48 are unsuitable for urine and blood identification, we wanted to study their expressional behavior within samples with different stages of age and gender. Figure 4A displays an overview of their relative quantification within female and male samples. Within blood, we did not notice any significant alteration in their expression (P>0,05). On the other hand, in urine, RNU-48 presented itself with a significant overexpression i n females (P When it comes to age, we divided our 50 samples in 3 categories: 20-40, 41-60 and over 60 years old. As it is shown in figure 4B, the relative quantification we achieved demonstrated no significant change in their expression profile (P>0,05). 4 – Conclusion and future perspectives More than just a source of DNA, body fluids sole presence can have the most probative value. Hanson and colleagues introduced miRNA profiling as a reliable tool to identify body fluids such as blood, menstrual blood, semen, vaginal secretion and urine due to their tissue-specific pattern and stability when conditioned by degradation processes. Here we focused our attention in four miRNAs: miR-127, miR-221, miR-222 and RNU-48. Soon enough miRNAs purity struck our attention when we notice that low value of 260/280nm ratio was associated with a poor degree of detection. When we upgraded our protocol the consequence reflected in a considerable decrease of the samples threshold. It would be irrefutably helpful to understand what threshold could affect miRNA profiling once, as it was shown, miRNA purity do affect considerably their quantification. It could even convey wrong outcomes once even miRNAs with high concentration within body fluids can appear with low concentration or totally inexistent. Our second result emphasised the importance of a normalisation gene. At first, we choose to use RNU-48 as our endogenous control but its behaviour within blood and urine make us reconsider our decision. RNU-48 is usually used as a reference gene due to its stable behaviour within samples however, our essay showed otherwise. Within the 4 miRNAs testes, RNU-48 was the one with a more pronounced variability within samples, which is opposed of what would be expected of a normalisation gene. Unexpectedly, miR-222 presented itself with the lowest standard deviation between blood and urine. Furthermore, we studied its expression levels and compared them within age and gender and concluded that no significant alteration was noticeable (P As stated earlier, normalisation genes are indispensable to validate qRT-PCR results however, till date, no normalisation gene is universally acknowledged. This problem is reflected in our case, where one of the most used normalisation gene proved to be unsuitable for urine and blood miRNA analysis. This subject is a very sensitive point in miRNA profiling. There is why it is imperative to focus our future line of work towards finding a reliable normalisation gene before anything else. Our main goal was to define whether or not miR-127, miR-221 or RNU-48 could have the potential to be considered as biomarkers for body fluids identification. In this case, we could establish that all four have different expressional patterns in urine and blood (fig.5) however, to be considered as biomarker it would expected a major difference within body fluids which do not happen with our miRNAs considered for this essay. There is why we conclude that none of this miRNAs have the potential to be considered as a biomarker for body fluid identification. Conflict of interest None.

Comparing Globalisation In 19th And 20th Century

Comparing Globalisation In 19th And 20th Century Globalisation is a trend that has developed enabling people around the world to communicate with each other much more easily. This has opened up a global market place where companies engage in worldwide manufacturing, marketing and distribution of their products and services. Nayyar (2006) defines globalisation as a process associated with increasing openness, growing economic interdependence and deepening economic integration in the world economy. Nayyar (2006) goes on to say that economic openness is not simply confined to trade flows, investment flows and financial flows, it also extends to flows of services, technology, information and ideas across national boundaries. Globalisation is prehistoric; according to Nayyar (2006) globalisation is not new. Ideally the result of globalisation is the integration of societies and economies and toppling of national barriers. When this happens, the division of labor rises in an international scope and multilateral trade in goods and services elevates, as well as capital flows and cross border business investments. According to Nayyar (2006) the two period of globalisation, the nineteenth and twentieth centurys, are similar in four ways: the absence or the dismantling of barriers to international economic transactions; the development of enabling technologies; emerging forms of industrial organization; and political hegemony or dominance. There were almost no restrictions on economic transactions across borders as the four decades from 1870 to 1913 were the age of laissez faire.. This was followed by three decades of autarchy and conflict during which international economic transactions were progressively constrained by barriers and regulations. However, during the second half of the twentieth century globalisation followed the sequence of deregulation. Trade liberalization came first, which led to an unprecedented expansion of international trade between 1950 and 1970. The liberalization of regimes for foreign investment came next and there was a surge in international investment which began in the late 1960s. Financial liberalization came last, starting in the early 1980s. Both phases of globalisation coincided with a technological revolution in transport and communications which brought about an enormous reduction in the time needed, as also the cost incurred, in crossing geographical distances. The second half of the nineteenth century saw the advent of the steamship, the railway and the telegraph whilst the second half of the twentieth century witnessed the advent of jet aircraft, computers and satellites. Emerging forms of industrial organization, in both phases, played a role in making globalisation possible. In the late nineteenth century, it was the advent of mass production which was characterized by a rigid compartmentalization of functions and a high degree of mechanization. In the late twentieth century, the emerging flexible production system, shaped by the nature of the technical progress, the changing output mix and the organizational characteristics (based on Japanese management systems), forced firms constantly to choose between trade and investment in their drive to expand activities across borders. The politics of hegemony or dominance is conducive to the economics of globalisation. The first phase of globalisation from 1870 to 1913 coincided with what has been described as the age of empire, when Britain more or less ruled the world. The second phase of globalisation beginning in the early 1970s coincided with the political dominance of the US as the superpower. Nayaar (2006) also highlights important differences between both the phases of globalisation in respect of trade flows, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows, financial flows and labor flows. During the period from 1870 to 1913, a large proportion of international trade was constituted by inter-sectoral trade, where primary commodities were exchanged for manufactured goods. This trade was, to a significant extent, based on absolute advantage derived from natural resources or climatic conditions. During the period 1950-75, inter-industry trade in manufactures, based on differences in factor endowments, labour productivity or technological leads and lags, constituted an increasing proportion of international trade. Since 1970 intra-industry trade in manufactures, based on scale economies and product differentiation, constituted an increasing proportion of international trade. Further now about one-third of the international trade is estimated to be intra-firm trade, that is, trade between affiliates of the same company located in different countries. The composition of intra-firm trade has undergone a change, characterized by a steady decline in the importance of primary commodities and an increase in the importance of manufactured goods and intermediate goods. There is also a marked difference between the two phases in respect of the spatial and sectoral distribution of FDI. During the second phase, its distribution between the developed and developing countries was more uneven than in the first phase. However, the 1990s witnessed an increase in the share of developing countries in FDI inflows, although still behind the developing countries. A small number of countries absorb the lions share of the FDI flows to the developing world. In 1913, the primary sector accounted for more than half (55%) of the long term foreign investment, followed by trade and distribution (30%), and the share of the manufacturing sector was very low. (10%). In the early years of this decade, the service sector accounted for about two-thirds of the FDI inflows. In the early twentieth century foreign investment was only long term. Two thirds of it was portfolios, while one third of it was direct although portfolio investment has risen sharply in the 1990s. