Union and Intersection

Primary Task Response: Write at least 3 paragraphs that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas. Part I: Describe how the notion of union and intersection apply to retrieving records in databases. Give an example of 2 sets that might appear in a database to help in your description. A prominent couple is found murdered in their mansion located in an affluent neighborhood. The housekeeper found the bodies and called the police.The housekeeper tells the detectives that quite a few valuables are missing from the house: artwork, electronics, jewelry, cash etc. In the initial stages of the investigation the detectives cannot decide whether this was a robbery gone wrong or a murder the perpetrator tried to disguise into a robbery. Not wanting to miss any potential leads the police compiles a joint list of suspects: every suspect on this list is either a known robber or a known killer (or both). For the first set R={x| x has a robbery rap sheet} they access the Theft/Robbery Division database.For the second set M={y |y has a murder in his criminal record} they access the Homicide Division database. It is not uncommon that different divisions within the same police department maintain different databases. Although state and national databases do exist they are usually slow moving and most often than not they generate unmanageably long lists of suspects. The advantage of a local database consists in a much easier access and output which is oftentimes much more relevant to the investigation – in 99% of the cases the crime is perpetrated by a local suspect.Thus the initial set of suspects S is the union of R and M: S=R? M. Suppose however that S has too many suspects. Given the personnel shortage it is not feasible to investigate every name which appears in S. the police needs to find a way to narrow down this list. After re-interviewing the neighbors, it turns ou t that one of them witnessed a suspicious green Chevy van idling on a street corner close to the murdered couple’s house. The van was in a rough shape which made it unlikely to be owned by one of the local residents.The detectives have now a clue that helps them narrow down their list of suspects. They access the DMV database to extract the list of drivers who own an older model green Chevy van. In other words they retrieve the set C= { z | z owns a green Chevy van}. The investigators then compare their list of suspects S , to the names listed in C, looking for common entries. In other words they are interested in the set of prime suspects P, where P is the intersection between S and C: P=S? C. Part II :Discuss the notion of the logical â€Å"or† and the logical â€Å"and† in computer programming (coding) or flowcharts.Why is it important to know how to apply these correctly? The traditional scope of computer science was the automation of numerical operations. B ut since reasoning can be seen as a kind of computation, in principle it can be automated as well. Computers represent information using bits. A bit is a symbol with two possible values, zero and one. The word bit comes from binary digit, because zeros and ones are the digits used in binary representations of numbers Computer bit operations correspond to the logical connectives.Information is represented using bit strings, which are lists of zeros and ones. Operations on the bit strings can be used to manipulate this information. At a very basic level, the binary string approach accompanied by the operations that can be performed with these strings via the logical connectives constitute our way of translating the problem in a form the computer can â€Å"understand†. Eventually, the computer is the perfect executant so it will end up doing exactly what we told him to do – which is not always the same with what we intended to have him do.The difference between 0 and 1 ma y not seem large; however, in absolute terms is as large as the difference between true and false, or the difference between black and white. The use of 0’s and 1’s is a matter of convenience if anything else; alternatively we can work with â€Å"dinks† and â€Å"dunks† with exactly the same (logical) result. A quick example is most likely going to drive this point home. One of the places where logical connectives are used most frequently are the internet search engines. Suppose however that by a silly programming mistake a certain search engine XYZ. om reads â€Å"or† instead of â€Å"and† and vice-versa. Suppose your instructor recommended an article written by Jones and Smith on the topic of logical connectives. The instructor could not remember the authors’ first names nor the exact title of the paper but he suggested that a quick search on XYZ. com should help you locate the paper in no time. Needless to say if your search query â€Å"Jones† AND â€Å"Smith† AND â€Å"Logical† AND â€Å"connectives† is interpreted as â€Å"Jones† OR â€Å"Smith† OR â€Å"Logical† OR â€Å"connectives† the chances of locating the paper are just as great as the chances of finding thr needle in the haystack.

Mexican American Approaches to Health Essay

Mexican American, or Latino, traditional views on health and healing practices are influenced by several other cultures that they have historically had some kind of contact with, such as the Spanish colonizers, indigenous Indian populations, and Western medical practitioners. This varied background accounts for their holistic healing methods and their belief that good health stems from internal balance, a clear conscience, and a strong spiritual relationship with God. The underlying theme in traditional Mexican American health is that there needs to be a balance between the body and Earth’s elements. Equilibrium of each element–fire, water, air, and land–leads to an overall healthy state. (Molina, 1994) Traditionalists tie this balance concept in with the idea that all health states are associated with either hot or cold, and one may be used to heal the other. A state of health is characterized by a warm, wet body, and any exposure to extreme conditions on either side of this scale leads to illness. It is important to point out that the generalizations assumed in this paper are based on very traditional Mexican American individuals and do not span the entire population within the US. In regards to healthcare, traditional Mexican Americans hold the belief that their healing methods are either superior to or the same as those practiced by Western providers, so they tend to rely primarily on home remedies and cultural healers before seeking out other forms of medicine. Furthermore, their healing approach is firmly rooted in their specific values. It is important to be aware of Latino cultural values in order to understand their views on healthcare, as the latter is based on the other. In general, there are three basic values that crucially exists within most Mexican American relationships—personalismo, respeto, and dignidad. (Molina, 1994) Personalismo is the trust and rapport that is established with others. Latin Americans respond better to warm, friendly interactions, and prefer personal relationships to professional ones. Therefore, the best ways to earn trust is for a provider to show interest in the patient’s personal life, exercise empathy, and avoid formal interactions. It is also important for a provider to show respeto (respect) by dressing according to their profession and addressing the patient with the formal greeting â€Å"usted†. This makes the patient feel as through they are taken seriously and cared for at the same time. A Latino patient tends to want a provider to embrace and exemplify their role as a professional; they simply prefer more intimate interactions. And although they appreciate empathy, they expect a blatant regard for their digidad (dignity); as with many individuals, Latinos place an emphasis on being treated as equals and human beings. Furthermore, Mexican Americans value family and thrive off their interdependent relationships with them. (Molina, 1994) In fact, most traditional Latinos rely more on their relatives for health advice than healthcare providers; as a result, it is common for a family member to accompany a patient to their visit with a provider. Mexican Americans’ cultural definition of health is outlined by the three major states that they believe are the causes for all illness and disease. Additionally, poor health is culturally associated with imbalances within the body’s natural states that lead to problems. According to traditional beliefs, poor health can be attributed to one or more of the following: (1) Psychological State, (2) Environment and Natural Causes, or (3) Supernatural beings. (Molina, 1994) The psychological state includes any mental state that may be disrupting one’s peace of mind, including worry, anger, envy, or stress, all of which can lead to the dangerous state of susto (â€Å"fright†), or soul loss. Natural causes fall under environmental elements, such as dust, pollution, or germs–all of the things that Western medicine believes to be the only causes of illness. Finally, supernatural beings include malevolent spirits, witchcraft, or â€Å"mal de ojo†, the bad eye, any of which can cause disease or illness. Because Mexican American views on health differ from those of mainstream US medicine, there are several â€Å"folk illnesses† that exist within the culture that have no diagnosis within Western medicine, and are, therefore, remedied by traditional methods. Many of these illnesses fall under the idea of their imbalance theory. For example, an imbalance or conflict within social relationships opens one’s spirit up to â€Å"mal de ojo†; symptoms include fever, headache, and sleeplessness. The traditional treatment for this is rubbing the entire body with egg yolk. Empacho is an illness characterized by stomach pains, and results from feeling psychological stress while eating. Ataque de nervios literally translates to â€Å"attack of the nerves† and is caused by extreme emotional stress brought on by a traumatic event. Those suffering from this illness often engage in fits of swearing and convulsions. The treatments are praying over the affected individual and rubbing alcohol over their face. Caida is an infant disease that occurs when the fontanelle is dislodged from the child’s skull, and can result in death. (Molina, 1994) In Western medicine, providers may equate this with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which even in the most skilled American facilities has no biological explanation. Since many of the illnesses recognized in the Mexican American culture are undiagnosed and not understood in Western medicine, a majority of this group employs home remedies or purchases medicines in a botanica, or a store that sells folk medicine and herbal treatments. (â€Å"Profiles of Health†, 1994) Although some recent studies have shown that many Latinos view cost as the number one barrier to healthcare in America, most traditionalists prefer to seek out the assistance of their cultural healers through a healing practice known as Curanderismo. (â€Å"Profiles of Health†, 1994) This practice is one of the most prominent healing practices in the Mexican American culture. It approaches health from a holistic point of view and encompasses physical, social, psychological, and spiritual healing. (Johnston, 2006) A Curandero is a revered, spiritual being that treats those suffering from biologically inexplicable illnesses and can have gifts in several areas, including massage, midwife, counselor, spinal adjustment (similar to a Chiropractor), or espiritualista–someone who channels help from spirits. (Molina, 1994) They specialize in a number of areas of medicine, such as naturopaths, herbalists, palm readers, or psychotherapists. Some research suggests that Curanderos arose out of a need for health care from poverty stricken communities that could not afford it. Traditionally, many sought out the help of Curanderos; however, according to recent studies, very few Mexican Americans utilize the services of a Curandero, and those who do use it as supplemental treatment to Western medicine. The main differences between Mexican American cultural healing methods and Western medicine are the varied definitions of similar illnesses, as well as the explanations for the causes of diseases. However, since most illnesses that are recognized in Latino culture also exist within the framework of American healthcare, then treatment can be applied uniformly. Therefore, the emphasis needs to be placed on cultural competence, which would incorporate a system for understanding other point of views of health. It is imperative for providers to develop both trust with and respect for their patients in order to treat them and to increase adherence to medical plans. Western medical providers must learn to listen to and understand the traditions of the Mexican American patient population so that they will be better equipped to serve them. Once this is accomplished within the American healthcare system, society will see health disparities begin to diminish.

