Milgram Obediance Study Essay Example for Free

Milgram Obediance Study Essay In May of 1962 Stanley Milgram, a Social Psychologist at Yale University, conducted a study on â€Å"Obedience and Human Nature† that was influenced by his curiosity of the WWII German Nazi Holocaust and concentration camps. Milgram asked â€Å"How could it be, that ordinary German people could allow the extermination of the Jews† and wanted to know under what circumstances would a person disobey authority? The study took place in the greater New Haven area and consisted of 40 male participants that were recruited after responding to a newspaper ad. Each participant was compensated for their participation, and were given $4.50. It was thought by many professors that only 3 out of 100 participants might deliver the maximum shock. After the recruitment, Milgram conducted a series of controversial experiments with his invention of a shock generator. The switches were labeled and ranged from slight shock, stong shock, very strong shock, moderate shock, intense shock, extream intense shock, to Danger Severe Shock and the last two only stating â€Å"XXX†. The voltage began at 30, increasing by 15 volt increments for each switch, all the way up to 450 volts. The purpose of Milgrams experiment was to try and answer,â€Å"How far would you be willing to go?† Prior to the experiment the professor explained the procedure to each participant. The â€Å"Student† was hooked up to the shock machine with leads that were connected by a paste that was supposed to protect the skin from being damaged or burned. The proctor explained that the shocks would be painful, but would not cause harm to the subject. The role of the â€Å"Teacher† was to ask the â€Å"Student† a series of questions. With each wrong answer the â€Å"Teacher† was to deliver a shock to the â€Å"Student†. However, what Milgram did not reviel was that the study was in fact, rigged. The â€Å"Student† had been given a script, and was instructed to pretend to be shocked. During the experiment, with each stagged wrong answer, the â€Å"Student† complained about the pain. As the intensity increased, the â€Å"Student† began to complain about having heart problems. Begging for the â€Å"Teacher† to stop. Pleading and demanding to be let out of the room over and over again. All the while the â€Å"Teacher† was prompted by the proctor to continue. Throughout the exam, most of the â€Å"Teachers† began to doubt if they should continue. Asking the proctor â€Å"how far should I go†, or â€Å"what will happen if I continue†. Each time, the proctor would encourage the teacher to â€Å"please continue† telling them â€Å"you have no choice but to continue, the experiment depends on you†. With each shock the â€Å"Teacher† became increasingly agitated. Demonstrating mental anguish, and struggled with the their emotions of inflicting pain with the next shock. Eventually after hitting the 300 volt mark the â€Å"Student† got to the point that he stopped responding to the questions. By this point the â€Å"Teachers† were angry and refused to continue. The proctor advised the â€Å"Teacher† to treat the silence as a wrong answer and instructed to proceed with the experiment and to administer another shock. This caused increased severe mental anguish and suffering on the â€Å"Teachersâ€Å" behalf. Some would refuse again to continue, stating that they â€Å"wouldnt go on if I thought I were harming them†. One even shouted, â€Å"Im not going to be responsible, Im not going to kill the man.† The proctor simply responded, â€Å"you have too, you have no other choice but to continue.† Many of the phrases used to prompt the â€Å"Teacher† to continue included, â€Å"The experiments require you to continue†, and â€Å"Its absolutely essential that you continue.† The results of the Milgram experiment tested his theories of why people were willing to go against their conscious and demonstrated just how far people were willing to go to stay in compliance with an authoritative figure. In 1974 Milgram published his book ,â€Å"Obedience to Authority† which raised controversial, ethical, and moral issues of his experimentation on Obedience. Many believed that it was cruel and several professors stated it was â€Å"in humane† and questioned his use of human subjects, due to the cruel nature that caused mental anguish, unnecessary stress, grief, and turmoil on the so called â€Å"Teacher†. After the experiment, Milgram purposed the question, â€Å"Why did so many agree to and perform the shock treatment, if they felt it was wrong?† I believe that there are many factors that influenced the participants to continue to deliver the shock treatment, some of which include the following; 1. Human nature to be pleasing. I believe that Authority is seen to be powerful and insurmountable and having the authoritative figure presence, tromping them to continue even when they wanted to stop had a huge influence on the participants and affected the â€Å"teachers† decision to continue even though they wanted to stop. 2. Fear of non-compliance. I believe the participant felt an obligation to continue because of the agreement they made with the University to participate. I think that some may of thought their might be consequences if they disobeyed the proctor. 3. Curiosity and sadistic behaviors. I think that some participants wanted to see just how tolerant the â€Å"Student† could be. 4. The experiment was held at the highly esteemed Yale University. I believe this peeked the interest of the participants and many wanted to be a part of a highly accredited institutional study group. 5. Many believed it was safe. They were told that it was not dangerous, it was painful but would not harm the participant receiving the shocks and this allowed the participants to continue administering the shocks because they trusted what they were told. 6. Ability to redirect responsibility onto the Authoritative figure, in order to relieve the guilt they may feel- stating â€Å"I was only following orders.† I found the results of the Milgram Obedience study astounding. Of the 40 participants, 26 delivered the maximum shock and 14 participants stopped at various levels throughout the experiment, siting they â€Å"just couldnt go on.† While watching the video, I found myself feeling anxious, and thought about how I would of reacted. The Milgram experiment demonstrates exactly how people actually react when placed in certain circumstances, rather than a hypothetical situation, stating how they feel they would react. I believe this study revels how some humans can detach themselves emotionally in order to remain obedient. So after thinking about the statistics of the experiment I shouldnt have been so surprised that 65% delivered the maximum shock. I would of never believe so many of them would have gone thru with the experiment and felt that the number would have been much lower. There are many examples throughout history of how dangerous it can be to take obedience to the extrema. One example is during WWII. The Germans treatment of the Jews was horrific and unimaginable. It was estimated that during the Holocaust, the Nazis used the concentration camps to murder approximately 11 million people. So you ask, yourself, how could such a horrific event take place?, How could people be so EVIL? These conditions were real and the answer to these questions are highly debated throughout the world by Psychologist, Analysis, Universities and amongst people sitting at dinner tables everywhere. It lies deep within the dark places of evil minds. It unleashes its wrath and destroys. In conclusion, I believe we are taught to be obedient from birth. As parents we teach our children to obey us, so that they learn consequences and grow into respectable, responsible adults. God expects us to obey his commandments. Police officers expect us to obey traffic laws. Employers expect us to obey rules and regulations, and office policies On a daily basis we are told to follow instructions, directions, commands and orders. Obedience involves power and status and is influenced by social pressure and conformity. As a society we are conditioned and expected to be obedient.

Roles and Functions of the Music Industry

Roles and Functions of the Music Industry The music industry is one of the largest creative industries in the world, combing different elements of the business to produce and sell music to its audience. The development of the industry has evolved on a very large scale since the 19th century, when it was the printed sheet music being the leading product. Moving forward with societys technological progression, in the 20th century, the way we were listening to music was changing with it becoming ubiquitous. popular music was an early global commodity, with record companies establishing branches around the world for both marketing and the recruitment of talent at the beginning of the twentieth century, (Gronow and Saunio, 1998). When these record labels began to emerge, they were producing and selling more recorded music, CDs, cassettes and live performances and introducing more musical genres to the world. All of these aspects have brought us to todays technologically advanced society, making the music business a very powerful industry consumed by the masses. In this essay I shall discuss the role and functions of the music industry, drawing upon particular theorists opinions including Theodor Adorno. I will also touch upon the study of popular music and the many factors contributing to the current crises of the music industry itself. In an age where music has become one of the more dominant and influential forms of entertainment in our society, the factors driving its production should be explored. Firstly, I shall look at the concept of music ownership. Record companies have an enormous amount of control over what music gets produced and what doesnt as it is the main goal for them to sell and make profit. They will not sign an artist unless they truly believe that they will make them money. The major companies in the business today are, Sony BMG, Universal Music, EMI and Warner Music, which are collectively known as The Big Four who then own smaller labels as well. After managing the production and distribution of the music, it is their responsibility to handle the marketing for musical artists, organising promotions, music videos, endorsements and so on, giving the artist well-known status among the mass audience. In the early days of this music industry, being signed to a label was essential for an artist to b e successful. However, in todays digitally advanced world, it is much easier for an artist to have their music shared with an audience using information technology like the internet, which paved the way for independent labels becoming more popular as well. In the documentary Money for Nothing, they go behind the business of pop music and look at how it has changed in this society of digitally experienced consumers. We are shown insights from music journalists and artists about corporate control and the restraints given to contemporary music. With major labels only looking at the artists who they believe are the most profitable, the independent labels take on artists that they can help develop and take risks with different talent. Although, with the current economic climate and the decline in revenue from various aspects of the industry, even the independent labels are having trouble staying out of the corporate system. REFERENCE. Recording companies becoming this hyper commercialized system is a largely stated opinion among musical talents and media theorists. Major record labels are owned by the huge media conglomerates that are the core reason why creativity in music has become so limited. The conglomerates of the industry use the re cord companies to sign acts that can get them the quick sell as the only aim for them as a business is to make a profit. Cross media marketing or synergy, is something these conglomerates use to make this profit and to develop other media industries. They buy into other companies in entertainment, which they can then use to advertise and sell across different markets. The music industry on the other hand is completely dependent on the media as a promoter, user and distributer of its products. Most professional musical artists communicate with their audience primarily via some kind of electronic medium and only a fraction of the audience is able to experience the artists live performance. For instance, Warner Music Group, one of the largest media conglomerates, owns various entertainment companies including television, film and publishing along with music labels. The record labels use these companies to advertise and promote artists across markets such as radio, television and retail which are then consumed by the mass audience. A successful example in the current music charts is Ellie Goulding and her new song which is a cover of Elton Johns Your Song. It was not that popular to start with as Goulding is not an extremely well known artist compared to other artists currently in the charts. However, when the music label gave permission for the retail chain, John Lewis, to use the song in their new Christmas advertisement, the song rocketed up the charts and is now a favourite for Christmas number