Market Strategy of Blue Cross Blue Shield Assignment

Market Strategy of Blue Cross Blue Shield - Assignment Example Conducive research indicates that even during the financial crisis of 2008, the organization has been stellar because of their high customer equity and premiums. Healthcare is one the elements that were always solid. Looking at the financial statements, the company made annual sales of $75.7 million. This allowed the company to leverage itself in the industry.   One of the major strengths of the organization is its ability to have a strong customer base supported by its technological infrastructure. The infrastructure is heavily supported by its business model and understanding how technology can serve its needs. However, the key benefit that the Blue Cross achieved was the fact that it allowed its customers to the accessibility of information without much delay. In an industry where information is vital, this organization was able to accommodate the needs of their growing customers as well as provide information that was compliant with HIPAA and ACA.   One of the major strengths, as mentioned before, was the fact that it had a strong customer and revenue base. The premiums that were being derived from the organization truly harnessed growth and allowed the company to get a strong threshold as a company.   One of the major challenges of the company was to expand its private and public cloud with compliance. It was evident that the risk management involved in the insurance business is a huge focal point.   Blue Cross had a huge dilemma of expanding their IT infrastructure boundaries by maintaining old records and creating space for new customers. Furthermore, the company’s auditing team was able to ensure the legitimacy of network passwords within their own IT infrastructure. When it comes to cloud computing, many flavors are present.

Types of Soil Essay Example for Free

Types of Soil Essay This is how one sixth-grader describes the way of playing video games. Such video games can seem like harmless fun, but what if the violence gets personal and addicts young teenagers, affecting their behavior and their view of reality? Some studies have shown that violent game players just do not leave it there on their game screens; they transfer the violent acts they get attached to, to the real world. Violent games have been shown to increase game player’s quest to experiment how all that stuff will look like in the real world. There is no doubt that violent video games have no effect on certain people, but for the most and especially in teenagers, the effects are negative and have led to fatalities and destruction of properties in certain instances. Although some parents claim that violence video games have bad effects on teenagers because they’re behavior changes, teenagers play too much violent games because they are very addicting. Some parents say that violent video games have bad effects on young teenagers. But most video- game players have normal lives. Most important, just because a player does not instantly take or follow violence found in video games does not mean the games will not have negative result on that player’s views and behavior. The violent games will have negative effects on teenagers. Young teenager’s behavior will have a big change. Because of this case, parents should be responsible for buying video games and should forbid young teenagers from buying those games that are violent. If parents do not take the responsibility than teenagers do not know what they are doing and what is good for them. Before teenagers take a big wrong step, parents should be there to take care of the situation. I have a little nephew in seventh grade and he loves violence video games. He loves playing call of duty. My aunt always gives him the money to buy any game that he likes. He loves the smell of money. She never checks to see what game he might have bought. Because of her not being responsible, my little cousin always gets into school fights with other children. So every parent must be responsible for their own child. Some parents say that violent video games have bad effects on young teenagers because a number of people claim that playing a violent video game does present a bad threat to user’s health. For an example, I have a younger brother who is seventeen years old. He loves playing violent video games. Every day, when he is home from school with his spiky brown hair, he starts playing the WrestleMania game. He does not eat anything and he talks to himself while playing the game. He does not realize that his behavior is changing by playing violent video games. One time, he tried to kick me in my stomach but a police man saw him and told him to stop. My parents made him quit playing violent video-games. Ever since he stopped playing violent video games his behavior has changed a lot. He now realizes he was out of control and it is all because of the violent video games. He sold his Xbox to one of his close friends. I am glad my parents took good care of it because it is their responsibility to look after their son. Some parents say that violent video games have bad effects on young teenagers because; there was a shooting in Colorado movie theatre. Twelve people were killed and fifty eight were injured by a graduate student. The guy who killed all these people was a very educated man. But he lost his sense of humor. He was out of control. People thought that the shooting was a part of the movie also. He was dressed up as the joker from the movie batman. Later the doctors found out he had some type of brain damage watching too much violent movies and playing games. So, he was not okay in his head. His behavior made so many people lose their lives. So many people lost their loved ones that day. And again violent community and games can damage people’s brains. Some parents say that violent video games have good effects on young teenagers because violent games can be new information to some teenagers, because it is something new and different from their daily lifestyle. They think violent games can help their child with memorization because it provides pretty text to look at. The video games have nice graphics for teenagers. It helps a teenager look at new information and advances them. Some parents think that teenagers learn better by looking at graphics and text that are provided by violent games. Parents think new and different inspires teenagers and games inspire them in a good way. But mostly business owner parents are saying this. But at the end of the day, it is every parent’s job to be responsible for their own child. Parents should pay more attention to their children while children are playing violent video games.

