Social Media and Kathmandu Facebook Page free essay sample

The purpose of this report is to answer the question: How do social media and consumer-generated content change the way marketers operate? To answer this question this report uses an analysis of the outdoor clothing company Kathmandu who uses retail stores and an online presence including a Facebook page for marketing their products. The report found that with the increase in media fragmentation, companies like Kathmandu that build an online community of customers engaged with their Facebook page; help ensure their customers are more attentive and favourable to their brand. The report reviews why consumers befriend (‘like’) a company on Facebook and found that the key reasons are to receive discounts and show brand support to their friends. The findings also show that consumers are more likely to trust a brand that has been recommended by their friends or networks on social media. Within the discussions around social media, the report found that there is an increase in consumer generated information from online social media sites such as Facebook, resulting in a need for companies to be customer centric in order to maintain a good reputation or risk damaging their brand. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media and Kathmandu Facebook Page or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The findings also show that for marketers to make the most out of marketing through Facebook they need to understand why their customers use the site, for instance Facebook is not yet used widely as a place to shop but instead as a place to socialise, connect with peers, share information, photos, organise events and promote what is important to them. Companies that take advantage of this are most likely to gain the best result through marketing on Facebook. Using the findings the report offers three key guidelines for small companies looking to develop a Facebook page. They include; the need to have an interactive page for their customers to keep them engaged; realising the true value of Facebook by increasing their reach and frequency and lastly making sure their online experience is mutually supportive of their offline retails outlets to increase brand awareness and sales. Overall this report found that companies that engage their customers through Facebook and use it as a connection hub to other online and offline marketing initiatives, are likely to gain the greatest impact from using social media as a marketing tool. 2. 0 An Introduction to Kathmandu Holdings Limited Kathmandu Holdings Limited is a New Zealand-based company with operations in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. The company was founded by John Pawson and Jan Cameron in 1987 following their sale of the ALP Sports Clothing label. The company set up its first retail outlets in Australia whilst manufacturing most of its original clothing range in New Zealand. The companies head office is based in Christchurch, New Zealand and employs approximately 150 staff and includes departments from design to supply chain, marketing to finance, HR to store support, online and customer service to IT support. Kathmandu became a listed company is November 2009 on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges. Source (Wikipedia, n. d. ) 2. 1 Products Kathmandu sells a range of different types of clothing and equipment for travel and outdoor activities as shown in image A below. Their products are known for being good quality, middle to high price products that last a long time. On the Kathmandu website they use the following description of their products: ‘Our products are widely known for their quality, reliability, ingenuity and versatility. Lab testing ensures we consistently meet or exceed international standards, while plenty of action in the field means we know our products work the way they’re meant to’. (Kathmandu, n. d. ) Image A: Kathmandu’s product range | | | | Outdoor clothing for adults and children including fleeces, beanies, trekking shoes, gloves and even socks for wearing on a plane to prevent swelling. | Camping gear such as tents, sleeping matts, picnic rugs, head torches, coffee flasks. | Packs and bags such as backpacks, money belts| Accessories such as umbrellas, water bladders, bike seat covers and motion sickness relief wristbands. Kathmandu, n. d. )| 2. 2 Target market and key financials Kathmandu’s target market is primarily active adventurous outdoor people of all ages from the experienced adventurer to the entry-level explorer. They also have a secondary target market of anyone who likes to travel. Image B: Kathmandu’s global financial performance over the las t 3 years: Year| NPAT| Growth| Share price at end of year| Sales (NZ mill)| FY2010| $9. 4m| 0| $2. 05| $245. 8| FY2011| $39. 1m| 316%| $2. 20| $306. 1| FY2012| $34. 9m| -10. 70%| $1. 59| $347. 1| (ASX, 2013) As shown in image B above, Kathmandu has delivered impressive growth and increased sales in the last 3 years. With its innovative designs such as polypro thermal underwear and waterproof hiking boots the retailer is less exposed to competition from other fast-fashion retailers. Today as shown on 23 March, 9. 20am, Kathmandu’s share price is 1. 95, showing the business is continuing to survive well in a tough retail environment. (ASX, 2013) Kathmandu’s key financial highlights for the year ending 31 July 2012 were: * Growth in sales by 13. 4% to $347. 1 million Gross profit margin of 63. 2% 2. 3 Analysis of key financials An analysis of the key financials shown above shows that the following key strategies helped to increase Kathmandu’s revenue and sales over the last few years. In 2012 Kathmandu increased their level of on-going investment in its brand, products and retail channels to support the future growth of the company. This was during a time when retail sa les worldwide were in decline due to ‘uncertain times’ with the economy, causing consumers to spend less in retail stores (particularly seen in Australia). Plus an increase in online shopping, with consumers having more options to buy from international competitors thereby reducing the amount spent in retail stores. The focus of the company to grow their market share in the medium and long term, resulted in an increase in sales however not an improvement in profit due to the costs associated with their growth strategy and investment. The company also introduced loyalty incentives for their regular buyers (Summit club) which increased sales however reduced gross margins. Part of the growth plan for Kathmandu also included the development of a new nline channel and improved direct to customer communication and marketing opportunities through electronic and social media, allowing the company to sell and service customers globally. (Kathmandu, 2012) Kathmandus chief executive Peter Halkett said he saw the current economic conditions as the new normal. Provided there is no further deterioration in economic conditions, following the investmen t program in 2012 Kathmandu expects an improvement in performance in the business, Mr Halkett said, without providing specific guidance. He said the greatest growth opportunity was in Australia, where Kathmandus market penetration per capita is only one-third of what it is in New Zealand. † (AAP, 2012) Analysts believe Kathmandus biggest hurdles for maintaining the same levels of store sales is the potential cannibalism of their existing stores from the opening of new stores and growing market penetration share as competitors such as Anaconda, BCF and Mountain Designs open new stores. (Mitchell, 2012) Interestingly, Jan Cameron the founder of Kathmandu sold the business to a private company in 2006. In 2011, she bought a large share of Macpac another business to rival Kathmandu’s adventure gear. Macpac is a New Zealand based adventure clothing and equipment store for hard core adrenaline people. The company has since spread internationally including many states within Australia. When Jan first took on the opportunity her goal was to offer quality products at a more competitive price than Kathmandu. Analysts have shown that this will be a tough feat for Jan due to Kathmandu being a much larger brand name since she sold it in 2006. (Carruthers, 2011 ) In summary Kathmandu holds a steady place in the markets it sells to and with increased market share through new outlets in Australia, Kathmandu is one of the best known outdoor clothing specialists in New Zealand and Australia and this is unlikely to change any time soon. 3. 0 An investigation of Kathmandu’s Facebook page 3. 