Fdi- Boon or Bane

FDI IN INDIAN RETAIL SECTOR ABSTRACT: The research paper aims to understand whether the FDI policy introduced in the Retail sector in India is a Boon or a Bane. The paper gives an outlook of the Indian Retail Sector, its growth trajectories and its contribution to the national GDP. It also entails in detail the policy of FDI in this sector and its various clauses. The paper, in the end, talks about the benefits of implementing the FDI policy, and also what disadvantages it possess. 1. OVERVIEW OF INDIAN RETAIL SECTORIndian retail sector is the most booming sector in the Indian economy and largest sources of employment after agriculture. Trade or retailing is the single largest component of the services sector in terms of contribution to GDP. Its massive share of 14% is double the figure of the next largest broad economic activity in the sector. India is the second most attractive retail destination ‘globally from among thirty emergent markets. It has made India the cause of a g ood deal of excitement and the cynosure of many foreign eyes.With a contribution of 14% to the national GDP and employing 7% of the total workforce (only agriculture employs more) in the country, the retail industry is definitely one of the pillars of the Indian economy. It is undergoing a transitional phase to usher organized retail. The attitudinal shifts of the Indian consumers were in terms of â€Å"Choice Preference†, â€Å"Value for money’ and the emergence of organized retail format. The overall Indian retail sector is expected to rise to US $ 833 billion by 2013 and to US $ 1. 3 trillion by 2018.In line with the global developments in the retail industry, Indian retail is largely dominated by the unorganized retailers. It has witnessed a massive transition in the last decade. Of the total retail sales, the food and grocery segment constitute the major chunk. Growing in tandem with the economy is the Indian retail sector. The sector is on a high growth trajecto ry and is expected to grow by more than 27 per cent over the next 5 to 6 years. Initially it was predominately fragmented through the owner- run â€Å"Mom and PopOutlets†. The change in lifestyle, education, travel and disposable income has changed the pattern of consumption. Customers are aware of their surroundings and developments. The awareness was created through the advent of technology such as television, cable and satellite channels. They are accustomed to the organized retail format. Understanding the pulse or trend of the market the large corporate groups like ITC, Reliance, Tata, Rahejia and others are infusing staggering amounts of capital into organized retail sector.The Cardiovascular SystemSome of the leading Indian retailers who had tapped this market were Bata India Ltd, Big Bazaar, Crossword, Ebony Retail Holdings Ltd. , Food Bazaar, Globus Stores Pvt. Ltd. , Liberty shoes Ltd. , Music World Entertainment Ltd. , Pantaloon Retail India Ltd. , Shoppers Stop, S ubhiksha, Titan Industries, Trent, Benetton, Addidas, Reebok, Levis, Diary Farm, KFC, Metro, WalMart, Marks & Spencer’s etc are some of the popular global retail brands that have set up retail business in India.The organized retail sector comes with the concept of malls, supermarkets and department stores. Like Subhiksha, Marks & Spencer’s, Oberon etc it gives a different feeling and the environment of pick and choose from a variety of products. The modern retail formats are encouraging development of well-established and efficient supply chains in each segment ensuring efficient movement of goods from farms to kitchens, which will result in huge savings for the farmers as well as for the nation. The Government also stands to gain through more efficient collection of tax revenues.In the coming years it can be said that the hypermarket route will emerge as the most preferred format for international retailers stepping into the country. At present, there are 50 hypermark ets operated by four to five large retailers spread across 67 cities catering to a population of half-a-million or more. Estimates indicate that this sector will have the potential to absorb many more hypermarkets in the next four to five years. According to World Bank report, it is suggested to have an organized retail sector so that it is easy to have a direct control on the price mechanism and to control on the macro economic variables.Strengths 1. India attracted US$16. 9bn in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in 2006, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development – a 153% year-on year increase. 2. A cheap, skilled, English-speaking workforce can do the jobs of Western workers for a fraction of the wages paid in North America or Europe. 3. Average annual GDP growth of 7. 7% is predicted by BMI through to 2016. With the population expected to increase from 1. 26bn in 2012 to 1. 32bn by 2016, GDP per capita is forecast to rise 77. % by the end of the forecas t period, reaching US$2,980. 4. The value of the retail segment is expected to grow from an estimated INR22. 53trn (US$489. 80bn) in 2012 to INR27. 73trn (US$739. 56bn) by 2016. Weaknesses 1. The competitiveness of local firms is undermined by official red tape, from foreign investment restrictions to inflexible labor laws. 2. Intellectual property rights are poorly protected in India, one of 12 countries on the 2009 priority watch list compiled by the US Trade Representative. 3.The rural population of India represents more than 70% of the total, while almost 37% is classified as not economically active by the UN. This is a major obstacle for retailers seeking to rapidly expand their customer base. Opportunities 1. India could enhance the competitiveness of the local industry through further liberalization and deregulation. 2. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is eager to reform the banking sector to increase the availability of long-term financing, particularly for large infrastructure projects. 3.The value of the OTC drug sector is forecast to grow by more than 94% by 2016, when it will be worth an estimated US$6. 58bn. Threats: 1. The arrival of Western players, including management consultancy Accenture and technology company IBM, is raising local wages in the outsourcing sector. 2. China remains a major competitor for FDI flows into India. India has excessive bureaucracy and poor infrastructure in comparison with China, which attracted US$60. 6bn of FDI in 2005. 3. International retailers are restricted by India’s strict FDI regulations.Single-brand retailers are able to own a 51% majority stake in a joint venture with a local partner, but multi-brand retailers must operate through a franchise or cash-and-carry wholesale model. 2. WHAT IS FDI Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more or voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital of the long term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of parameters.It usually involves participation in management joint-venture, transfer technology, and expertise. There are two types of FDI: inward foreign direct investment and outward foreign direct investment resulting in a net FDI inflow (positive or negative) and â€Å"stock of foreign direct investment† and outward foreign direct investment, which is the cumulative number for a given period. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares. FDI is one example of international factor movement. 3. FDI IN RETAIL: IT ALL BEGAN IN 2006In 2006 the Indian government took the first step to promote organized retail in India by opening up single brand retailing to FDI. There are five entry routes through which the international players enter into the market, such as franchising, cash and carry wholesale trading, joint venture, m anufacturing and distribution. Government of India permitted 100 per cent FDI in cash and carry wholesale formats through automatic route and up to 51 per cent FDI in single brand retail through Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).This rule made the international brand much easier to enter into the Indian retail market. Through this agreement Reebok, Nokia and Adidas entered the Indian market. However the franchising is one of the way through which small retailers embrace organized retailing through brand association where there’s a scope for leveraging business operations. The 100 per cent FDI permits for cash and carry has paved the way for retail giants like German Based Metro and US based Wal-Mart to set up their shops in India.Reliance Retail had made a tie up with UK based Marks & Spencer to float an equal joint venture and this would scale up 1400 stores by the end of the next fiscal year. The benefits of FDI investment in the retail sector were: 1. It improves t he quality in products and services because of higher competition 2. Improved the lifestyle 3. Economies of scale would help lower consumer prices and increase the purchasing power of the consumer 4. The technology upgraded the system in terms of logistics, production and distribution channels. It adds as a driver in the Supply Chain Management. . The FDI investment will help in flourishing and developing the retail segment. 6. It not only promotes tourism and would develop skills and manpower. 4. FDI NOW IN RETAIL India's retailing industry is essentially owner manned small shops. In 2010, larger format convenience stores and supermarkets accounted for about 4 percent of the industry, and these were present only in large urban centers Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets.Even single-brand retail was limited to 51% owne rship and a bureaucratic process. In November 2011, India's central government announced retail reforms for both multi-brand stores and single-brand stores. These market reforms paved the way for retail innovation and competition with multi-brand retailers such as  Walmart,  Carrefour  and  Tesco, as well single brand majors such as  IKEA, Nike, and  Apple.In January 2012, India approved reforms for single-brand stores welcoming anyone in the world to innovate in Indian retail market with 100% ownership, but imposed the requirement that the single brand retailer source 30 percent of its goods from India. Indian government continues the hold on retail reforms for multi-brand stores. On 14 September 2012, the government of India announced the opening of FDI in multi-brand retail, subject to approvals by individual states.This decision has been welcomed by economists and the markets, however has caused protests and an upheaval in India's central government's political coali tion structure. On 20 September 2012, the Government of India formally notified the FDI reforms for single and multi brand retail, thereby making it effective under Indian law. On 7 December 2012, the Federal Government of India allowed 51% FDI in multi-brand retail in India. The Feds managed to get the approval of multi-brand retail in the parliament despite heavy uproar from the opposition.The government of Manmohan Singh, prime minister, announced on 24 November 2011 the following: * India will allow foreign groups to own up to 51 per cent in â€Å"multi-brand retailers†, as supermarkets are known in India, in the most radical pro-liberalisation reform passed by an Indian cabinet in years; * Single brand retailers, such as Apple and IKEA, can own 100 percent of their Indian stores, up from the previous cap of 51 percent; * Both multi-brand and single brand stores in India will have to source nearly a third of their goods from small and medium-sized Indian suppliers; * All multi-brand and single brand stores in India must confine their operations to 53-odd cities with a population over one million, out of some 7935 towns and cities in India.It is expected that these stores will now have full access to over 200 million urban consumers in India; * Multi-brand retailers must have a minimum investment of US$100 million with at least half of the amount invested in back end infrastructure, including cold chains, refrigeration, transportation, packing, sorting and processing to considerably reduce the post harvest losses and bring remunerative prices to farmers; * The opening of retail competition will be within India's federal structure of government. In other words, the policy is an enabling legal framework for India. The states of India have the prerogative to accept it and implement it, or they can decide to not implement it if they so choose. Actual implementation of policy will be within the parameters of state laws and regulations. The opening of reta il industry to global competition is expected to spur a retail rush to India.It has the potential to transform not only the retailing landscape but also the nation's ailing infrastructure. A Wall Street Journal article claims that fresh investments in Indian organized retail will generate 10 million new jobs between 2012–2014, and about five to six million of them in logistics alone; even though the retail market is being opened to just 53 cities out of about 8000 towns and cities in India. It is expected to help tame stubbornly high inflation but is likely to be vehemently opposed by millions of small retailers, who see large foreign chains as a threat. The need to control food price inflation—averaging double-digit rises over several years—prompted the government to open the sector, analysts claim.Traders add huge mark-ups to farm prices, while offering little by way of technical support to help farmers boost their productivity, packaging technology, pushing u p retail prices significantly. Big foreign retailers would provide an impetus for them to set up modern supply chains, with refrigerated vans, cold storage and more efficient logistics. Foreign chains can also bring in humongous logistical benefits and capital; the biggest beneficiary would be the small farmers who will be able to improve their productivity by selling directly to large organized players. 