Effect of Glucosamine on Knee Osteoarthritis

Effect of Glucosamine on Knee Osteoarthritis REVIEW OF LITERATURE A prototypical 12-week, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of glucosamine among subjects with knee osteoarthritis was conducted to present the safety and effectiveness over the Internet. The study comprised 205 subjects aged 45 years or older with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and their eligibility was authenticated through medical record review. Participants were administered randomly to 1.5 g/d of glucosamine (n101) or placebo (n104), of whom 108 completed the intervention (93 in each arm). The primary outcome measure was the pain subscale of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (Likert version) while additional outcome measures were physical function and stiffness subscales and overall score of the questionnaire, and analgesic use. It was found that there was no difference between treatment and control groups in terms of change in pain score, stiffness, physical function, overall score, and analgesic use. Although glucosamine was appe ared to be safe, it was no more effective than placebo in treating the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. (McAlindon et al. 2004) A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the eficacy of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Fifty men and women with knee OA pain were enrolled in an outpatient medical center. Intervention was MSM 3 g or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks (6 g/day total). Outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index visual analogue scale (WOMAC), patient and physician global assessments (disease status, response to therapy), and SF-36 (overall health-related quality of life). It was found that MSM produced significant decreases in WOMAC pain and physical function impairment as compared to placebo. MSM also produced improvement in performing activities of daily living when compared to placebo on the SF-36 evaluation. The effectiveness and safety of MSM in managing OA and long-term use could not confirm from this pilot trial, but its potential clinical application was examined. (Kim et al. 2005) A study was carried to evaluate the efficacy and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) safety of celecoxib, compared with nonspecific nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among patients with osteoarthritis. A total of 13,274 osteoarthritis patients from 39 countries were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with either celecoxib 100 mg twice daily (BID), celecoxib 200 mg BID, or nonselective NSAID therapy (diclofenac 50 mg BID or naproxen 500 mg BID) for 12 weeks. Standard validated measures were used to assess osteoarthritis efficacy. Serious UGI events were evaluated by 2 blinded, independent, gastrointestinal events committees. It was observed that both dosages of celecoxib were as effective as NSAIDs in treating osteoarthritis. However, ulcer complications occurred within the nonselective NSAID group as compared with the celecoxib group. There were less ulcer complications in the celecoxib group compared with the NSAID group, both in patients taking concomitant aspirin an d those not taking aspirin, but the difference reached statistical significance only in the latter comparison. The cardiovascular thromboembolic events were low and not statistically different among the groups, but the study was not powered to detect such differences. It is concluded that celecoxib is as effective as the nonspecific NSAIDs naproxen and diclofenac, but has significantly fewer serious upper gastrointestinal events in the treatment of osteoarthritis. (Singh et al. 2006) The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of bromelain in treating OA of the knee. The study design was randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial. Subjects (n ¼47) with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate to severe knee OA were randomized to 12 weeks of bromelain 800 mg/day or placebo, with a 4-week follow-up. Knee (pain, stiffness and function) and quality-of-life symptoms were reported monthly in the WOMAC and SF36 questionnaires, respectively. Adverse events were also recorded. The primary outcome measure was the change in total WOMAC score from baseline to the end of treatment at week 12. Longitudinal models were used to evaluate outcome. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups for the primary outcome, nor the WOMAC subscales or SF36. Both treatment groups showed clinically relevant improvement in the WOMAC disability subscale only. Adverse events were generally mild in nature. This study suggested that bromelain was not efficacious as an adjunctive treatment of moderate to severe OA, but its limitations support the need for a follow-up study. (Brien et al. 2006) The aim of this study was to evaluate and establish the non-inferiority of an oral enzyme therapy as compared to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac (DC) in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Ninety patients were treated with osteoarthritis pain for 6 weeks in one study centre in a phase III, randomised, double blind, parallel group trial. The subjects were divided into two groups, 45 patients in each group. The efficacy criteria were assessed by applying the test of non-inferiority with regard to mean changes and frequencies, t-test, U test, ANCOVA and descriptive methods. The non-inferiority of oral enzymes as compared to Diclofenac was established with p = 0.0025. The oral enzymes used were