1 Marketing on the Kathmandu Facebook page The Kathmandu Facebook page is very inspiring, image C, shows the front page of their page containing pictures of people doing amazing sports and seeing beautiful places, it makes you want to book a holiday or just get outside and climb a mountain! They have over 50,500 likes (as shown on March 24) and growing (over the last week there has been 300 new likes), and over 800 people taking about them, it is a very popular page. Image C: Screenshot of Kathmandu Facebook page (Kathmandu, 2013) The Kathmandu Facebook page offers weekly ‘online only’ deals where customers are directed to their country webpage to take advantage of the special deal. The page is also used to advertise their new products, to provide membership information for their Summit club of regular customers, competitions for products and trips away as well as unique things to see and do with the goal of inspiring travel and adventure and therefore an increase in the need to buy outdoor clothing. The below post in Image D showing an article on the new submarine ‘Ego’ is an example. Image D: Ego Submarine (Kathmandu, 2013)| Korean based design firm Raonhaje has designed this fascinating semi submarine called the â€Å"Ego†. Passengers can observe underwater life via the submerged windows. They also get to enjoy the above water deck! http://www. egosubmarine. com/| The Kathmandu Facebook page allows their customers to ask questions or make general comments such as discussions about their customer service, stores and products. The posts are then responded to by Kathmandu staff, creating a platform for customers to find out information as well as offering Kathmandu the ability to discover more about their customers likes and dislikes. Kathmandu also uses their page to advertise other company’s products that relate to travel and adventure. Image E shows an example below of a new innovative toothbrush. Image E: New innovative toothbrush | Little pet peeve: when your mouth touches a hotel tap when rinsing after brushing your teeth. Say goodbye to that thanks to this amazing tooth brush design! Flowing tap water now becomes a mini fountain for rinsing 🙂 More here: http://www. amronexperimental. com/Amron-Oral. html| (Kathmandu, 2013) Kathmandu, in interests of being seen as a ‘good corporate citizen’ also uses their Facebook page to promote environmental issues such as World Water Day, one of their recent posts shown in image E is below. Image E: World Water Day Its World Water Day and we all know how precious water is! Theres no better day than today to share awareness of this event and encourage water saving behaviour. Do you have any great water-saving tips to share? (Kathmandu, 2013) 3. 2 Engaging their customers through Facebook The Kathmandu Facebook uses several different ways to engage their customers. Their page contains photo albums and videos of different adventure races, photos of every day regular people doing inspirational outdoor activities wearing Kathmandu clothing, such as mountain biking, trekking, camping and sailing. Their photo albums also include photos that customers have sent in of their outdoor adventures and races/events they have participated in. There is an ‘Events’ page set up to advertise upcoming events such as their upcoming Easter sale in all retail stores. Many consumers like to be able to use the online space to search information about a product before they buy. Companies must have interactive Facebook pages to allow their customers the chance to find out more information about a product. (Nesterenko, 2013) For example this new iphone product below is advertised by Kathmandu in Image F. Image F: Kathmandu Iphone product One of their customers Brenda has asked â€Å"Why would you need this when you can get a go pro. Much more robust than an iphone†. Kathmandu has responded with: â€Å"Agree Brenda. This is a cheaper and easy solution for someone perhaps not quite up to the Gopro level. † The response from Kathmandu gives customers a reason to buy if they are looking for an easy solution that is not has expensive as a Gopro and suits their basic needs. Having an interactive page with deals and competitions, photos, discussions and new and interesting products, increases the customer activity with the Kathmandu brand, with the purpose of leading to greater brand awareness and therefore greater sales. Their page is their social hub and not where they do their actual sales. There is no option for customers to buy their products through Facebook but instead is used as a channel to advertise their websites in NZ, Australia and the UK and their Kathmandu Ebay online store, where customers can click through to purchase products advertised. This is a two way channel with each countries individual website page linking to the Facebook page when customers click ‘Like’ on the Facebook icon provided. 3. 3 What Kathmandu could do to improve their use of Facebook The only thing lacking from the Kathmandu Facebook page is a bit more about the identity of their staff and the team behind the Facebook page. Whilst there is a couple of posts showing pictures of the team in certain locations, the page could do with more of this to give it a personal identification so customers visiting feel they are interacting with actual people who care and not just a Facebook page. For example, I tried asking a question regarding a product by sending a message to their Facebook email and did not receive a response for several days. Customers who are engaged with a company’s Facebook content become more attentive and often more favourable to the brand. Frost, 2012) Surprisingly Kathmandu’s key competitors Anaconda and Mountain Designs do not have a presence on Facebook. The marketing department of Kathmandu have done a good job of using their Facebook page to engage customers by enticing them to participate in their content or media, upload photos/videos, post comments, participate in competitions and express their opinions on new products, customer service and all aspects of the company. This then leads to co-creation where users of their products help marketers create products and advertising leading to an increase in customer satisfaction and sales. Frost, 2012) 4. 0 Building and maintaining customers using Facebook 4. 1 Why consumers ‘Like’ pages on Facebook Facebook started out as meeting space for users to build their own online identity and interact with others. Today, Facebook has developed into a full-scale recommendation centre. ‘Liking’ a page on Facebook serves as an opt-in for ongoing communications with the owner of that page and location-based recommendation service ‘Places’ leverages local knowledge and word of mouth. Harris amp; Dennis, 2011) A study by Chadwick Martin Bailey, found that 33 per cent of Facebook users are fans of brands, and 60 per cent of these consumers are more likely to purchase or recommend to a friend after ‘liking’ a brand. The most popular reasons consumers gave for ‘liking’ a brand were to receive discounts and show brand support to their friends. (J, 2010) Actual sales transactions are still in the early days for Facebook with only a few innovators such as Avon permitting an entire purchase to be completed without the consumer needing to leave Facebook. Harris amp; Dennis, 2011) Instead the site is a social hub for consumers to seek and share information on brands sometimes resulting in purchasing products through other means. 4. 2 Consumer trust on Facebook Trust is a very important factor to shoppers when buying online. A recent Nielsen study which showed that consumers trust their friends and family more than any other source of information about products and services, and that online product reviews by consumers are trusted more than information posted directly on a company website. Nielson, 2010) Social media sites such as Facebook enable consumers to generate and tap into the opini ons of an exponentially larger universe through social word of mouth. While word-of-mouth has always been important, its scope was previously limited to the people you knew and interacted with on a daily basis. Social media has removed that limitation and given new power to consumers. (Neilson, 2012) 4. 