one. Goulding has begun to appear on radio and television promoting the song and she has become a household name in a matter of weeks, all thanks to the instant fame John Lewis have given her. This shows how popular music is so commercially driven and how the absence of real talent, experimentation and creativity in music has begun to disappear. Most of todays new acts are manufactured because this is cheaper and easier for labels to produce rather than finding new talented artists. With television shows such as The X Factor, a concept of combining reality television with the music industry, created by music mogul Simon Cowell, we are brought together as this unthinking homogenous mass with the music acting as a social cement. We are being brainwashed through these simple ideologies of music, rendering us as a passive and unthinking mass audience. Adorno argues that the whole structure of popular music is standardized, even where the attempt is made to circumvent standardization. In his work he characterizes popular and serious music of which he then uses to underline his theory of popular music being standardized. This theory highlights that pop music is just a product of mass culture, and how the formula of producing a song is just endlessly replicated with a fixed structure and yet creates the illusion of creativity, what Adorno refers to in his theory of pseudo-individualisation. The song structure is replicated so much so, that the consumers do not actually realise they have heard it before, what Adorno refers to as pre-digested. So the listening of a song is not spontaneous and no intellect is required as it has done the thinking for them and the listeners consume what is already familiar. However, I do believe that with the current crisis of the music industry, there is a certain layer of pop music that is standardized but there is still an element of creative autonomy. Although saying that, the industry will always be driven by money and not creativity as that is the prerogative of a capitalist society we live in today. Compared to popular music, serious music is not standardized as it is produced with the whole aesthetics of a song in mind and every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece. With serious music being genres such as folk, pre-industrial music, classical, or art music, it is focusing on the experimentation and meaning of a piece rather than the repetitive, fixed structure of a popular song. Independent music labels have a slightly different outlook on producing music compared with the major labels. They take a less economic approach and more a social approach to music and without a corporate conglomerate steering them they can decide what to produce. However without corporate finances indie labels still have trouble getting the music out there to be heard. Not wanting to be a part of the commercial music industry, the American punk band Fugazi stayed with their independent record label Dischord Records which was also co-founded by the bands guitarist Ian MacKaye, refusing offers to become part of major label. Their main focus was their music and they did not want to rip off their listeners, which a major label would make them do. Michael Azerrad mentions in Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991, In response not only to a corrupt music industry but to an entire economic and political system they felt was fraught with greed for money and powerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Fugazi staked out the indie scene as the moral high ground of the music industry; from then on, indie wasnt just do-it-yourself, it was Do the Right Thing. This is one example where the music is more important than the sell and the artist keeping control over their music. Even when managing to not sell out to the commercial music industry, Fugazi gained loyal fans through their honest and passionate attitudes towards their music and do not charge extortionate amounts of money for tickets to their performances or CDs escaping the capitali st business. However, for the major record labels, charging large amounts of money for concert tickets seem to be the only way for an artist to make money these days. With the music industry in a crisis, losing money through illegal downloading and file sharing over the internet, artists are losing money through CD sales so have to charge more money for ticket prices to make up for this loss. Going back to the use of synergy in the music business, we have come to find that the status of Radio itself has also changed. With radio stations being owned by the bigger conglomerates, they are not spontaneous anymore, when playing different types of music. It used to be that, Radio DJs would play the music that they believed was good music and having their particular music personality broadcasted to their listeners. Today, the conglomerates that own the stations have a strong say in what gets played. For instance, there would be a particular song they have to play a number of times in so many hours, so technically they have no control over whats played. Adornos belief on how culture gets polluted when it meets commerce plays a quiet role here. The media conglomerates controlling the radio stations are selling the listeners an illusion. They are hiring celebrities as DJs who know little or sometimes nothing about music other than their own personal interests to host shows, who the n become these big media personalities become with the public from media marketing and promotion. For example, Vernon Kay, BBC Radio 1 DJ, was a TV presenter before his big break in to radio in 2004. His television status made him a well known name, and so naturally he was then hired to be the DJ for a prime spot on a mainstream station. So, overall, they are selling him more than the station, to acquire a larger proportion of listeners. It was radio play of music that constituted its popularity, but with many radio stations sounding the same nowadays, only playing the popular chart music, it is much harder for unknown bands and artists to get air time on the more popular stations. Looking back at the documentary Money For Nothing again, we can see that there are the four main companies that reach consumers in the selling of music. From the production at the record companies, the music then gets played over the radio, the music videos will be shown on television and then touring will promote the music. For manufactured new artists, the record companies will pay other radio stations to play this music so its heard by the masses, and then this will also give the opportunity to promote other areas of the industry that they own. So in the end, the variety of music heard on the radio has now decreased on a large scale. Coming into todays digitally advanced world, the music industry has fallen into a crisis. In a generation where virtually everything is digitally recoverable, the sales of records are on continuing decline, not only from legal downloads from sites such as iTunes, but illegal file sharing over the internet has also become major factor. In an interview with Simon Frith for the online music magazine Perfect Sound Forever, Simon Frith says that, With digital CDs, records can now live forever and there is far more back catalogue available and less incentive to buy records that just came out. iTunes is one of these catalogues where music files from virtually any artist are readily available to purchase. It was established in 2001 by the global corporation Apple and has since been one of the main outlets of digital media. Napster, was a peer to peer file sharing service online created by a university student, Shawn Fanning. It began in 1999, allowing people to share their music libraries across this system. This service became very popular with its easier way of obtaining music files that could be expensive to purchase or just hard to come by. However with this technology its popularity grew to over 20 million users and music artists and bands became more aware of the seriousness of the copyright infringements of the company. Metallica and Dr Dre were one of the first bands to sue Napster for copyright violations of their music with a successful outcome. Rapper Dr Dre stated that I work hard making music thats how I earn a living. This is a shared opinion of all musical artists as they are losing money through file sharing technology, and this is ultimately damaging the future of the industry. In the end Napster had to stop the service, but not completely shut it down. They turned it into a subscript ion service to abide by the copyright laws; however this still did not get them out of the financial struggle they were in, paying legal settlements to the music industry. They finally went bankrupt and had to liquidate their business. Even though the illegal file-sharing was stopped through Napsters service, the core idea and technology has gone on to a larger problem with many more illegal downloading services such as Limewire, Ares or torrent software. These newer services have built upon Napsters original technology and have made a larger dent in the music industrys revenue today. Even Fanning saw the greater potential for peer to peer technology stating, peer-to-peer technology or distributed computing also has tremendous opportunity for sharing resources or computing power, lowering information and transaction costsPeer-to-peer also has the potential to change todays understanding of the relationship between source and site. He saw how this could make searching for files easie r, explaining that it is less complicated and less time consuming to just let a program find the file source to rather than connecting to a central server. Looking at the music industry as a whole, the main aspects of technology, music and commerce Conclusion: Internet has made music ubiquitous. Using our emotions and vulnerability to sell us music catharsis adorno synergy, which Ben H. Bagdikian, in his book Media Monopoly,

Report On Military Applications Of Gnss Information Technology Essay

Report On Military Applications Of Gnss Information Technology Essay Recent years have witnessed an increasingly use of GNSS technologies in diverse areas of human endeavours. Governments, organisations, individuals etc. are beginning to rely upon GNSS technology in finding solutions to problems in different fields of life (Spirent, 2002: 17). One obvious area where GNSS technology has been deployed successfully since the launching of satellite navigation is in military applications. Military applications of GNSS date back in 1978 when the first Global Positioning System was launched by US Department of Defence. Since then, many GNSS and associated navigation systems are being used in military mission fields. This report examines past and present military applications of GNSS; it also attempts to look into future of military applications in the context of emerging trends and developments in GNSS world. 1.2 Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is generic term encompassing all satellite navigation systems that allows users to determine their locations by observing radio signals transmitted by GNSS satellites. First among them is the US Navigation by Satellite Ranging and Timing (NAVSTAR) Global Positioning System (GPS). Russian Global Navigation Satellites System (GLONASS) is the second generation of GNSS, conceived also as a military system.. The next generation of GNSS is the European Unions Galileo which is expected to be in full operation by early 2014. GNSS market is poised for revolution with the full deployment of Galileo constellation of satellites. Other Regional GNSS include Beidou operated by China, although through its Compass, China has planned to launch satellite navigation system with global coverage. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is another GNSS in the development. Uncertainty still trail IRNSS project since India entered into partnership with Russian GLONASS. QZSS is another regional navigation system operated by Japan. It is developed to supplement GPS signals in Japan and neighbouring areas. Besides these, there are other regional GNSS space-based augmentation systems aim to improve the performance of GPS/GLONASS. The major regional augmentation systems are WAAS, EGNOS (European Geostationary National Overlay Service), MTSAT-Based Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) in Japan and Indian GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) GPS and GLONASS stand out among the list when it comes to military applications. GPS and GLONASS have been used in many military operations. 1.3 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) US Global Positioning System (GPS) was designed as a dual-use technology (civilian and military use). The positioning service available to civil users is called Standard Positioning Service, while that of the military is called Precise Positioning Service. GPSs Precise Positioning Service (PPS) is used for most military applications. Precise Positioning Service is restricted to only US military, NATO forces, and other users licensed by US Government. The encrypted precise code signals P(Y) and M-code are used for military applications. M- Code is a new signal being to realise the fundamental aim of achieving precise and accurate navigation services for military applications. These signals are broadcasted in link 1 (L1) and link 2 (L2) bands. L1C-d and L1C-p signals will be added to the PPS users under the GPS phased modernisation programme (Groves, 2008: 12). In times of navigation data messages, MNAV message broadcasts are broadcast on M-code signals. GPS is presently undergoing p hased restructuring and modernisation and it is expected that new programme will ensure that existing users are transmitted P(Y) code while the new users are transmitted new M code (Kaplan and Hegarty (2006: 654). 