bromelain, trypsin and rutosid. It was found that oral enzymes were simultaneously non-inferior as compared to Diclofenac. However, in case of drug tolerability, some tendencies were observed in favour of oral enzymes. Although, there was no real difference found between oral enzymes and Diclofenac but oral enzymes may well be prescribed for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. (Klein et al. 2006) The aim of the study was to provide a summary of the actions of curcumin on articular chondrocytes from the available literature with the use of a text-mining tool. Both the potential benefits and drawbacks of using this chemopreventive agent for treating osteoarthritis (OA) were highlighted. Recent work had shown that curcumin protects human chondrocytes from the catabolic actions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b) including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 up-regulation, inhibition of collagen type II and down-regulation of b1-integrin expression. Curcumin also blocks IL-1b-induced proteoglycan degradation, AP-1/NF-kB signalling, chondrocyte apoptosis and activation of caspase-3. The available data in vitro and in vivo studies suggested that curcumin may be a beneficial complementary treatment for OA in humans and companion animals. (Henrotin et al. 2009) The aim of the study was to assess whether glucosamine (GlcN), an oral supplement commonly taken to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, modulates the immune and inflammatory responses to joint injury in organs proximal to GlcN absorption; namely, the liver and the gut-draining lymph nodes. Using a papain-injected knee mouse model, standard histological methods were used to validate our model and document the impact of GlcN (100 mg/kg/day) on groups of C57BL/6 mice (n  ¼ 5). Circulating inflammatory cytokines were assessed by Luminex-based immunoassays and the relevance of this cytokine profile on proteoglycan biosynthesis evaluated using a patellar-cartilage assay. Real-time PCR was used to document the role of the liver in cytokine production. It was observed that Papain significantly degraded the proteoglycans in the injected knees by 2 days. Cartilage proteoglycan content was significantly higher in GlcN-treated, papain-injected knees at Day 14. The peak concentration of ser um pro-inflammatory cytokines occurred earlier and decreased sooner in the injected, GlcN-supplemented mice; this trend was in agreement with the expression of these factors by the liver. GlcN did not alter the percentage of MLN populations but accelerated their activation. Hence, it was suggested that Oral GlcN alters the physiology of the liver and MLNs, which in turn, could indirectly alter the biology of the injured joint. (Panicker et al. 2009) A three month study was conducted on curcumin-phosphatidylcholine phytosome complex. The joint pain was decreased and improvement in joint function was observed in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The patients were evaluated with clinical endpoints score, Karnofsky Performance Scale Index, and treadmill walking performance and ESR. The significant improvements of both the clinical and biochemical endpoints were observed. (Belcaro et al. 2010) The aim of study was to determine the effect of bromelain treatment on canine articular chondrocytes in vitro. This research was done to evaluate viability of cell, apoptosis levels and mitosis, proteoglycan concentrations and the expression of certain genes. Chondrocytes were exposed to 50 ÃŽ ¼g/ml bromelain for 4, 16 and 32 h. It was found that the rate of apoptosis in the treatment groups was significantly lower than in the control groups. The rate of mitosis in treatment groups was significantly higher than in the control groups. The effect of bromelain on gene expression was measured by the real-time PCR technique. It was found that bromelain significantly decreased TIMP-1 and MMP-3 expression. These experimental bromelain treatments had shown positive results, and increased the process of healing and modulation of osteoarthritis. (Siengdee et al. 2010) The aim of this study was to evaluate that actual cartilage AGE levels were directly related to actual cartilage damage in OA patients. The actual cartilage AGE levels were directly related to actual cartilage damage by use of cartilage obtained at joint replacement surgery. During study, Cartilage and urine samples were obtained from 69 patients undergoing total knee replacement. Samples were analyzed for pentosidine as marker of AGE. Cartilage damage was evaluated macroscopically, histologically, and biochemically. It was found that there was an inverse relation between cartilage AGEs and actual cartilage damage in end-stage OA. This was likely due to ongoing (ineffective) increased turnover of cartilage matrix proteins even in end stage disease. (Vos et al. 2011) The study was done to assess the ability of curcuminoid from Curcuma domestica Val in reducing the cycloxygenase-2 secretion by synovial fluid’s monocytes compared to diclofenac sodium in patients with osteoarthritis. The study was prospective randomized open end blinded evaluation (PROBE). The subjects with knee osteoarthritis were divided into two main groups randomly. One group received 30 mg of curcuminoid thrice a day while other group received 25 mg of diclofenac sodium 3 times in a day. The joints aspiration was carried out and cycloxygenase-2 enzyme secretion by synovial fluid’s monocytes was evaluated by scoring method before and after 4 weeks of treatments. In first group the average scores were 1.84 ±0.37 and 1.15 ±0.28 respectively (pet al. 2012) An observational study was conducted containing a formulation of Curcuma longa and Boswellia serrata extracts. The efficacy and safety of these extracts was measured and directly compared with the celecoxib in osteoarthritis patients. The treatment was tolerated well and it did not produce any major side effects. The patients were analysed by the vital signs, hemogram, liver and renal function tests. This formulation was proved to be effective and safe and no toxicity related with dose was found. (Kizhakkedath 2013) A multicenter, observational and prospective study was carried out on a complex of three natural anti-inflammatory agents. These agents include Harpagophytum procumbens,Curcuma longa, and bromelain nutraceuticals. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of commercial complex complex of 3 plant extracts in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. The patients were divided into two groups i.e. acute and chronic. At baseline, the VAS pain score was 69.1 mm (15.4) and 68.0 mm (18.2) for patients with acute andchronic pain, respectively. At the endpoint, the scores decreased to 42.1 mm (21.1) and 37.8 mm (25.9), respectively. At the endpoint, most of the patients have reached the reduced pain level. No side effects were found due to treatment withdrawals. These 3 plant extracts had excellent tolerance profile and found to be safe alternative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. (Mathieu P et al. 2014) The purpose of this study was to analyse efficacy of extracted Chondroitin Sulfate (CS) from chicken keel cartilages, its comparison with standard CS from shark origin alone and in combination with Glucosamine Sulfate (GS) in developed and standardized papain induced Osteoarthritis (OA) rat model. One group that was control received sterile normal saline solution while other experimental group received papain intra-articularly. Induction of disease with respect to time was assessed on the basis of histological lesions scores. The treatment effectiveness un-treated and treated group was assessed on the basis of histological lesions scores. Treatment was started from 29th day and was continued till 60th day of post papain injection. It was found that histological lesions score was not reduced in cartilages of OA group that remained un-treated. However, structural changes were reduced and were found to be close to the control groups that were treated. Histological lesions score was obse rved highest in un-treated Osteoarthritis group followed by GS treated, standard CS, extracted CS, extracted CS plus GS and standard CS plus GS. There was maximum reduction in histological lesions score in groups treated with combinations. The score of group treated with standard CS (shark) was almost similar to extracted CS (chicken) alone and extracted CS plus GS. CS (chicken) was proved to be effective and beneficial in reducing progression of disease. (Khan et al. 2014) The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of oral ginger for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oral ginger treatment with placebo in OA patients aged greater than 18 years. Outcome measures were reduction in pain and disability. The efficacy was measured using Hedges standardized mean difference (SMD), and safety by risk ratio (RR). Standard random-effects meta-analysis was used, and inconsistency was evaluated by the I-squared index (I2). Following ginger intake, a statistically significant pain reduction with a low degree of inconsistency, and a statistically significant reduction in disability were seen, both in favor of ginger. Patients given ginger were more than twice as likely to discontinue treatment compared to placebo. Ginger was found modestly efficacious and reasonably safe for treatment of osteoarthritis. (Bartels et al. 2014) The study was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts in pain reduction and functional improvement. 367 primary knee osteoarthritis patients with a pain score of 5 or higher were randomized to receive ibuprofen 1,200 mg/day or C. domestica extracts 1,500 mg/day for 4 weeks. The main outcomes were Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total, WOMAC pain, WOMAC stiffness, and WOMAC function scores. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded. 185 and 182 patients were randomly assigned into C. domestica extracts and ibuprofen groups, respectively. The baseline characteristics were no different between groups. The mean of all WOMAC scores at weeks 0, 2, and 4 showed significant improvement when compared with the baseline in both groups. After using the noninferiority test, the mean difference (95% confidence interval) of WOMAC total, WOMAC pain, and WOMAC function scores at week 4 adjusted by values at week 0 of C. domesti ca extracts were noninferior to those for the ibuprofen group, except for the WOMAC stiffness subscale. The number of events of abdominal pain/discomfort was significantly higher in the ibuprofen group than that in the C. domestica extracts group. Most subjects were satisfied with the treatment, and two-thirds rated themselves as improved in a global assessment. It was concluded that C. domestica extracts are as effective as ibuprofen for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The side effect profile was similar but with fewer gastrointestinal adverse events reports in the C. domestica extracts group. (Kuptniratsaikul et al. 2014) The retrospective observational study was conducted to assess the experiences of 820 patients treated with a new Curcuma extract (Flexofytol ®, 4-6 capsules per day), for