Illuminate by Shawn Mendes free essay sample

A few years ago, a group of boys that called themselves â€Å"magcon† came about, and the world of teenage girls was changed forever. I was personally not in the slightest bit into these seemingly vain boys attempting to be funny and having girls everywhere fawn all over them, but I was one of the only ones. When Magcon broke up, most of them went into modelling or rapping, but one of them ventured on to be one of the most popular names in music right now. I have never been into pop music, i’ve always enjoyed classic rock or alternative, but my sister would not stop raving about a particular new pop artist, named Shawn Mendes. Intrigued as to what the big deal with him was, I took my sister to see him in concert for her birthday in late August. He uttered one note, and I was sucked in immediately. We will write a custom essay sample on Illuminate by Shawn Mendes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was a small venue, and he wore a navy blue longsleeve tee-shirt, blue jeans, a mic on his cheek, and an acoustic guitar. The lighting and scenery and clothing were all simplistic, without any need to hide Shawn’s talent. There really was no need to hide his voice or guitar-playing, as he sang soft low notes, belted beautiful high notes, and played his guitar until it lost it’s tuning. This morning, his new album, illuminate, came out, and I was beyond eager to listen to it. The first song on the album is titled â€Å"ruin†, and it starts of with a jazz beat, which is different from Mendes’ usual style. He keeps up with his usual song theme by singing another song about a girl, this song in particular being a question of how her feelings about him relate to his feelings of her. The song is boring, slow, repetitive, and definitely not one of his best songs, or anything even remotely special. The next song on the album is quite possibly my favorite song, titled â€Å"Mercy†. It starts off with Shawn humming a gentle melody alongside gentle piano playing, which glides into soft singing. The song builds up to the chorus, where other instruments are introduced, and Mendes sings in a raspy tone begging for mercy to be released from having feelings for someone. He includes that the person does not intend to hurt him, but he needs them to set him free, and have â€Å"mercy† on him. This song has a perfect mix of soft, beautiful humming and singing, and soulful, passionate, raspy singing. The song has a mix of many instruments on many different parts as well, and has beautiful, powerful lyrics that make the person listening feel as if they themselves are experiencing Shawn’s pain alongside him. The next song on his album is titled â€Å"treat you better†, and is a commentary on domestic violence. The song begins with guitar plucking, and Shawn saying to someone that he knows that the guy that they are with is ju st not right for them. This song is similar to â€Å"mercy† in the sense that it starts off gentle and calm and builds up in the chorus to a raspy/hurting tone. This song is different in the sense that anger is introduced too, both in the sense that the guy that the girl is with is hurting her, and that the girl is unable to see this, and get out of her bad situation, and let Shawn treat her better. The music video shows Shawn and the girl sitting on opposite sides of a wall crying and in pain. This song is definitely much darker than any of the other ones, and also comments on a very serious matter, that I think he does a very good job of explaining.Shawn promises that he can treat the girl better, and be a gentleman for her, unlike the other guy who has no respect for her. This song and â€Å"mercy† are my favorite songs, both for their diverse tones and passion. The next song is â€Å"Three empty words†. The song begins with upbeat guitar strumming and light humming, and then Shawn saying that he will pick someone up at the same time and the same place, and that they’ll just talk to fill up the awkward space. He says that they’ll play the songs they love before they try to fall in love again, and that they don’t know who’s wrong or right, but they don’t care enough to fight. He says that they’re just going through the motions because they can’t fix what’s broken. Shawn says that he won’t keep on saying those â€Å"three empty words†, which most likely are â€Å"I Love You.† He says that he’s running out of things to say, and that it’s going to break his heart to tell her little brother and that even if they stayed together, it would never be the same. This song is different from his other songs because it’s almost entirely just acoustic guitar, has almost no buildup, and is about an event that has happened in a relationship, whereas most of his other songs are about him missing a relationship or hoping for a relationship, but never about being in one. His next song is titled â€Å"Don’t Be A Fool†. It starts with another slow, acoustic melody with a slight blues twang. He tells a girl to not be a fool by waiting for him, because he’s always on the move. This seems to reflect Mendes’ life, in the sense that as an artist, he is always on the move, and most likely is too busy to be in a strong, steady relationship. There is background singing in this song unlike â€Å"Three Empty Words†, and Shawn pursues extremely high notes to accompany the blues-tune of the song.This song has beautiful notes, a catchy beat, and a personal message, but isn’t anything special compared to many of his other songs. The next song on his new album is titled â€Å"Like This†, and it starts off with piano playing, and Shawn singing softly about trying to go on without someone. A few bars in, bac kground voices and guitar add into the song as Mendes picks up the beat of his singing, and begins to pick up a raspy tone. Shawn remarks that the girl he is going without isn’t even â€Å"drop-dead gorgeous†, but is honest and kills him everyday. This is an important line because it remarks on this girl’s personality being more important than her looks, which is very hard to find in music nowadays. Overall, this song sounds like most of his other songs, with a little bit of a twist with the soulful piano playing and different tune at the end of certain lines. His next song, â€Å"No Promises†, begins with guitar picking. The singing begins with a darker tone, as Shawn explains that he is â€Å"staring out my hotel window, with too much on my mind,† A girl accompanies Shawn’s singing in the third line he sings and an echoing goes on in the background, and then the song has almost a beat drop, going into his raspy singing with an echoing â₠¬Å"woah-oh-woah-oh-oh† in the background. The beat is now upbeat and very pop, which is very different from Mendes’ usual acoustic style. He sings about not keeping promises, because he knows that â€Å"they† won’t be able to keep them. The song then fades back into Mendes’ typical acoustic style, but with a firm drum beat in the background. The girl begins to sing again, and another beat drop signals the chorus again, with the echoes of â€Å"woah-oh-woah-oh-oh† being the background again. The song then segways into a faster acoustic pace, the drum back again at a much faster pace. The chorus repeats again with another beat drop, but with no girl’s voice leading into it this time. This song is a refreshing change from Shawn’s repetitive style, but the song itself is very repetitive, and could be much better if it was shortened by at least a chorus. The 8th song in his album is titled â€Å"Lights On†, andit starts (again ) with guitar picking and Shawn softly singing about yet another beautiful girl, and how he wants her body, but he’s a gentleman so he vows to take it slow. He says that he wants to love her with the lights on, so that he can love every part of her. This song is extremely uncomfortable to listen to , as Shawn sings about there being so much â€Å"left to see† and getting to know each other under the â€Å"sheets of a hotel room with a good vibe†. The song is catchy, but the melody is forgettable, and the lyrics are extremely uncomfortable. The next song is titledhonest, and begins with even more guitar picking and gentle singing. The song has a nice beat, as he asks a girl to meet him on a street, where he needs to talk to her about something. He sings in broken-up sentences, he sings that he needs to be honest with this girl because he hates to hurt her, but he knows that he can’t give her what she needs. The next song in the lineup is titled â€Å"pati ence†. The song starts off with upbeat guitar strumming, as he talks about a girl who hits him up at night on a daily basis, and how her friends should take her phone away. He talks about a girl that drives him crazy with her constant indecisiveness, and that she’s making him lose his patience. This song is very similar to the other songs in this album, and nothing special, easily forgettable with boring lyrics, a boring melody, and a repetitive tune. â€Å"Bad reputation† continues Shawn’s attitude of always being a gentleman, as he sings about a girl who had a bad reputation, and who he assures he will love no matter what her reputation is, and that he hopes he can prove her reputation wrong, and love her in the way that he thinks she deserves. The song begins with a slow, almost haunting melody played on piano. The third time the chorus is repeated, it speeds up, and becomes more of a grungy/rock tune to accompany the same words. This is definitely a ne w type of song for Shawn, who almost always sings acoustic, calm songs, and never really acknowledges a girl as anything other than perfect in the eyes of everyone else as well as him. The next song, â€Å"understand†, begins with piano playing, as Shawn sings about his fear of losing who he is in the midst of his fame. It’s refreshing to hear a song that’s not about a girl, and the song presents a very valid fear that an incredibly famous teenager has to deal with. This song provides insight into Shawn’s belief system and values, which makes him very admirable to the listener, not only for his music, but for him as a person as well. He has a talking interlude in the middle of the song, which is also a very nice change. The 13th song is titled â€Å"hold on†, which starts off with guitar strumming, and with Shawn talking about stopping and just admiring what’s going on, and him being alone, and missing his dad. His dad tells him that althoug h he doesn’t know what he’s going though, he just needs Shawn to know that there’s so much life ahead of him, and to always hold on. This song has so so so much passion, seeming to breakthrough every word. The lyrics make it sound as if Shawn is going through a rough part of life, and his dad is telling him to always hold on to life, no matter how bad the situation is. This is also much more serious than most of Shawn’s songs, and very very very personal. This song is moving, with great lyrics, a great tune and a catchy melody, and an extremely important message. The next song is titled â€Å"roses†, and begins with piano playing, and a beat unlike most of his other songs. He’s back to singing about girls, about how he gives a girl a rose, and the option to either die or let it grow. Considering Mendes is almost always completely blunt about what he has to say, this use of metaphor is refreshing and interesting. The girl he gives the rose to seems to be with another guy, but Shawn thinks that he loves this girl much more than this other guy. The acoustic version of Mercy is only on the deluxe version, and honestly sounds exactly like the original. Overall, this album is somewhat forgettable with only a few standout songs, and is a huge disappointment in comparison to his last album, â€Å"Handwritten†.