1.4. GLONASS Like GPS, GLONASS was conceived as a military system but designed to offer both military and civil positioning service (Groves 2008: 17). GLONASS P code signals are used for military applications and transmitted in both bands LI and L2 with frequencies 1592.95MHz 1613.86MHz and 1237.83 MHz 1256MHz respectively (Groves, 2008: 19). GLONASS K, fully modernised satellites are set to broadcast new signals that will improve the accuracy of military operations. 2.0 GNSS Positioning Requirements: The positioning principles are basically the same for GNSS systems. Generally, a GNSS receiver records three or more satellites signals to determine a 2 dimensional coordinates, while four or more signals are needed for 3 dimensional coordinates. The accuracy of GNSS position solution depends on the type of GNSS device used and application under consideration. Accuracy: Accuracy is a critical factor in military applications. GPS was launched because of the military requirements for high accurate global navigation (Len, 2007:185). In case of timing service, military operations require precise time transfer for synchronization of equipment and various operations (Len 2007: 184). The GPS PPS offers horizontal accuracy of 1.2m and vertical accuracy of 1.9m based on 24 satellite constellations (Groves, 2008). With its modernisation program, GLONASS is set to compete with GPS as it planned to achieve the same positioning accuracy with GPS. The Galileo Public-Regulated Service (PRS) has a lower accuracy when compared to that of GPS PPS; it has horizontal accuracy of 3m and vertical accuracy of 6m, much more lower to its Open Service (Groves, 2008: 20) Availability: Availability is also of the important characteristics of GNSS performance. Availability of navigation system is defined by US Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) as the percentage of time that the services of the system are within the required performance limits (Wang et al 2006: 1). Global availability of GNSS for military applications is expected to increase with the ongoing modernisation of GLONASS. GLONASS K satellites when fully launched will improve the accuracy of P code for military applications. India has partnered with Russia in the GLONASS project, and it is expected that India and other countries will have access GLONASS military signals for their mission operations and equipment testing. Aside from GPS military signals, more countries are today using civil signals in many military missions and equipment testing. Integrity: GPS will have full integrity monitoring and alert system as the fourth segment when the modernisation programme is completed. GLONASS K satellites will broadcast integrity information and differential corrections in L3 band. Similarly, Galileo will broadcast integrity alerts and some differential corrections. 2.1 GNSS Markets GNSS technology is naturally divided into two broad markets/applications civil / commercial markets and military markets. The user equipment used in military applications can be classified into two types: (i) GNSS receivers operated by human beings such as handheld type, human operated receivers on ships, aircrafts and vehicles (Len, 2007: 184 -185) (ii) Autonomous receivers these are not dependent of any human operation and usually integrated with inertial sensors. They are used in guided missile programs and newer military applications. Comparison between Military and Civil Receivers Military Civil Frequencies L1, L2 L1 and /or L1, L2 (L5 on 11F satellites Codes P(Y), M, C/A, C C/A and C (on modernised satellites Size/weight/power Card, handheld, receiver unit Chips, handheld, receiver unit Navigation accuracy 1m to 5m 5m to 10m Anti interference Greater than 54 dB Usually not more than 24 dB Integration A/J antennas, communications, inertial sensors Speed/heading sensors, communications, GIS, inertial sensors Adapted from (Len 2007: 183) 3.0 Military Applications of GNSS Of all GNSS, GPS has been most widely used in military applications. Essentially, GPS was developed to satisfy military requirements for a global positioning, navigation and timing service. (Kaplan, and Hegarty, 2006: 654). Military application of GPS started in late 1970s when GPS was used for weapon testing in the then US Navy Submarine Launched Ballistic Program (SLBM). GPS was used to track the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles from a ship as the missile travelled down the Atlantic (Len, 2007: 174). The GPS military equipment used for the missile testing then made use of translator. Subsequently, other weapon testing was conducted in the air and ground vehicles (Len, 2007: 177). Today, GPS can be deployed to variety of military applications. Some of these include: target acquisition; missile guidance, search and rescue; coordinate bombing; precision survey, instrument approach; antisubmarine warfare; range instrumentation; remotely piloted vehicle operations; barebase operati ons; close air support; en route navigation; command and control; field artillery and shore bombardment; rendezvous, sensor emplacement etc. (Len, 2007: 177 -178). Other military applications of GNSS include mine location, enemy radar location, Special Forces intelligence gathering etc (Dye and Baylin, 1997: 82). 3.1 GNSS/ Inertial Integration Systems: GNSS such as GPS has been proved to be weak in term of providing high quality and reliable position solution (Spirent, 2010). Thus inertial sensors are being used in many applications to complement GNSS. Inertial navigation system is a small, self contained device that uses inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) to calculate position and velocity solution of a moving object (Logsdon, 1995: 39). It makes use of dead reckoning navigation system (Groves 2008: 7). Using GPS measurements, INS navigation solution is calibrated and corrected via integration algorithm (Groves and Long, 2005: 2). GPS/INS integration is popular in the guided weapons and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) where low cost sensors are used (Groves and Long, 2005: 2). INS function independently of GNSS signals susceptible to jamming, interference, enemy manipulation and other distortions and are therefore used in many military applications (Dye and Baylin, 1997: 13). Examples of practical applications of GNSS/ INS based solutions are given in the report. Advantages of GNSS/INS based solution: INS offers continuous navigation operations; it provides high-bandwidth output (50 Hz) and low short-term noise; it also provides attitude, angular rate, and acceleration measurements as well as position and velocity (Groves and Long 2005: 419) (Groves 2008: 8). GPS provides a high accuracy which does not drift with time(Groves and Long, 2005: 419) Disadvantages of GNSS/INS based solution: The accuracy of INS output is degraded with time thus necessitating the need to calibrate the errors (Groves 2008: 8). Unlike INS, GNSS has lower bandwidth (1Hz), more noisier than that INS and does not usually include altitude (Groves and Long 2005: 419, 420) One obvious challenge in the military use of GNSS is issue of deliberate jamming and interference by the enemies. GPS receivers have been found to be susceptible to jamming due to low signal power of GPS signal. This trend has raised a concern to US Department of Defence in the recent years thus signalling the programme of developing various anti-jamming techniques to mitigate these effects. Recent anti jamming technologies include nulling of antennas and ultra tight coupling of the GPS and the inertial sensors (Kaplan, and Hegarty (2006: 656). 3.2 Practical Applications of GPS in Precision Guidance In 1991, US army and its allies successfully deployed GPS in the attack to rescue oil rich Kuwait after its invasion by Iraq in an operation tagged Operation Desert Storm. GPS receivers were fitted in the military aircrafts and helicopters, bombs were dropped from these aircrafts as targeted thus eliminating unwanted casualties. GPS receivers were used to know the coordinates of the targets so that the weapons can be delivered accurately. In 1995, GPS was also deployed during the Bosnia war by the combined US and NATO forces in a campaign tagged Operation Deliberate Force. Military aircrafts operating from their base in Italy were fully equipped with GPS equipment in the strike against the Bosnia Serb forces. Perhaps, the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is the most impressive breakthrough GPS has achieved in area of precision guidance. JDAM is an independent, tail kit with gravity bomb; it is usually mounted on the military fighter jets and uses GPS/INS guidance to deliver the target (Cozzens, 2006). JDAM has the capability of working in all weather conditions and its accuracy is not dependent on the altitude (Cozzens, 2006). JDAM recorded 9.6m accuracy during their testing. JDAM have been successfully deployed in many operations. For example, in June 2006, US Air Force successfully used GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition equipped with GPS precision guidance to kill former Iraq terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi in his house (Cozzens, 2006). Once on the air, GPS/INS guidance enables the gravity bomb to be delivered accurately at the targets (Cozzens, 2006). In case of GLONASS, Russian military has deployed GLONASS military signals in many missions (Len, 2007: 189). Russian Federation Airforce recently developed latest KAB family of weapons called KAB 500S. KAB 500S is a guided bomb similar to that of US JDAM. KAB 500S can be dropped from aircraft at altitudes of 500 to 10,000 metres and airspeeds of 550 to 1,100 kilometres per hour (Deagel, 2007). It uses GLONASS Military code and INS to strike the targets (Len, 2007: 189). The third generation GNSS, Galileo has encrypted signal Public Regulated Service that may be used for military applications in the near future. 4.0 GNSS Future and Military Applications: The GNSS have made giant strides in military applications particularly in area of guided weaponry and smart bombs. GPS-aided munitions, ranging from artillery shells to smart shells have proved to be a reliable technology in recent time in times of accuracy (Lucio, (2002), (Wells, (2001). Countries all over the world will continue to embrace these technologies as cheaper GPS/INS coupled munitions are being produced to meet the requirements for accurate, precise timing and navigation solutions in the land, air and sea in near future. Current developments in GNSS industry like new signals and constellations acquisition will usher new era of high accurate military based satellite navigation. The separation of GPS signals for military and civilian use will lessen the effects of jamming and interference in military operations coupled with high signal power of new M code. GPS new military code will improve the anti-jamming capability of the system as current modernisation programme will make it autonomous. Non coherence integration of the acquisition circuit of the new military code will enhance the performance of the system in the presence of noise and jamming (Betz et al, 2005: 45, 46). In the area of system integrity, modernization programme of GPS and GLONASS will offer users more reliable measurements as they will have options to validate GNSS measurements. Presently, only GPS and GLONASS are used for military applications. I look at future where GNSS will be more available for military applications. More countries will be authorised to have access to GPS P(Y) code in near future and others will want develop their own SBASs. For example, Nigeria has developed its own SBAS called NIGCOMSAT with coverage only in Nigeria for now. Modernised GPS civil signals will continue to be used by countries not authorised to use P(Y) code. Only, recently, Russian Government announced that GLONASS military signals will be freely made available to any country that want to use them. Already, India and Russian have agreed to collaborate on GLONASS project (Len, 2007: 190). It is expected that more Countries will enter into agreements with Russian when GLONASS constellation of satellites are fully deployed in the orbit. China is making steady progress on its Compass project and is poised to use the system to strengthen its national security. Finally, GNSS industry is geared for revolution when Galileo is fully operationalised in next few years. Galileo has an encrypted signal PRS which has potentials for military applications. It is already been speculated that this may be used for military applications in the near future, although Galileo is purely conceived as a civilian system.