5. ADVANTAGES 1. Huge Market Size and a Fast Developing Economy India is the second largest country in the world just behind China in terms of population. Currently the total population is about 1. 2 billion.This huge population base automatically makes a huge market for the business operators to capture and also a major part of it is still can be considered as un-served or not yet been penetrated. Therefore FDI investors automatically get a huge market to capture and also ample opportunity to generate cash inflows at relatively quicker times. The economy of India is also moving at faster pace than most of the economy of the world and inhabitants of the country also obtaining purchasing power at the same rate. 2. Availability of Diversified Resources and Cheap Labor Force The huge advantage every company gets by investing in India is the availability of diversified resources. It is a country where different kinds of materials and technological resources are available.India is a huge country and has forest as well as mining and oil reserve as well. These are also coupled with availability of very cheap labor forces at almost every parts of the country. From Mumbai which is in the west to Bengal which is in the east there is ample opportunity to set up business venture and location and most importantly labor is available at low cost. 3. Increasing Improvement of Infrastructure A lot of research study in India finds out that historically the country fails to attract a significant amount of FDI mainly because of problems in infrastructure. But the scenario is chan ging. The Indian government has taken huge projects in transportation and energy sectors to improve the case.The projects for developing road transport is worth of $90 billion, for rail it has undertaken several projects each worth of $20 million and for ports and airports the value of development projects is around $ 80 billion. In addition the investment in energy development is worth of $ 167 billion and investment in nuclear energy development is outside that calculation. These huge investments are changing the investment climate in the country and investors will benefit hugely by that (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, 2005; Dua & Rasheed, 1998). 4. Public Private Partnerships Another significant advantage foreign investors experience in India today is the opportunities of PPP or Public private Partnership in different important sectors like energy, transportation, mining, oil industry etc.It is advantageous in several ways as it has eliminated the traditional tira de barriers and also joint venture with government is risk free up to the great extent (GOI, 2007; IMF, 2005; Nagaraj, 2003). 5. IT Revolution and English Literacy Today the modern India considered being one of the global leaders in IT. India has developed its IT sectors immensely in last few years and as of today many leading firms outsource their IT tasks in India. Because of IT advancement the firm which will invest in India will get cheap information access and IT capabilities as Indian firms are global leader. Along with that Indian youth are energetic and very capable in English language which is obligatory in modern business conduction.This capability gives India an edge over others. Foreign firms also find it profitable and worthy investment by recruiting Indian HR (GOI, 2006; GOI, 2007; IMF, 2005; Lall, 2002). 6. Openness towards FDI Recently the Government of India has liberalized their policies in certain sectors, like Increase in the FDI limits in different sectors and a lso made the approval system far easier and accessible. Unlike the historical tradition, today for investing in India government approval do not require in the special cases of investing in various important sectors like energy, transportation, telecommunications etc (Economic Department, 2005; GOI, 2007; Nagaraj, 2003). . Regulatory Framework and Investment Protection In the process of accelerating FDI in the country the government of India has make the regulatory framework lot more flexible. Now a day’s foreign investors get different advantages of tax holiday, tax exemptions, exemption of service and central taxes. The government also opened few special economic zones and investors of those zones also get a lot of befits by investing money. Apart from that there are number of laws has been passed and executed for making the investments safe and secure for the foreign investors (IMF, 2005; Nagaraj, 2003; Planning Commission of India, 2002; World Bank, 2004).FDI can be a pow erful catalyst to vigorous competition in the retail industry, due to the current scenario of low competition and poor productivity. FDI will help if farmers can bargain. Villages only know how to produce things. We have to tell them how to market their produce, how to do value addition. One of the things we have talked about a lot in the book is cooperative farming. In India, farmers have small holding but they form a cooperative, it becomes a large holding and then form a cooperative, it becomes a large holding and then the farmer has bargain power. FDI will accelerate retail market growth, providing more employment opportunities. It s a basic principle that creating competition in general is good for the market. But the doubt is that, since proper procurement and distribution system and the infrastructure is not fixed, how the rest will fall in place, when the giant retailers enter our market. Back-end procurement will still remain big problem. Sumita Kale, economist, in his stat ement says that â€Å"the debate that by-introducing 51 percent FDI, a lot of money will flow out of the country is an old school of thought. Lots of our Indian companies are operating abroad and have successfully contributed to our economy. The bigger issue is that with benefits we might end up paying a price hence we must work on a reasonable solution.As mentioned earlier the farmer will benefit from FDI as they will be able to get better prices for their produce. The elimination of the intermediate channels in that procurement process will lead to reduction of prices for consumers. Foreign brand will promote healthy completion in market. Every time the government brings up the subject of FDI, the domestic retailers with the support of some politician jump to lobby against the bill. As the government initializing the FDI, there is bound to be some problems, which can definitely be resolved. The government in near future can appoint a regulating body to monitor the retail sector j ust like other sectors.There will be lot of man power requirement when FDI starts, logistic demands will be more, and people to serve in these stores will get jobs. Managerial positions will open up. Technological requirements and software developments will increase based on the Indian market software needs will be changed. Infrastructure and building constructions will take place. The living conditions will change, good roads will come up. There will be good flow of money that flows these are major benefits of FDI. 6. DISADVANTAGES Customers feel that retail stores offer better deals, but they don’t realize that they end up paying and buying more than what is required.If 51 percent FDI is allowed in multi brand, it will teach the local retailers about real competition and help in ensuring that they give better service to Indian consumers. It is obviously good for local completion and there are no consequences of our local kirana shops disappearing. The Kirana stores operate in a different environment catering to certain set of customers and they will continue to find new ways to retain them. Kirana stores are convinced that stores all big stores will be set up far away from the city and the travel time in India will not help us to go often and buy things from these large stores. Large store buying will help only in bulk purchases. So there is no need to fear about the FDI investment in this context.Investing in India definitely has some negative sides as well. Most noticeably India considered as a huge market but a major portion of that is a lower and middle class person who still suffers from budget shortage. The infrastructure of the country also needs to be improved a lot and already it is under huge strain. There are also problems exists in the power demand shortfall, port traffic capacity mismatch, poor road conditions deal with an inefficient and sometimes still slow-moving bureaucracy. The huge market in India is an advantage but it is also very diverse in nature. India has 17 official languages, 6 major religions, and ethnic diversity as wide as all of Europe.This makes the tasks difficult for the companies to make appropriate product or service portfolio. India is not a member of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes also not of the New York Convention of 1958. That make life bit difficult for the foreign investors. India still has a heavy regulation burden among other countries, for example the time taken to start business or to register a property is higher in India. Similarly, indirect taxes, entry-exit barriers and import duties have been major disadvantages (Nagaraj, 2003; Planning Commission of India, 2002; USITC, 2007; World Bank, 2004). KEYWORDS: Retail, FDI, SME, Multi-brand, Single-brand REFERENCES: 1) Amanpreet Kang. (2012).Evaluating Effects of FDI In Developing Economies: The Curious Case of Pharmaceutical Companies. ABS, Amity University Rajasthan (ISSN 2230 7230) 2) Anonymous. (11 Feb, 2008;). FDI reforms. Business Asia. 3) Anu Antony. (July – December 2009). The Transitional Shift Of Indian Market Space And FDI In Retail. Globsyn Management Journal. 4) Dr Surender Kumar Gupta. (Feb 2012). FDI and Indian Retail Sector-The Path Ahead. International Journal of Marketing and Technology (ISSN: 2249 1058). 5) Prof. G. V. Bhavani Prasad, E. Hari Prasad Sharma (June 2012). Impact Of FDI on Economic Development of India. International Journal of Marketing and Technology (ISSN: 2249 1058). 6) H. S. Yadav, Sangeeta Jauhari. (2011-2012).Foreign Direct Investment and Retail Trade in India (The Consequences under Globalization). Skyline Business Journal. 7) M. Chackochen and Pon Ramalingam. (April – June, 2012). FDI Investment: Retail Franchising. SCMS Journal of Indian Management.. 8) Tarun Kanti Bose. (1 May, 2012). Advantages and Disadvantages of FDI in China and India. International Business Research. 9) Anonymous. (2012). India Retail Report. Busine ss Monitor International. 10) Seth, Smriti. (29 Nov 2011). FDI in retail to make consumers king? 122 mn consumers set to gain [Retailing]. The Economic Times. 11) Arati R Jerath. (04 Dec 2011). FDI in retail: Is it another nuclear deal moment?. The Economic Times. 12) Rai, Manmohan. (16 Sep 2012).FDI in retail is anti-farmer and anti-small retailers, says UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The Economic Times. 13) Sen, Amiti. (26 Mar 2012). FDI in retail: Local sourcing seems to work well in multi-brand retail, but not in single brands. The Economic Times. 14) Anonymous. (11 July 2012). FDI in single-brand retail: No policy change, DIPP to put IKEA's concerns in FIPB court. The Economic Times. 15) Accord Fintech. (28 Jan 2012). SME's support FDI in multi brand retail: CII Survey. The Economic Times. 16) Ghosal, Sutanuka; Srinivas, Nidhi Nath. (02 Dec 2011). FDI in India: Farmer bodies throw their weight behind retail FDI. The Economic Times. 17) www. ebsco. com 18) www. proquest. com