Scientifically Proven Ways to Start Thinking Creatively

Scientifically Proven Ways to Start Thinking Creatively There are lots of articles out there with advice on how to improve creativity. But how much of it is actually backed by scientific research? The following methods for boosting the imagination are all supported by published studies: Stop Organizing Your Workspace Apparently, keeping a messy desk serves as greater creative inspiration than keeping an organized one, according to a study published in Psychological Science. It kind of goes with the image of the mad genius who doesn’t know what color socks he’s wearing because he’s too busy inventing the internet. So, stop tidying up, sit down in your mess, and create. Paint Your Walls Blue The color blue has the ability to stimulate the brain’s creative synapses by reminding it of â€Å"the sky, the ocean and water, most people associate blue with openness, peace and tranquility† according to Juliet Zhu, a psychologist who conducted a study on color association and brain activity. This sense of peacefulness also allows people to feel supported enough to risk creative exploration. Turn Your Lights Down Low Dim lighting also helps stimulate creativity. It makes people feel â€Å"freedom, self-determination and reduced inhibition.† A study that asked students to solve creative problems found that those in the dimly lit rooms (150 lux) performed much better than those in a brightly lit room (1,500 lux). Buy low-wattage light bulbs for your room to help activate your imagination. Cultivate a Diverse Social Circle A study of Stanford Business School alumni revealed that the graduates with the highest level of creative thinking were those who networked extensively with groups of people outside their business colleagues. This exposed them to new ideas and allowed them to take more risks in thinking than if they were restricted to their normal social group. Hang Out in a Coffee Shop This has nothing to do with the intellectual tradition that coffee shops have or with the drink itself. It turns out that most coffee shops have a level of noise that supports creative thinking, as stated by The Journal of Consumer Research. Many coffee shops tend to have about 70 decibels of background noise. Extremely quiet environments like that of a library are good places to work if you need to concentrate and focus. But they don’t stimulate creativity. Travel According to the article in the Scientific American heading into the unknown can also spark the creative fires. A different setting where anything could happen and your routine hasn’t worn a groove into your brain can help create new pathways in the brain and inspire the imagination. It also creates â€Å"psychological distance† from the rest of your life, which allows you to be more open to new thoughts and solutions. Learn a New Language Along with travel comes multilingualism the ability to communicate in more than two languages. Whether you learn a new language in a foreign setting or at home, it doesn’t matter. The skill itself challenges the brain to refine its cognitive and problem-solving skills, leading to enhanced creative thinking. Meditate Adopting a meditative practice into your daily routine could help you improve creatively. A study from Cornell University observed the creative skills of a group of new meditators over the course of five months. The results were heightened mental flexibility and enhanced figurative skills. Exercise A little aerobic exercise is an incredibly useful habit to adopt. It not only ensures general overall health, but it improves mood and supplies the brain with fresh oxygen, thus enhancing your brain’s cognitive function and imaginative prowess. Next time you want to amp up your creativity, go for a short jog or bike ride, play tennis or go for a swim. Engage in the exercise of your choice to enhance your innovative abilities. Who wouldn’t want to be more creative if they could? Here’s your chance to make use any or all of these methods to improve your creative abilities and see a difference in your imaginative skills. Enjoy!

How does nano technology play a role in communication, design, and Research Paper

How does nano technology play a role in communication, design, and information technology - Research Paper Example Experts define nanotechnology as the visualization or measurement at the 1-100 nanometer scale. However, there is an increased acceptance of the idea that reorganization and control of matter at the nanometer scale is an essential element of nanotechnology. Communication, design and information technology are the highly innovative industrial sectors that are quickly growing. Massive progress have resulted due to the transition to nanotechnology electronics from the traditional electronics. Nanotechnology has led to an incredible change in communication, design, and information. Advancement in communication, design, and information technology as a result of nanotechnology can take place in two steps. The first step is the miniaturization top-down approach that takes microstructures that are conventional across the border to nanotechnology. The second step entails the emergence of the bottom-up nanosystem engineering and nano-electronics through technologies such as the process of self-organization to bring together systems and circuits. Nanotechnology has several roles in communication and has immensely impacted the development of wireless communication technologies. In mid-1990’s, micromechanical sensors were developed. They become a critical element of automotive technologies. Approximately ten years later, micromechanical sensors that are more miniaturized are now ensuring features that are novel for mobile devices and consumer electronics. In the present day, the development of sensors that are embedded and based on the nanostructures has become part of the communications industry. Nanotechnologies has augmented the human sensory skills. It is based on integrated sensors and the ability to aggregate this enormous worldwide sensory data into information that is meaningful to people every day (Ermolov et al. 1). Nanotechnology can assist in the development of

Family communication class journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family communication class journal - Essay Example The modern days are faced with technological advancement that simplifies the family way of life. People communicate via modern technologies such as emails, cell phones and other social media appliances. This alters family communication time. Members lack enough time to communicate with each other (Walsh, 1983). The technology is also very important because it helps people connect with their relatives who live in far places. Modern family plans on how to overcome all the obstacles hindering communication. For instance, a family may plan a lunch date together or plan a gathering to talk about issues affecting the family. There are those families that set ritual or events that bring all the family members together weekly or on a monthly basis. They set the events in several dimensions including creating time to talk, work, or relax together (Walsh, 1983). Research indicates that many families are failing to meet the needs of their members. Less attention is paid to strong, healthy families, and the values that make families successful. It is important for families to seek information on how to improve communication and live a healthy family life. Researchers use two methods to carrying out studies on successful communication methods in a family. They study family strengths per se as the first method (Walsh, 1983). The assumption underlying this method is that there must be things that families with strong communication do in order to enhance good communication. The second method is studying healthy or normal families to evaluate the characteristics that distinguish them from their dysfunctional counterparts (Walsh, 1983). In most instances, communication of feelings and attitudes is done through words or physical gestures. Communication is built by several key factors. Among these factors is tone of voice, body language and listening. The tone of a family member’s voice will create

Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Culture - Essay Example The pregnant women are also prohibited from touching anything with glue to avoid the child being born with birthmarks (Community College, 2005). About foods, the Chinese also believe that if the expectant woman eats too much the baby will be too large making the labor harder. The mothers are advised to take coconut milk, so that the baby will have a good quality skin. On sex determination, the Chinese believe that if the belly is pointed the baby will be a boy and if rounded, it will be a girl. When the baby is finally born, it is the role of the father to give it the first bath. The placenta must be kept near the birth place so that in death, it is used as a sign of atonement and humility of the life on earth. The placenta can as well be used to make medicines cure various diseases (Simpson et al., 2008). Post-partum care involves taking of hot foods, including ginger, pig’s feet, and high protein meats, to rebuild the lost blood supply. Cold foods are believed to cause headache or arthritis in old age. To prevent complications, the mothers should avoid showering, washing hair, or exposing themselves to cold conditions. Before handling the baby, they are required to purify their hands using ginger. To increase milk production, the mothers are required to take papaya soup and fish. The first milk, colostrum, is considered dirty and should be discarded (Community College, 2005). In conclusion, Chinese people have a strong belief in their culture as long as the pregnancy is concerned. They observe the practices right from the pre-natal stage to post-partum care and the way the child is raised. Women are more inclined to the