3 Connecting customers through social networks Consumers are bringing their online experience into their own social networks such as Facebook rather than engaging directly on company’s website. Thousands of media vehicles within each media class vie for the attention of the media consumer. Marketers are now faced with increased media fragmentation, where marketers attempt to use as many online social media platforms as possible in an effort to reach a potential audience. This can cause fragmentation of attention and resources away from what suits the company best and whatever ‘strategy’ was put into place. Nelson-Field amp; Erica, 2011) On the Investor relations page of Facebook their mission is quoted as being: To make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover whats going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them. (Facebook, 2013) Companies need to be forward thinking and move away from the reliance on the centrally contr olled mass broadcast towards the development of personal and localised relationships with well-informed and demanding customers. Harris amp; Dennis, 2011) Today marketers need to consider that consumers are not yet using Facebook as a place to shop but instead as a place to socialise, connect with peers, share information, organise events and promote what is important to them. Companies that understand this and use Facebook as a connection hub to other online and offline areas of their company are likely to get the best value from using Facebook. 5. 0 Three key things for a small company to consider when building a Facebook To make the most out of marketing through Facebook, there are three key things a small company needs to consider when building a Facebook page, including: 1. Using online interactivity to engage customers 2. Measuring the impact of Facebook through greater reach and frequency of content 3. The importance of having a mutually supportive online customer experience to the offline experience In today’s current environment with economic uncertainty and the rise of competition through online global ompanies, small businesses need to be able to compete in a tough environment where consumers have the option to search online through 1000’s of different sites to find the best deal for the product they are looking to buy. Companies need to be able to find ways of offering customers more value for less money to keep them from straying to a competitor. If a company does not treat their customer’s right they risk enormous brand damage through the ability of customer complaints through social media channels reaching a large audience. Before Social Media came along a customer complaint may spread as far as that customer’s family and friends and no further, today you hear stories of customer complaints going viral to millions of people overnight! Brands that were formally shaped by managers of the company are now being shaped by consumers through online consumer generated content including conversations and insights. The online world is a customer – centric model. Consumers have a greater influence over products and brands through co-creation where they can give opinions on products and advertising. Social media sites such as Facebook create communities of people where opinion leaders and peer groups can influence the brands that consumers choose to like and buy from. For example on Facebook you can see what pages your friends like and this can then influence what brands are considered cool or trendy. 5. 1 Using interactivity to engage customers For a small company looking to build a Facebook page one of the key points they should consider is how interactive their Facebook page is. Customers engaged with a company’s content become more attentive and often more favourable towards a brand. Frost, 2012) The Facebook page should not be seen as just a page to advertise products and services. For example as shown in this report, Kathmandu uses their Facebook page to advertise travel, adventure, competitions, new products, sporting and adventure events and other company product innovations relating to travel and adventure all with the goal of increasing customer activity, brand exposure and understanding of their customers wants and needs. Research shows that twice as many brand-related searches on social networking sites relate to user generated content than to marketer-created content. For a smaller company in particular that does not have an existing well- known brand, in order to build brand awareness they must engage their customers and increase user generated content about their brand. (George amp; Jevons, 2012) 5. 2 Measuring the impact of Facebook through greater reach and frequency of content The second key thing a small company should consider when opening a Facebook page is how to gain the greatest reach and frequency of their content to determine the true value of Facebook marketing. Just measuring the amount of Likes, comments or mentions a Facebook page receives is not an accurate way to measure the impacts on customer activity. For example, the newsfeeds section of a consumers Facebook page is where most branded material is consumed. Consumers control this by hiding news they don’t want to see. Therefore a company like Kathmandu may have over 50,000 ‘Likes’ however it may be possible that only a small percentage of consumers who like their page actually choose to see their communications within their newsfeed. Simply knowing how many brand mentions exist does not provide a true understanding of the impact the content has on consumers. Research has shown that a measurement approach that focuses on reach and frequency within audience types (for example, fans and friends of fans) can lead to a dramatically better understanding of how and where brand messages are reaching consumers and the true value of a ‘Like’ or ‘Fan’. (J, 2010) Examples of ways in which a small company with limited marketing budgets can increase the reach and frequency of their content include: Page publishing: Unpaid advertising appears on a Fans page and may also appear in the newsfeed of a fan or a friend of a fan. †¢ Stories about friends: These unpaid impressions occur when a friend actively engages with a brand (e. g. Nicole indicates she â€Å"likes† Kathmandu outdoor sportswear) and become visible either on a friends wall or in the newsfeed. These stories may appear to fans and friends of fans. †¢ Sponsored stories: These paid impressions are similar to stories about friends, but they have been actively distributed more broadly and appear in the right hand column to fans and friends of fans. Advertisements with social: These branded messages come directly from the advertisers with a social context that appears to friends of fans, see example in Image G below. (Lipsman, et al. , 2012) Image G: branded message Facebook From Stephanie Stephanie amp; Dove displaced a feel-bad ad with this positive message. Send yours. Senta Vonck likes Dove. (Facebook, 2013) In conclusion a company looking to build a Facebook page to engage their customers can increase the impact their content has by using different paid and unpaid ways to distribute their content to their ‘Fans’ as well as their friends and other contacts. Just like in the offline world, the higher the reach and frequency of advertising the higher the brand exposure, leading to higher sales. 5. 3 The importance of having a mutually supportive online customer experience to the offline experience The third key thing a small company looking to set up a Facebook page should consider is how to make the online experience for their customers mutually supportive to the offline experience of visiting their retail store. This is important to ensure as many customers as possible know about new products, offers and promotional sales. In today’s environment with increasing competition and slow sales within retail, both cannot survive without the other. Below are two examples of ways to ensure mutual support of online and offline marketing: Promoting offline events through online ads, social sharing and blog posts dedicated to the events. For example Kathmandu on their Facebook page advertises their sales promotions for their retail stores. An example of this is shown in Image H from Kathmandu Facebook site and their Brookvale, Sydney retail store: Image H: Easter Sale on Kathmandu Facebook page and Easter Sale in retail outlet Warringah Mall. Kathmandu, 2013) 6. 0 Conclusion In today’s customer centric world, marketers need to have a good understanding of what their customers’ needs and wants are. Social media sites like Facebook are an excellent platform for marketers to learn more about their customers through building online communities and engaging in authentic and transparent communicatio n. Companies now have access to a much wider audience and at the same time consumers are able to research many different sources of information about a company’s products or services through website chat rooms, opinion boards and their networks on social media. By building communities using social media platforms such as Facebook, companies through consumer-generated content are able to market their products to a larger audience and build greater awareness of their brand. Companies such as Kathmandu can no longer rely only on advertising within their stores or offline advertising such as magazine ads and TV commercials, those who do not include social media as part of their marketing strategies are in danger of being left behind by competitors who do.