Training on Local Employees in Asian Hospitality Industry Research Paper

Training on Local Employees in Asian Hospitality Industry - Research Paper Example One primary understanding that needs to be explored in this proposed research study is the difference between European leadership and Asian employees at the cultural level. European human resources managers generally hail from cultures that are globalized and have a long-standing industrialized and commercial history. Much of this influence has come from Western countries, such as the United States, that acted as the framework for much of the modern human resources principles being used in a variety of industries today. European leaders are from individualistic societies, under Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Framework, whereby managers and employees value self-expression and independence in the workplace and tend to value personal goal attainment over that of group goal-setting and group-oriented rewards (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008). In this type of organization or culture, individualists seek more decision-making authority and job role autonomy in order to remain loyal and satisfied so that they can become performance-oriented and seek to meet strategic goals. This individualistic attitude drives the majority of their human resources policies as it relates to employee training and learning. In Asian cultures, however, there is a strong, historical trend toward collectivism. This type of cultural values group norms and group affiliation over individualized expression where â€Å"they view themselves as a member of an extended family, place group interests ahead of individual needs, and value reciprocation of favors and respect for tradition† (Blodgett et al, p.339). Employees that have strong collectivist values often seek opinion and networking from peers and operate well in very structured, centralized management hierarchies. Collectivists often value rules and regulations and seek ongoing leadership presence in their job roles and do not function most effectively when left to autonomous job functions.

Composer report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Composer report - Essay Example though he was excused to hold mass due to his various illness ranging from angina pectoris, asthmatic bronchitis and nervous disorder claiming that his â€Å"chest was too tight† to administer a mass (www.baroquemusic.org , nd). There are few records about Vivaldi’s personality but his contemporaries describe him as boastful. In modern language, Antonio Vivaldi’s personality can be described as cocky because he of his ability to compose music swiftly (musicandbiology.blogspot.com, nd). Vivaldi knew that he was gifted in music. He could compose music faster than anyone could copy it and this lead to become proud, boastful and vain. Due to his vanity, he was also sensitive to criticism and is engrossed with money. He was also volatile who whose personality could be compared to modern day manic depressive person. He was however admired by people around for his talent, zest and enthusiasm for music (Orlando, 2008). Vivaldi was also a religious man being ordained as a priest. This was attested by Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni who vividly described his first meeting with Antonio Vivaldi in 1735. When he arrived to meet Vivaldi, he found him in a meditational reading and was clutching his missal during his interview. In addition, many of his composition were dedicated to the Virgin Mary attesting his

The 5 events that most contributed to the outbreak of the civil war in Essay

The 5 events that most contributed to the outbreak of the civil war in 1861 - Essay Example There are myriad reasons behind the secession and breaking out of the historic â€Å"Civil War† but this has been systematically culminated and mentioned in the book, â€Å"The American Journey† by David Goldfield, Carl. E. Abbot, Virginia Dijon Anderson, Jo Ann E. Argersinger, Peter .H. Argersinger, William Barney and Robert Weir. The five most important reasons behind the break out of civil war that are considered in the book include the end of the Mexican War in 1848, Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, release of Uncle Tom’s cabin, the shock of the Northerner’s at the sight of bleeding Kansas and the attack of the Charles Summer by Preston on the floor of the Senate. All these factors agitated the movement very systematically and chronologically that led to the outbreak of the great Civil War in America. The Mexican War ended in the year of 1848 and consequently America was declared as the ceded region and it paved the way for the initiation of another problem. The new concern was regarding the admission of the states as states and determination of their status as Free States or Slave States. To conclude such dilemma Congress came out with an amicable solution and passed the treaty of â€Å"Compromise of 1850†. Thus, it was decided that California would be made free and the states were allowed to pick up freely between Utah and New Mexico. At an actual plane, this decision to choose freely between the regime of the Free State and the Slave State. This decision to allow the states to choose freely provided a base for the heated up discontentment amid the myriad factions of the society in these states itself and founded the base for the agitation. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was declared as a consequence to the Act of Compromise of 1848. This Act was forcibly enacted on any federal official who were unable to get hold of a runaway slave and were forcibly entitled to pay fine.

Internet Technology, Marketing and Security Research Paper

Internet Technology, Marketing and Security - Research Paper Example As a result, businesses have implemented the use of social media technology and application to communicate marketing messages and images to their consumers who have ready access to the communication media (Castronovo & Lei, 2012). Nonetheless, it is notable that many parts of the developed world has not adequately achieved access to computer systems and the internet (Chung & Austria, 2010) as a result of this, the application of social media is largely a phenomenon and concept of the urban community within developing economies because of access to technological infrastructure (Furlow, 2012). The marketing messages which are communicated via social media are passed from one individual to another rather than directly from the company or organization. Therefore, the users of social media in their evaluation of products and services act as a third parties and hence objective and credible sources of information (Lipsman, Mud, Rich & Bruich, 2012). Therefore social media is popularly being applied by business in marketing communication because of the authenticity and credibility that is associated with this form of communication (Castronovo & Lei, 2012). On the other hand, the application of social media in marketing communication has been criticized on the basis that it is informal and less reliable source of marketing communication about products and services (Hill & Moran, 2011). Additionally, it is argued that social media is only popular among specific segments of the market such as the young people (Lipsman, Mud, Rich & Bruich, 2012). This means that some segments of the market are not reached in social media marketing. Because of this, social media... As the essay declares  the popularity of social media as a marketing tool is argued to be a result of the advancement in information and communication technology. The contemporary society is increasingly utilizing technology and particularly the internet for communication and networking. With the advent of social media sites and platforms, the application of technology by individuals, businesses, agencies, organizations and companies has increased gradually.This discussion highlights that  the marketing messages which are communicated via social media are passed from one individual to another rather than directly from the company or organization. Therefore, the users of social media in their evaluation of products and services act as a third parties and hence objective and credible sources of information. Therefore social media is popularly being applied by business in marketing communication because of the authenticity and credibility that is associated with this form of communi cation. On the other hand, the application of social media in marketing communication has been criticized on the basis that it is informal and less reliable source of marketing communication about products and services.  The application of social media platforms in marketing is said to be the most effective way of reaching a large number of audience at no cost. Facebook and Twitter have registered billions of users within their accounts.

Film and Television Genre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film and Television Genre - Essay Example Film genre can be classified into the following.Action films.These are films characterized by fights, battles and destructive crises such as floods, natural disasters and fires. Good examples are the James Bond films and martial arts films.Adventure films.They are exciting stories with new experience, they include films that are based on treasure hunts, jungle and desert epics.Comedy.These are designed to provoke laughter with jokes, they exaggerate a situation. There are various types of comedies they include romantic comedies, black comedies, slapstick and parodies.Crime or gangster films.They are based on actions to combat crime, they are in most cases referred to as detective mystery films and examples include serial killer films and bank robbery films.Drama films.Are those films that portray realistic characters and life situations. This is the largest film genre and they do not focus on specific effects such as comedy or action.Historical films.They are usually historically ima ged films that are focus on myths, legends and heroic figures. Good examples are Bible-based films.Horror films.They are films that are designed to frighten and invoke our hidden fears. They include satanic films, monster films, Dracula films and serial killers.Musical or dance films.They are films that are centred on music, dance and songs. Examples are concert films and musical comedies.Science fiction films.They are based on imaginative scientific ideas, they include alien films, distant planet films. The genre categories are broad enough to accommodate any film ever made. Film categories can never be precise and films tend to be crossbreeds or hybrids, this is to mean that a film has more than one genre that is overlapping. Detective mystery film, they cannot be classified as main genre films because they are both thrillers and gangster films. Therefore they are classified according to their hybridity and not by specific genres. From the above examples of hybrids we can conclude the present films are classified as hybrids, it is for the simple reason that they cannot be classified as specific genres. The genre classification has no closed boundaries because they are formed by certain sets of conventions and classification is based on recurring patterns.... Walt Disney is the main producer of these films, they include Mickey Mouse cartoon, Popeye and superman. (http://www.filmsite.org/animatedfilms.html) Children and family films. These are non offensive films, they are usually made to entertain the whole family. They do not include scenes with violence, nudity or sex. Classic films. These are films that are referred to as favourites by the whole universe, they are high quality films and often gain quality after re screening. A good example is King Kong (1933). Documentary films. These films are non fiction based, they are narratives of historical events, an example is the Memphis belle(1944) which is a World War 2 documentary. Sexual or erotic films. This are films that present human nudity and love making, they are pornographic in nature. The genre categories are broad enough to accommodate any film ever made. Film categories can never be precise and films tend to be crossbreeds or hybrids, this is to mean that a film has more than one genre that is overlapping. Examples of hybrids. Detective mystery film, they cannot be classified as main genre films because they are both thrillers and gangster films. Therefore they are classified according to their hibridity and not by specific genres. Disaster films, they are both action and adventure films, an example is the hurricane film of 1937 and the high and the mighty film of 1954. Sports films, are those that based on sports, this films may be fictious or non fictious and they are hybrids. Examples include the rocky film of 1976, remember the titan's film of the year 2000. Thrillers and suspense films, these are films that are based on suspense promotion, they are