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Methods

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Methods INTRODUCTION Autoimmunity is the inability of an organism in recognizing its own parts as  self, which triggers an abnormal immune response against its own cells or tissues. Due to such a response, autoimmune diseases occur. Autoimmune diseases are broadly divided into the following: Systemic autoimmune diseases: The symptoms and damage occurs throughout the body, i.e the antigen is not tissue-specific. Localized autoimmune diseases: The damage is localized, i.e., the antigen is tissue specific. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic  inflammatory, systemic autoimmune disorderthat may affect many tissues and organs, but mainly attacks the flexible (synovial) joints. 75% of the reported cases of RA occur in women, especially at age: 30 and 40 years and between 50 and 60 years (Bach, 1982). It can be a disabling and  painful  condition, which can lead to consequential loss of mobility and function if not treated adequately. But it is still unclear whether T-cells primarily respond to a microbial antigen, or a self-constituent antigen (Chiniet al., 2002). Lesions developed in RA appear to be involved in both cell-mediated and humoral responses. Prior research work focused on identifying the cells present in the affected synovium, and has been concluded that CD4+ T lymphocytes, active B lymphocytes, and plasma cells, combined with well-formed lymphoid follicles having germinal centers (in more serious cases), are present in the synovium of the patients (Abbas et al., 1994). Major cells present in the synovial filtrate of patients are T-cells, and a partial therapeutic effect was observed due to depletion of T-cells in these patients (Berneret al., 2000). Present understanding of RA conveys that TH1 cells which are specific for a particular antigen (which hasn’t been identified yet) are present in the joints of the patients. Pathogenesis and symptoms Fig1.1: Release of cytokines due to T-cell activation causing an inflamed synovium and pannus. Cytokines released in the synovium are Interleukin(IL)-1, IL-8, Interferon-gamma (INF-gamma), and Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha(TNF-alpha). But the clinically important ones are IL-1 and TNF-alpha. These cytokines stimulate increase in collaginases, IL-6, chemokines, nitric oxide and Cyclo-oxigenase-2(COX-2) production. The combined action of these and a few others like IL-2 and IL-4 lead to the pathogenesis of the disease. Other than antigens, RA also involves antibodies- this is most likely due to formation of immune complexes. The auto-antibodies produced are called ‘rheumatoid factors’ and are specific to the Fc region of IgG. This rheumatoid factor is an IgM antibody and hence the immune complex consists of IgG-IgM which cause the damage (Janeway et al., 2001). Symptoms include stiffness, pain, swelling, and erythema, joints become tender, swollen, and warm. As it progresses, multiple joints would be affected (polyarthritis). The clinical manifestations are collection of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages at the inflamed region, cartilage damage, and, destruction of the joint Synovitis (inflammation of the synovium) can lead to  tethering  of tissue, lack of movement and erosion of the surface leading to deformity and loss of function. Systemic complexities are damage to various other organs like lungs, myocardia, pericardia pleura, eyes, and Central Nervous System as a result of inflammatory reactions (fig-1.1). Many agents are now available to treat RA, and many of them are monoclonal antibodies. Several new monoclonal antibodies are currently under development and hopefully will be available as other alternatives The focus of this paper is to state the latest therapeutic monoclonal antibodies being used for RA treatment, to state their merits and demerits and whether they are better than normal drugs/medication. Monoclonal antibodies with different mechanisms of action and route of administration are discussed and whether they pose as good therapeutic agents with an acceptable safety profile. 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1  Treatment of Rhematoid Arthritis Some of the treatments for RA are: Anti-TNF-alphaTreatments Medications Therapeutic monoclonal antibody treatment Earlier it was believed that if one cytokine signal cascade was blocked then another cytokine would takeover. It was hypothesized that IL-1 caused the cartilage and bone damage.Through a study(at Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology), it was found that IL-1 bioactivity had stopped due to TNF-alpha blocking. This led to the development of anti-TNF-alpha treatments like- cyotokine antibodies and soluble-receptor antagonists (Feldmann et al., 1999). There are mainly four types of medications being used- Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immuno-suppressants, and corticosteroids (glucocorticoids).(Rang et al.,1995). DMARDs include pencillamines (Cuprimine ®, Depen ®), gold compounds (Myochrysine ®, Ridaura ®) and chloroquine (Plaquenil ®). Although their mechanism of action is not properly understood, they have a very significant effect on RA patients. NSAIDs like asprin, ibuprofen (Advil  ®), ketoprofen (Orudis ®), naproxen (Naprosyn ®), etc.. have a variety of effects like anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, and analgesic effects.Immuno-suppressants like cyclosporine and cytotoxic agents like azathioprine suppress both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Corticosteroids like prednisone, hydrocortisone, etc., have immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects (Rang et al.,1995). 2.1.1 Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies: Each B-cell synthesizes only one kind of antibody and every organism has various populations of B-cells which secrete various antibodies specific to various antigens being recognized. But in order to turn this function into a helpful tool, we need huge amounts of a same antibody. So we need to culture a B-cell population originating from the same ancestral B-cell and hence obtaining the same kind of antibodies.Such a population of cells are called ‘monoclonal’ and the antibodies are‘monoclonal antibodies’(mAbs).Such monoclonal antibodies used for various therapeutic purposes are referred to as ‘therapeutic monoclonal antibodies’. If a specific antibody of a B-lymphocyte is needed, that B-cell should be secreted in an organism. So the antigen for which the antibody is needed is injected into a mouse and it secretes the B-cell antibodies against the antigen. Such B-cells are isolated from the spleen and fused with myeloma cells (using Poly Ethylene glycol, or electroporation), forming hybridomas. To selectively isolate the hybridoma cells, they are grown in HAT(Hypoxanthine AminopterinThyamidine) medium. (Fig 2.1.1) The cancer cells are HGPRT- and the B-cells are HGPRT+(HGPRT is an enzyme Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase which helps in the synthesis of nucleotides from hypoxanthine). Therefore, all the unfused myeloma cells die in the HAT medium and all the unfused B-cells can’t divide for long and only the hybridoma cells survive indefinitely. It is from these cells that the antigen-specific antibodies are labelled and isolated using radioactivity or immunofluorescence. Fig 2.1.1- A summary of the process of monoclonal antibody production. Types Till date there are four types of therapeutic mAbs- Murine Chimeric Humanized Human Murine antibodies (suffix omab)refer tomAbs made from any mammal of the family muridae (like mouse, rat). These mAbs were produced using hybridoma technology and were analogous to murine antibodies. But these were not a success because immune complexes formed due to which they only had a short half-life in vivo and caused cytotoxicity resulting in allergies and anaphylactic shocks .Hence these were replaced by chimeric and humanizedmAbs.Chimeric mAbs (suffix ximab) has variable regions of murine and constant region of humans fused together (they are 65% human). This decreases immunogenicity. Humanized antibodies (suffix –zumab) are made by grafting murine hyper-variable region onto the amino acid region of the human Abs (they are 85% human). However, these antibodies lacked the specificity of their parent murine mAbsso, affinity was increased by introducing mutations in the CDR (complementarity determining region). Phage display libraries or transgenic mice are use to produce human mAbs (suffix –umab). In this the murine genome is injected with the human immunoglobulin genes due to which it becomes transgenic. This mouse is injected with the desired antigen to yield the subsequent mAbs(Hudson PJ, Souriau C., 2003). 2.1.1.1 Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against TNF-ÃŽ ± TNF-ÃŽ ± is a key mediator of the inflammation-induced joint damage that is a hallmark of this disease. Monoclonal antibodies to TNF bind soluble and transmembrane TNF, thereby down-regulating TNF-induced immune responses including adhesion molecule expression, cytokine production, matrix metalloproteinase production, neutrophil activities, dendritic cell function and osteoclast differentiaion. (Blumi S, Jet al.,2012) Monoclonal antibodies to TNF, except for certolizumab have the ability to lyse TNF-expressing cells in the presence of complement. (Kukar M, et al.,2009). Currently there are four mAbs approved for the treatment of RA Infliximab This is a chimeric IgG1 mAb and has human constant region with murine variable regions.(Perdriger A., 2009). This is best used with methotextrate(MTX) and is available only in the intravenus form. In 2001, it was approved by the FDA in combination with MTX to treat moderate to severe RA. Effectiveness and improvement in the disease compared to placebo was shown in multiple, randomized trials(Elliott MJ, et al., 1993) ,( Lipsky PE, et al., 2000), (MainiRN, et al., 2004). It was proven to be effective in early stages of the disease (et al., 2004).Given that influximab is comprised of a significant proportion of murine protein it was anticipated that patients would develop antichimeric antibodies that could impair the efficacy and increase the risk of infusion reactions. The combination of infliximab and MTX results in a substantial reduction in antichimeric antibody and increased serum infliximab levels.. Adalimumab Adalimumab is a human recombinant IgG1 mAb that has no murine component and is produced by phage display technology. It was FDA/EMA approved in, or soon after, 2002 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RA as monotherapy or in combination with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It is available in the subcutaneous form at a dose of 40 mg every 2 weeks. Despite adalimumab being a fully human antibody, anti-adalimumab antibodies have been detected in a significant number of patients(Vincent FB, Morland EF, Murphy Ket al.2013). Adalimumab responses and long-term sustainability may be reduced by anti-adalimumab antibodies, but adalimumab generally has good sustainability similar to that of etanercept and generally better than infliximab. Golimumab Golimumab is a fully human IgG1 anti-TNF-ÃŽ ± antibody that was generated and affinity matured in an in vivo system. It is very similar in structure to infliximab without the mouse protein. It was approved by the FDA/EMA in or soon after 2009 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RA in combination with MTX(Kremer J, et al,2010). Certolizumab Certolizumabpegol is a humanized Fab fragment (Fc free) fused to a 40-kd polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety. It was FDA/EMA approved in 2009 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RA as monotherapy or in combination with MTX. It is available in the subcutaneous form at a dose of 400 mg at 0, 2 and 4 weeks, then every 2 weeks or 400 mg every 4 weeks. 2.1.1.2 Antibodies against B Cells B cells are critical to the pathogenesis of RA. Mature B cells may evolve into antibody producing plasma cells. Although the precise role of B-cell-producing autoantibodies in RA remains unclear, B cell and plasma cell infiltration into synovium has consistently been found.In addition to their role as precursors to antibody producing plasma cells, B cells may function as antigen-presenting cells and may also produce inflammatory cytokines and co-stimulatory molecules important for T-cell function.(TngYKO,et al., 2007). Rituximab As rituximab is a B-cell-depleting agent, chimeric/IgG1 monoclonal antibody which binds to the CD20 cell surface marker found on several maturation stages of B lymphocytes. It gained FDA/EMA approval in 2006 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RA in combination with MTX in patients with inadequate response to anti-TNF. Rituximab is given via the intravenous route at a dose of 1000 mg for two doses 2 weeks apart for each cycle. The first study evaluated rituximab in RA was reported by Edwardset al., 2004.Four treatment groups consisting of MTX monotherapy, rituximab monotherapy, rituximab plus cyclophosphamide and rituximab plus MTX were compared, and all rituximab groups had a better ACR20 response compared with MTX monotherapy, with a comparable safety profile. 2.1.1.3 Antibodies That Interfere With IL-6 Function IL-6 is a cytokine produced by immunologically important cells that has an important role in T-cell activation and immunoglobulin secretion.It also stimulates synovial fibroblast differentiation and osteoclast activation.Dysregulation of IL-6 is also, in part, responsible for many of the generalized systemic effects of RA, including anemia of chronic disease as well as the acute phase reactants seen in this disease(Tanaka.Tet al. , 2010). Tocilizumab Previously called MRA, tocilizumab is a humanized/IgG1 mAb directed against IL-6 receptor in its soluble and transmembrane form. It was approved by the FDA/EMA in early 2010, or slightly before, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe RA in patients with an inadequate response to DMARDs and/or anti-TNF. A subcutaneous form of tocilizumab is currently under study. It is also indicated in patients with anemia of chronic disease since it dramatically increases hemoglobin as a consequence of reduction in hepcidin – the protein that inhibits iron utilization in RA. 2.1.1.4 Antibodies That Interfere With IL-1 Function IL-1 is produced by many cell types in response to myriad inflammatory stimuli and mediates multiple immunologic and inflammatory pathways. In patients with RA, the levels of naturally produced IL-1 receptor antagonist in the synovium is thought to be insufficient to counteract the increased levels of IL-1 produced in this disease (Arend WP., 2002) Anakinra Anakinra is the recombinant form of a human receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and was approved by the FDA/EMA in, or slightly after, 2002 at a daily dose of 100 mg subcutaneously for moderate-to-severe RA that has been unresponsive to initial disease DMARD therapy. It has been studied in RA in several trials. (Fleischmann RM.et al,  2003) 2.1.1.5 Safety Infections Infections are the most common adverse event associated with the use of all biologics. Infection risks with anakinra and tocilizumab are probably similar to the TNF inhibitors, with rituximab perhaps having slightly less risk.Infection risk may be higher with the use of increased doses of infliximab and anakinra.Respiratory tract infections are most commonly reported. The risk of granulomatous infections, such as tuberculosis, is also increased in patients using monoclonal antibody TNF inhibitors. Malignancies The use of TNF inhibitors in patients with RA has not been associated with an increased risk of solid cancers, with the exception of cutaneous malignancies.. Malignancies have been reported with anakinra, tocilizumab and rituximab, but the risk does not seem higher than predicted in RA patients.(Ding T et al., 2010)Longer-term follow-up is required to more clearly understand the risk of malignancies with these drugs. Demyelinating diseases Symptoms of demyelinating neurologic dysfunction have been associated with TNF inhibitors. Resolution of these symptoms with drug withdrawal is common. TNF inhibitors should be withdrawn immediately if neurologic symptoms occur with use, and probably should be avoided in patients with pre-existing demylelinating symptoms(Ding T, Ledinghamet al., 2010).   3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 3.1 Drugs vs mAbs Just as monoclonal antibodies have various side effects the medication used for RA also have various complications There have been many news reports about how pain-killing drugs known as COX-2 blockers increase heart attack and stroke risks. Additional studies suggested that older non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen could also elevate heart risks.One of the culprits: methotrexate. It’s the most commonly prescribed disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, orDMARD, for rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also responsible for hair loss in about 1 to 3 percent of people. The hair loss happens because methotrexate is doing what it’s supposed to do – stop cells from growing, including cells causing inflammation and, unfortunately, hair follicles. Folic acid, which is commonly prescribed with methotrexate to mitigate some of its side effects, is a synthetic form of folate, a B-complex vitamin. It can help keep hair healthy, but it has not been fou nd to promote hair growth.Generally as a drug-related side effect, the hair loss is not drastic and the hair does not fall out in patches. And it usually grows back once the patients stop taking the drug.So as of now, most of thesuccesful treatments for RA using monoclonal antibodies are in combination with methotrexate. 3.2 Conclusion and future prospects Monoclonal antibodies with different mechanisms of action and route of administration are highly effective therapeutic agents in the treatment of RA with an acceptable safety profile. Choosing the appropriate treatment is a complex decision that is affected by clinical data, physician and patient preference, and payers. Almost undoubtedly, these types of agents will continue to be important agents in the rheumatologists armamentarium. How to use these agents more selectively, particularly regarding which agents are best for which patients, hopefully will be better established in the future with new biomarkers. Prediction as to what agent to use in the right patient at the right time is clearly a research priority. Monoclonal antibodies as new agents are expensive, and the cost/benefit analysis justifying their use is also critical to practitioners. . Many aspects regarding the efficacy and safety of the supposedly cheaper biologics need to be evaluated before they are available for w idespread use, but their availability and the emergence of new agents in the future may substantially change the RA treatment landscape. Although current therapies can reduce the signs and symptoms of RA for many patients, the quest for a cure (or a more complete blockade of the structural damage) in RA is still ongoing and will need treatment approaches, which are not exclusively confined to blocking a particular cytokine, receptor, or auto-reactive B or T cell involved in disease progression. To this end exciting treatment alternatives and drug targets are on the horizon that may become available to patients in the future.