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, capital flows were a means of transferring investible resources to underdeveloped countries or newly industrializing countries with the most attractive growth opportunities. In the second phase, these capital flows were destined mostly for the industrialized countries which have high deficits and high interest rates to finance public consumption and transfer payments rather than productive investment. During the first phase of globalisation from 1870 to 1913, the object of financial flows was to find avenues for long-term investment in search of profit. During the second phase of globalisation since the early 1970s, financial flows are constituted mostly by short-term capital movements, sensitive to exchange rates and interest rates, in search of capital gains. The fundamental difference between two phases of globalisation is in the sphere of labor flows. In the late nineteenth century, there were no restrictions on the mobility of people across national boundaries. Passports were seldom needed. Immigrants were granted citizenship with ease. Between 1870 and 1914, international labor migration was enormous. The only significant evidence of labor mobility during the last quarter of the twentieth century is the temporary migration of workers to Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. The present phase of globalisation has also found substitutes for labor mobility in the form of the trade flows and investment flows. For one thing, industrialized countries now import manufactured goods that embody scarce labor The first phase of globalisation in the late nineteenth century was characterized by an integration of markets through an exchange of goods that was facilitated by the movement capital and labor across national boundaries. The second phase of globalisation is characterized by an integration of production with linkages that are wider and deeper, except for the near absence of migration. It is reflected not only in the movement of goods, services, capital, technology, information and ideas, but also in the organization of economic activities across national boundaries. This is associated with a more complex- part horizontal and part vertical-division of labor between the industrialized countries and a few developing countries in the world economy. References Nayyar, D. (2006) Globalisation, history and development: a tale of two centuries, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 30, No. 1: 137-159.

Thirty Years War Essay -- History Euope War European Historical Essays

Thirty Years War Philip, Spanish kings. Philip I (the Handsome), 1478-1506, king of Castile (1506), was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. He inherited Burgundy and the Low Countries from his mother and was titular joint ruler of Castile with his wife, Joanna. But her father ruled these lands as his regent, so he contested (1504) Ferdinand's regency and assumed (1506) joint rule of Castile with his wife. Philip's early death, however, and his wife's deteriorating mental condition allowed Ferdinand to resume joint control of Castile. The Low Countries passed to Philip's son, who later became Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Philip II, 1527-98, king of Spain (1556-98), king of Naples and Sicily (1554-98) and, as Philip I, king of Portugal (1580-98), centralized authority under his absolute monarchy and extended Spanish colonization to the present S United States and the Philippines (which were named after him). From his father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, he inherited Napl es, Sicily, the Low Countries, and other territories. After the death of his first wife, Maria of Portugal, he married (1554) Queen Mary I of England and drew that nation into his father's war with France. Following Mary's death (1558), he married Elizabeth of Valois and concluded the war with France in 1559. Philip used the Inquisition to repress the Moriscos and assure Spanish religious unity. He dealt with the Dutch revolt in his Low Countries domain by reconquering the southern half of the country. English support of the rebels and their persistent attacks on Spanish ships led him to plan an invasion of England by the Spanish Armada (1588), which was ignominiously defeated. Earlier, he succeeded in conquering Portugal (1580). Despite his conquests and the influx of gold from America, the cumulative effects of depopulation, colonial overexpansion, and burdensome taxation debilitated Spain by the end of his reign (1598). Philip was a hardworking bureaucrat with a capacity for infi nite detail, and though his administration was generally just, his bureaucratic absolutism inevitably created discontent. His court was at the Escorial. Philip III, 1578-1621, king of Spain, Naples, and Sicily, and, as Philip II, king of Portugal (1598-1621), lacked the intelligence and capacity for work of his father, Philip II, and left the actual government to the duque de Ler... ... The Duchy of Wà ¼rttemberg alone had lost almost two thirds of its population from hunger and disease, murder and killing. In 1618 it had 350,000 inhabitants, in 1648 just 120,000. The following examples come from the Mà ¼nsingen district and show the numbers of married couples and buildings before and after the war:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Married Couples  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Houses and barns City of Mà ¼nsingen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  191  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  96  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  240  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  157 Apfelstetten  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  56  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  74  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  29 Auingen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  87  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  115  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  49 Bà ¶ttingen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  64  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  82  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  39 Hundersingen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  45  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  54  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 Mehrstetten  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  132  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  156  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  68 Mundingen  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  48  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23 An important outcome of the Peace of Westphalia was that now, along with Catholics and Lutherans, the Reformed were also tolerated. This was important for the Palatinate. For one part of the southwest, a peace of 150 years began. On the Middle Neckar, in the whole Upper Rhine area and especially in the Electorate Palatine the wars waged by the French King Louis XIV from 1674 to 1714 caused further terrible destruction. France penetrated through acquired possessions in Alsace to the Rhine border. Switzerland separated from the German empire.