Staffing & Talent Management F12 Assignment #3 Essay

Staffing & Talent Management F12 Assignment #3 - Essay Example Most organisations in today’s world are high profit seeking business partners. They have their plans, objectives and actions aligned with financial goals in mind. Therefore for such organisation, strategic monitoring of performance by the leadership is very important. This is the contribution area registering the contribution made by employees in the area of their core competency. This accounts for the main work that give the organisation its â€Å"bread butter†. For an IT organisation, it is developing applications, building software, providing software solution consultancy etc. For manufacturing companies it could be throughput of manufacturing operation, reduction of waste, optimisation of processes. For a public service company it could be generating ideas related to a particular field, implementation of internal projects, ability to cut down on departmental expenses etc. This is the leadership contribution area responsible for training and development of staff. This parameter is necessary for understanding the impact of leaders on their team and peers. It measures training and motivation efficiency, it calibrates and provides a benchmark for trainings to be taken and leadership roles to be undertaken in order to ensure growth of the organisation. It is a crucial area that registers responsibilities taken over and above current responsibilities. It encompasses the qualities of ownership, accountability, customer satisfaction and dedication towards achieving 100 % customer satisfaction score keeping in mind larger topics like: future business, long term goals, long lasting customer relationships, joint efforts, partnerships, forecasted future financial benefit etc. Value Creator contribution area also records the value addition that an employee brings to his work through added effort out of the set of assigned results. Apart from

Trace evidence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trace evidence - Research Paper Example â€Å"He put the analysis of handwriting on a firmer footing, systematized the analysis of the dust in the clothes of suspects, invented a modified method of analyzing blood stains, and invented poroscopy, whereby the pores in the papillary ridges of fingerprints are used as a means of identification† (Stauffer, n.d.). The term â€Å"trace evidence† surfaced as three of Dr. Edmond Locard’s papers got published in the year 1930 in the American Journal of Police Science (forensics4fiction.com, 2012). According to Locard’s Exchange Principle, there occurs a transfer of material when two objects collide. The transferred trace evidence is used to assess relationships and connections among different objects, locations, and people. The significance of the trace evidence fundamentally depends upon the quality of detection in general, and the collection and preservation of the evidence in particular. The investigator must be able to understand the transfer of mater ial in order to interpret the analytical results. There has occurred a revolutionary change in the crime investigation techniques over the years. In the past, it was difficult to associate a hair found at the crime spot with a suspect because of the coating of conditioner upon it. The officers investigating a case of rape or murder looked for the traces of semen or blood, but lacked proper ways of collecting the evidence. However, new and improved detection techniques are reducing the complexity of crime investigation, thus enhancing the chances of success. Detecting the link between an object or an individual and the crime is often fundamental to the successful solution of the case. These links are conventionally developed by comparison of the trace evidence. Establishment of these links is made complicated by the similarity between the samples of trace evidence and the environments in which they are located. Four of the new techniques of trace evidence, which have

Foreign Policy Roles of The President and The Congress Essay Example for Free

Foreign Policy Roles of The President and The Congress Essay According to the United States Constitution, the making of foreign policy is shared by both the President and the Congress. They are said to be working at a cross-purposes in foreign policy. Each plays important roles that are different but often overlap. It is quite inevitable to have disagreements between these executive and legislative branches. But these foreign policy disputes are actually sometimes constructive or not necessarily bad. Every so often, this can contribute to useful improvements to foreign policies. Significantly, the two branches possess ongoing opportunities in making and altering foreign policies, and the interactions between them continue indefinitely throughout the life of a policy. However, when the foreign policy is poorly served, the relationship between the executive and legislative branches becomes hostile and unpleasant. Having the accountability for check and balance between these government branches, the Congress should critic the administration of the President in the light that it is seeking better partnership with the administration in view of better governance of the country and, in this specific case, progress in the formulation of America foreign policy. The President usually responds to current events in foreign countries and thus initiates U. S. policy. Sometimes, the executive branch wants to begin a foreign policy program that requires legislation, and accordingly proposes legislation to Congress, thereby needing approval from the latter in this situation. Also, the power of negotiation gives the executive branch a dominant role in making foreign policy through international agreements, but the President must take into account congressional opinion because these agreements often require the approval of the Senate or the Congress. The latter also influence agreements by placing in legislation instructions and views concerning international agreements, indicating what kind of agreement would be acceptable. The President also establishes US foreign policy through unilateral statements or joint statements with other governments. The executive branch also establishes foreign policy through legislation, continues to shape policy as it interprets and applies the various provisions of law. Occasionally, the President undertakes a sudden foreign policy action before Congress is fully informed about it. The Congress then usually supports the President, but sometimes it tries to halt or reverse the policy or pass legislation to restrain the President from similar actions in the future. The Congress introduces many resolutions stating the sense of the House on foreign policy, and many of these resolutions are adopted. It sometimes initiates a foreign policy by using legislation to establish a new program, set objectives and guidelines, authorize and direct the executive branch to undertake specified activities, and by earmarking appropriations used in a specified way. At times, the Congress pressures the executive branch into a new direction in foreign policy by threatening to pass legislation, even though the legislation is not enacted, or by continuing to exhort a policy through many means. Providing advice to the executive branch in informal contacts is also a means of the Congress to shape foreign policy. Regular oversight of executive branch implementation of foreign policy helps the Congress as well in shaping these policies (Grimmet). The international agreements regardless of their title, designation or form whose entry into force with respect to the United States takes place only after two thirds of the US Senate has given its advice and consent under Article II, section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, are treaties. On the other hand, international agreements brought into force with respect to the United States on a constitutional basis other than with the advice and consent of the Senate are international agreements other than treaties, and are often referred to as executive agreements. Treaties require the consent of the Senate. The Senate, therefore, may approve, reject or revise a treaty. The Senate approves most of the treaties but some are also rejected. One significant example is the Treaty of Versailles. Executive agreements are far more common than treaties. They do not require the consent of the Senate, though Congress may be notified shortly after an agreement is reached. Unlike treaties, these agreements do not supersede existing statues. Examples are the Yalta and Potsdam agreements and the Vietnam Peace agreement. In summary, the President or the executive branch can make foreign policy through responses to foreign events, proposals for legislation, negotiation of international agreements, policy statements, policy implementation and independent action. Moreover, the Congress can make foreign policy through resolutions and policy statements, legislative directives, legislative pressure, legislative restrictions / funding denials, informal advice, and congressional oversight. The Congress maintains a decisive voice in either supporting the President’s approach or changing it. Changing policies may prove to be quite complex in the short term. In most cases though, Congress agrees with the President, but often makes significant modifications in the process of approving them. It is then important to note that the support or approval of both the legislative and executive branch is required for an effective and well-founded U. S. foreign policy. Works Cited Grimmett, Richard F. Foreign Policy Roles of the President and Congress. Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division. US Department of State. 1999, June 1. http://fpc.state.gov/fpc/6172.htm.