The Medias Role in the Escalation of Palmer Raids and the Red Scare in

Newspapers are supposed to give us an unbiased factual report of important events, but that isn’t always the case.   Newspapers can make certain events seem more important and more consequential than other events.   This happened during the Palmer Raids of the early 1920’s.   Newspapers made the Palmer Raids more prevalent and Anti-Communist feelings stronger among the American public during the 1920’s. To understand how the media escalated the Red Scare and Palmer Raids it helps to have a brief history of them.   After World War I there was a Red Scare among many Americans.   There are many explanations for this: rampant inflation, a tough job market, strikes, race riots, and the public’s need for a scapegoat (Duminel 218).   When Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer’s home was bombed he immediately believed it was the Communists and went after all of them.   In November of 1919, and December of 1920 the U.S. Department of Justice under Palmer’s direction conducted raids in a number of prominent cities (Remelgas 3).   Many persons were arrested without warrants, and without being given proper rights.   Over five thousand people were arrested, and a total of two hundred and forty nine people were deported (Remelgas 4).   After these raids and unlawful arrests, Palmer was called before the House Rules Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee and conv icted of using Government funds in an improper way causing the end of the first Red Scare. In journalism there are certain standards used to draw attention to certain articles.   Alexandra Remelgas states: The standards of responsible journalism are useful in examining the press coverage of the Palmer Raids.   Standards of responsible journalism are limited by the selection of and emphas... ..., Edward A.   â€Å"Heaven On Earth.†Ã‚   Detroit Free Press Magazine 11 Jan. 1920: 2 Hoyt, Edwin.   The Palmer Raids, 1919-1920 An Attempt to Suppress Dissent. New York:   The Seabury Press. Murray, Robert. Red Scare: A Study In National Hysteria, 1919-1920. Minnesota: North   Central Publishing, 1955. â€Å"Reds Plotted Country Wide Strike Arrests Exceeded 5,000, 2,635 Held; 3 Transports Ready For Them† New York Times 4 Jan 1920: 1 Remelgas, Alexandra. â€Å"News Reporting And Editorial Interpretation Of The Palmer Raids 1919-1920 By Three Detroit Newspapers: A Study† Thesis For Degree Of M.A. MSU, 1970,       Shulam, Alix.   To the Barricades: The anarchist Life Of Emma Goldman. New York.  Ã‚   Thomas and Crowell Company, 1971. Who Built America, v. II. â€Å"Between to Wars – The Palmer Raids.† CD Rom. 25 January  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2000.   http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/hist409/red.html   