The Guitar and Its Effect on My Life Essay -- Papers Personal Narrativ

The Guitar and Its Effect on My Life The time was Christmas morning 2003, the ambience was silent and tranquil; not a sound could be heard. All of a sudden, I was woken from my eternal slumber. With awareness of the significance of the time and event, I leaped out of bed and rushed into the living room where a Christmas tree stood tall. Beneath the tree there lay my precious presents. Rummaging through these random gifts that had been awarded to me, I was disappointed to see that there were few that specifically appealed to me. Yet being the foolish child I was, I had overlooked one of them. In the corner of the room was one unwrapped box; upon it labelled â€Å"Electric Guitar and Amplifier†. Although it had not appeared to be something as momentous at first, little had I known that this object was something that would soon turn out to have a highly significant effect on my life†¦ From that point on, the guitar seemed to turn the tables for me. It was highly unlike any other musical instruments I have ever played before, it had seemed to be something that I had become completely attached and addicted to. In spite of all the offers my father had given to me about guitar lessons, I had intentionally turned them down. As puzzled as my father was to my decision, I explained to him that this was an instrument I wanted to play in the form of an enjoyable activity. Having a guitar teacher would give me consistent blocks of homework on specific set pieces, thus turning practice into a task. I wanted to learn to play this instrument at my own pace and I wanted to learn to play this instrument in a manner that I would regard it as something ... ...sion with practicing the guitar has almost reached the point that my parents have had no choice but to enforce a maximum practice time of 3 hours per day on the guitar. They have also warned me that should my grades drop, my guitar would be the first possession of mine that would be confiscated. This in one sense could also be a good thing considering the fact that it does give me more incentive to achieve higher academic grades. After weighing out the pros and cons, I would definitely say that playing the guitar has had a favourably positive effect both psychologically and physically upon my life. With aid of my guitar I was able to release the stresses of everyday life, learn new ideas about music and make new friends. Of all the greatest gifts that anyone has ever bought me, my guitar is definitely among the top.

The Merchant Of Venice: Portias Suitors :: essays research papers

Compare and contrast Portia’s three suitors, examining their characters Shakespeare highlights three of Portia’s suitors, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon and Bassanio. He does this to heighten dramatic tension, as these three men are the most important candidates to win Portia’s hand in marriage. They reveal the contents of the three caskets and their different characters as exposed as being proud, vain and humble. They also emphasise the racial prejudices of Venice a place where many races clash. Their attitudes towards the caskets and their choices indicate what their character is like. This essay will compare and contrast the three suitors and will explore how Shakespeare influences the audience’s attitudes towards the three men. The Prince of Morocco is the first suitor of the three suitors we are introduced to. His first line is, ‘Mislike me not for my complexion’ (Act II Scene i) He is anxious to compensate for the colour of his skin. He shows himself to be ashamed and insecure. However his character is proud because after he remarks on his skin colour he proceeds to defend it and boasts about himself, ‘ ...this aspect of mine/ Hath fear’d the valiant†¦The best regarded virgins of our clime/Have lov’d it too...’ (Act II Scene i) He challenges Portia to compare his blood with the whitest of men to see whose is the reddest. ‘Bring me the fairest creature†¦And let us make incision for your love/ To prove whose blood is reddest, or mine.’ (Act II Scene i) This would be a way to suggest that Morocco was as noble as any white man was because red blood signified courage and virility. A lot of emphasis is placed on Morocco’s skin colour. His long-winded speeches full of false and extravagant praise makes him sound insincere, ‘†¦all the world desires her; /From all corners of the earth they come,/ To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint:’ (Act II Scene vii) In contrast his exit is short and dignified, in total disparity to his entrance and long speeches before choosing a casket. ‘†¦I have too griev’d a heart /To take a tedious leave: leave losers part.’ (Act II Scene vii) This indicates he does not easily accept defeat. He explains his thoughts on each of the caskets as he reads the inscriptions on them. He says the lead casket is not worth hazarding everything for and quickly dismisses it. When he comes to the silver casket he comments, The Merchant Of Venice: Portias Suitors :: essays research papers Compare and contrast Portia’s three suitors, examining their characters Shakespeare highlights three of Portia’s suitors, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon and Bassanio. He does this to heighten dramatic tension, as these three men are the most important candidates to win Portia’s hand in marriage. They reveal the contents of the three caskets and their different characters as exposed as being proud, vain and humble. They also emphasise the racial prejudices of Venice a place where many races clash. Their attitudes towards the caskets and their choices indicate what their character is like. This essay will compare and contrast the three suitors and will explore how Shakespeare influences the audience’s attitudes towards the three men. The Prince of Morocco is the first suitor of the three suitors we are introduced to. His first line is, ‘Mislike me not for my complexion’ (Act II Scene i) He is anxious to compensate for the colour of his skin. He shows himself to be ashamed and insecure. However his character is proud because after he remarks on his skin colour he proceeds to defend it and boasts about himself, ‘ ...this aspect of mine/ Hath fear’d the valiant†¦The best regarded virgins of our clime/Have lov’d it too...’ (Act II Scene i) He challenges Portia to compare his blood with the whitest of men to see whose is the reddest. ‘Bring me the fairest creature†¦And let us make incision for your love/ To prove whose blood is reddest, or mine.’ (Act II Scene i) This would be a way to suggest that Morocco was as noble as any white man was because red blood signified courage and virility. A lot of emphasis is placed on Morocco’s skin colour. His long-winded speeches full of false and extravagant praise makes him sound insincere, ‘†¦all the world desires her; /From all corners of the earth they come,/ To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint:’ (Act II Scene vii) In contrast his exit is short and dignified, in total disparity to his entrance and long speeches before choosing a casket. ‘†¦I have too griev’d a heart /To take a tedious leave: leave losers part.’ (Act II Scene vii) This indicates he does not easily accept defeat. He explains his thoughts on each of the caskets as he reads the inscriptions on them. He says the lead casket is not worth hazarding everything for and quickly dismisses it. When he comes to the silver casket he comments,

Cystic Fibrosis

————————————————- Introduction Cystic fibrosis  (also called  CF  or  mucoviscidosis) is an  autosomal  recessive  genetic disorder  that affects most critically the  lungs, and also the  pancreas,  liver, and  intestine. It is characterized by abnormal transport of  chloride  and  sodium  across an  epithelium, leading to thick, viscous secretions. The name  refers to the characteristic  scarring  (fibrosis) and  cyst  formation within the  pancreas that was first recognized in the 1930s.Difficulty in breathing  is the most serious symptom and results from frequent  lung infections  which are treated with  antibiotics, therapies and several other medications. Other  symptoms, including  sinus infections,  poor growth, and  infertility affect other parts of the body. A breathing treatment for cystic fibrosis, usi ng a mask nebulizer and a ThAIRapy Vest A breathing treatment for cystic fibrosis, using a mask nebulizer and a ThAIRapy Vest CF is caused by a  mutation  in the  gene  for the  protein  cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator  (CFTR).This protein is required to regulate the components of sweat,  digestive  juices, and  mucus. CFTR regulates the movement of  chloride  and  sodium ions across epithelial membranes, such as the alveolar epithelia located in the  lungs. Although most people without CF have two working copies of the CFTR gene, only one is needed to prevent cystic fibrosis due to the disorder's recessive nature. CF develops when neither gene works normally (as a result of mutation) and therefore has  autosomal recessive  inheritance.CF is most common among  Caucasians; one in 25 people of European descent  carries one  allele  for CF. The  World Health Organization  states that â€Å"In the European Union, 1 in 200 0–3000 new-borns is found to be affected by CF†. Individuals with cystic fibrosis can be diagnosed before birth by  genetic testing or by a  sweat test  in early childhood. Ultimately,  lung transplantation  is often necessary as CF worsens. ————————————————- Signs and symptomsThe hallmark symptoms of cystic fibrosis are salty tasting skin,  poor growth and poor weight gain despite a normal food intake,  accumulation of thick, sticky mucus, frequent chest infections, and coughing or shortness of breath. Signs and symptoms often appear in infancy and childhood, such as  bowel movement obstruction  in new-born babies. As the children grow, they must exercise to release the mucus present in the alveoli. Ciliated  epithelial cells present  in the patient have a mutated protein that leads to abnormally viscous mucus production.The poor growth in children typically presents as an inability to gain weight or height at the same rate as their peers and is occasionally not diagnosed until investigation is initiated for poor growth. The causes of growth failure are multifactorial and include chronic lung infection, poor absorption of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract, and increased metabolic demand due to chronic illness. In rare cases, cystic fibrosis can manifest itself as a coagulation disorder. A double recessive allele is needed for cystic fibrosis to be apparent.Young children are especially sensitive to vitamin  malabsorptive disorders because only a very small amount of vitamin K crosses the placenta, leaving the child with very low reserves. Because factors II, VII, IX, and X (clotting factors) are vitamin K–dependent, low levels of vitamin K can result in coagulation problems. Consequently, when a child presents with unexplained bruising, a coagulation evaluation may be warranted to determine whet her there is an underlying disease. Lungs and sinuses Lung disease results from clogging of the airways due to mucus build-up, decreased  mucociliary clearance, and resulting  inflammation.Inflammation and infection cause injury and structural changes to the lungs, leading to a variety of symptoms. In the early stages, regular incessant coughing along with copious  phlegm  production, and decreased ability to exercise are common. Many of these symptoms occur when  bacteria that normally inhabit the thick mucus grow out of control and cause pneumonia. In later stages, changes in the architecture of the lung, such as pathology in the major airways (bronchiectasis), further exacerbate difficulties in breathing.Other symptoms include coughing up blood (hemoptysis), high  blood pressure  in the lung (pulmonary hypertension),  heart failure, difficulties getting enough  oxygen to the body (hypoxia), and respiratory failure requiring support with breathing masks, such asà ‚  bi-level positive airway pressure  machines or  ventilators. Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  are the three most common organisms causing lung infections in CF patients. In addition to typical bacterial infections, people with CF more commonly develop other types of lung disease.Among these is  allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, in which the body's response to the common  fungus  Aspergillus fumigatus  causes worsening of breathing problems. Another is infection with Mycobacterium avium  complex (MAC), a group of bacteria related to  tuberculosis, which can cause a lot of lung damage and does not respond to common antibiotics. Mucus in the  paranasal sinuses  is equally thick and may also cause blockage of the sinus passages, leading to infection. This may cause facial pain, fever, nasal drainage, and  headaches.Individuals with CF may develop overgrowth of the nasal tissue (nasal polyps) due to inflammati on from chronic sinus infections. Recurrent sinonasal polyps can occur in as many as 10% to 25% of CF patients. These polyps can block the nasal passages and increase breathing difficulties. Cardiorespiratory complications are the most common cause of death (~80%) in patients at most CF centers in the United States. Gastrointestinal Prior to prenatal and  newborn screening, cystic fibrosis was often diagnosed when a newborn infant failed to pass feces (meconium).Meconium may completely block the  intestines  and cause serious illness. This condition, called  meconium ileus, occurs in 5–10%  of newborns with CF. In addition, protrusion of internal  rectal  membranes (rectal prolapse) is more common, occurring in as many as 10% of children with CF, and it is caused by increased fecal volume, malnutrition, and  pressure due to coughing. The thick mucus seen in the lungs has a counterpart in thickened secretions from the  pancreas, an organ responsible for provi ding digestive  that help break down food.These secretions block the  exocrine  movement of the digestive enzymes into the  duodenum and result in irreversible damage to the pancreas, often with painful inflammation (pancreatitis). The  pancreatic ducts  are totally plugged in more advanced cases, usually seen in older children or adolescents. This causes atrophy of the exocrine glands and progressive fibrosis. The lack of digestive enzymes leads to difficulty absorbing nutrients with their subsequent excretion in the feces, a disorder known as malabsorption. Malabsorption leads to  malnutrition  and poor growth and evelopment because of calorie loss. Resultant hypoproteinemia  may be severe enough to cause generalized edema. Individuals with CF also have difficulties absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins  A,  D,  E, and  K. In addition to the pancreas problems, people with cystic fibrosis experience more  heartburn, intestinal blockage by  intussusception , and constipation. Older individuals with CF may develop  distal intestinal obstruction syndrome  when thickened feces cause intestinal blockage. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency occurs in the majority (85% to 90%) of patients with CF.It is mainly associated with â€Å"severe† CFTR mutations, where both alleles are completely nonfunctional (e. g. ?F508/? F508). It occurs in 10% to 15% of patients with one â€Å"severe† and one â€Å"mild† CFTR mutation where there still is a little CFTR activity, or where there are two â€Å"mild† CFTR mutations. In these milder cases, there is still sufficient pancreatic exocrine function so that enzyme supplementation is not required. There are usually no other GI complications in pancreas-sufficient phenotypes, and in general, such individuals usually have excellent growth and development.Despite this, idiopathic  chronic pancreatitis  can occur in a subset of pancreas-sufficient individuals with CF, and is a ssociated with recurrent abdominal pain and life-threatening complications. Thickened secretions also may cause liver problems in patients with CF. Bile  secreted by the liver to aid in digestion may block the  bile ducts, leading to liver damage. Over time, this can lead to scarring and nodularity (cirrhosis). The liver fails to rid the blood of toxins and does not make important  proteins, such as those responsible for  blood clotting. Liver disease is the third most common cause of death associated with cystic fibrosis.Endocrine Clubbing in the fingers of a person with cystic fibrosis Clubbing in the fingers of a person with cystic fibrosis The  pancreas  contains the  islets of Langerhans, which are responsible for making insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood  glucose. Damage of the pancreas can lead to loss of the islet  cells, leading to a type of diabetes that is unique to those with the disease. This cystic fibrosis-related diabetes  (CFRD) shares characteristics that can be found in  type 1and  type 2  diabetics, and is one of the principal non-pulmonary complications of CF.Vitamin D is involved in  calcium  and  phosphate  regulation. Poor uptake of vitamin D from the diet because of malabsorption can lead to the bone disease  osteoporosis  in which weakened bones are more susceptible to  fractures. In addition, people with CF often develop clubbing  of their fingers and toes due to the effects of chronic illness and  low oxygen  in their tissues. Infertility Infertility  affects both men and women. At least 97% of men with cystic fibrosis are infertile, but not sterile and can have children with assisted reproductive techniques.The main cause of infertility in men with cystic fibrosis is congenital absence of the vas deferens  (which normally connects the  testes  to the  ejaculatory ducts  of the  penis), but potentially also by other mechanisms such as causing  azoospermia,  te ratospermia  and  oligoasthenospermia. Many men found to have congenital absence of the vas deferens during evaluation for infertility have a mild, previously undiagnosed form of CF. Some women have fertility difficulties due to thickened cervical mucus or malnutrition. In severe cases, malnutrition disrupts  ovulation  and causes  amenorrhea. ———————————————— Cause CF is caused by a  mutation  in the  gene  cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator  (CFTR). The most common mutation,  ? F508, is a deletion (? signifying deletion) of three nucleotides  that results in a loss of the amino acid  phenylalanine  (F) at the 508th position on the protein. This mutation accounts for two-thirds (66–70%) of CF cases worldwide and 90% of cases in the  United States; however, there are over 1500 other mutations that can produce CF.Althou gh most people have two working copies (alleles) of the CFTR gene, only one is needed to prevent cystic fibrosis. CF develops when neither allele can produce a functional CFTR protein. Thus, CF is considered an  autosomal recessive disease. The  CFTR gene, found at the q31. 2  locus  of  chromosome 7, is 230,000  base pairs  long, and creates a protein that is 1,480  amino acids  long. More specifically the location is between base pair 117,120,016 to 117,308,718 on the long arm of chromosome 7, region 3, band 1 and sub-band 2, represented as 7q31. . Structurally, CFTR is a type of gene known as an  ABC gene. The product of this gene (the CFTR) is a chloride ion channel important in creating sweat,  digestive  juices and  mucus. This protein possesses two  ATP-hydrolyzing  domains, which allows the protein to use  energy  in the form of  ATP. It also contains two domains comprising 6  alpha helices  apiece, which allow the protein to cross the cell membrane. A regulatory  binding site  on the protein allows activation by  phosphorylation, mainly by  cAMP-dependent protein kinase.The  carboxyl terminal  of the protein is anchored to the  cytoskeleton  by a  PDZ  domain interaction. In addition, there is increasing evidence that  genetic modifiers  besides CFTR modulate the frequency and severity of the disease. One example is  mannan-binding lectin, which is involved in  innate immunity  by facilitating  phagocytosis  of microorganisms. Polymorphisms in one or both mannan-binding lectin alleles that result in lower circulating levels of the protein are associated with a threefold higher risk of end-stage lung disease, as well as an increased burden of chronic bacterial infections. ———————————————— Pathophysiology Molecular structure of the CFTR protein Molecular structure of the CFTR protein There are several mutations in the  CFTR  gene, and different mutations cause different defects in the CFTR protein, sometimes causing a milder or more severe disease. These protein defects are also targets for drugs which can sometimes restore their function. ?F508-CFTR, which occurs in >90% of patients in the U. S. , creates a protein that does not  fold  normally and is degraded by the cell.Other mutations result in proteins that are too short (truncated) because  production  is ended prematurely. Other mutations produce proteins that do not use energy normally, do not allow  chloride iodide  and  thiocyanate  to cross the membrane appropriately,  or are degraded at a faster rate than normal. Mutations may also lead to fewer copies of the CFTR protein being produced. The protein created by this gene is anchored to the  outer membrane of  cells  in the  sweat glands, lungs, pancreas, and all other remaining exocrine glands in the body.Th e protein spans this membrane and acts as a  channel  connecting the inner part of the cell (cytoplasm) to the  surrounding fluid. This channel is primarily responsible for controlling the movement of halogens from inside to outside of the cell; however, in the sweat ducts it facilitates the movement of chloride from the sweat into the cytoplasm. When the CFTR protein does not work, chloride and thiocyanate  are trapped inside the cells in the airway and outside in the skin. Then  hypothiocyanite, OSCN, cannot be produced by immune defense system.Because chloride is  negatively charged, this creates a difference in the electrical potential inside and outside the cell causing  cations  to cross into the cell. Sodium is the most common cation in the extracellular space and the combination of sodium and chloride creates the  salt, which is lost in high amounts in the sweat of individuals with CF. This lost salt forms the basis for the sweat test. Most of the damage in CF is due to blockage of the narrow passages of affected organs with thickened secretions.These blockages lead to remodeling and infection in the lung, damage by accumulated digestive enzymes in the pancreas, blockage of the intestines by thick faeces, etc. There are several theories on how the defects in the protein and cellular function cause the clinical effects. One theory is that the lack of halogen and pseudohalogen (mainly, chloride, iodide and thiocyanate) exiting through the CFTR protein leads to the accumulation of more viscous, nutrient-rich mucus in the lungs that allows bacteria to hide from the body's  immune system.Another theory is that the CFTR protein failure leads to a paradoxical increase in sodium and chloride uptake, which, by leading to increased water reabsorption, creates dehydrated and thick mucus. Yet another theory is that abnormal chloride movement  out  of the cell leads to dehydration of mucus, pancreatic secretions, biliary secretions, etc. Chr onic infections The lungs of individuals with cystic fibrosis are colonized and infected by bacteria from an early age. These bacteria, which often spread among individuals with CF, thrive in the altered mucus, which collects in the small airways of the lungs.This mucus leads to the formation of bacterial microenvironments known as biofilms that are difficult for immune cells and antibiotics to penetrate. Viscous secretions and persistent respiratory infections repeatedly damage the lung by gradually remodeling the airways, which makes infection even more difficult to eradicate. Over time, both the types of bacteria and their individual characteristics change in individuals with CF. In the initial stage, common bacteria such as  Staphylococcus aureus  and  Hemophilus influenzae  colonize and infect the lungs.Eventually,  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  (and sometimes  Burkholderia cepacia) dominates. By 18 years of age, 80% of patients with classic cystic fibrosis harbor  Ps eudomonas aeruginosa, and another 3. 