Emergency Response to a dirty bomb incident Essay Example for Free

Emergency Response to a dirty bomb incident Essay Terrorist activities and world wars that were experienced released radioactive elements to the environment which have lead to the raise of low level nuclear materials due to exposure to the neutron radiation. Also activities carried out in hospitals and universities in an attempt of doing scientific research to come up with solutions to perplexing issues play a part in the release of low level waste materials that contain nuclear radiations. The radioactivity of the materials can be minimal or high depending on the period of time taken by the materials to absorb neutron radiations. Various National Regulatory Commission (NRC) policies and regulations have been formulated to guide towards the safe disposal of these materials that will not result in the overall deterioration of the environment or portray harm to the environment and its environs. The less radioactive low level nuclear waste is left to decay away and later disposed off as ordinary trash or collected in a heap to enable its shipment to sites approved by the guidelines underlying in the stipulated NRC policies and regulations (Berkhout, 2002). Terrorists or nations engaged in wars use dirty bombs to cause psychological stress, mass panic and terror to the other war counterpart as the bombs do not cause mass destruction. However, the use of dirty bombs introduces fissile materials to the environment which undergo nuclear reactions as time passes to produce fission products which are dangerous because they contain nuclear electrons. These products pose danger to the nature of the environment as major components are affected such as air, soil and ozone among others greatly affecting the normal functions carried out by the physical attributes and habitats of the environment. The health of human beings is also placed at a danger as fetal diseases and symptoms crop up leading to their death such as severe vomiting and swelling of human body parts. Also the economy of a country is affected placing the nation in an economic crisis that requires emergency strategies to pull back the nosedived economy so as to protect the country from economic collapse. Therefore, though the use of dirty bombs leads to the introduction of low level nuclear materials to the environment the after effects caused may be lethal thus the demand for extra care in the disposal and treatment mechanisms (Berkhout, 2002). The vengeance carried out by the Al Qaeda terrorists has lead to the adverse deterioration of the economic status of Hillsdale metropolitan due to the presence of radioactive materials which are affecting the development of the city. Some key areas in the city that are potential business sites have even been restricted from human activity due to the potential danger they portray to the humans. Research information collected by scientists and scholars show that human activities may activate the radioactivity of the waste materials evident in the city causing more harm to the residents residing in the safer regions of the city and in neighboring towns. Therefore strategies that will foresee the overall management of disposal and decontamination of the low level nuclear materials and the equipments used to collect and clean the materials should be formulated (Lynn et al. , 2003). To be able to help the metropolitan respond effectively to emergency cases that result from radiological dispersal devices there should be establishment of regular training facilities, sessions and exercises that educate and prepare emergency response staff members to be able to handle any incidents that will require the decontamination of the low level nuclear materials that exhibits danger to the environment and its inhabitants. These programs will help to educate the staff members and the communities at large on the dangers portrayed by the radioactive materials and understand the potential measures that should be followed to curb the danger. Also the necessary resources that are required to decontaminate the radioactive materials are availed during the training exercises and the appropriate method of handling the devices instilled into the emergency rescue staff members (Lynn et al. , 2003). The NRC should ensure thorough radiological assessment especially to the prohibited zones are conducted to enable collection of data that will help decide on which methods to use to decontaminate the low level nuclear materials liaising with the federal department for more information on the steps to take, for example deionizing activities that will stop the reactivity ability of the nuclear neutrons from forming fusion products that are a danger to the Hillsdale community and economy. Other methods include collection of the radio active materials into decontamination containers where they are heaped to decrease their decaying time (Bolz, Dudonis Schulz, 2005). Campaigns that will create awareness to the public on the essential measures to undertake and the dangers the radioactive materials portray to them should be organized. To enable the success of these campaigns the department should work hand in hand with the ecology department and the environmental protection agencies to stipulate strategies that the public should emanate in case of potential dangers exhibited by the radioactive materials. For example when incidents of explosions occur the public should quickly evacuate from the affected areas and run in directions that are free from the radioactive fallouts released by the explosion to prevent inhalation. They should also remove everything they had worn in the occurrence of the incidents safely disposing them and bath within the shortest time interval. The public should also not return to shelters or use properties that may have harbored the fallout particles for some hours (Lynn et al. , 2003). The transport behavior of the radionuclide elements or fallouts should be thoroughly researched to help in the implementation of geochemical and microbial characteristics to be imposed on the transport behavior of the fallouts. The contaminated properties and clean up materials undergo vitrification process in an attempt to purify them where they are de-nitrated to increase the stability of the fission product formed. Facilities that will enable ion exchange and synroc activities of decontaminating and disposing off the radioactive elements should be employed. Long term solutions that will enable disposal of the low level nuclear materials, clean up equipments and contaminated properties should be devised. For instance shafts that are approximately 500-1000 meters below the ground surface should be drilled to enable safe disposal of the radioactive nucleis. The decaying process that will follow will decrease the harm caused by the reactivity of these fallouts (Berkhout, 2002). The increased terrorist attacks will require the US government to formulate policies that will improve the overall process of decontaminating and disposing off low level nuclear materials that affect the social welfare and economic status of the nation. This will enable appropriate decisive and expert actions to be carried out within 48 hours of launch of dirty bombs, to effectively curb the dangers portrayed by the explosions that follow. Therefore the vulnerability of nations or cities for example Hillsdale from the consequences caused by use of dirty bombs will reduce creating a safe haven to the environment and its inhibitors. Reference List Berkhout, F. , (2002). Radioactive Waste: Politics and Technology. NY: Routledge. Bolz, F. , Dudonis, J. K. Schulz, P. D. , (2005). The Counter terrorism Handbook: Tactics, Procedures and Techniques. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Lynn, E. D. , LaTourrette, T. Public Safety and Justice Program (Rand Corporation), (2003). Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks: Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Attacks. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation Press.

Effects of Prevalence Expectation on Visual Search Behaviour

Effects of Prevalence Expectation on Visual Search Behaviour Page | 1 Introduction The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of prevalence expectation on visual search behaviour and cognitive function in radio-diagnosis of the adult chest radiograph and its impact upon medical expert witness testimony in malpractice litigation. Research into radiological error has consistently demonstrated disparity in radiological performance. Most studies of radiology error report significant rates of intra and inter observer variability. The pertinent question is why do radiologists make mistakes? â€Å"Conventionally, radiologists produce diagnoses on the basis of a combination of their training, experience, and individual judgment. Radiologists perceive and recognise image patterns and associate or infer a diagnosis consistent with those patterns.† [1] Accurate results depend upon the radiologist’s ability to recognise a lesion, ignore irrelevant details, and retrieve pertinent memories in order to accurately interpret an image. The radiologists primary task is to accurately identify a range of anatomical structures and pathological findings on medical images. The diagnostic process in radiology is not well understood. Basically, radiologists perceive and recognise image patterns and then associate or infer a diagnosis consistent with such patterns. Appearances on a radiograph are silhouettes of normal and abnormal anatomy. Each shadow represents a projection of layers of detail on a two dimensional surface from a three-dimensional object. The successful detect ion of the target and the time required to seek it out depends upon a number of external factors Much information needs to be processed by the radiologist during the interpretation of such shadows. The disease pattern, The clinical and demographic information relating to the patient The differential diagnoses pertaining to such a pattern. The experience of the radiologist A general aspect of everyday life is looking for a particular target amongst an assortment of other (distracting) items. Visual Search is one task that is performed routinely from radiological diagnosis to finding a definitive research text in a library. Visual search is an essential element in the cognitive process and is the interaction between the visual system, its target and the reader’s subsequent decision. Each experiment was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment, but were designed to simulate, as near as possible, the clinical arena. Expectation is explored by manipulating the information given to radiologists between general clinical information and very specific clinical information, thereby encouraging each radiologist to formulate an individual expectation of abnormal prevalence in the images presented to them. We then measured any subsequent change in behaviour as the subjects’ biases shifted. It was hypothesised thata radiologist would vary their decisions at the cost of more or less false alarms. This is termed criterion shift. The amount by which a radiologist considers false alarms to achieve a higher rate of detection is termed the bias. Bias represents an approach to lessen the consequences of a missed target. What is visual search? In a visual search task, subjects look for a target item among a number of distracting items. [1] After breaking down an image into its distinct components, the visual system directs attention to unusual areas for further analysis. This act of looking for and selecting an anomalous feature on a radiographic image is termed visual search, and is the task performed by radiologists daily. At a very basic level, there are generally considered two types of visual search termed pre-attentive and attentive. A great deal of research has been conducted regarding the differences between these two types of visual search and the factors that affect performance during each [2, 3]. Pre-attentive search has been given a number of labels including efficient search, parallel search, easy or effortless search [1] and automatic detection [4]. In this type of search, the targets are anticipated to contain features which are processed pre-attentively [5], basically drawing attention to themselves. In this type of search, the target appears immediately to the observer, requiring little search effort. For example when searching for the letter X on a page of letter Os or for a red target in a mass of blue targets. Attentive search also referred to as inefficient search [1] serial search [4] and controlled search [2] refers to a complicated search in which attention must be given to targets much less obvious. These components are influenced respectively by the characteristics of the environment (e.g., saliency of targets and distracters) and learned search strategies. The distinction between these two types of search is consistent with the view that search is driven by both bottom up and top down processes [6] wherein bottom up processes drive attention due to salient features in an environment or target features and top down processes drive attention through the function of search strategies such as the direction of attention to locations of high priority. Experienced radiologists develop a mental global impression of a standard radiograph [7, 8] sometimes called a target template [9] and in some instances use pre-attentive search as the abnormality is almost instantaneously visible. Conversel y they may use the second approach in more difficult cases. Recognising how these factors influence target detection helps to understand real-world search tasks and cognitive psychology. Together, the results can help to show how different influences affect visual search in the performance of real-life search tasks as in medical radiology, and airport baggage security. Fiore et al [10]) define threat detection in an airport screening task as the ability to rapidly recognise targets in the environment and interpret the meaning and importance of these cues. Nodine et al [11] break the radiological interpretation task down into three elements, describing the task as consisting of a search for, the recognition of an abnormality and the decision made regarding the abnormality. Many occupations depend on the speedy and effective execution of a visual search. Surf life savers in Australia are trained to search the ocean for rips, sharks and for swimmers in difficulty. Diamond cutters need to be able to evaluate the cutting potential of a rough diamond and need to be able to look at a diamond crystal and determine whether it will yield a large enough gemstone to make a profit.The quality and price will vary greatly based on the cut quality [12]. Airport baggage security screeners are trained using Threat Image Projection (TIP) technology to detect potential threat items within an X-ray image that may contain harmless clutter. There are various features which might hamper a successful visual search, including item superimposition, different viewpoints, rotation of the item and general image complexity. A number of other demands may also influence search, including psychosocial pressure (a busy airport might provoke a too rapid search), expectation (a threat it em is a rare occurrence), boredom and the number of different targets added to the list of dangerous or suspicious items. Errors in these areas are potentially life-threatening, expensive or both. In the medical arena, diagnosis in cytology and radiology are two areas that are dependent upon visual search. Clinical understanding and proficiency in visual pattern recognition serve as the basis for diagnosis by radiologists and pathologists [13]. Error in Radiology Imaging departments must offer a top quality radiological service with as little risk to the patient as is possible. It is therefore incumbent upon radiology department to address any problematic areas and try to reduce the causes of error. The accuracy of the radiological report is one element of the patient’s care. In radio-diagnosis, errors are either of perception or cognition [14]. Perceptual errors occur when targets (tumours, infection) are not visualised. A cognitive error occurs when an abnormality is seen but the radiologist draws the wrong conclusions due to unsound diagnostic reasoning. Diagnostic errors are classified as either false positive (FP) or false negative (FN). A false positive decision is due to the interpretation of a presumed target as pathological when it is in fact normal. A false-negative is an abnormality that is present but is not perceived. FN errors errors are five times more likely than FP errors [15], whilst perceptual errors are four times more frequent than decision making errors [14]. Radio-diagnosis not an exact science. Approximately 4% of Radiological interpretations contain errors, fortunately, most of these errors are clinically insignificant, or if serious errors are found, they are promptly corrected causing no harm to patients [16]. Identifying and locating items can be challenging especially when one is uncertain of where, or even what, to look for. Difficulties are more likely to occur when observers must locate the target’s position rather than simply detect the target’s presence [17]. Numerous studies have been conducted to understand error in radio-diagnosis. This issue has been recognised for a number of years. In the 1940s, Garland [18] found that 10-20% of chest radiographs of patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB) were read differently by different observers and a study by Quekel et al [19] observed that 19% of lung cancers presenting as a nodule on chest radiographs were missed. Another study [20] identified major diagnostic variation between three experienced radiologists interpreting medical images of patients in an emergency department. In this study the level of diagnostic agreement between the radiologists varied according to the anatomical area examined. Levels of agreement were abdomen (51%), chest (61%) and musculoskeletal (74%). There are a number of influences that affect the perception and diagnosis of chest lesions. Of these influences, prevalence expectation has had very little study. Target prevalence and prevalence expectation Prevalence expectation or bias occurs when expectations about an outcome influences a subject’s behaviour. In radiology this can be a factor during diagnosis. For statistical reasons, laboratory studies of visual search in typically include targets on 50% of all trials and participants often recognise that any given trial has an equal chance of having a target or not. However, real-life searches are seldom so balanced. In airport security, baggage screeners view numerous x-ray images of suitcases, but the incidence of a dangerous item happens infrequently. Consequently, one issue in visual search is exploring how a difference in target prevalence modifies searcher expectation and subsequent detection performance. This issue has been raised in multiple domains, including vigilance studies, radio-diagnostic perception, and cognitive psychology. In routine radiological examinations, the occurrence of abnormalities is generally low. This frequency fluctuates depending on the demographics of the population and the anatomical area being examined. However, in all cases, a mis-diagnosis might result in serious consequences. Research within radiology has therefore attempted to show whether low target prevalence is responsible for diagnostic error. Whilst a number of studies, within the medical and non-medical domains, have investigated whether the number of targets present (prevalence) can affect performance. [21, 22, 23, 24], there has been almost no research undertaken regarding the effect of prevalence expectation.