Marketing: video game console and shoppers stop Essay

Ask the company top brass what ‘almost there’ means. The answer: a premier Indian retail company that has come to be known as a specialty chain of apparel and accessories. With 52 product categories under one roof, Shoppers’ Stop has a line-up of 350 brands. Set up and headed by former Corona employee, B. S. Nagesh, Shoppers’ Stop is India’s answer to Selfridges and Printemps. As it proudly announces, ‘We don’t sell, we help you buy. ’ Back in 1991, there was the question of what to retail. Should it be a supermarket or a departmental store? Even an electronics store was considered. Finally, common senseand understanding won out. The safest bet, for the all-male team was to retail men’s wear. They knew the male psyche and felt that they had discerning taste in men’s clothing. The concept would be that of a lifestyle store in a luxurious space, which would make for a great shopping experience. The first Shoppers’ Stop store took shape in Andheri, Mumbai, in October 1991, with an investment of nearly Rs. 20 lakh. The original concept that formed the basis of a successful marketing campaign for seven years is here to stay. And the result is an annual turnover of Rs. 160 crores and five stores, nine years later. Everything went right from the beginning, except for one strange happening. More than 60 per cent of the customers who walked into Shoppers’ Stop in Mumbai were women. This gave rise to ideas. Soon, the store set up its women’s section. Later, it expanded to include children’s wear and then, household accessories. The second store in Bangalore came in 1995. The store at Hyderabad followed in 1998 with the largest area of 60,000 sq. ft. The New Delhi and Jaipur stores were inaugurated in 1999. All this while, the product range kept increasing to suit customer needs. The most recent experiment was home furnishings. Secure in the knowledge that organised retailing in global brands was still in its infancy in India, Shoppers’ Stop laid the ground rules which the competition followed. The biggest advantage for Shoppers’ Stop is that it knows how the Indian consumer thinks and feels while shopping. Yes, feeling – for in India, shopping remains an outing. And how does it compare itself to foreign stores? While it is not modeled on any one foreign retailer, the ‘basic construct’ is taken from the experience of a number of successfully managed retail companies. It has leveraged expertise for a critical component like technology from all over the world, going as far as hiring expatriates from Littlewoods and using state-of-the-art ERP models. Shoppers’ Stop went a step further by even integrating its financial system with the ERP model. Expertise was imported wherever it felt that expertise available in-house was inadequate. But the store felt there was one acute problem. A shortage of the most important resource of them all was trained humans . Since Indian business institutes did not have professional courses in retail management, people were hired from different walks of life and the training programme was internalized. By 1994, the senior executives at Shoppers’ Stop were taking lectures at management institutes in Mumbai. The Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) even restructured its course to include retail management as a subject. Getting the company access to the latest global retail trends and exchange of information with business greats was an exclusive membership to the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS). It allows membership by invitation to one company from a country and Shoppers’ Stop rubs shoulders with 29 of the hottest names in retailing – Selfridges from the UK, C. K. Tang from Singapore, Lamcy Plaza from Dubai and the like. With logistics I in place, the accent moved to the customer. Shoppers’ Stop conducted surveys with ORG-MARG and Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) and undertook in-house wardrobe audits. The studies confirmed what it already knew. The Indian customer is still evolving and is very different from, say, a European customer, who knows exactly what he wants to purchase, walks up to a shelf, picks up the merchandise, pays and walks out. In India, customers like to touch and feel the merchandise, and scout for options. Also, the majority of Indian shoppers still prefer to pay in cash. So, transactions must be in cash as against plastic money used the world over. Additionally, the Indian customer likes being served – whether it is food, or otherwise. The company’s customer profile includes people who want the same salesperson each time they came to the store to walk them through the shop floors and assist in the purchase. Others came with families, kids and maids in tow and expected to be suitably attended to. Still others wanted someone to carry the bags. So, the shops have self-help counters with an assistant at hand for queries or help. The in-house wardrobe audit also helped with another facet of the business. It enabled Shoppers’ Stop to work out which brands to stock, based on customer preferences. In fact, the USP of Shoppers’ Stop lies in judiciously selected global brands, displayed alongside an in-house range of affordable designer wear. The line-up includes Levi’s, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Walt Disney, Ray Ban and Reebok, besides in-house labels STOP and I. Brand selection is the same across the five locations, though the product mix may be somewhat city-based to accommodate cuts and styles in women’s wear, as well as allowing for seasonal variations (winter in Delhi, for instance, is a case in point). Stocking of brands is based on popular demand – recently, Provogue, MTV Style, and Benetton have been added. In-house labels are available at competitive prices and target the value-formoney customer and make up around 12 per cent of Shoppers’ Stop’s business. Sometimes in-house brands plug the price gap in certain product categories. To cash in on this, the company has big plans for its in-house brands: from re-branding to repositioning, to homing in on product categories where existing brands are not strong. Competition between brands is not an issue, because being a trading house, all brands get equal emphasis. The in-house brand shopper is one who places immense trust in the company and the quality of its goods and returns for repeat buys. And the company reposed its faith in regular customers by including them in a concept called the First Citizen’s Club (FCC). With 60,000 odd members, FCC customers account for 10 per cent of entries and for 34 per cent of the turnover. It was the sheer appeal of the experience that kept pulling these people back. Not one to let such an opportunity pass, the company ran a successful ad campaign (that talks about just this factor) in print for more than eight years. The theme is still the same. In 1999, a TV spot, which liked the shopping experience to the slowing down of one’s internal clock and the beauty of the whole experience, was aired. More recently, ads that spell out the store’s benefits (in a highly oblique manner) are being aired. The campaign is based on entries entered in the Visitors’ Book. None of the ads has a visual or text – or any heavy handedly direct reference to the store or the merchandise. The ads only show shoppers having the time of their lives in calm and serene locales, or elements that make shopping at the store a pleasure – quite the perfect getaway for a cosmopolitan shopper aged between 25 and 45. The brief to the agency, Contract, ensured that brand recall came in terms of the shopping experience, not the product. And it has worked wonders. Value-addition at each store also comes in the form of special care with car parks, power backup, customer paging, alteration service and gift-wrapping. To top it all, cafes and coffee bars make sure that the customer does not step out of the store. In Hyderabad, it has even created a Food Court. Although the food counter was not planned, it came about as there was extra space of 67,000 sq. ft. Carrying the perfect experience to the shop floor is an attempt to stack goods in vast open spaces neatly. Every store has a generic structure, though regional customer variances are accounted for. Each store is on lease, and this is clearly Shoppers’ Stop’s most expensive resource proposition – renting huge spaces in prime properties across metros, so far totaling 210,000 sq. ft of retail space. Getting that space was easy enough for Shoppers’ Stop, since its promoter is the Mumbai-based Raheja Group, which also owns 62 per cent of the share capital. Questions 1. What are the significant factors that have led to the success of Shoppers’ Stop? 2. Draw the typical profile(s) of Shoppers’ Stop customer segments. 3. How are Indian customers visiting Shoppers’ Stop any different from customers of developed western countries? 4. How should Shoppers’ Stop develop its demand forecasts? Case let 2 The rise of personal computers in the mid 1980s spurred interest in computer games. This caused a crash in home Video game market. Interest in Video games was rekindled when a number of different companies developed hardware consoles that provided graphics superior to the capabilities of computer games. By 1990, the Nintendo Entertainment System dominated the product category. Sega surpassed Nintendo when it introduced its Genesis System. By 1993, Sega commanded almost 60 per cent of Video game market and was one of the most recognized brand names among the children. Sega’s success was short lived. In 1995, Saturn (a division of General Motors) launched a new 32-bit system. The product was a miserable failure for a number of reasons. Sega was the primary software developer for Saturn and it did not support efforts by outside game developers to design compatible games. In addition, Sega’s games were often delivered quite late to retailers. Finally, the price of the Saturn system was greater than other comparable game consoles. This situation of Saturn’s misstep benefited Nintendo and Sony greatly. Sony’s Play Station was unveiled in 1994 and was available in 70 million homes worldwide by the end of 1999. Its â€Å"Open design† encouraged the efforts of outside developers, resulting in almost 3,000 different games that were compatible with the PlayStation. It too featured 32-bit graphics that appealed to older audience. As a result, at one time, more than 30 per cent of PlayStation owners were over 30 years old. Nintendo 64 was introduced in 1996 and had eye-popping 64-bit graphics and entered in more than 28 million homes by 1999. Its primary users were between the age of 6 and 13 as a result of Nintendo’s efforts to limit the amount of violent and adult-oriented material featured on games that can be played on its systems. Because the company exercised considerable control over software development, Nintendo 64 had only one-tenth the number of compatible games as Sony’s PlayStation did. By 1999, Sony had captured 56 per cent of the video game market, followed by Nintendo with 42 per cent. Sega’s share had fallen to a low of 1%. Hence, Sega had two options, either to concede defeat or introduce an innovative video machine that would bring in huge sales. And Sega had to do so before either Nintendo or Sony could bring their next-generation console to market. The Sega Dreamcast arrived in stores in September 1999 with an initial price tag of $199. Anxious gamers placed 300,000 advance orders, and initial sales were quite encouraging. A total of 1. 