juniper :: essays research papers

Western Juniper’s Growing Influence in Eastern Oregon Estimated Acreage  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1936  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1988   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  > 10 percent cover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  420,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2 million   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total area with juniper  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 million Volume of current stand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  --------  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  467 million cubic feet Private landowners own 58 percent of the area and 49 percent of the volume BLM is the principle owner of public lands with juniper – 79 percent of publicly owned juniper forest Over  ½ of the present juniper forest became established between 1850 and 1900 (greatest increase came between (1879 and 1918).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rate of Establishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1650 – 1800  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2900 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1800 – 1850  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8200 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1850 – 1900  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23,100 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1900 – 1940   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6000 acres/year 52 percent of juniper grows in the 10 – 15 inch precipitation zone 41 percent of juniper grows between 4000 – 5000 ft. in elevation Juniper crown intercepts more that  ½ of the annual precipitation Juniper transpires water year round compared to seasonal transpiration of other vegetation Juniper roots can extend several times the crown diameter Almost 50 percent of juniper forests have crown covers 10-20 percent Juniper woodlands have up to 10 times the erosion rate of sagebrush – grass ecotypes (Buckhouse et. al.) Average cubic volume of wood per acre in juniper forests is 200 cubic feet Over half the area of juniper forests have fewer than 50 trees per acre Counties with more that  ½ million acres of juniper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  857,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harney  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  884,000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  539,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jefferson  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  582,000 Information from: Gedney, D.R. et.al. (1999). Western Juniper in Eastern Oregon. USDA Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report, PNW-GTR-464, November 1999. Buckhouse, J. et al. (1982). Potential Sediment Production within Vegetative Communities in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Vol. 37, Number 2. Pgs. 120 – 122. Tim Deboodt OSU Crook County Extension Agent Prineville, OR The Drying of Oregon Potential water use of Western Juniper within current juniper area 500,000 acre feet to 920,000 acre feet per year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the equivalent of a river flowing year round at 680 to 1000 cfs per day

Breast Cancer Essay -- Biology Essays

Breast Cancer The thought of having breast cancer is frightening to every woman, and devastating to some. However, ignoring the possibility that you may get breast cancer, or avoiding the things you should do to detect and avoid cancer, can be even more dangerous. Breast cancer is a devastating disease that may affect one out of nine women in the United States. This year alone, a patient will be diagnosed every three minutes and a woman will die from breast cancer every thirteen minutes. Unfortunately, there is still little known about the disease’s cause or cure. Currently the only means of increasing a breast cancer victim’s chance of survival is early detection by annual breast exams and education about the disease. A professional high quality mammogram is the most reliable way to find breast cancer as early as possible. By the time a lump can be felt in a woman’s breast, it is usually bigger than the size of cancers that can be found with a mammogram. About twenty five percent of breast cancers are found through monthly exams and thirty five percent are found through mammograms. They rate of cancers discovered increases to nearly forty percent when physical exams and mammograms are used. Women are urged to do both. Educating women about breast cancer has become increasing important. Recently, an alarming survey, conducted by the American Cancer Society, showed that many women have incorrect perceptions about their risk of getting breast cancer. Nearly half of the women believed their chances of developing cancer were as much as fifty percent, when in reality it is only eleven percent. Also, many women thought that their risk of getting breast cancer was highest in their thirties and fourths, when in ... ... and to kill cancer cells if they ever develop. A large number of studies also back up a link between alcohol intake and an increased chance of developing breast cancer. Overall women that drink an average of three drinks a day have a forty percent higher chance of developing the disease verses non-drinkers. Research has found that alcohol alters the way a woman’s body metabolizes estrogen. As estrogen levels rise, the risk of developing the disease does also. Above all, the important thing to remember is that having no risk factors should not give you a false sense of security. It is vital for each woman to be aware of their own personal risk factors for developing cancer, and what they can do to decrease their chances with simple lifestyle changes. Women are encouraged to talk to their doctors and do their own research to further inform themselves.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 22