It Couldnt Be Stopped essays

It Couldnt Be Stopped essays It was inevitable that the American Revolution took place. England did many wrong things to frustrate the colonists. The more wrong doings that England did, the more America wanted to separate from them. One thing that got America mad was being taxed too much. Another thing was that Britain gave them no freedom. The third thing is because of the violence that went on between England and America. This was the breaking point of America. They couldnt take anymore of My first reason why the American Revolution was inevitable is because the taxes that the British were giving the Americans were unfair. One example of this is the Stamp Act of 1765. This is when the British put taxes on everything that was on paper. This included the newspaper, marriage licensee, and even a deck of cards. The cause of this act is because Britain was in terrible debt after the French Indian war and George Greenville, the British Prime Minister, felt that America should help pay it off. (Henry Graff p118). This isnt the only way that Britain taxed America. Another example of this is the Sugar Act of 1764. This is when Britain raised the taxes on sugar and decreased the taxes on molasses. The cause of this act was To curb the illegal trade with the French islands.(Graff p116) My second reason why the American Revolution was inevitable is because England gave America no freedom. After Pontiacs Rebellion, King George III was scared that America was getting powerful. He made a law saying that the colonists couldnt expand beyond the Appalachian Mountains. This was known as The Royal Proclamation of 1763. King George also sent British soldiers to check up on the colonists. It was bad enough that they had to house the other soldiers that fought in the war because of the Quartering act. Now they had more in their neighborhood just to spy on them. He treated the ...

Narayan's argument is stronger and more valid than Rushdie's Essay

Narayan's argument is stronger and more valid than Rushdie's - Essay Example While, Narayan’s argument is based on the premise that the writers who are no longer a part of their homelands, tend to lose their cultural identity and tend to become â€Å"cultural† orphans. However, the view point of Rushdie is tangentially different and emphasizes on the other extreme. This one is based on the fact that the writers attain a broader understanding of culture. Having carefully seen both the arguments, let us try to analyze the basis of these arguments. In order to understand the basis of these arguments, it is vital to comprehend the meaning of culture. Culture has a lot of dimensions, which have a residual impact on the functional element of the basic understanding of one’s surroundings. Fundamental premise Culture has a number of definitions that is used across contexts. However, the primary definition of culture can be seen as a pattern of shared behaviors and their interactions, the use of cognitive kind of constructs, and the effective kind of understanding that is learned through the process of socialization. It also consists of s shared set of customs, norms and beliefs. The culture is not a singular entity and may have other kinds of dimensions as well (Andrew 96). This may comprise of a definitive culture being present in one part of a country and the absence in another. Together, they form a part of the common understanding of culture. From the point of view of the debate at hand and the two contrasting opinions, we can draw up a form of comprehension of different kinds of factors that can be used to explain all of these. Now, let us take each of the points and understand the factors that shall be helpful in defining the context of this discussion. Narayan has mentioned about the fact that the individuals who live away from the homeland tend to suffer from a cultural disconnect. Let us comprehend the definition of culture in a more refined manner and de-construct the argument. The definition of culture shall help in explaining the finer points of this argument. Culture is an amalgam of shared patterns. This implies that the formation of the initial belief structure is fomented by the exposure to indigenous culture. But, for any individual living in foreign land or an adopted country, the patterns of shared behavior tend to become diffused in nature. There is an enforced behavior that gains prominence when compared to the generic behavior. The cultural patterns of shared behavior in any country are different from the others leading to a change in the perception. Each culture has a distinctive style of imparting a means of understanding the needs of a society. It channelizes the different forms of behavior in humans as a part of the society. The levels of cognition are varied according to the learning as different parts of the society. This forms an essential degree of difference among the various elements. The cognitive understanding of culture varies among different countries. So, in case o f any individual has lived away from their homeland or their ancestral land, they tend to develop a dissociated sense of cognitive construct (Keleman 233). According to Parsons, the social construct of any individual consists of the following components. They are as follows- The process of biological needs that are defined by the behavioral system of any culture or place. The â€Å"personality system†

Nurse-Patient Mandated Ratio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nurse-Patient Mandated Ratio - Assignment Example These are the main centers of policymaking and take initiative to educate the public at both state and federal level. Proposed legislation faces more criticism at the committee level, which is why there is need to understand the committee. Since legislators face numerous task as an advocate I can take, advantage of this situation and wield a lot of power by trying to help my own legislator in evaluation of various issues therefore influencing how he will vote on the issue. At the local level, the best strategies to employ would be making my way into the legislative arena and getting to acquaint myself with the committees and staff members of the legislative (Abood, 2007). Still at the local level, I will also try to get to understand how the legislative process works so that I can familiarize myself. Finally still at the local level I will need to identify the key players so that when I move to the state level I know whom to influence (Abood, 2007). At the state level, I will deploy the last two strategies where I get to understand how the committee works by trying to be close or interact with them at some points. Then finally, I create a good rapport with the legislator whom I will try to influence to support the necessary policies and vote for them. There are various sources of power that can increase my influence for votes. Focusing on professionalism, the key sources I get include adding credentials by doing additional courses to elevate my current position. I can also join various professional clubs and organization, which will make me gain a certain state in the society and get to interact with various professionals across the state. I can also network with the current legislator and committee members as their status can influence my popularity and thus increasing my votes. Other professional strategies I can use include participating in activities that I know will reward me

Nanotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nanotechnology - Essay Example Synthesis techniques used for the production of carbon nanotubes have also been taken into consideration, which include arc discharge, laser ablation, electrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, ball milling, diffusion flame synthesis, polymer heat treatment, and low-temperature solid pyrolysis (Cheap Tubes Inc.). Techniques for the purification of these tubes, like oxidation, acid treatment, centrifugal concentration, annealing, sonication to break down carbon nanotubes, filtering and functionalization techniques, have also been discussed. The types of energy storage for which carbon nanotubes are used, their modeling aspects and storage features, have been taken into account. These types mainly include electrochemical hydrogen storage, electrochemical lithium storage, gas-phase intercalation, and charge storage in supercapacitors (Loyseau 530). Carbon nanotubes’ exclusive characteristics and matchless nanostructure makes them fundamental components of forthcoming energy storage devices (Luniya). Hence, special focus has been put on the use of carbon nanotubes in energy device industry to discover the limitations and opportunities that exist in this field. The report is accompanied by an extensive literature review to support the significance of the topic. Luniya, Robin. Technology Insight Report: Carbon Nanotubes in Energy Storage Devices. Andrà ¡s Paszternà ¡k, 04 Aug 2010. Web. 14 Sep 2010.