5 million Dreamcast machines were bought within the first four months, and initial reviews were positive. The 128-bit system was capable of generating 3-D visuals, and 40 different games were available within three months of Dream cast’s introduction. By the end of the year, Sega had captured a market share to 15 per cent. But the Dreamcast could not sustain its momentum. Although its game capabilities were impressive, the system did not deliver all the functionality Sega had promised. A 56K modem (which used a home phone line) and a Web browser were meant to allow access to the Internet so that gamers could play each other online, surf the Web, and visit the Dreamcast Network for product information and playing tips. Unfortunately, these features either were not immediately available or were disappointing in their execution. Sega was not the only one in having the strategy of adding functionality beyond games. Sony and Nintendo followed the same approach for their machines introduced in 1999. Both Nintendo’s Neptune and Sony’s PlayStation 2 (PS2) were built on a DVD platform and featured a 128-bit processor. Analysts applauded the move to DVD because it is less expensive to produce and allows more storage than CDs. It also gives buyers the ability to use the machine as CD music player and DVD movie player. As Sony marketing director commented, â€Å"The full entertainment offering from Play Station 2 definitely appeals to a much broader audience. I have friends in their 30s who bought it not only because it’s a gaming system for their kids , but also a DVD for them. † In addition, PlayStation 2 is able to play games developed for its earlier model that was CD-based. This gives the PS2 an enormous advantage in the number of compatible game titles that were immediately available to gamers. Further enhancing the PS2’s appeal is its high-speed modem and allows the user’s easy access to the Internet through digital cable as well as over telephone lines. This gives Sony the ability to distribute movies, music, and games directly to PS2 consoles. â€Å"We are positioning this as an all-round entertainment player,† commented Ken Kutaragi, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment. However, some prospective customers were put off by the console’s initial price of $360. Shortly after the introduction of Neptune, Nintendo changed its strategies and announced the impending release of its newest game console, The GameCube. However, unlike the Neptune, the GameCube would not run on a DVD platform and also would not initially offer any online capabilities. It would be more attractively priced at $199. A marketing vice president for Nintendo explained the company’s change in direction, â€Å"We are the only competitor whose business is video games. We want to create the best gaming system. † Nintendo also made the GameCube friendly for outside developers and started adding games that included sports titles to attract an older audience. Best known for its extra ordinary successes with games aimed at the younger set, such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros, and Pokemon, Nintendo sought to attract older users, especially because the average video game player is 28. Youthful Nintendo users were particularly pleased to hear that they could use their handheld Game Boy Advance systems as controllers for the GameCube. Nintendo scrambled to ensure there would be an adequate supply of Game Cubes on the date in November 2001, when they were scheduled to be available to customers. It also budgeted $450 million to market its new product, as it anticipated stiff competition during the holiday shopping season. With more than 20 million PlayStation 2 sold worldwide, the GameCube as a new entry in the video game market would make the battle for market share even more intense. For almost a decade, the video game industry had only Sega, Nintendo, and Sony; just three players. Because of strong brand loyalty and high product development costs, newcomers faced a daunting task in entering this race and being competitive. In November 2001, Microsoft began selling its new Xbox, just three days before the GameCube made its debut. Some observers felt the Xbox was aimed to rival PlayStation 2, which has similar functions that rival Microsoft’s Web TV system and even some lower level PCs. Like the Sony’s PlayStation 2, Xbox was also built using a DVD platform, but it used anIntel processor in its construction. This open design allowed Microsoft to develop the Xbox in just twoyears, and gave developers the option of using standard PC tool for creating compatible games. In addition, Microsoft also sought the advice of successful game developers and even incorporated some of their feedback into the design of the console and its controllers. As a result of developers’ efforts, Microsoft had about 20 games ready when the Xbox became available. By contrast, the GameCube had only eight games available. Microsoft online strategy was another feature that differentiated of the Xbox from the GameCube. Whereas Nintendo had no immediate plans for Web-based play, the Xbox came equipped with an Ethernet port for broadband access to Internet. Microsoft also announced its own Web-based network on which gamers can come together for online head-to head play and for organised online matches and tournaments. Subscribers to this service were to pay a small monthly fee and must have high-speed access to the Internet. This is a potential drawback considering that a very low percentage of households world over currently have broadband connections. By contrast Sony promoted an open network, which allows software developers to manage their own games, including associated fees charged to users. However, interested players must purchase a network adapter for an additional $39. 99. Although game companies are not keen on the prospect of submitting to the control of a Microsoft-controlled network, it would require a significant investment for them to manage their own service on the Sony based network. Initially the price of Microsoft’s Xbox was $299. Prior to the introduction of Xbox, in a competitive move Sony dropped the price of the PlayStation 2 to $299. Nintendo’s GameCube already enjoyed a significant price advantage, as it was selling for $100 less than either Microsoft or Sony products. Gamers eagerly snapped up the new consoles and made 2001 the best year ever for video game sales. For the first time, consumers spent $9. 4 billion on video game equipment, which was more than they did at the box office. By the end of 2001 holiday season, 6. 6 million PlayStation 2 consoles had been sold in North America alone, followed by 1. 5 million Xbox units and 1. 2 million Game Cubes. What ensued was an all out price war. This started when Sony decided to put even more pressure on the Microsoft’s Xbox by cutting the PlayStation 2 price to $199. Microsoft quickly matched that price. Wanting to maintain its low-price status, Nintendo in turn responded by reducing the price of its the GameCube by $50, to $149. By mid 2002, Microsoft Xbox had sold between 3. 5 and 4 million units worldwide. However, Nintendo had surpassed Xbox sales by selling 4. 5 million Game Cubes. Sony had the benefit of healthy head start, and had shipped 32 million PlayStation 2s. However, seven years after the introduction of original PlayStation, it was being sold in retail outlets for a mere $49. It had a significant lead in terms of numbers of units in homes around the world with a 43 per cent share. Nintendo 64 was second with 30 per cent, followed by Sony PlayStation 2 with 14 per cent The Xbox and GameCube each claimed about 3 per cent of the market, with Sega Dreamcast comprising the last and least market share of 4. 7 per cent. Sega, once an industry leader, announced in 2001 that it had decided to stop producing the Dreamcast and other video game hardware components. The company said it would develop games for its competitors’ consoles. Thus Sega slashed the price of the Dreamcast to just $99 in an effort to liquidate its piled up inventory of more than 2 million units and immediately began developing 11 new games for the Xbox, four for PlayStation 2, and three for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. As the prices of video game consoles have dropped, consoles and games have become the equivalent of razors and blades. This means the consoles generate little if any profit, but the games are a highly profitable proposition. The profit margins on games are highly attractive, affected to some degree by whether the content is developed by the console maker (such as Sony) or by an independent game publisher (such as Electronic Arts). Thus, the competition to develop appealing, or perhaps even addictive, games may be even more intense than the battle among players to produce the best console. In particular, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft want games that are exclusive to their own systems. With that in mind, they not only rely on large in-house staffs that design games but they also pay added fees to independent publishers for exclusive rights to new games. The sales of video games in 2001 rose to 43 per cent, compared to just 4 per cent increase for computer-based games. But computer game players are believed to be a loyal bunch, as they see many advantages in playing games on their computers rather than consoles. For one thing, they have a big advantage of having access to a mouse and a keyboard that allow them to play far more sophisticated games. In addition, they have been utilizing the Internet for years to receive game updates and modifications and to play each other over the Web. Sony and Microsoft are intent on capturing a portion of the online gaming opportunity. Even Nintendo has decided to make available a modem that will allow GameCube users to play online. As prices continue to fall and technology becomes increasingly more sophisticated, it remains to be seen whether these three companies can keep their names on the industry’s list of â€Å"high scorers†. Questions 1. Considering the concept of product life cycle, where would you put video games in their life cycle? 2. Should video game companies continue to alter their products to include other functions, such as e-mail? END OF SECTION B Section C: Applied Theory (30 marks). 1. What is meant by sales promotion? Describe briefly the various methods of sales promotional tools used by business organizations to boost the sales. Explain any four methods of sales promotion? 2. Write notes on the fowling : a) Explain right to safety. b) What is right to consumer protection? END OF SECTION C.