The afternoon after Elena's â€Å"discipline,† Damon took out a room in the same complex where Dr. Meggar lived. Lady Ulma stayed in the doctor's office until between them, Sage, Damon, and Dr. Meggar had healed her completely. She never talked about sad things now. She told them so many stories about her childhood estate that they felt they could walk around it and recognize every room, vast though it was. â€Å"I suppose it's home to rats and mice now,† she said wistfully at the conclusion of one story. â€Å"And spiders and moths.† â€Å"But why?† Bonnie said, failing to see the signals that both Meredith and Elena were giving her not to ask. Lady Ulma tipped her head back to look at the ceiling. â€Å"Because†¦of General Verantz. The middle-aged demon who saw me when I was only fourteen. When he had the army attack my home, they slaughtered every living thing they found inside – except me and my canary. My parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles†¦my younger brothers and sisters. Even my cat sleeping on the window seat. General Verantz had me brought in front of him, just as I was, in my nightgown and bare feet, with my hair unbrushed and coming out of its braid, and beside him was my canary with the nighttime cloth off its cage. It was still alive and hopping about as cheerful as ever. And that made everything else that happened seem worse somehow – and yet more like a dream, too. It's difficult to explain. â€Å"Two of the general's men were holding me when they brought me before him. They were really propping me up more than keeping me from running, though. I was so young, you see, and everything kept fading in and out. But I remember exactly what the general said to me. He said, ‘I told this bird to sing and it sang. I told your parents I wanted to give you the honor of being my wife and they refused. Now look over there. Will you be like the canary or your parents, I wonder?' And he pointed to a dim corner of the room – of course it was all torchlight then, and the torches had been put out for the night. But there was enough light for me to see that there was a heap of round objects, with thatch or grass at one side of them. At least that is what I first thought – truly. I was that innocent, and I believe shock had done something to my mind.† â€Å"Please,† Elena said, stroking Lady Ulma's hand gently. â€Å"You don't have to keep on with this. We understand – â€Å" But Lady Ulma didn't seem to hear the words. She said, â€Å"And then one of the general's men held up a sort of coconut with very long thatch at the top, braided. He swung it casually – and all of a sudden I saw it for what it really was. It was my mother's head.† Elena choked involuntarily. Lady Ulma looked around at the three girls with steady, dry eyes. â€Å"I suppose you think me very callous for being able to talk about such things without breaking down.† â€Å"No, no – † Elena began hastily. She herself was shaking, even after tuning down her psychic senses to their least extent. She hoped Bonnie wouldn't faint. Lady Ulma was speaking again. â€Å"War, casual violence, and tyranny are all I have known since my childhood innocence was crushed in that moment. It is kindness now that astounds me, that makes my eyes sting with tears.† â€Å"Oh, don't cry,† begged Bonnie, throwing her arms around the woman impulsively. â€Å"Please don't. We're here for you.† Meanwhile Elena and Meredith were regarding each other with knitted eyebrows and quick shrugs. â€Å"Yes, please don't cry,† Elena put in, feeling faintly guilty, but determined to try Plan A. â€Å"But tell us, why did your family estate end up in such bad condition?† â€Å"It was the fault of the general. He was sent to faraway lands to fight foolish, meaningless wars. When he left he would take most of his retinue with him – including slaves who were in favor at the moment. When he left once, three years after he had attacked our home, I was not in favor, and I was not chosen to be with him. I was lucky. His entire battalion was wiped out; the household members who went with him were taken captive or slaughtered. He had no heir and his property here reverted to the Crown, which had no use for it. It has lain unoccupied for all these many years – looted many times, no doubt, but with its true secret, the secret of the jewels, undiscovered†¦as far as I know.† â€Å"The Secret of the Jewels,† Bonnie whispered, clearly putting it all in capital letters, as if it were a mystery novel. She still had an arm around Lady Ulma. â€Å"What secret of the jewels?† Meredith said more calmly. Elena couldn't speak for the delicious shivers that were running through her. This was like being part of some magical play. â€Å"In my parents' day, it was common to hide your wealth somewhere on your estate – and to keep the knowledge of its hiding place strictly to the owners. Of course, my father, as a designer and trader in jewels, had more to hide than most people knew of. He had a wonderful room that seemed to me something like Aladdin's cave. It was his workshop, where he kept his raw gems as well as finished pieces that had been commissioned or that he designed for my mother or out of his imagination.† â€Å"And no one ever found that?† Meredith said. There was just the slightest tinge of skepticism in her voice. â€Å"If anyone did, I never heard about it. Of course, they could have gotten the knowledge out of my father or mother, in time – but the general was not a meticulous and patient vampire or kitsune, but a rough and impatient demon. He killed my parents as he stormed through the house. It never occurred to him that I, a child of fourteen, might share the knowledge.† â€Å"But you did†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie whispered, fascinated, taking the story where it had to go. â€Å"But I did. And I do now.† Elena gulped. She was still trying to stay calm, to be more like Meredith, to maintain a cool head. But just as she opened her mouth to be coolheaded, Meredith said, â€Å"What are we waiting for?† and jumped to her feet. Lady Ulma seemed to be the most tranquil person there. She also seemed slightly bewildered and almost timid. â€Å"You mean that we should ask our master for an audience?† â€Å"I mean that we should go out there and get those jewels!† Elena exclaimed. â€Å"Although, yes, Damon would be a big asset if there's anything that takes strength to lift. Sage, too.† She couldn't understand why Lady Ulma wasn't more excited. â€Å"Don't you see?† Elena said, her mind racing. â€Å"You can have your household back again! We can do our best to fix it up the way it was when you were a child. I mean, if that's what you want to do with the money. But I'd love, at least, to see the Aladdin's cave!