5% harbor Burkholderia cepacia. Once within the lungs, these bacteria adapt to the environment and develop  resistance  to commonly used antibiotics. Pseudomonas  can develop special characteristics that allow the formation of large colonies, known as â€Å"mucoid†Ã‚  Pseudomonas, which are rarely seen in people that do not have CF. One way infection spreads is by passing between different individuals with CF.In the past, people with CF often participated in summer â€Å"CF Camps† and other recreational gatherings. Hospitals grouped patients with CF into common areas and routine equipment (such as  nebulizers)  was not sterilized between individual patients. This led to transmission of more dangerous strains of bacteria among groups of patients. As a result, individuals with CF are routinely isolated from one another in the healthcare setting and healthcare providers are encouraged to wear gowns and gloves when examining p atients with CF to limit the spread of virulent bacterial strains.CF patients may also have their airways chronically colonized by filamentous fungi (such as  Aspergillus fumigatus,  Scedosporium apiospermum,  Aspergillus terreus) and/or yeasts (such as  Candida albicans); other filamentous fungi less commonly isolated include Aspergillus flavus  and  Aspergillus nidulans  (occur transiently in CF respiratory secretions), and  Exophiala dermatitidis  and Scedosporium prolificans  (chronic airway-colonizers); some filamentous fungi like  Penicillium emersonii  and  Acrophialophora fusisporaare encountered in patients almost exclusively in the context of CF.Defective mucociliary clearance characterizing CF is associated with local immunological disorders. In addition, the prolonged therapy with antibiotics and the use of corticosteroid treatments may also facilitate fungal growth. Although the clinical relevance of the fungal airway colonization is still a ma tter of debate, filamentous fungi may contribute to the local inflammatory response, and therefore to the progressive deterioration of the lung function, as often happens with allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) – the ost common fungal disease in the context of CF, involving a Th2-driven immune response to Aspergillus. ————————————————- Diagnosis and monitoring CFTR gene on chromosome 7 CFTR gene on chromosome 7 Cystic fibrosis may be diagnosed by many different methods including  newborn screening,  sweat testing, and genetic testing. As of 2006 in the United States, 10 percent of cases are diagnosed shortly after birth as part of newborn screening programs.The newborn screen initially measures for raised blood concentration of immunoreactive trypsinogen. Infants with an abnormal newborn screen need a sweat test to confirm the CF diagnosis. In many cases, a parent makes the diagnosis because the infant tastes salty. Trypsinogen  levels can be increased in individuals who have a single mutated copy of the  CFTR  gene (carriers) or, in rare instances, in individuals with two normal copies of the  CFTR  gene. Due to these  false positives, CF screening in newborns can be controversial.Most states and countries do not screen for CF routinely at birth. Therefore, most individuals are diagnosed after symptoms (e. g. sinopulmonary disease and GI manifestations) prompt an evaluation for cystic fibrosis. The most commonly used form of testing is the sweat test. Sweat-testing involves application of a medication that stimulates sweating (pilocarpine). To deliver the medication through the skin, iontophoresis  is used to, whereby one  electrode  is placed onto the applied medication and an electric current  is passed to a separate electrode on the skin.The resultant sweat is then collected on filter paper or in a capi llary tube and analyzed for abnormal amounts of  sodium  and  chloride. People with CF have increased amounts of sodium and chloride in their sweat. In contrast, people with CF have less thiocyanate and  hypothiocyanite  in their saliva and mucus. CF can also be diagnosed by identification of mutations in the CFTR gene. People with CF may be listed in a  disease registry  that allows researchers and doctors to track health results and identify candidates for  clinical trials. PrenatalCouples who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy can have themselves tested for the CFTR gene mutations to determine the risk that their child will be born with cystic fibrosis. Testing is typically performed first on one or both parents and, if the risk of CF is high, testing on the  fetus  is performed. The  American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists  (ACOG) recommends testing for couples who have a personal or close family history of CF, and they recommend that carrie r testing be offered to all Caucasian couples and be made available to couples of other ethnic backgrounds.Because development of CF in the fetus requires each parent to pass on a mutated copy of the CFTR gene and because CF testing is expensive, testing is often performed initially on one parent. If testing shows that parent is a CFTR gene mutation carrier, the other parent is tested to calculate the risk that their children will have CF. CF can result from more than a thousand different mutations, and as of 2006 it is not possible to test for each one. Testing analyzes the blood for the most common mutations such as ? F508—most commercially available tests look for 32 or fewer different mutations.If a family has a known uncommon mutation, specific screening for that mutation can be performed. Because not all known mutations are found on current tests, a negative screen does not guarantee that a child will not have CF. During pregnancy, testing can be performed on the  pla centa  (chorionic villus sampling) or the fluid around the fetus (amniocentesis). However,  chorionic villus sampling  has a risk of fetal death of 1 in 100 and amniocentesis of 1 in 200;  a recent study has indicated this may be much lower, approximately 1 in 1,600.Economically, for carrier couples of cystic fibrosis, when comparing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) with natural conception (NC) followed by prenatal testing and abortion of affected pregnancies, PGD provides net economic benefits up to a maternal age of approximately 40 years, after which NC, prenatal testing and abortion has higher economic benefit. ————————————————- Management While there are no cures for cystic fibrosis there are several treatment methods. The management of cystic fibrosis has improved significantly over the past 70 years.While infants born with cystic fibrosis 70 years ag o would have been unlikely to live beyond their first year, infants today are likely to live well into adulthood. Recent advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis have meant that an individual with cystic fibrosis can live a fuller life less encumbered by their condition. The cornerstones of management are proactive treatment of  airway infection, and encouragement of good nutrition and an active lifestyle. Management of cystic fibrosis continues throughout a patient's life, and is aimed at maximizing organ function, and therefore quality of life.At best, current treatments delay the decline in organ function. Because of the wide variation in disease symptoms treatment typically occurs at specialist multidisciplinary centers, and is tailored to the individual. Targets for therapy are the  lungs,  gastrointestinal tract  (including pancreatic enzyme supplements), the  reproductive organs  (including (ART) and psychological support. The most consistent aspect of therapy in cystic fibrosis is limiting and treating the lung damage caused by thick mucus and infection. Intravenous,  inhaled, and oral antibiotics are used to treat chronic and acute infections.Mechanical devices and inhalation medications are used to alter and clear the thickened mucus. These therapies, while effective, can be extremely time-consuming for the patient. One of the most important battles that CF patients face is finding the time to comply with prescribed treatments while balancing a normal life. In addition, therapies such as  transplantation  and  gene therapy  aim to cure some of the effects of cystic fibrosis. Gene therapy aims to introduce normal CFTR to airway. Theoretically this process should be simple as the airway is easily accessible and there is only a single gene defect to correct.There are two CFTR gene introduction mechanisms involved, the first use of a viral vector (adenovirus, adeno-associated virus or retro virus) and secondly the use of  lipo some. However there are some problems associated with these methods involving efficiency (liposomes insufficient protein) and delivery (virus provokes an immune response). Antibiotics Many CF patients are on one or more  antibiotics  at all times, even when healthy, to  prophylactically  suppress infection. Antibiotics are absolutely necessary whenever pneumonia is suspected or there has been a noticeable decline in lung function, and are usually chosen based on the results of a putum analysis and the patient's past response. This prolonged therapy often necessitates hospitalization and insertion of a more permanent  IV  such as a  peripherally inserted central catheter  (PICC line) or  Port-a-Cath. Inhaled therapy with antibiotics such as tobramycin,  colistin, and  aztreonam  is often given for months at a time to improve lung function by impeding the growth of colonized bacteria. Oral antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or  azithromycin  are given to hel p prevent infection or to control ongoing infection. The  aminoglycoside  antibiotics (e. g. obramycin) with long-term use can cause  several side effects such as hearing loss, damaging the  balance system  present in the  inner ear  and producing many chronic kidney problems  . To prevent these  side-effects, the amount of antibiotics in the blood are routinely measured and adjusted accordingly. Other treatments for lung disease Several mechanical techniques are used to dislodge sputum and encourage its expectoration. In the hospital setting, chest physiotherapy (CPT) is utilized; a respiratory therapist percusses an individual's chest with his or her hands several times a day, to loosen up secretions.Devices that recreate this percussive therapy include the  ThAIRapy Vest  and the  intrapulmonary percussive ventilator  (IPV). Newer methods such as  Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation, and associated clearance mode available in such devices, integrate a cough a ssistance phase, as well as a vibration phase for dislodging secretions. These are portable and adapted for home use. Aerosolized medications that help loosen secretions include  dornase alfa  and  hypertonic  saline. Dornase is a  recombinant  human deoxyribonuclease, which breaks down DNA in the  sputum, thus decreasing its  viscosity.Denufosol  is an investigational drug that opens an alternative chloride channel, helping to liquefy mucus. As lung disease worsens, mechanical breathing support may become necessary. Individuals with CF may need to wear special masks at night that help push air into their lungs. These machines, known as  bi-level positive airway pressure  (BiPAP) ventilators, help prevent low blood oxygen levels during sleep. BiPAP may also be used during physical therapy to improve sputum clearance. During severe illness, a  tube  may be placed in the throat (a procedure known as a  tracheostomy) to enable breathing supported by a  ven tilator.For children living with CF, preliminary studies show pediatric massage therapy may improve patients and their families’ quality of life, though more rigorous studies must be done. Transplantation Lung transplantation  often becomes necessary for individuals with cystic fibrosis as lung function ceases and  exercise tolerance  declines. Although single lung transplantation is possible in other diseases, individuals with CF must have both lungs replaced because the remaining lung might contain bacteria that could infect the transplanted lung.A pancreatic or liver transplant may be performed at the same time in order to alleviate liver disease and/or diabetes. Lung transplantation is considered when lung function declines to the point where assistance from mechanical devices is required or patient survival is threatened. Other aspects Intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be used to provide fertility for men with cystic. .fibrosis Intracytoplasmic sperm injection c an be used to provide fertility for men with cystic. .fibrosis New-borns with intestinal obstruction typically require surgery, whereas adults with  distal intestinal obstruction syndrome typically do not.Treatment of pancreatic insufficiency by replacement of missing digestive enzymes allows the duodenum to properly absorb nutrients and vitamins that would otherwise be lost in the faeces. So far, no large-scale research involving the incidence of  atherosclerosis  and  coronary heart disease  in adults with cystic fibrosis has been conducted. This is likely due to the fact that the vast majority of people with cystic fibrosis do not live long enough to develop clinically significant atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease.Diabetes  is the most common non-pulmonary complication of CF. It mixes features of  type 1and  type 2  diabetes, and is recognized as a distinct entity,  cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD). While oral  anti-diabetic drugs  are somet imes used, the only recommended treatment is the use of  insulin  injections or an  insulin pump,  and unlike in type 1 and 2 diabetes, dietary restrictions are not recommended. Development of  osteoporosis  can be prevented by increased intake of vitamin D and  calcium, and can be treated by  bisphosphonates, although  adverse effects  can be an issue.Poor growth may be avoided by insertion of a  feeding tube  for increasing  calories  through supplemental feeds or by administration of injected  growth hormone. Sinus infections are treated by prolonged courses of antibiotics. The development of nasal polyps or other chronic changes within the nasal passages may severely limit airflow through the nose, and over time reduce the patient's sense of smell. Sinus surgery is often used to alleviate nasal obstruction and to limit further infections. Nasal steroids such as  fluticasone  are used to decrease nasal inflammation.Female infertility may be overc ome by  assisted reproduction  technology (ART) with the help of embryo transfer  techniques. Male infertility caused by absence of the  vas deferens  may be overcome with  testicular sperm extraction  (TEST), collecting sperm cells directly from the testicles. If the collected sample contains too few sperm cells to likely have a spontaneous  fertilization,  intracytoplasmic sperm injection  can be performed. Third party reproduction  is also a possibility for women with CF. ————————————————- PrognosisThe prognosis for cystic fibrosis has improved due to earlier diagnosis through screening, better treatment and access to health care. In 1959, the median age of survival of children with cystic fibrosis in the United States was six months. In 2008, survival averaged 37. 4 years. In Canada, median survival increased from 24 years in 1982 to 47. 7 in 2007 . Of those with cystic fibrosis who are more than 18 years old as of 2009; 92% had graduated from  high school, 67% had at least some college education, 15% were disabled and 9% were unemployed, 56% were single and 39% were married or living with a partner.In Russia  the overall median age of patients is 25, which is caused by the absence or high cost of medication and the fact that lung transplantation is not performed. Quality of life Chronic illnesses can be very difficult to manage. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic illness that affects the â€Å"digestive and respiratory tracts resulting in generalized malnutrition and chronic respiratory infections†. The thick secretions clog the airways in the lungs, which often cause inflammation and severe lung infections. Therefore, mucus makes it challenging to breathe.If it is compromised, it affects the quality of life of someone with CF, and their ability to complete such tasks as everyday chores. It is important for CF pati ents to understand the detrimental relationship that chronic illnesses place on the quality of life. Havermans and colleagues (2006) have shown that young outpatients with CF that have participated in the CFQ-R (Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised) â€Å"rated some QOL domains higher than did their parents†. Consequently, outpatients with CF have a more positive outlook for themselves.Furthermore, there are many ways to improve the QOL in CF patients. Exercise is promoted to increase lung function. The fact of integrating an exercise regimen into the CF patient’s daily routine can significantly improve the quality of life. There is no definitive cure for Cystic Fibrosis. However, there are diverse medications used such as, mucolytics, bronchodilators, steroids and antibiotics that have the purpose of loosening mucus, expanding airways, decreasing inflammation and fighting lung infections. ————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-Epidemiology Mutation| Frequency worldwide| ?F508| 66%–70%| G542X| 2. 4%| G551D| 1. 6%| N1303K| 1. 3%| W1282X| 1. 2%| All others| 27. 5%| Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-limiting autosomal recessive disease among people of  Caucasian heritage. In the United States, approximately 30,000 individuals have CF; most are diagnosed by six months of age. In  Canada, there are approximately 3,500 people with CF. Approximately 1 in 25 people of European descent, and one in 30 of Caucasian Americans, is a carrier of a cystic fibrosis mutation.Although CF is less common in these groups, approximately 1 in 46  Hispanics, 1 in 65  Africans  and 1 in 90 Asians  carry at least one abnormal CFTR gene. Ireland has the world's highest incidence of cystic fibrosis, at 1:1353. Although technically a  rare disease, cystic fibrosis is ranked as one of the most widespread life-shortening genetic diseases. It is most common among nations in the Western world. An exception is  Finland, where only one in 80 people carry a CF mutation. In the United States, 1 in 4,000 children are born with CF. In 1997, about 1 in 3,300 Caucasian children in the United States was born with cystic fibrosis.In contrast, only 1 in 15,000 African American children suffered from cystic fibrosis, and in Asian Americans the rate was even lower at 1 in 32,000. Cystic fibrosis is diagnosed in males and females equally. For reasons that remain unclear, data has shown that males tend to have a longer  life expectancy  than females,  however recent studies suggest this gender gap may no longer exist perhaps due to improvements in health care facilities,  while a recent study from Ireland identified a link between the female hormone, estrogen and worse outcomes in CF.The distribution of CF alleles varies among populations. The frequency of ? F508 carriers has been estimated at 1:200 in northern Sweden, 1:143 in Lithuanians, and 1 :38 in Denmark. No ? F508 carriers were found among 171  Finns  and 151  Saami people. ?F508 does occur in Finland, but it is a minority allele there. Cystic fibrosis is known to occur in only 20 families (pedigrees) in Finland. Hypotheses about prevalence The  ? F508  mutation is estimated to be up to 52,000 years old. Numerous hypotheses have been advanced as to why such a lethal mutation has persisted and spread in the human population.Other common autosomal recessive diseases such as  sickle-cell anemia have been found to protect carriers from other diseases, a concept known as  heterozygote advantage. Resistances to the following have all been proposed as possible sources of heterozygote advantage: * Cholera: With the finding and discovery that  cholera toxin  requires normal host CFTR proteins to function properly, it was hypothesized that carriers of mutant CFTR genes benefited from resistance to cholera and other causes of diarrhea. Further studies have not confirmed this hypothesis. Typhoid: Normal CFTR proteins are also required essentially for the entry of  Salmonella typhi  into cells,  suggesting that carriers of the mutant CFTR genes might be resistant to  typhoid fever. No  in vivo  study has yet confirmed this. In both cases, the low level of cystic fibrosis outside of Europe, in places where both cholera and typhoid fever are  endemic, is not immediately explicable. * Diarrhea: It has also been hypothesized that the prevalence of CF in Europe might be connected with the development of cattle domestication. In this hypothesis, carriers of a ingle mutant CFTR chromosome had some protection from diarrhea caused by lactose intolerance, prior to the appearance of the mutations that created lactose tolerance. * Tuberculosis: Another explanation is that carriers of the gene could have some resistance to TB. ——————————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- History It is supposed that CF appeared about 3,000 BC because of migration of peoples, gene mutations, and new conditions in nourishment. Although the entire clinical spectrum of CF was not recognized until the 1930s, certain aspects of CF were identified much earlier.Indeed, literature  from Germany and Switzerland in the 18th century warned  Wehe dem Kind, das beim Ku? auf die Stirn salzig schmekt, er ist verhext und muss bald sterbeor â€Å"Woe to the child who tastes salty from a kiss on the brow, for he is cursed and soon must die,† recognizing the association between the salt loss in CF and illness. Dorothy Hansine Andersen Dorothy Hansine Andersen In the 19th century,  Carl von Rokitansky  described a case of fetal death with  meconium peritonitis, a complication of meconium ileus associated with cystic fibrosis.Meconium ileus was first described in 1905 by  Karl Landsteiner. In 1936,  Guido Fanconi  published a paper describing a conn ecting link between  celiac