Male Domination in A MIdsummer Nights Dream Essays -- Essays Papers

Male Domination in A MIdsummer Nights Dream Male Domination For many centuries women have been oppressed, and treated like second-class citizens. Over the years, women have earned more rights and have been recognized as equals to men. Although they have earned many things, there are still some signs of them being oppressed by societies that are still mainly dominated by men. The period when Queen Elizabeth was ruling over England was no different. She was a big supporter of William Shakespeare and his acting company. William Shakespeare was one of the first feminist writers. William Shakespeare wrote the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The women in the play have no power and there is nothing they can do. The men use their power to control the women and almost mess up many people’s lives. In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, male domination is displayed in the relationships, Theseus winning Hippolyta, Egeus controlling Hermia, and Oberon tricking Titania. Theseus won Hippolyta in battle and doesn’t care about her feelings. Theseus is the Duke of Athens and is the governing power of all the humans in the play. Hippolyta was the Queen of the Amazons, but was then conquered by Theseus and his army. â€Å"Hippolyta I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love, doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.† (1.1.16-19) Theseus won her in death and destru...

Book Review of Rebellion in the Backlands by Euclides da Cunha :: essays research papers

Book Review of "Rebellion in the Backlands" By Euclides da Cunha Rebellion in the Backlands is set in the Northeastern backlands of Brazil. It is basically, a historical narration of a period of time (1896 and 1897) where the government of the Republic of Brazil decided to wage war against a religious group of people of about 5000. This group of people, lead by a charismatic religious leader named Antonio Conselheiro, did not accept the Brazilian government as their legitimate government and was therefore deemed a threat to the rest of the country. Some of the members of this rebellion were in fact very aggressive and uncontrollable. Eventually the Brazilian government led an attack on these people launching a battle that lasted almost a year and took the lives of hundreds of Brazilian army soldiers, and thousands of native Brazilian rebels. The poor, native people of the backlands proved impressive opposition and in fact defeated every single force sent against them and even killed the commander of the first expedition. Although, in the end the g overnments military did prevail over the rural people, and they were all eventually killed. Still, the interesting thing about his book is that it seems to demonstrate that there is more to the story than just a battle lost. When I began this assignment, I set out to read each and every page of this book. Unfortunately, it is not an easy book to read and due to time limitations as well as a curiosity to â€Å"peek ahead† to further chapters, I was subsequently constrained to skim the entire book. From what I did gather this is a very well written book, incredibly detailed, by someone who is clearly well educated in Latin American History as well as military tactics and it seems as though, geology and geography as well. The amount of imagery and detail that was put into the chapter on land alone was enough to fill it’s own book. â€Å"†¦an unlooked-for picture awaits the traveler †¦ all of which confers upon the landscape in a fuse in a distant and amazing blend of color.† The physical descriptions of the land were beautiful and vivid, but what really interested me was the chapter entitled â€Å"Man†. Being a psychology major, this was by far my preferred chapter. Here Da Cunha really gets into the meat of the story he is telling about Brazilian history.

Plot Analysis Of Conspiracy Th :: essays research papers

The Conspiracy Theory is a movie that can wake you up to a very likely and harsh reality. Main character Jerry, author and sole producer of a monthly tabloid about theories on conspiracies soon begins to remember a hidden and forgotten past. The most captivating part of Conspiracy Theory is how the character’s past and present interact to contribute to the plot, and their futures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tragic pasts of the 3 main characters help define the plot. Jerry was once a test subject for governmental experiments. Jodas, head of these experiments, tried to learn how to turn an everyday person into a brutal killer. Jerry soon became Jodas’ personal tool of destruction, and Jerry was told to kill a judge who was sure to put Jodas in jail. Jerry was given a chance to kill him, but his human conscience proved to still live on, the judge soon took Jerry under his wing. That judge was later killed by another one of Jodas’ men. With the judge’s final words, he begged Jerry to protect his one and only daughter, Alice. Our three main characters are now destine for a major confrontation years later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main plot is laid out by the events of the present. Several years later, Jerry drives his cab as he’s done every day since the shooting, until he zones out and has a flashback of his past. One soon finds out that Jerry is very paranoid about the government and he questions everything about it. Jodas catches up to Jerry and tries to imprison him. Alice then finds that Jodas is one of Jerry’s newsletter subscribers and has a meeting with him. Jodas then convinces Alice that Jerry killed her father; now Jerry is about to be set up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plot is concluded with a promise to the character’s futures. Jerry then asks Alice to meet him, and they return to the place where her father died. Jerry then confesses to Alice that he did not kill her father. After much deliberation, Alice believes Jerry; and just on time for Jodas’ return. Jodas captures Jerry and Alice barely gets away with the mere stroke of luck. Jerry is then imprisoned and injected with fluid that will convince his mind that he did everything. Plot Analysis Of Conspiracy Th :: essays research papers The Conspiracy Theory is a movie that can wake you up to a very likely and harsh reality. Main character Jerry, author and sole producer of a monthly tabloid about theories on conspiracies soon begins to remember a hidden and forgotten past. The most captivating part of Conspiracy Theory is how the character’s past and present interact to contribute to the plot, and their futures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tragic pasts of the 3 main characters help define the plot. Jerry was once a test subject for governmental experiments. Jodas, head of these experiments, tried to learn how to turn an everyday person into a brutal killer. Jerry soon became Jodas’ personal tool of destruction, and Jerry was told to kill a judge who was sure to put Jodas in jail. Jerry was given a chance to kill him, but his human conscience proved to still live on, the judge soon took Jerry under his wing. That judge was later killed by another one of Jodas’ men. With the judge’s final words, he begged Jerry to protect his one and only daughter, Alice. Our three main characters are now destine for a major confrontation years later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main plot is laid out by the events of the present. Several years later, Jerry drives his cab as he’s done every day since the shooting, until he zones out and has a flashback of his past. One soon finds out that Jerry is very paranoid about the government and he questions everything about it. Jodas catches up to Jerry and tries to imprison him. Alice then finds that Jodas is one of Jerry’s newsletter subscribers and has a meeting with him. Jodas then convinces Alice that Jerry killed her father; now Jerry is about to be set up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plot is concluded with a promise to the character’s futures. Jerry then asks Alice to meet him, and they return to the place where her father died. Jerry then confesses to Alice that he did not kill her father. After much deliberation, Alice believes Jerry; and just on time for Jodas’ return. Jodas captures Jerry and Alice barely gets away with the mere stroke of luck. Jerry is then imprisoned and injected with fluid that will convince his mind that he did everything.