† â€Å"But – well,† Lady Ulma seemed suddenly distressed. â€Å"I had meant to ask Master Damon for another favor – although the money from the jewels might help with that.† â€Å"What is it that you want?† Elena said as gently as she could. â€Å"And you don't need to call him Master Damon. He freed you days ago, remember?† â€Å"But surely that was just a – a celebration of the moment?† Lady Ulma still looked puzzled. â€Å"He didn't make it official at the Servile Offices or anything, did he?† â€Å"If he didn't it's because he didn't know!† Bonnie cried out at the same time as Meredith said, â€Å"We don't really understand the protocol. Is that what you need to do?† Lady Ulma seemed able only to nod her head. Elena felt humble. She guessed that this woman, a slave for more than twenty-two years, must find true freedom difficult to believe in. â€Å"Damon meant it when he said we were all free,† she said, kneeling by Lady Ulma's chair. â€Å"He just didn't know all the things he had to do. If you tell us, we can tell him, and then we can all go to your old estate.† She was about to get up again, when Bonnie said, â€Å"Something's wrong. She isn't as happy as she was before. We have to find out what it is.† By opening her psychic perceptions a bit, Elena could tell that Bonnie was right. She stayed where she was, kneeling by Lady Ulma's chair. â€Å"What is it?† she said, because the woman seemed to bare her soul most when she, Elena, asked the questions. â€Å"I had hoped,† Lady Ulma said slowly, â€Å"that Master Damon might buy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She flushed, but struggled on. â€Å"Might find it in his heart to buy one more slave. The†¦the father of my child.† There was a moment of perfect silence, and then all three girls were talking, all three, Elena guessed, trying frantically to do what she herself was working at, which was not mentioning that she had assumed Old Drohzne was the father. But of course he couldn't be, Elena scolded herself. She's happy about this pregnancy – and who could be happy to have a child by a disgusting monster like Old Drohzne? Besides, he didn't have a clue that she might be pregnant – and didn't care. â€Å"It might be easier said than done,† Lady Ulma said, when the babble of reassurances and questions had died down a little. â€Å"Lucen is a jeweler, a renowned man who creates pieces that†¦that remind me of my father's. He will be expensive.† â€Å"But we've got Aladdin's cave to explore!† Bonnie said gleefully. â€Å"I mean, you'll have enough if you sell off the jewelry, right? Or do you need more?† â€Å"But that is Master Damon's jewelry,† Lady Ulma said, seeming horrified. â€Å"Even if he did not realize it when he inherited all of Old Drohzne's property, he became my owner, and the owner of all my property†¦.† â€Å"Let's go get you freed and then we'll take things one step at a time,† Meredith said in her firmest and most rational voice. Dear Diary, Well, I am writing to you still as a slave. Today we freed Lady Ulma, but decided that Meredith and Bonnie and I should remain â€Å"personal assistants.† This is because Lady Ulma said Damon would seem odd and unfashionable if he didn't have several beautiful girls as courtesans. There is actually an upside to this, which is that as courtesans we need to have beautiful clothes and jewelry all the time. Since I've been wearing the same pair of jeans ever since that b*st*rd Old Drohzne sliced up the pair I wore into this place, you can imagine that I'm excited. But, truly, it's not just because of pretty clothes I'm excited. Everything that happened since we freed Lady Ulma and then went to her old estate has been a wonderful dream. The house was run down, and obviously the home of wild animals who used it as a lavatory as well as a bedroom. We even found the tracks of wolves and other animals upstairs, which led to the question of whether werewolves live in this world. Apparently they do, and some in very high positions under various feudal lords. Maybe Caroline would like to try a vacation here to learn about the real werewolves though – they're said to hate humans so much that they won't even have human or vampire (once human) slaves. But back to Lady Ulma's house. Its foundation is of stone and it's paneled inside with hardwood, so the basic structure is fine. The curtains and tapestries are all hanging in shreds, of course, so it's sort of spooky to go inside with torches and see them dangling above and around you. Not to mention the giant spiderwebs. I hate spiders more than anything. But we went inside, with our torches seeming like smaller versions of that giant crimson sun that always sits on the horizon, staining everything outside the color of blood, and we shut the doors and lit a fire in a giant fireplace in what Lady Ulma calls the Great Hall. (I think it's where you eat or have parties – it has an enormous table on a dais at one side, and a room for minstrels above what must be the dance floor. Lady Ulma said that this is where the servants all sleep at night, too (the Great Hall, not the minstrel gallery). Then we went upstairs, where we saw – I swear – several dozen bedrooms with very large four-poster beds that are going to need new mattresses and sheets and coverlets and hangings, but we didn't stay to look around. There were bats hanging from the ceiling. We headed for Lady Ulma's mother's workroom. It was a very large room where at least forty people could sit and sew the clothes that Lady Ulma's mother designed. But here's the exciting part! Lady Ulma went to one of the wardrobes in the room and moved away all the tattered, moth-eaten clothes that were in it. And she pressed some different places at the back of the cupboard and the whole back of the cupboard slid out! Inside it was a very narrow stairway going straight down! I kept thinking about Honoria Fell's crypt and wondering if some homeless vampire might have taken up residence in the room downstairs, but I knew that was silly because there were spiderwebs just inside the door. Damon still insisted that he go down first because he has the best eyesight in the dark, but I think the truth is that he was just curious to see what was down there. We each followed him one at a time, trying to be careful with the torches, and†¦well, I can't find the right words for what we discovered. For just a few minutes I was disappointed because everything on the big table down there was dusty rather than sparkly, but then Lady Ulma began to gently brush jewels off with a special cloth and Bonnie found sacks and packages and she poured them out – and it was like pouring out a rainbow! Damon found a cabinet where there were drawers and drawers of necklaces, bracelets, rings, armlets, anklets, earrings, nose rings, and hairpins and ornaments, too! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I poured out a pouch and found that I had a huge handful of glorious white diamonds dripping through my fingers, some of them as big as my thumbnail. I saw white pearls and black pearls, both smaller and perfectly matched, and huge and in marvelous shapes: almost as big as apricots with pink or golden or gray sheens to them. I saw sapphires the size of quarters, with stars you could see almost from across the room. I held handfuls of emeralds and peridots and opals and rubies and tourmalines and amethysts – and a lot of lapis lazuli, for the discriminating vampire, of course. And the jewelry that was already made up was so beautiful it made my throat ache. I know Lady Ulma had a quiet little cry, but I think it was partly from happiness as we all kept complimenting her on her jewels. In days she has gone from being a slave who owned nothing to an incredibly rich woman who owns a house and all the means she would ever need to keep it up in style. We decided that even though she is going to marry her lover, it was best at first for Damon to buy him quietly and free him quietly, but to play â€Å"Head of the Household† for as long as we are here. During that time we will treat Lady Ulma as family, and will put the jeweler Lucen back to work until we leave, when he and Lady Ulma can quietly take Damon's place. The feudal lords around here are not demons anymore, but vampires, and they have less objection to humans owning property. Have I told you about Lucen? He's a wonderful artist with jewels! He has a burning need to create – in his early days as a slave he would create with mud and weeds, imagining that he was making jewelry. Then he got lucky and was apprenticed to a jeweler. He's felt sorry for Lady Ulma for so long, and loved her for so long, that it's like a little miracle that they are truly able to get together – and most importantly, as free citizens. We were afraid that Lucen might not like the idea of us buying him as a slave and not freeing him until we leave, but he never thought he'd be free – because of his talent. He's a slow, gentle, kind man, with a neat little beard and gray eyes that remind me of Meredith's. And he's so amazed at being treated decently and not worked around the clock that he would have accepted anything, just to be allowed to be near Lady Ulma. I guess he was an apprentice when her father was a jeweler, and he fell in love with her all those years ago, but he thought he would never, never ever be able to be with her, because she was a young lady of quality and he was a slave. They're so happy together! Every day Lady Ulma looks more beautiful, and younger. She asked permission from Damon to dye her hair all black, and he told her she could dye it pink if she liked, and now she just looks incredibly beautiful. I can't believe I ever thought of her as an old hag, but that's what agony and fear and hopelessness do to you. Every one of those gray hairs was from being a slave, with no property, no say in her future, no safety, no ability even to keep her children, if she had them. I forgot to tell you the other upside of Meredith, Bonnie, and I being â€Å"personal assistants† for a while. It's that we can employ a lot of poor women who make their living by sewing, and Lady Ulma actually wants to design and show them how to make our finest clothes. We told her that she could just relax, but she says all her life she's fantasized about being a designer like her mother and now she's dying to do it – with three completely different types of girl to dress. I'm dying to see what she'll come up with: she's already started sketching and tomorrow the man who sells fabric will come and she'll pick the materials. Meanwhile Damon has hired about two hundred people (really!) to clean out Lady Ulma's estate, put up new wall hangings and curtains, refurbish the plumbing system, polish up the furniture that has kept nicely, and to get new furniture where things have fallen apart. Oh, and to plant ready-grown flowers and trees in the gardens and put in fountains and all kinds of stuff. With that many people working, we ought to be able to move in in just a matter of days. All this has just one purpose, aside from making Lady Ulma happy. It's so that Damon and his â€Å"personal assistants† will be accepted by high society as the season of parties begins this year. Because I've kept the best for last. Both Lady Ulma and Sage could immediately identify the people in the riddles that Misao gave to us! It just goes to prove what I thought before, that Misao never imagined that we'd actually make it here, or that we could get entrance to the places where they've hidden the two halves of the fox key. But there's a very easy way to get invited into the houses we need to get into. If we're the newest, splashiest nouveau riche (sp?) around, and if we circulate the story that Lady Ulma has been restored to her rightful place, and if everyone wants to know about her – we'll get invited to parties! And that's how we get into the two estates we need to visit to look for the halves of the key that we need to free Stefan! And we're incredibly lucky, because this is the time of year when everyone begins to give parties, and both households we want to visit are having early celebrations: one is a gala, and one is a spring soiree to celebrate the first flowers. I know my writing is shaky now. I'm shaky myself at the thought that we are actually going to look for the two halves of the fox key that will let us break Stefan out of his prison. Oh, diary, it's late – and I can't – I can't write about Stefan. To be here in the same city with him, to know the direction to his prison†¦and yet to not be able to get to see him. My eyes are so blurred I can't see what I'm writing. I wanted to get some sleep to be ready for another day of running around, supervising, and watching Lady Ulma's estate blossom like a rose – but now I'm afraid I'll just have nightmares about Stefan's hand slowly slipping out of mine.