love is present in most

love is present in most In Monzà ³s â€Å"El perquà ¨ de tot plegat† the topic of love is present in most, if not all, of the 30 stories. However, it is represented in different ways and this is what I want to look more closely at. I have chosen the topic of love because it is interesting, intriguing, fascinating, and applies to everyone in the world. Love can be very different- for example impersonal, interpersonal, familial and platonic, romantic and even religious. Nevertheless, the type of love I want to focus on and the type of love that Monzà ³ describes in his book is mostly interpersonal and romantic. However, before starting to analyse Monzà ³s conception of love I would like to clarify what is meant by interpersonal and romantic love. Love in general is a mixture of emotions which we feel when we have a strong affection and attachment to something or someone, and it can be used to describe any feeling ranging from general pleasure to a deep attraction between people.   Interpersonal love stands for the love between human beings and it is a much stronger feeling than just liking someone, and romantic love obviously refers to passionate desire and intimacy. The general conception of love is that it is something very complex and is difficult to define because there are many different feelings and emotions involved. However, different people have different views on love and I will talk about Monzà ³s conceptions of love and the way he sees it. I will firstly investigate the existence of a perfect relationship and whether it can actually exist, and then I will look into why relationships end, because I think that Monzà ³s conception of love is based mainly on these two points. After reading â€Å"El perquà ¨ de tot plegat† I got an impression that Monzà ³ is quite critical of love and talks of it in a sarcastic way. All of his stories are about real people and real-life situations, but they are very exaggerated and I doubt that these situations can happen in the exact same way as he describes them in his book. Also, from Monzà ³s stories we get an idea that love is never perfect and that there is always something lacking. It is as if people are never satisfied with what they have, and strive for more without realising how much they have already got. Sometimes, it even goes as far as trying to change the other person although this is not the best decision. Monzà ³ demonstrates this in his story â€Å"Pigmalià ³Ã¢â‚¬  where the narrator tries to make the girl a perfect lover. Although he succeeds in this, it only brings him unhappiness as he realises that he has created a slut, and not someone he can love. This story is a very good example of w hy infidelity happens, as it proves that when people are bored in a relationship, they start thinking about cheating. In this case, it is the girl who wants to experiment and try something new with other people, so the narrator has to throw her out at the end because he cannot imagine her with any other man and he does not want her to be with anyone but him. In addition, Monzà ³ seems to believe that love cannot be pure and that something always has to be proven, given or justified. A very good example of this can be seen in â€Å"La Fe† where the female character wants her boyfriend to prove to her that he loves her. She cannot just accept this fact; she has to have a proof that he is telling her the truth. After reading Monzà ³s stories, it became evident that infidelity is one of the main ideas that he uses to define love. It seems as if for him, love cannot exist if there

Computers in the Classroom :: Teaching Education Essays

Computers in the Classroom Computers are everywhere in the world today. Everywhere that you turn you are going to see some form of a computer. Computers are found in every work place and are used by many different people. It is very important these days that everyone learns the basics for using a computer because most jobs or professions will require some computer knowledge in order to be qualified for many positions. The profession I am looking to get into is the teaching profession. I am hoping to teach business classes at the high school level and that is why I am majoring in education and business at Lake Superior State University. Computers have a very important role in teaching and in business. Some business people will tell you that the computer is the single most important business tool. Without the Internet or spread sheets, the business world as we know it today would be very different. Although computers have an enormous role in business what I would like to discuss is the impact of computers on Teaching. About all full-time regular public school teachers report that they now have access to computers and the Internet and it has become a normal part of classroom activity in most places. Computers are very useful tools for teachers and they could change the way classes are taught in the future. There is no need to worry, I am not hinting that there will be some sort of computer programmed robot teaching kindergarten, but I am referring to the great benefits of computers in the classroom. The amount of information accessible is amazing and can really assist the teacher with lessons and such. Also computer programs like word processors and spread sheets are very helpful to the students; not to mention the positive effects some educational games have on children. These games which are played on computers are every teachers dream; they make learning fun and enjoyable for the student. One problem which arises when considering computers in the classroom is that many teachers did not grow up with the technology of today and are not fully capable of operating a computer and therefore steer away from them. According to a new survey released by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, teachers with more than 32 hours of professional development are twice as likely to use computers as are teachers with no such training.