Organisational Behaviour Essay

Being critical is not about merely making black and white decisions. It means using your judgement on matters that are different shades of grey. This implies that criteria need to be used in ascertaining what it is you want to say about whatever it is that is being adjudicated upon. Assignment 1 is a critical analysis of a concept and various aspects of it in the context of individual behaviour. Analysis is breaking down the concept, like motivation, attitudes, or job satisfaction –any one of the seven mentioned in the course outline under weeks 2-5 will do. In language lab today, Week 2, we searched internet and library for references (textbooks and journals). As a guide, in an assignment at this level I would expect to see as a minimum between 10-15 references, with about 25-30% being texts and the remainder references to journal articles). When a reference is found that may be important or useful then take a note of this, say, in a list using word. Next, take notes of any reaction (agreement and/or disagreement and why) to what these authorities are saying. After that, write a rough content outline. Following on from this reflect on the structure of the essay. Below is a possible structure for the essay. Of course, other structures are possible. At this point write a first draft. In this draft weave the content into and through the structure, remembering to keep both fairly fluid at this stage. Next, write up a second draft that is firmer, checking for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Keep most paragraphs more or less 6-10 lines long; never longer than eleven lines. Make sure there are no follow-on sentences by breaking down long sentences into simpler sentences. Take the words needed to say what needs to be said. To carry on with what was being said in the above about structure, the structure of Assignment 1 may follow something like this: Introduction (tell me what you are going to talk about) (300 words) Aim Scope -limitations and delimitations of the essay and/ or Background – paint a picture of the background, for example, talk here about individual behaviour as a context for job satisfaction. Many kinds of background are possible, including the historical or geographical. Purpose Body (talk about it) (1500 words) 1). To facilitate understanding -Comparison/contrast: that is, mention the similarities then focus on the differences between what Smith (1999) and Jones (2001) say. Outline the differences in their views. These differences may be treated as aspects of the concept chosen for the essay. (500 words) 2). Use reason by explicating (writing down clearly your interpretation of) what each authority is saying. [There may be more than two sides to an argument. Please consider more than two. ]. Write down what each is arguing, for and against, and give your reasons for why they are saying what they are saying. In other words, what is their purpose? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using one point of view over another? (500 words) 3). Which argument is stronger or weaker? Why? (500 words) Conclusion (tell me what you talked about) (200 words) Do not add any new material in this part of the essay.

Environmental sciences

The aims of prolonging yourself and their environment are about a dubious ground. Sustainability involves stagnation which refers to the rate of growing for human existences, workss and animate beings stay stable. This is far off from the instance, as our population rises with an unequal distribution, works and carnal resources are turning down at alone ratios. In developing states where industries are turning, urban conurbation threatens ecosystems and H2O resources. Promoting urban planning, preservation, and clean energy seems like it would be easier than traveling back subsequently and seeking to undo harm inflicted by unsustainable patterns. To command the population, this is basically to prolong the population. It is much more important that beginnings are apportioned every bit, and utilised conventionally. As our state, the United States of America is one of the topmost consumers of renewable and non-renewable resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in order to accomplish sustainability in the United States, is concentrating on advancing green concern patterns, using more governmental ordinances and policies, and working on progresss in scientific discipline and engineering. In order to prolong ourselves, we have to derive cognition of what is needed, non what is wanted or desired. Harmonizing to The World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD ) 2008, the measure of energy and material resources supplied required for industrial growing, the ingestion of natural resource is increases up to 170 % of the Earth ‘s bio-capacity by 2040. Sustainability is the footing for non merely by modifying our ingestion wonts, but besides by protecting and cognizing that natural ecosystems required being continued. If these systems do non hold clip to replenish, and if they do non maintain on cleansing of toxins and other pollutants, than the natural resources will complete. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development ( WBCSD ) 2008 considers that 60 % of the Earth ‘s ecosystem services have been humiliated in the initial 50 old ages. This debasement must be closed down, and citizens must give accent and act on environmental stewardsh ip. Sustainability is a idea that is hopeful and positive but non groundless. With the aid of planetary support and educational plans, continuing our environment is possible. We can merely wish to better our environment, so that population matters become the past experiences. Sustainability can non merely concentrates on population or even how clients in developed states are doing usage of merchandises. This requires being more holistic and taken into history environmental felicity and safety in add-on to societal and economic wellbeing.Mentions:The World Business Council for Sustainable Development. ( 2008 ) . Sustainable Facts and

The Hijacking of Food and Farm Policy

Diet For a Small Planet, that I made my way from Vermont to California to volunteer for her Institute for Food and Development Policy, also known as Food First. There has been a lot to celebrate since then. In every corner of the country, demand for locally and sustainable grown food is rising, with farmers and ranchers growing more chemical-free, healthier food for our nation's schools, universities, restaurants and supermarkets.Since 2005 the number of farmers markets has doubled, with more than 8000 markets open for business round the country. New local ownership and distribution structures are popping up everywhere, including more than 200 food hubs that are working in innovative ways to get more local, sustainable food to market. More than 180 local food policy councils are transforming food systems from the bottom up. The organic sector, with more and organic acreage has been growing steadily In recent years.More Information on these Impressive trends can be found In the slides that I presented during my keynote speech to the Women Food and Agriculture Network Conference in Iowa earlier this month to a wonderful crowd of mostly women farmers, landowners and loathe food system advocates. As great as these accomplishments are, the tens of thousands of projects and farms that are building a healthier, more sustainable food system around the country cannot grow quickly enough to counteract the tremendous damage to public health and the environment caused by the existing profit-driven Industrial food system.Two key messages In Lap ©'s book remain more relevant today than ever. The first?and the basis for my lifelong commitment to eating low on the food chain— is that it is inefficient and resource-intensive to rely on meat as our primary rotten source. It is clear that we cannot solve our global water, energy, climate change and public health challenges without changing how we produce meat and drastically reducing how much of it we eat.While we still have a long way to go, we are making slow but steady progress in reducing Americans' meat consumption?which is down four years in a row?mostly driven by consumers' concern for health and animal welfare. Yet It's clear that we wont achieve the far-reaching reforms needed to Improve the way produce feed and raise animals?until we fix the bigger problem plaguing our DOD system?a problem that struck me as the second and most important message not caused by scarcity of food but scarcity of democracy.Nearly forty years later, the lack of democracy not only continues to be a fundamental cause of hunger, but also a source of many other serious problems in our food system. Big food and industrial farming interests are hijacking our democracy and public policy at a huge cost to public health and the environment. And sadly, the Obama administration is complicit in this hijacking scheme.On several fronts, the administration is ignoring civil society calls for reform on several fronts and is giv ing rarity to industry financial interests over those of public health, the environment and welfare of animals, workers and consumers. Despite a clear and compelling need, it has failed to ban antibiotic use in well animals, pass effective factory farm regulations, or enact federal labeling and stricter regulation of genetically engineered food. No recent example of the administration's failure to put the public interest ahead corporate interests is clearer than the U.S. Department of Agriculture's proposed poultry rule. This rule would reduce the number of USDA inspectors in poultry acclivities by 75 percent, accelerate assembly lines pace to 175 birds per minute and intensify the use of toxic chemicals to clean the birds being processed. Who profits from this appalling proposal? No surprise there. As Tom Philter reported in Mother Jones magazine, Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride, Purdue, and Sanderson, the nation's leading poultry companies, stand to gain more than $1 billion over the next 5 years.As well, Congressional lawmakers are ignoring the public interest as they hash out a farm bill that will continue to give away billions to wealthy, profitable farms and agribusiness while slashing programs that promote nutrition, conservation, healthy food and organic agriculture. Because the good food movement lacks political muscle, there is far too little investment and effective federal policy to support?and help scale up good food projects and organic farming.And because big food and industrial agriculture companies have so much power, the federal government has too many bad policies that are doing far too much to support and enshrine the status quo, making it harder for sustainable agriculture to compete. The proposed farm bill is a perfect case in point. The bill currently being negotiated n conference committee would channel more than $13 billion a year to support and promote chemical-intensive, diversity-destroying monocots that mostly provide feed for animals and v ehicle fuel, with less than $200 million annually going to support local and organic diversified agriculture.The dominance of corporate and large-scale commodity interests in our political system is nothing new?but as the economic power of these industries has become more concentrated, their political clout has grown stronger, and the consequences, Just recently, the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published an in-depth analysis to assess the status of industrial farming five years after the publication of the seminal Pew Commission Report on Industrial Farm Animal Production.It found that the problems have actually gotten a lot worse. When Civil Eats asked Ralph Logics, an author of the Pew Commission report, to explain the lack of progress, he blamed † the overwhelming influence and power of the animal gag industry†¦ Whether it's affecting members of Congress, whether it's denting and nearly breaking the regulatory process, or whether it's too much influence over academics. Everywhere you look there's too much influence by the industry. In order to counteract that influence and put the public interest back into policy- making, the good food movement must channel more of the energy it devotes to building a healthy food system into blunting the power of industrial agriculture and building a healthier democracy. Otherwise, we will fail to make our vision for a healthy, Just and sustainable food system a reality for everyone. Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I explore the steps that are needed to blunt the power of industrial gag and build greater food democracy.