more than 6 months for various forms of painful osteoarthritis. These experiences were reported by 110 Belgian general practitioners via a questionnaire that included quality-of-life parameters for assessing patient experience. Data were submitted to an independent statistician for analysis. Within the first 6 weeks, Flexofytol ® improved patient pain, articular mobility, and quality of life. Excellent tolerance was reported, and more than half of these patients were able to discontinue analgaesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Patient satisfaction was confirmed by their decision to maintain Flexofytol ® therapy for more than 6 months. It was found that Flexofytol ® which was based on a new preparation of curcumin, is as a potential neutraceutical for the care of patients complaining of joint problems, with ex cellent tolerance and rapid benefits for articular mobility, pain, and quality of life. (Appelboom et al. 2014)

Indian Boarding School Essay -- essays research papers

"Compressed emotions," that is the explanation a teacher once gave to the ongoing question, "What is poetry?" He said it was someone's deepest emotions, as if you were reading them right out of that person's mind, which in that case would not consist of any words at all. If someone tells you a story, it is usually like a shell. Rarely are all of the deepest and most personal emotions revealed effectively. A poem of that story would be like the inside of the shell. It personifies situations, and symbolizes and compares emotions with other things in life. Louise Erdrich's poem Indian Boarding School puts the emotions of a person or group of people in a setting around a railroad track. The feelings experienced are compared to things from the setting, which takes on human characteristics. Louise Erdrich was born part German, part American Indian. Since the title and other references in the poem refer to Indian people, it is most likely that this poem was very personal to her. The boarding school may have been a real place she went to, or where mistreatment of her people was not uncommon, or it could simply be a tool she used to express racism towards them in general. With that fact, the reader must remember that although the words are from the runaways' point of view, there are not necessarily any real runaways. From the point of view at which this is told, the runaways are eager to find their way home. They do not necessarily really try to runaway, it may just be in their fantasies, "Home's the place we head for in our sleep." (line 1). The first use of personification is in the line, "The rails, old lacerations that we love,"(line 4). It is not yet quite clear why Erdrich would compare the train tracks with old lacerations until the lines, "shoot parallel across the face and break just under the Turtle Mountains." (lines 5-6). Mountains are definite things that are physical in nature. Train tracks on a face are hard to imagine, so it leads us to believe it has some deeper meaning. This reveals that the children want to run away from the boarding school for more serious matters than just good old home-sickness. The "old lacerations" may represent wounds on their own faces, internal or external. Visually, train tracks look like wounds that were stitche d and scarred. The Turtle Mountains must relate ... ...d when it dried. That was the time when they remembered "delicate" injuries. Injuries that a child gets while playing or falling, not from bigotry or violence. Now those things are only memories. It is very likely that Louise Erdrich experienced some kind of racism or prejudice in her lifetime. Segregation laws were still in use while she was growing up in the fifties, and in the sixties, many of the same people still felt racist, with or without the laws. Boarding schools were not an exception to this fact either. School authorities probably did take advantage of the fact that boarding schools are away from home and not under the watchful eye of any parent. This poem demonstrates the truth of what it really felt and feels like to have lived through such bad treatment. It is disturbing to think that instead of just learning at school, Louise Erdrich, amongst other children, may have learned what it felt like to be hated. At such early ages, they taught these children that the way they were treated was how the world was supposed to be. It displays the painful scars embedded so deeply into a child, from a time that should have been the most nurturing part of his/her life. Indian Boarding School Essay -- essays research papers "Compressed emotions," that is the explanation a teacher once gave to the ongoing question, "What is poetry?" He said it was someone's deepest emotions, as if you were reading them right out of that person's mind, which in that case would not consist of any words at all. If someone tells you a story, it is usually like a shell. Rarely are all of the deepest and most personal emotions revealed effectively. A poem of that story would be like the inside of the shell. It personifies situations, and symbolizes and compares emotions with other things in life. Louise Erdrich's poem Indian Boarding School puts the emotions of a person or group of people in a setting around a railroad track. The feelings experienced are compared to things from the setting, which takes on human characteristics. Louise Erdrich was born part German, part American Indian. Since the title and other references in the poem refer to Indian people, it is most likely that this poem was very personal to her. The boarding school may have been a real place she went to, or