Life of Pi Essay

During Life of Pi, and Castaway, characters in each experience disastrous deaths of loved ones which play with their will to survive. However, their hope and determination pull through and overcome this heart- wrenching event. For Pi, from Life of Pi, there are numerous deaths that have a huge toll on him. Pi’s whole family dies when the boat they are travelling on sinks. Growing up in an Indian culture, Pi was very close to his family, and a part of Pi also died that day. â€Å"Every single thing that I value in life gas been destroyed. And am I allowed no explanation? I am to suffer hell without any account from heaven? † [OR SHOULD I USE â€Å"To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures who people the tree of your life and give it new branches. To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you. It is like losing–I’m sorry, I would rather not go on. †] Although Pi is devastated he is determined to survive. Likewise in Castaway, the protagonist: Chuck Noland’s plane crashes and he washes up to shore. While isolated, Chuck makes himself a companion out of a volleyball who he names Wilson. This ball becomes important to Chuck because it is the only object he has contact with for four years while on the island. He talks to Wilson as if he was a person and when he loses Wilson, he becomes wounded. This is a hard time for Chuck because all he had that was keeping him sane leaves. Nevertheless Chuck perseveres through the hardships and keeps moving forward with hope and determination. Despite the battle of deaths these characters Pi and Chuck Noland were presented, they prove that with hope and determination to live it is possible to overcome their adversity if death, and any other difficulty that arose. Aside from the emotional destruction due to the deaths both protagonists endured, they also have to deal with the physical destruction as well. These events are what trigger both Pi and Chuck’s journey. In order to defeat the odds, characters must be courageous, obtain hope, and stay determined. In Life of Pi, Pi and his family are moving to Canada from India on boat. When the ship sinks, Pi is the only one from his family to make it to a life boat. â€Å"The ship was sinking. My mind could hardly conceive it. It was as unbelievable as the moon catching fire. † While this was happening, Pi is very optimistic. Although fear and negativity flowed through him, in the end Pi gains hope. Throughout the novel, Pi would constantly go through episodes of defeat and self-pity. However, Pi is determined to survive. It was through this determination and courageous acts that Pi beats the odds and lives through this destruction. Similarly to Pi, Chuck Noland from Castaway also had an unexpected change of events while travelling. Chuck was on his way to Russia when he mentions to Kelly, his love interest â€Å"I’ll be right back! † as he was boarding the plane. Little did Noland know that it was about to crash. This physical destruction is a gigantic catastrophe for Chuck, and after four years of being stranded on an island, decides to undertake the Atlantic Ocean back to civilization. To achieve this, after being isolated Chuck needed courage. Along with determination, and hope Chuck strives for salvation and saves himself. With the unfortunate events Pi and Chuck are faced with, each made their way home relatively safe- considering the circumstances. The characters proved that despite the expectations of failure that were set for them, if they had courage, hope, and determination they would survive any tragic event that came their way. There is no argument that both the novel Life of Pi, and the movie Castaway are both tragedies- a sinking ship and crashing plane are tragic events. However, protagonists in each stay hopeful and determined to have a happy ending. Pi, from Life of I is a very obedient, sensitive person. He follows his parent’s rules strictly. Pi was always very observant of his older brother, and strived to stay out of trouble. When Pi was stranded on the life boat alone, he lost life as he knew it. Pi experiences monstrous behavior, even going as far as to eat human flesh-cannibalism. Every rule Pi had been taught that human restraint has â€Å"gone out the window†. The way Pi viewed the world completely changed. Death is so real, so close to Pi, his views altered entirely. â€Å"By the next morning I had lost all fear of death, and I resolved to die. † (page 268) Pi also had very strict rules when it came to religion, spirituality and faith. Pi was a strict vegetarian due to his belief in God. While stranded, Pi had no other choice but to kill and eat animals. Because of this, he loses his innocence. â€Å"Lord, to think that I’m a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal’s neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible. † This proves how this tragedy made Pi lose hope in himself. He went against every standard he has ever believed in. Chuck from Castaway’s views on life and the world also changed drastically after the plane crash. Chuck Noland’s whole life revolved around time and work before the crash. Once chuck had witnessed how quickly life could turn for the worst, he had a complete change in attitude. At the beginning of the movie Chuck really did not care about other people’s feelings. As chuck gained hope to survive, and determination to do so, he even treated Wilson- a volleyball with respect. By the time Chuck returned home, he had a genuine concern for people around him. With both of these characters, it is clear that the tragic experiences altered their hearts, and outlook on life. Both the stories of Pi from Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and Chuck from Castaway are very similar. Each has experiences of death, destruction, and tragedy that take a great toll on both characters. However they resolve their adversities, and prove it is possible to beat the likelihood of failing by turning to hope and staying determined to survive. Each story ended with a new beginning for each character: the prize from the pain. The theme of hope continued to their future lives with Pi: through this wife, children, and new home, and new openings. In the same way, Chuck also had a chance to start over.