Executive Summary for Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuittons bill and process a) The Designer Louis Vuittons History The bearinger Louis Vuitton was born(p) with the name Louis Vuitton Malletier, and he was born in France in a country called Jura in 1821. He started working in France as a young adult, and he became a carriage designer by accident. He was from a working class family, as his father Xavier Vuitton was a farmer, and his m anformer(a)(prenominal) was a milliner.Louis Vuitton utilise to walk 250 miles from his homet decl be to Paris, as he carried different jobs on the road in edict to pay for his journey. He wishwise worked on household items which gave him the grab under unrivaleds skin of aim and creating incompar qualified and distinguished lumber bags and luggage. In 1854, Louis Vuitton married a 17 category old girl called Cle mence Emilie parriaux and afterwards he took the decision of establishing his own comp whatso constantly on the rue des capuchins, simply nigh to his old boss.He use to advertise his produces on a small poster that say securely packs the intimately fragile objects, supererogatoryizing in packing fashions which was acquitually creative at that time. He was succeeding in a fast rate until he became the shaper and designer of unrivalled of the al well-nigh sumptuous fashion grimes in history. Despite the experience Louis Vuitton gained from locomotion to France as a teenager, he would never exhaust made it to what he became as one of the most importee(a) fashion designers in the bena. b)The Brand Louis Vuittons History and GrowthWhenever anyone hears the name Louis Vuitton, the get-go function that pops in chiefs is the fine and luxe women bags and plaza with their famous brown and beige colorise and the comical LV logotype, which became any lovely womans dream to exact Louis Vuitton bags and shoes in her closet or her dressing room. Louis Vuitton opened their scratch install in London a wide with Oxford Street. Louis Vuit ton is likewise well known for their luxurious and whippy travelling suitcases that were very practical, attractive and multipurpose bags that changed the way of travelling.The organization continued their produce as they produced dresses, perfumes and a lot of former(a) fashion industries along with the luxurious bags and shoes. however to ontogeny the tag apprise and sales, Louis Vuitton in 1983 joined with the Americas cup in tell apart to form the Louis Vuittons cup , which was a yacht squeeze competition. Louis Vuitton in 1987 coordinated with the Moet ET Chandon and Hennessey in order to form the conglomerate which was known as LVMH. In 1989 Louis Vuitton was operating in close 130 different stores worldwide.Louis Vuitton launched their 150th anniversary of Louis Vuittons foundation as they initiated their primary global store in impress and other stores in Sau Paulo, Johannesburg and Newyork. Louis Vuitton was named the worlds most valuable extravagance leaf blade for seven consecutive years. In 1997 Marc Jacobs merged with Louis Vuitton ,in order to design picturesque and queer clothing line for both men and women, When I saw the first form in Trianon grey canvas, says Jacobs, I verbalise to myself, Thats how Louis Vuitton got started and thats how we, too, are going to start, with greys and whites, with a logo hidden inside the clothing. But it resulted in the consumers disappointment as they were expecting something much elegant and glamorous. Mark Jacobs then brought in the 80s New York designer Stephen Sprouse to tot graffiti ardour to the monogram canvas, He usen used Jennifer Lopez as a celebrity second in a merchandise campaign followed by later celebrity bit campaigns done by Uma Thurman and Sean connery, Which was very successful campaigns. Jacobs also did a concoction between the classical and elegant word picture of the taint with hip hop by hiring Pharrel Williams to design sunglasses collection for Loui s Vuitton in 2005.Louis Vuitton started as a retailer for travelling bags at the beginning, followed by the most olde worlde retailer of shoes, bags and purses for women, and now they became the most elegant and distinguished well known filth among other competitors like Christian Louboutin , Christian dior, Calvin Klein and coco channel, as Louis Vuitton also became one of the most famous and characteristic retailers for most of the fashion industries among men and women of all ages. Louis Vuittons Strengths and Weaknesses a) Louis Vuittons military strengthsLouis Vuitton is a global spot that has a lot of points of strengths, which makes it crucial for the competitors to be able to cope up with the competition in the market share. Louis Vuitton is known with its elegant and luxurious brand name in the fashion pains which helped Louis Vuitton maintain a crotchety position in the market. The strong brand name is one of the main points of strengths that any successful order s hould maintain, and most of the promotions, advertising, marketing strategies and public relations efforts are for the rice beer of gaining a strong, unique and recognizable brand name in the minds of consumers.Louis Vuitton has a distinctive and effective marketing strategy that it uses in order to appeal to its coffin nail clients, so most of their profit is predictable kind of than being just a colligation as a result of their unique and strong marketing strategy. Louis Vuitton uses the principle of the special order which gives the consumer the hazard to order a product tailored exactly for him and his own preferences, the special order principle is used in most of the brands with high customer loyalty and high brand call for a distinctive amount of target customers.Louis Vuitton maintains also effective pricing strategies, as they make sales and special offers at the end of the season in order to attract and encourage customers to hurry up and not miss the special offers a nd discounts, which emends the unequal-run sales and increases the organic sales revenue for the organization. Louis Vuitton is also famous with using the product bundling strategy, which aims to sell more than one product in a combination form, this strategy is used for customers who prefer sort and combined packages rather than individual products.One of the most famous strategies of Louis Vuitton that makes it distinctive from most of the other brands is that it uses the flawless repairs strategy which gives consumers the right to get their products repaired when damaged which can rarely be found in any other brand. B) Louis Vuittons weaknesses Louis Vuittons main weakness is that they have restricted retail opportunity and they distribute their products through their own retailers, so there are few dispersal channels for their products, as they dont distribute their products to outlet retailers which skill increase the take in sales for the organization.The organizati on is also known for not using tv ads, which might be very potent on the sales revenue and the brand icon , but sometimes its influence is negative and sometimes positive, so Louis Vuitton organization chose not to