where mistreatment of her people was not uncommon, or it could simply be a tool she used to express racism towards them in general. With that fact, the reader must remember that although the words are from the runaways' point of view, there are not necessarily any real runaways. From the point of view at which this is told, the runaways are eager to find their way home. They do not necessarily really try to runaway, it may just be in their fantasies, "Home's the place we head for in our sleep." (line 1). The first use of personification is in the line, "The rails, old lacerations that we love,"(line 4). It is not yet quite clear why Erdrich would compare the train tracks with old lacerations until the lines, "shoot parallel across the face and break just under the Turtle Mountains." (lines 5-6). Mountains are definite things that are physical in nature. Train tracks on a face are hard to imagine, so it leads us to believe it has some deeper meaning. This reveals that the children want to run away from the boarding school for more serious matters than just good old home-sickness. The "old lacerations" may represent wounds on their own faces, internal or external. Visually, train tracks look like wounds that were stitche d and scarred. The Turtle Mountains must relate ... ...d when it dried. That was the time when they remembered "delicate" injuries. Injuries that a child gets while playing or falling, not from bigotry or violence. Now those things are only memories. It is very likely that Louise Erdrich experienced some kind of racism or prejudice in her lifetime. Segregation laws were still in use while she was growing up in the fifties, and in the sixties, many of the same people still felt racist, with or without the laws. Boarding schools were not an exception to this fact either. School authorities probably did take advantage of the fact that boarding schools are away from home and not under the watchful eye of any parent. This poem demonstrates the truth of what it really felt and feels like to have lived through such bad treatment. It is disturbing to think that instead of just learning at school, Louise Erdrich, amongst other children, may have learned what it felt like to be hated. At such early ages, they taught these children that the way they were treated was how the world was supposed to be. It displays the painful scars embedded so deeply into a child, from a time that should have been the most nurturing part of his/her life.

Unit 1 – a Managerial Approach to Marketing

Kimberly Bell American Intercontinental University Unit 1 Individual Project MKT640 – A Managerial Approach to Marketing November 11, 2012 Abstract This paper reflects challenges brought on by starting up a new product, the effectiveness and efficiency of technology when marketing, and the battle of legal and ethical complication. Given are examples of different situation of each topic to demonstrate how each take place when starting a new product or service. The Marketing Scenario IntroductionWhen bringing a new product or service together there are certain aspects to be considered for a successful product or outcome. Those aspects may include target, sector, location, creating an effective marketing plans and advertisement strategies. There are also certain issues and challenges that may arise when bringing this new product or service into existence. Challenges in New Product Launches When bringing the new product or service into the market, without a plan in place for its t argeted consumers, sector, location, sales and distribution tactics there will be several issues and challenges to face.According to Bloom, if all these problems are anticipated and handled creatively, social marketing efforts can succeed (Bloom, 1981). Challenges: Target Market and Sector. One challenge that is very distinct is target consumers and sectors. These two challenges differ where ever you go. When bringing that new product into existence you must do the research of the market for the sector and target market. Therefore, realizing the market sectors as well as the target consumer can determine the difference that one or the other may cause for a major challenge.For example, 1990’s McDonald’s launched a product called Deluxe line to target the older people and launched a tag line â€Å"Especially for the grown up taste† to market it but the launch failed disastrously due to wrong selection of target market. Challenges: Effective Marketing Plan Another challenging task is creating an effective marketing strategy. Creating a effective marketing strategy when initiating a new product is all about keeping the consumers needs in mind. The information presented in the marketing should so explanatory that it gives precise information to the consumer about the details of the product.To give misleading information will cause product failure. Therefore, the marketing will be unsuccessful. For example, Levi Strauss came out with a product called type1 jeans with some different features in 2002 but the marketing and advertisements wasn’t properly devised and erroneously lead consumers in turn leading to failure of the product launch (Bonander, 2010) Challenges: Competition Another challenge is competition, when initiating a new product in the market because the market is constantly changing, entrepreneurs are constantly taking risks (ThinkQuest : Library).For example, in 1985 Coca-Cola launch a new version of the drink with a tag line â€Å"The best just got, better†, but the taste and quality of the new drink was not accepted by the consumers as the strongest competitors PepsiCo took the advantage