Dutch Disease

(1. What is meant by the term? ) Introduction Over 50 years ago on 1960, when a sprawl bed of liquid gas was discovered in North Sea, Netherland overjoyed exploiting the natural resource and became a net exporter of gas. The demand for Dutch guilder in order to purchasing gas, rose and made it extremely strong. It left a lot of currency to a level the manufacturing export was no longer competitive. Later on 1970, when oil price soured by 4 times; UK was tempted to invest in North Sea oil industry in Scotland.Soon after exporting the oil, UK encountered with a serious recession following labor strike. Firm workers demanded for higher wage because their disposal income has decreased which stemmed from the fall in expensive commodity demand. UK has become a net export of oil and Pound got appreciated. The rest of the industry left the market and firms started cutting their cost of human resources. Since then the term of â€Å"Dutch Disease† assign to those with heavy reliance on their supply of natural resources that downturn the non-resource aspect of economy.The Export–oriented manufacturing system is divided to two parts; More competitive sector-normally energy sector- grow faster and further while the less competitive step back and the related employment fall substantially and in more serious crisis concludes to deindustrialization. Both mentioned event are correlated with exchange rate development. The term of â€Å"Dutch disease† for the first time came in an article in The Economist -1977 that described the case as a natural resource curse.The name of Dutch Disease generally associated with a natural resource discovery, but it can be seen in any trade or investment activity that results in a large inflow of foreign currency, including a rise in natural resource prices, foreign aid, and foreign direct investment. The inflow of American treasures into Spain in 16th and gold discoveries in Australia in the 1850s are other two example of Du tch Disease diagnosis. By 1978, this story repeated in Iran. The oil price jumped and other local roduct like hand crafts, carpets, agricultural product, minerals, precious stones, Zofran, Pistachio became expensive and was not affordable for the neighbors and other importers to import. Such small industries never sustained in the market and some of them wiped out. Iran became the importer of rice, wheat, carpets. That took many jobs and money out of economy. Russia is likely to be another victim of this disease. Nearly 40% of GDP, 60% of export revenue and 60% of government revenue depends on oil and gas production. General perception of Russian economics, like other resource-rich countries, expects the symptom of disease.Russia as one of the main oil producer can easily impact on oil price by reducing or increasing the amount of production. In both situations, their intake of money from oil exportation is huge. It strengthens the Ruble and impact the export revenue as a whole. Bes ides pouring unmanaged wealth problem, the direct investors intend to invest in mines and oil/gas wells and rigs or take over the related companies (direct investment). Moreover the related industry attracts the indirect investors to stock market to buy their shares.These all concludes to CAD appreciation which is not what a commercial sector of an economy try to reach at. Since we are on another side of history, revolution against energy consumption and climate change got more serious, the countries that are too dependent on natural resource are being questioned more than before. Except for short-run effect of asymmetric growth on resource allocation and income distribution, we are better to think about long-run issue of not renewable resource depletion rate and future plan for rich-resource countries. 2. Detail and outline the channels that could cause such an effect) Dutch Disease Mechanism The underlying mechanism of the Dutch disease is that the real exchange rate of the resour ce- rich economy tends to appreciate strongly with the rise of the export revenues from the resource sector. In turn, the appreciation harms the economy’s exports from the manufacturing sector leading, over time, to de-industrialization . Regarding the pattern of history, the resource-rich countries manifest a short term prosper while others fallen behind due to: . Natural Resource discovery and exploitation 2. Increase in foreign currency 3. Foreign direct investment 4. Foreign aid 5. Natural resource price growth While at the mid-term they would experience: 1. Resource price artificially inflate the currency 2. Run up in commodity price 3. Losing price competition in market 4. Become weak in manufacturing sector 5. Become a net import of manufactured goods 6. Losing export power in goods other than natural resources 7. Leading to uneven economyThis is the mechanism in which non-resource industries get hurt by resource industry which proudly increases the wealth and spread t he benefit unevenly across the country that accounts for hidden economy turmoil, which make manufacturing jobs, move to lower cost countries. Canada and Oil Sand Fever (3. Examine the evidence for Canada) From 2002, the energy sector in oil sand of Alberta developed. The total rise of world oil price covered all extra cost of oil sand refinery process and made it profitable to that level which triggered exploration, expansion, extraction and export of oil.Obviously the nominal GDP per capita jumped and the Canadian exchange rate appreciated and the manufacturing sector has contracted. While the rise of the energy and commodity prices brings obvious benefits for Canada as a whole, it has raised also a lot of concerns of policy makers and economists. Tom Mulcair, the NDP leader, who is being accused of dividing the country against each other, named the oil sand of Canada the dirty oil. He said that the booming of oil industry in Saskatchewan province would hollow out other provincesâ €™ economy.He believes the oil exportation drive up the value of dollar and hurt manufacturing sector. The studies show that the appreciation of Canadian dollars relative to USD is driven by three factors. One of them is the strength of the CAD due to export oil, secondly the weakness of the USD, increase the appreciation of CAD, and the last factor is the booming of world energy price. Between 2002 to mid-2008 the price of oil and the other commodities got back to very low levels, however the manufacturing sector remained at the same weak status.The Dutch phenomenon becomes a disease if the manufacturing sector does not come back when the resource boom is over. (4. Arguments for and against the preposition) Investigating the proposition that the country has experienced a period of Dutch disease, two conditions may need to be fulfilled. First, see if currency appreciation has driven up by the export oriented commodity prices. Second, see to what extend unemployment has been affe cted in the manufacturing sector. According to Krugman (1987), it becomes a disease when the manufacturing sector does not come back after the resource boom.There are some contra verse arguments which claim that natural resource industries create jobs. Strong currency brings significant growth. While the food and energy security is so important in today’s world, there is no reason to blame these sectors for bad economy. Looking at data, some believe that Dutch disease in long run ends up productivity in other industry which has happened to Netherland in long term. (5. Government role to reduce the incident or mitigate the effect- foreign exchange intervention) â€Å"The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application. – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Under transparently and wisely management, if government can diversify the manufacturing and export sectors to reduce dependency on the booming sector and make t hem less vulnerable to external shocks, such as a sudden drop in commodity prices and at the same time avoid dumping all export revenue in the economy and devote fund of energy revenue to enforce other part of the industry through privatization and restructuring, the economy would be more resilience and integrated.In countries with temporary resource discovery, policymakers may want to protect the non-trade sectors through foreign exchange intervention that is, building up foreign exchange reserve through the sale of domestic currency to keep the foreign exchange value of the domestic currency lower to insulate the economy in condition the extra wealth spend wisely and to lead to inflation.Nobody expect government to call for a slowing down of resource development, but it is expected that policymakers help to boost the innovation, investment in human resource and spend more on research and development which leads to higher productivity of skilled worker via retraining which should b enefit the vulnerable sector. Developing the new energy infrastructural -pipe and rigs- intelligently and sustainably help peaking natural gas prices not being blamed for driving up inflation and driving down exports of manufacturing goods. In Russian, a few think that the national population must meets the domestic supply.They claim that they are not that much depends on export revenue. Moreover they firmly believe that their non-oil industry is not that much big to get hurt from global competition and they would continue to develop the oil sector which is more competitive and they are good at. In Chad, after oil discovery on 2004, the Chadian government invested the income on developing crop production and feeding poor people at the same time. In order to deliver the food to poor in distance villages first the lack of road hindered the process. So the next object was to improve transportation infrastructural.That was the example of successful policies for avoiding Dutch disease. U sing the country’s huge income of oil and gas for public and rural household welfare and investing particularly in, for example, development of road and irrigation infrastructure and improving water access would adverse the affection of Dutch disease. â€Å"If revenue can create a serious opportunity for development and poverty reduction, it certainly is a good opportunity for corruption as well, feeding political claims and increasing the risk of conflict† (page 47) Exchange rate and Spending effect (6. ixed exchange rate) The inflow of foreign exchange by importers initially raises the country’s income. There are two policies how to spend the money. If the foreign currency is traded with foreign commodity and spend on import, the domestically product goods are remained unharmed. But suppose it is converted to local currency, this time the local productions get affected. If the central bank decided for a fixed nominal exchange rate, after conversion the currenc y, the money supply increases, the local demand increase and local production price rise which leads to higher real exchange rate.If the exchange rate is flexible, the value of the domestic currency increases due to the increased supply of foreign currency, which again leads to higher real exchange rate, in this case through a rise in the nominal exchange rate rather than in domestic prices. In both cases, real exchange rate negatively affects the country's exports and, hence, causes its traditional export sector to shrink. This entire process is called the â€Å"spending effect. † †¢Corden, W. M. and J. P. Neary. 1982. Booming Sector and De-Industrialisation in a Small Open Economy.The Economic Journal, 92 (368) pp. 825-848. †¢Coulombe, S. , R. Lamy and S. Rogers (2007). Adjustment in High Trade Exposed Manufacturing Employement in Canada, Industry Canada, Mimeo. †¢http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2003/03/ebra. htm †¢Ebrahim-zadeh, Christine (M arch 2003, Volume 40, Number 1). â€Å"Back to Basics – Dutch Disease: Too much wealth managed unwisely†. Finance and Development, A quarterly magazine of the IMF. IMF. †¢Corden and Neary . 1982. and Corden . 1984. †¢Stephanie Levy. 2001. â€Å"PUBLIC INVESTMENT TO REVERSE DUTCH DISEASE: THE CASE OF CHAD† †¢