disease, cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, and bronchiectasis. In 1938  Dorothy Hansine Andersen  published an article, â€Å"Cystic Fibrosis of the Pancreas and Its Relation to Celiac Disease: a Clinical and Pathological Study,† in the  American Journal of Diseases of Children. She was the first to describe the characteristic cystic fibrosis of the pancreas and to correlate it with the lung and intestinal disease prominent in CF.She also first hypothesized that CF was a recessive disease and first used pancreatic enzyme replacement to treat affected children. In 1952 Paul di Sant' Agnese discovered abnormalities in  sweat  electrolytes; a  sweat test  was developed and improved over the next decade. The first linkage between CF and another marker (Paroxonase) was found in 1985, indicating that only one locus exists for CF  Hans Eiberg. In 1988 the first mutation for CF,  ? F508  was discovered by  Francis Collins,  Lap-Che e Tsui  and  John R. Riordan  on the seventh chromosome.Subsequent research has found over 1,000 different mutations that cause CF. Because mutations in the CFTR gene are typically small,  classical genetics  techniques had been unable to accurately pinpoint the mutated gene. Using protein markers,  gene-linkage  studies were able to map the mutation to chromosome 7. Chromosome-walking and  -jumping  techniques were then used to identify and  sequence  the gene. In 1989 Lap-Chee Tsui led a team of researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children  in  Toronto  that discovered the gene responsible for CF.Cystic fibrosis represents the first genetic disorder elucidated strictly by the process of  reverse genetics. ————————————————- Research Gene therapy Gene therapy  has been explored as a potential cure for cystic fibrosis. Ideally, gene therapy places a normal copy of the  CFTR gene into affected cells. Transferring the normal CFTR gene into the affected epithelium cells would result in the production of functional CFTR in all target cells, without adverse reactions or an inflammation response.Studies have shown that to prevent the lung manifestations of cystic fibrosis, only 5–10% the normal amount of CFTR  gene expression  is needed. Multiple approaches have been tested for gene transfer, such as liposomes and viral vectors in animal models and clinical trials. However, both methods were found to be relatively inefficient treatment options. The main reason is that very few cells take up the vector and express the gene, so the treatment has little effect. Additionally, problems have been noted in cDNA recombination, such that the gene introduced by the treatment is rendered unusable.With the help of the  Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which has a league of highly professional gene therapists, both somatic and Adeno -associated viral vector have made advances. The  Adenoviridae, or more commonly known as the cold virus, is genetically altered, allowing the CFTR gene to enter lung cells. Small molecules A number of  small molecules  that aim at compensating various mutations of the CFTR gene are under development. One approach is to develop drugs that get the ribosome to overcome the  stop codon  and synthesize a full-length CFTR protein.About 10% of CF results from a premature stop codon in the DNA, leading to early termination of protein synthesis and truncated proteins. These drugs target nonsense mutations  such as G542X, which consists of the amino acid  glycine  in position 542 being replaced by a stop codon. Aminoglycoside antibiotics interfere with DNA synthesis and error-correction. In some cases, they can cause the cell to overcome the stop codon, insert a random amino acid, and express a full-length protein.The aminoglycoside  gentamicin  has been used to treat lun g cells from CF patients in the laboratory to induce the cells to grow full-length proteins. Another drug targeting nonsense mutations is  ataluren, which is undergoing Phase III clinical trials as of October 2011. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK FOR CLASS – XII (NCERT) 2. TRUEMAN’S BIOLOGY FOR CLASS – XII 3. SCIENCE REPORTER (September, 2007) 4. THE NEWYORK TIMES (December 22, 2009) 5. www. google. co. in/cysticfibrosis 6. en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis 7. www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov 8. www. cff. org/ 9. www. cysticfibrosis. com/ 10. www. cftrust. org. uk/

Stonyfield Case Study

Stonyfield Case Study PowerPoint Script Introduction of Team Diversity Members: AMBA Team Summary of Stonyfield Farm Case Study I. What factors should StonyField Farm review before going international? Reasons to expand in international markets – Increased profits in international markets – Expansion and diversification of customer base – New business opportunities and investments Major Factors to consider before going International Minimizing Production Costs – Researching the labor laws of the specific country – Working with local vendors and suppliers directly Dealing with low trade barriers – Utilizing subsidies from local governments – Resources access to inexpensive resources and raw materials Economies of Scale – Strategies to reducing production costs – Knowing of the geographic location for the international expansion – Understanding the markets- knowing consumers wants and needs – Knowing the forei gn countries economic and political systems Economies of Scope – The variety of products and services the company wants to offers (Daft, 2010) – Determining the geographic regions of expansion Knowing the markets size II. What are the major ways for Stonyfield to take their operations global? Form Strategic Alliances with local partners Indirect Exporter – Creating strategic alliances with other firms to increase market share ( Horngren, Sundem and Stratton, 2002) – Contract with local vendors and suppliers to manage resources Direct Exporting Methods – Establishing a domestic-based export department – Creating overseas sales branches or subsidiaries – Utilizing export sales representative using foreign based distributors and agents Licensing Stonyfield could consider selling its rights to other companies to use as trademarked names in the foreign markets Joint Ventures and Consortia – Establishing a separate entity with two or more active firms in the industry as sponsors – Stonyfield farm will benefit from sharing development and production cost, and penetrate new markets – Combined knowledge of local markets, shared strengths in technology and distribution channels will make them marketable III. Recommendations for StonyField Farm on how they should restructure to take their operations global?Slide 1 – Stonyfield in the Multinational stage and the re-structured company – Start by exporting products via strategic alliances with local partners for a test period. – Evaluate the market demand and profit forecasts; make a decision on further expansion. Expanding to the Multinational stage with Overseas farms & Sales Teams – Stonyfield establishes farms and sales teams in their host countries – This will reduce delivery time and cost. – It will also ensure fresh products and eco-friendly message.Operations & Strategy department in head office oversees a ll location specific teams – Basic farm production would be globally standardized for quality control – Overseas teams would have autonomy over marketing, packaging/labeling, shipping, and special flavors for local tastes. It will make them more adaptable. [pic] Slide 2 – Structure of the local teams, outsourcing local roles and use of technology – Managers have full autonomy in pursuing local opportunities, and maintain good supply chain relationships. HR, marketing and sales and other staff can be hired locally or outsourced to local companies. – Local staff’s knowledge of the host country culture and nuances will be useful in understanding the market. Technology for the new global organizational structure – Software technology will allow flow of information between overseas and field offices. – Allows for flow of ideas, information, and troubleshooting. – Software tracking system will also allow tracking of supplies a nd products. IV. How can Stonyfield Farm mange to maintain their â€Å"eco-friendly† operations internationally?Explore current operating functions and all potential factors – Stonyfield should conduct research on farming and dairy production industries in both UK and France – Should do research about the market, competitors and other eco friendly competitions Environmental impact of Stonyfield products and host country regulations – Become familiar with applicable environmental regulations – They learn about the impact of this environmental standards and regulations – It will be advantageous for Stonyfield to review the international established regulations and revise its operating standards – Recycling and waste management is another important regulation that should be taken seriously. Minimizing eco-friendly production costs in host countries – Production costs will be expensive as transitioning into foreign markets is chall enging – Operations need to be restructured to focus on sustaining manufacturing and design – Stonyfield’s main objective is to consume minimal amounts of resources and energy using recycled materials Clear production and pricing strategy It is necessary for Stonyfield to create a defined production and pricing strategy – They need to continually make production more efficient, work to decrease waste and resource usage Consumer patronage of eco-friendly products and their concerns – Recent studies indicate that 93 percent of consumers say they actively participate in eco-friendly events and 37 percent of those individuals are concerned about the environment (Borin, Cerf, & Krishnan, 2011). – The a growing demand or eco-friendly products (Borin, Cerf, & Krishnan, 2011) Marketing eco-friendly products – More companies are creating their own labels in their effort to differentiate themselves in the market place – Stonyfieldâ€℠¢s marketing plan should focus on packaging and labeling with eco friendly logos, making sure all messages are legible and informative. – They should also refer to packaging regulations and green marketing tools Importance of labeling in eco-friendly products Labeling is important because it informs the customers about the quality of the products and its shows value (Menzel, Smagin, & David, 2010). – When labeling the package, Stonyfield should remember to focus on informing the consumer about the consumer about the product. References AMBA 610 Course Pack: Daft, R L. , (2010). Organization theory and design (10th ed. ), 211-216, Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. Borin, N. , Cerf, D. C. , & Krishnan, R. (2011). Consumer effects of environmental impact in product labeling. Journal of Consumer Marketing , 28 (1), 78-86. Horngren, C. T, Sundem, G. L. & Stratton, W. O (2002). Introduction to management accounting (12th ed. ), 227-235.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Grimm, M. (2005, November 28). Progressive business, Brandweek, 46 (43), 26. Retrieved December 17, 2010 from http://ezproxy. umuc. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=bth&AN=20445636&login. asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site Gurtoo, A. , & Antony, S. (2007). Environmental regulations Indirect and unintended consequences on economy and business. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Jornal , 18 (6), 626-637. Menzel, V. , Smagin, J. , & David, F. (2010). Can companies profit from greener manufacturing? Measuring Business Excellence , 14 (2), 22-31.