and maximized its sales (POM final). Technology and New Product Development Marketing efforts can be enhanced by the use of technology. While sales and profits are progressing, it can also help the organization succeed in its marketing campaign. For example most companies are using social media and networking site like LinkedIn to market their business and services.These social networking sites can make the new product campaign even more effective. Technology: Distribution Technology can also allow way for distribution of products or services. Therefore, through desk top advertising, e-marketing, and online marketing, technology has led the way to easy access marketing (Herbert and Grace, 2008). For example, a software Gold Fire Innovator, developed by Invention Machine has three modules and comprises of tools that make use of value engineering and well formulated problem-solving methodology (TRIZ) to provide assistance to the users concerning the problem definition.Its second module called researcher Facilitates Engineers in executing semantic searches related with the powerful databases for finding appropriate resolutions and concepts (Frey, 2006). Technology: Efficiency and Effectiveness Technology also helps in the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of product data. For example, in the banking industry several models based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) have been developed to help with the analyzing and processing of data (Yang, 2009). This process not only helps the organization to be more efficient but also more effective when servicing its customers.Technology: Display Technology can also help to display your new product in an arena for a big or small audience. For example, with a web page the new product can be advertised and sent over the internet, whereas it will be disp layed in a database to allow a professional and systematic presentation to a large audience and sharing the of a wealth of information on a continued bases. Legal and Ethical Implications in New Product Development Many legal and ethical implications are faced when launching a new product or service.For example, packing, labeling regulations, disclosures, and standards. There are difference regulations set forth in different countries. There is a must that organizations understand the responsibilities regarding regulations are crucial to ensuring worldwide compliance and sustained economic edge (Akin-Ogundeji, 2010). Legal and ethical implications: Packing and labor There are various countries, which have specific regulations regarding packaging and labeling. There are also stipulates on how and where the labels should be placed on a products.For example, in the US the PDP, is that portion of the package label that is most likely to be seen by the consumer at the time of purchase (G eneral Food Labeling Requirements). This PDP must appear on the front of the product. Legal and ethical implications: Advertisement or Display The media also creates controversy due to interpretations of the signage used to advertise. For example, baby food called Gerber, when it was launched in the France, it means stack or vomiting, which had very bad impression on the customers and led to the reduced sales of the product (Perlman, 2008).Legal and ethical implications: Media Advertisement and Display can really damages the launching of a new product because the audience can misused or misunderstand the given information. For example, when Coca-Cola entered china with the same name, the characters revealed the meaning as â€Å"Bite the wax tadpole† which was very unfortunate and misinterpreted by the people resulting in a controversy (Bite the Wax Tadpole). Conclusion It is to be concluded that from the above discussions that product development is extremely important.It als o determines the organizations success and failures. Therefore, it can provide a great advantage to the company success. However, in technology can provide a huge advantage and shorten the time of developing and marketing a product. Technology allows an organization to customize their product in the market. Lastly, the product should comply with the legal aspects to avoid problem with its success. References Akin-Ogundeji, D. O. Get Your Business Ethics Articles and Articles on Corporate Social Responsibility From Ethicsworld. rg. Get Your Business Ethics Articles and Articles on Corporate Social Responsibility From Ethicsworld. org. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. ethicsworld. org/ethicsandemployeesBhasin, H. (2010, January 22). Bite the Wax Tadpole – Why we chose a silly name. Web Development Ireland. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www. bitethewaxtadpole. com/bitethewaxtadpole. htm Bloom PN, Novelli WD. Problems and challenges in social marketing. J Mark. 1981 Spring;45(2):79-88. PubMed PMID: 12280283. Retrieved November 11, 2012.Bonander, R. 2010. Top 10: Failed Product Launches. Retrieved on November 11, 2012 from http://ca. askmen. com/top_10/entertainment_100/139d_top_10_list. html Brand Failure – McDonald's Arch Deluxe. Marketing Strategy, Marketing Management, Marketing News, Advertising reviews. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. marketing91. com/brand-failure-mcdonalds-arch-deluxe/ Competition in the Market   The laws of supply and demand are bestevident in a competitive market. ThinkQuest : Library. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://library. hinkquest. org/C008486F/iiid. htm Frey, C. (2006). Goldfire Innovator takes product development, process innovation to the next level. Retrieved November 11, 2012 from http://www. innovationtools. com/Resources/ideamgmt-details. asp? a=147 General Food Labeling Requirements. U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from htt p://www. fda. gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/ucm064866. htm Herbert, H and Grace, A. (2008).Technology. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. npgoodpractice. org/Topics/Technology/Default. aspx Perlman, C. (2008). 10 marketing Faux pas. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. level2wo. net/? p=35 POM final. Scribd. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www. scribd. com/doc/75844842/POM-final Yang, Z. Bank Branch Operating Efficiency: A DEA Approach. Bank Branch Operating Efficiency: A DEA Approach. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from www. iaeng. org/publication/IMECS2009/IMECS2009_pp2087-2092. pdf

my opinion on politics essays

my opinion on politics essays To say that my family enjoys sports is a slight understatement. A better statement might be that my family is crazy about sports. Ive probably spent a good quarter of my life watching, discussing, playing, describing, analyzing, or listening to some kind of sporting event. Though Im not quite as athletically talented as either my brothers or sister, I nevertheless find the world of sports both fun and fascinating. I have always enjoyed sitting in the stands, losing my voice to support the event that Im watching. But I enjoy observing sports fans even more. i find it fascinating that fans get so involved in their team, forging a camaraderie between themselves and athletes theyve most likely never met. Team sports afford average people the opportunity to act vicariously through superstars; thus, the bond between a fan and his favorite player or team is a strong one. For the same reasons, I suppose, i am equally fascinated by politics. People align themselves with candidates and parties in the same way sports fans support a player or a team. The deep bond between a person and her favorite candidate or party creates a distinct partisan line. Partisan politics evoke the passionate fan in all of us; we become enraptured, leaving reality in our fervor and support. I want to exercise my fascination with politics by studying and analyzing our government, but most importantly, by playing an active role in the political processes of our country. I wholeheartedly believe in the important role of the individual in a democracy, and as I continue through life, I will speak my mind and participate as much as I can. Eventually, I hope that my involvement in politics will positively influence the path of our country, promoting liberty, justice, and freedom. ...

15 French Words and Phrases That Dont Mean That in French

15 French Words and Phrases That Dont Mean That in French 15 French Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean That in French 15 French Words and Phrases That Don’t Mean That in French By Mark Nichol This post lists a number of words and phrases used in English that are derived from French but are no longer employed with the same idiomatic sense in French (if they ever were). Each term is followed by the literal French translation, a brief definition, and a comment about its status in French and how the French language conveys the idiom. 1. au jus (â€Å"with juice†): a brothlike meat sauce (the phrase is often incorrectly treated on menus as â€Å"with au jus†)- obsolete in French except for the slang phrase à ªtre au jus (roughly, â€Å"be with juice†) 2. cause cà ©là ¨bre (â€Å"celebrated cause†): controversial or emotionally weighted issue- obsolete in French, but originally referred to a sensational or unusual legal decision or trial 3. demimonde (â€Å"half world†): fringe group or subculture, or prostitutes as a class- obsolete in French, though une demi-mondaine refers to a prostitute (in English, demimondaine is synonymous with â€Å"kept woman†) 4. double entendre (â€Å"double to hear†): a comment that can have a second, often provocative, connotation- faulty grammar in French, which uses double sens (â€Å"double sense†) 5. en masse (â€Å"in a masse†): all together- in French, refers to a physical grouping, so when using that language, one would not refer to a chorus of voices as being en masse 6. encore (â€Å"again†): additional songs played after the scheduled end of a concert, or a call for such an extended performance- in French, â€Å"Une autre! (â€Å"Another!†) 7. en suite (â€Å"as a set†): usually refers to a bedroom and bathroom connected to each other- not used as such in French 8. esprit de l’escalier (â€Å"wit of the stairs†): a witty comment one thinks of only after the opportunity to share it has passed (when one is departing a social occasion)- nearly obsolete in French 9. in lieu (â€Å"in place of†): instead of- a partial translation; in French, au lieu 10. legerdemain (â€Å"light of hand†): deception in stage magic- not used in French 11. marquee (â€Å"awning†): sign above a venue announcing the featured entertainment- not used in French 12. passà © (â€Å"past,† â€Å"passed,† or â€Å"faded†): unfashionable- in French, passà © de mode (â€Å"way of the past†) 13. pià ©ce de resistance (â€Å"a piece that resists†): the best, or the main dish or main item- in French, plat de rà ©sistance (â€Å"dish that resists†) 14. rouge (â€Å"red†): blusher, or red makeup- in French, fard joues (though lipstick of any color is rouge là ¨vres) 15. venue (â€Å"arrival†)- location- not used as such in French Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails"Have" vs "Having" in Certain Expressions30 Words Invented by Shakespeare