The Role of Geography in Land-Use Planning

The Role of Geography in Land-Use Planning Within urban and rural communities, geography plays a critical role in the development of the built environment. Urban planners must rely on knowledge of geographic space when deciding how best to manage growth. As the cities of the world grow and more rural land is developed, ensuring smart growth and practical environmental management are necessary goals. Steps Before Planning and Development Can Occur Before any kind of planning and development can happen, funds must be collected from the public and a set of rules is needed to clarify the process. These prerequisites are the two active factors in planning for land use. By collecting taxes, fees and even ideas from the public, decision-makers are able to effectively provide plans for development and revitalization. Zoning regulations provide a legal framework for development. Regulations of Use of Private Land Municipalities regulate the use of private land for a variety of reasons. Designations for the use of land are provided in a municipality’s master plan, which is usually intended to ensure the following. Transportation FlowEconomic DevelopmentHistoric PreservationRecreational Space/ParksEnvironmental/Wildlife Protection Businesses, manufacturers and residential communities all require specific geographic locations. Accessibility is the key. Businesses are more suitable downtown while manufacturing centers are most accessible for shipping at an interstate or a port. When designing residential developments, planners generally focus on developing close to or directly above commercial areas. Components of Planning Urban Areas The desire for urban areas is the flow of transportation. Before any development can happen, there must first be an infrastructure suitable to the needs of future growth. Infrastructure includes sewer, water, electricity, roads and floodwater management. The master plan of any urban region has the potential for guiding growth in a way that will generate a fluid movement of people and commerce, especially in emergency situations. Public investment through taxes and fees is the cornerstone for developing infrastructure. Most major urban centers have been around for a long time. Preserving the history and aesthetic of earlier developments within a city creates a more livable space and can boost tourism in the area. Tourism and livability are also boosted by growing the city around major parks and recreation areas. Water, mountains and open parks offer citizens an escape from the city’s hub of activity. Central Park in New York City is a perfect example. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are perfect examples of preservation and conservation. One of the essential parts of any plan is the ability to provide citizens with an equal opportunity. Communities cut off from urban centers by railroads, interstates or natural boundaries have difficulty in accessing employment. When planning for development and the use of land, special attention must be given to lower-income housing projects. Mixing housing for various income levels provides increased educational and opportunities for lower-income families. To facilitate the implementation of a master plan, zoning ordinances and special regulations are imposed on real-estate developers. Zoning Ordinances There are two essential parts to a zoning ordinance: Detailed maps showing land area, boundaries and the zone under which the land is categorized.Text describing in full detail each zones regulations. Zoning is used to permit some types of construction and prohibit others. In some areas, residential construction may be limited to a specific type of structure. Downtown areas may be a mixed-use of residential and commercial activity. Manufacturing centers will be zoned for construction close to the interstate. Some areas may be prohibited for development as a means of conserving green space or access to water. There may also be districts where only the historical aesthetic is allowed. Challenges are faced in the zoning process, as cities desire to eliminate blighted areas of zero growth while maintaining a diversity of interests in a geographic area. The importance of mixed-use zoning is becoming increasingly apparent in major urban areas. By allowing developers to build residential units above businesses, land use is maximized by creating a round-the-clock hub of activity. Another challenge faced by planners is the issue of socio-economic segregation. Some subdivisions strive to maintain a certain financial status by regulating the scope of housing developments. Doing this ensures that home values in the subdivision will remain above a certain level, alienating the poorer members of the community. Adam Sowder is a fourth-year senior at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is studying Urban Geography with a focus on Planning.

Lipoprotein metabolism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lipoprotein metabolism - Essay Example This part accounts for the largest part of the cholesterol that is quantified as HDL-C in clinical laboratory. ÃŽ ±-HDLÂ  can be fractionated further by density into HDL3 and HDL2, by apolipoprotein composition and size. About 5-15% of apo A-1 in the human plasma is linked to pre–Î ²-electrophoretic mobility particles. This is further differentiated into pre–Î ²3-LpA-I, ÃŽ ²1-LpA-I and pre–Î ²2-LpA-I particles. These particles where reverse cholesterol transport occurs. This occurs in extravascular compartments. It is not clear where the HDL particles and pre–Î ²-electrophoretic mobility originates from. There are several mechanisms that have been proposed including cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), direct interaction between cell membrane and free apolipoproteins, hepatic lipase (HL), release during the HDL interconversion by phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) and direct secretion from enterocytes into plasma. High-density lipoprotein is produced in the intestine and liver. It plays a key role in the reverse cholesterol transport. By accepting free cholesterol from the peripheral tissues, HDL lowers the blood cholesterol levels. HDL exchanges lipids and proteins with other lipoproteins. It donates apoproteins E and C11 to nascent VLDL’s. HDL also produces a paraoxonase enzyme. This enzyme inhibits the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein. The HDL precursor particles can also absorb free cholesterol from the cell membrane in a process mediated by apoA-1, ApoA-IV and ATP binding cassette transporter 1. ApoA-1 is the HDL’s major apolipoprotein. It activates the cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) (a lecithin enzyme) that esterifies the free accepted cholesterol to increase the efficiency of cholesterol packaging for transport. By acquisition of additional esters, triglycerides, and apolipoproteins, the particles of HDL3 are transformed into HDL2 particles which are relatively la rger. By estension, HDL plays a role in transferring the

Cuban Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cuban Revolution - Essay Example The Cuban Revolution immediately won the support of the masses and, indeed, the revolutionary leaders' popularity only increased, and expanded to include Latin American populations, as a result of political rhetoric which emphasised Cuban independence from US domination and the imperatives of adopting socialism to improve the socio-economic status of the majority (Sweig, 2004). Indeed, in assessing the causes of the Cuban Revolution and the reasons for its success, it is important to highlight the political and economic background. Politically, Cuba, as was the case with Latin American nations in general, had little autonomy and independence from Spain had not led to full-fledged sovereignty but to domination by the United States. Economically, the majority suffered from chronic and absolute poverty while a minority commanded and owned much of the nation's wealth and resources. The fact that the Cuban Revolution was motivated by the aforementioned conditions and determined their reve rsal ensured its popularity in both Cuba and Latin America. Indeed, the majority of the Cuban populace embraced Castro and his guerrillas, who appeared as young idealists. As rebel soldiers made their way to Havana they were welcomed as conquering heroes by throngs of local villagers who lined the roads and cheered the troops as they passed (Sweig, 2004). Proceeding from the above stated, it is evident that the United States' policies towards Cuba are among the most significant of the revolution's causes. Before 1959 the history of U.S.-Cuban relations played out in the context of U.S. hegemony over the island. Though previous administrations had resisted U.S. influence, few had rejected it outright (Perez-Stable, 1998). Indeed, throughout the history of U.S.-Cuban relations the Cuban elite, those of European origin whose wealth tied them to U.S. interests, had actively welcomed U.S. dominance. Thus, Cubans themselves, especially the elite class, together with U.S. policymakers were responsible for stifling Cuban nationalism and for providing the atmosphere in which the revolutionary government of Fidel Castro fundamentally changed the course of Cuban history and of Cuban-U.S. relations (Perez-Stable, 1998). Before Castro, U.S. officials had worked closely with Cuban leaders. Prior to the U.S. intervention in the Cuban War for Independence many Cubans actively sought U.S. rule. The Cuban elite feared the establishment of a truly democratic republic, or in their words, a Negro Republic (Perez-Stable, 1998). They played on U.S. racial fears and cultural stereotypes, marginalizing their own countrymen. The United States wanted to maintain the status quo and unfettered access to the Cuban economy; the Cuban elites wanted stability and to continue to reap the financial rewards of close ties with U.S. business interests. The Cuban elite also wanted power for themselves. Hence, after Spain surrendered to the United States, some members of the Cuban elite embraced U.S. control over their nation (Perez-Stable,