Free Essays on Non-Linear Editing

WHAT'S NON-LINEAR EDITING? Editing film on a flatbed or workbench is basically non-linear editing. That is, the film can be assembled in any order from beginning to end, and changes can be made in the cut anywhere at any time. Contrast this with editing on video, where an editor must begin the cut at the beginning of the program and lay down shots in story order. Often an project edited in this way must make several versions of the program an "off-line" edit, where the basic decisions of the cut are made, and then an "on-line" edit, which includes all the bells and whistles of the edit dissolves, wipes, etc. Similarly, a film editor must make all his or her decisions without benefit of these effects, marking the work-print edit with grease pencil where the dissolves are supposed to go. The film editor has the benefits of being able to break a splice in half and make changes in the middle of the film edit, but has the disadvantages of having to keep track of thousands of little film trims. Non-Linear Editing, in the context of computer editing, is to film and video editing what the word processor was to the typewriter. Non-linear editing offers the best of both the film and video worlds..and more. The benefits of Non-linear editors (NLE) are greater than I could explain in one article. A NLE allow you to make changes in your edit anywhere at any time. A NLE can easily save multiple cuts of one program. A NLE can save hours of work logging and ar chiving footage. A NLE can remember and undo your recent edits that you aren't happy with. A NLE can generate an Edit Decision List (EDL) for film (a "cut list") or video to be sent to a negative conformer or in the case of video, can be imported into a n edit controller. Most NLE's use all digital sound. Many NLE's allow you to do titles generation, dissolves, wipes, video and 3D effects, and other custom effects on-the-fly or in real time. Many NLE's allow you to convert to and fr... Free Essays on Non-Linear Editing Free Essays on Non-Linear Editing WHAT'S NON-LINEAR EDITING? Editing film on a flatbed or workbench is basically non-linear editing. That is, the film can be assembled in any order from beginning to end, and changes can be made in the cut anywhere at any time. Contrast this with editing on video, where an editor must begin the cut at the beginning of the program and lay down shots in story order. Often an project edited in this way must make several versions of the program an "off-line" edit, where the basic decisions of the cut are made, and then an "on-line" edit, which includes all the bells and whistles of the edit dissolves, wipes, etc. Similarly, a film editor must make all his or her decisions without benefit of these effects, marking the work-print edit with grease pencil where the dissolves are supposed to go. The film editor has the benefits of being able to break a splice in half and make changes in the middle of the film edit, but has the disadvantages of having to keep track of thousands of little film trims. Non-Linear Editing, in the context of computer editing, is to film and video editing what the word processor was to the typewriter. Non-linear editing offers the best of both the film and video worlds..and more. The benefits of Non-linear editors (NLE) are greater than I could explain in one article. A NLE allow you to make changes in your edit anywhere at any time. A NLE can easily save multiple cuts of one program. A NLE can save hours of work logging and ar chiving footage. A NLE can remember and undo your recent edits that you aren't happy with. A NLE can generate an Edit Decision List (EDL) for film (a "cut list") or video to be sent to a negative conformer or in the case of video, can be imported into a n edit controller. Most NLE's use all digital sound. Many NLE's allow you to do titles generation, dissolves, wipes, video and 3D effects, and other custom effects on-the-fly or in real time. Many NLE's allow you to convert to and fr...

Innovation, Creativity, and Design Definitions Essay

Innovation, Creativity, and Design Definitions Essay Free Online Research Papers Innovation, creativity, and design are all very important parts of creating and keeping a competitive advantage in today’s competitive business world. Even though these words need each other in order to make business run smoothly, their definitions are both similar and different at the same time. Innovation is defined as the introduction of something new. Innovation equals creativity plus implementation. Creativity is defined as the idea itself and the definition of implementation is putting the idea into practice. Implementation has three aspects; idea selection, development, and commercialization along with creativity. Implementation is a team effort and there needs to be processes, procedures, and structures in place that will ensure that projects will be done correctly and on time. If the company lacks creativity then the implementation may not go as planned. Design is the conscious decision-making process by which information (an idea) is transformed into an outcome, be it tangible (product) or intangible (service) (Stamm, 2003). Comparing design, innovation, and creativity is easy to do. They all need each other. Without creativity, design and innovation would be a flop. Without Innovation, there would be no creativity or design. Without design, there would be no creativity or innovation. All of these stages need each other and are crucial to the well being of the end result. All of these stages all require a team effort. Putting different minds together give different aspects and angles of perception and will make for a more outstanding end result. In contrast, these are all different stages and should not be combined into one stage. All of these stages need each other, but only to complement each other in different stages. Innovation, creativity, and design are still three different terms with three different meanings and will have three different outcomes. Innovation, creativity, and design work hand in hand with each other and at the same time mean different things. Without all three, a company would not have a competitive advantage and would not be as successful as they could be. Research Papers on Innovation, Creativity, and Design Definitions EssayOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfResearch Process Part OneGenetic EngineeringThree Concepts of PsychodynamicDefinition of Export QuotasRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Operations Management in Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operations Management in Business - Assignment Example It helps the organization to determine the business process of the firm. However, the tactical level includes the process of project management, selection of equipments, scheduling of processes, materials and goods traffic handling. Thus it handles the entire production operation of the plant (MITSloan, 2014). The operations of an organization allow it to accomplish its mission by employing the right technological and human recourses driven by the right managerial processes. Operation management allows an organization of produce goods as well as services. The manufacturing process yields tangible products as output whereas the service operations produce intangible output. Operations management process can be broken down in to simple steps like Planning, Organizing and Controlling. Planning involves laying down the blueprint of the course of actions. Organizing establishes the structure of the tasks involved and the hierarchy of authorities. Controlling allows the manager to ensure that the tasks are aligned with the plans. Thus the operations management allows a firm to meet its organizational goals by efficiently producing its goods and services in order to meet the demands of the customers (Kumar and Suresh, 2009). This section covers the operations function of The Bramble Co., which is a furniture wholesale supplier, headquartered in Wisconsin, USA. It supplies finished goods to countries like Australia, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, etc. The company runs its privately owned manufacturing plant in Java, Indonesia. The manufacturing plant covers a massive area of seven hectares (The Bramble Co., 2014). The company uses high end wood crafting technology along with integration of traditional craftsmanship. Bramble employs skilled workers from Europe in order to establish an efficient workforce. The company ships around seventy containers per month each having a size of

Value and Ethical Position Related to the Case Coursework

Value and Ethical Position Related to the Case - Coursework Example The term, ‘Ethical Dilemma’ refers to a position where a person faces difficulties for conflict between principles and responsibilities. A person is likely to face problem in terms of taking decisions regarding the concerned situation. From the provided case, it has been evaluated that the ACME medical center has faced damages owing to a hurricane. To rescue the local people, a helicopter was sent, which got crashed and exploded in a building leading to fire. The building was the location of a pediatric unit. Margaret, who is the Registered Nurse (RN) of the ACME medical center with five people made their way towards the roof and waited for rescue. In this context, Margaret faces a conflict situation of choosing over her duty and values for the safety of the people trapped in the building. Margaret moves downstairs and helps the people, as she is a nurse and cannot let the people die. The other people, who were with Margaret, stopped her from going downstairs and not to risk her life. Despite this, Margaret comes out from the conflicting situation and goes downstairs to help the needy people (Lo, 2013).