use the tv ads at all as they might negatively influence the organizations reputation in the minds of consumers, and they chose to use instead magazines and newspapers in their promotions, until they recently launched their first ever tv ad known with he theme where would life take you which was a 90 second advertisement, but Louis Vuitton concentrates more on magazines and newspapers as they can pass longer than a few seconds tv ad. Business and Marketing Level dodging Its very important to put into precondition to the place in Louis Vuittons marketing strategy. In fact, whether we reflect on the shops, their stocking strategy, or their communion straightforwardly into the shops, each point has been stringently purposened and codified in advance. Louis Vuitton s hops have to be distinctive and unique just about as a total experience just by them.Christophe Barthelemy (from the hard fair play) says The shop can no longer look like a shop but like a theatre playing the desire world of the brand. So, their design is actually all-important(a) to the brand. Louis Vuittons major lines are to encourage and actuate soberness, class, and prosperity in the shades. This is essential in their sensorial marketing strategy which requests to the comprehend of viewing. For several years Louis vuitton focused more on their competence, image and the design of its products than the sustainability of their stores.But rapidly, the company recognized that their customers as well expect the products to be constantly available in the shops. Louis vuitton realized this bend in the customers mind and thus, modified its supply orbit then if you control your distribution, you control your image. Because of the success that runs into, LVMH plans on globalizing th e concept to more of its distributions in the stem. Mr. Carcelle alert strategic plans to set up the organizations prevalent goals. Louis Vuittons goal is to develop and grow-up faster that their competitors.The movement of attaining lots of companies in a short time was ground on the inside(a) growth of LVMH. Mr. Carcelles thought that what happened for Louis vuitton could happen for his current smaller brands. He is in for the long run and knows the time lines. Louis Vuitton is reinforcement design teams and continues to increase and fix up their global store network. They persist to devote in promotion and advertising at the alike time as making the assets expenditures arrogant to enlarge construction capacity and collect the demand for their products.They have a choice environmental balance and managing over distribution. They had a massive actualise of brand image they have a strong origination in all prodigality divisions overconfident they are number one in th e world with fifty brands. The strategy was based on the established and sustainable suppuration of multi-brands. Louis Vuittons mission is to characterize the most highly-developed qualities of Hesperian Art de Vivre globally. LVMH should maintain to be the kindred with both creativity and elegance. Our heathenish value and products, they represent combined presentation and tradition, and encourage fantasy and dream.Obviously, there are five priorities reveal the essential values joint by all group stakeholders 1) Be creative and innovate. 2) Aim for product excellence. 3) Bolster the image of our brands with passionate mark. 4) flirt as entrepreneurs. 5) Strive to be the topper in all we do. Even though, they did not present a vision statement, the first procession of the mission can endure as their vision statement, as it classifies the companys digest goal. By means of Are de Vivre meaning the art of live, the main bearing is to provide people to feel the qualities of are of living.They are an enterprise that owns numerous of opulence brands that sell a variety of high-quality goods like accessories, spirits, champagne , apparel ,etc, therefore, the goal they motive to accomplish is to embody Western prodigality living around the world, since they are an international company. Another objective is to symbolize highlife life, thus they should continue to be the same with both creativity and elegance as a reason that luxurious living is frequently associated to these adjectives and their products should be creative and elegant in sequence to represent extravagance living.Moreover, they considered five of their major strategies that increase the all in all aim. To correspond good at Western luxury living, they should be creative and advance(a) in order to let their products unique from others, best quality possible and support the companys brands with passionate power as determination of an organization frequently leads to the best quality of work. In addition to, they seek to act as entrepreneurs and do their best to be the best in all they do. Its inexact to say competitive strategy- since Louis Vuitton is not a commerce. It doesnt contend with anyone because it is an international of decentralized brands.Every brand has its own story/value plan and its own competitors and distinctive business strategies. Furthermore, Louis Vuittons bodied strategy is to grip a portfolio of the most treasured, coveted luxury brands and add value throughout its particular resources sourcing, its supply chain management, brand management and talent. LVMH is the worlds primary luxury products group. The strategy of LVMH is based on intermixture its strap goods and fashion. As for the marketing costs, Louis Vuittons net sales have grown-up 57% in the previous two years. In 2001 LVHM had great earnings growth in a falling economy.This was a reason to the strength of Louis Vuitton, which is the world director in luxury goods and prom oted the younger brands from the synergies that residential within the industry group. Every company should focus on their interior design and marketing industry, condescension the fact that they helped from shared technical and fiscal expertise. Everyone is moving on the way to improve sales and its objectives. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs allocated extensively more budget to advertising and promotion this year as the ad market returns from a ruinous 2009, according to Kantar Media.The whole advertising expenditures during the first half of 2010 are up 5. 7 pct year-over-year and many luxury brands are truly outperforming that development. Especially Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs have amend their ad spend by 280 and 57 percent correspondingly. Louis Vuitton spent more than $22 million on advertising crosswise all channels between January and June, fit to to some extent more than $14 million throughout the same period of time last year, a 57 percent raise. Louis Vuitton is a h ard cash cow. It reports for 37% of its group sales and most of it profits.In conjuction with its leather goods and product growth strategy, it has expanded the sales by establishing products like watches, jewelry, sunglasses and a clothing line. Louis Vuitton has constantly exceeded barriers crossways technical, artistic, and perspicuous orders. 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