Evaluate the Impact of Changes in the Economic Environment

Evaluate the impact of changes in the economic environment on a selected business – D1 After various changes to the economic tax and interest rate, CPHP have conducted and compiled research into current public spending. The results show that there has been a dramatic reduction in the level of public spending in the UK. The changes in economic environment will affect a business, the profit of the business will be affected because its affect the price and income of a business, which are the main aspect of a business.If Tesco decides to change the price of their goods, for example; the price of their doughnut in 2009 was 5 pieces for a pound, a reasonable price for students but with the economic environment it affected everything with the introduction of VAT from 17. 5% to 20% made the price of the doughnut to now cost around 1. 30p the change is affordable for some people but for other people it is not affordable. The reality of this economic environment is that when the price c hange and it becomes higher, consumers get less happy and this affects our range of time of buying certain products.The article above shows how the economic environment tax income is affecting prices as a whole, the price of cigarettes and alcohol in going to increase. This will affect Tesco because this is where they make most of their sales from. They have almost to sessions for both cigarettes and alcohol. When these products increase, it means their sales on these products will reduce because not a lot of customers will still be buying these products.Another policy that will affect the business Tesco is the fact their employee can’t work more than 39 hours, this policy will have impact on the business because they will have to recruit more workers and especially for the big 24 hours Tesco. This will affect Tesco income because it will increase the rate of their outcome because they will spend a lot of money on paying their workers. Another important economic environment i mpact will be the fact that Tesco will have to apply for more loans to be able to successfully run the business until it’s able to make enough money by itself and rely only on their income.This will affect Tesco growth because the loans will affect their income, cash flow and business image. Tesco will pay more and profit will drop. Tesco also have social factors that affect them, as the business have charity centre in helping the less privilege people and the more these people gets poor, the more they will have to stretch to help out which also spending money. Recession causes unemployment, this will affect the demand for goods and Tesco profit will drop.An economic factor that might affect Tesco is the demand of the consumer and customer which will decrease with the different problems; people are having in the world. As the demand decrease so the economy of the business will decrease and the profit of the business will decrease too. This refers in the fiscal and monetary, f or example since when the government decided to raise the VAT from 17. 5% to 20%, the business increase their goods price and due to that reason the customers do not purchase enough goods like they used.Social factors refer in the trend of customer which keeps changing their trend, and what the trend of their purchase. For example nowadays due to people’s work, they are really busy so they often decide to buy already cooked food. Technology refers in how Tesco adopt online shopping to attract customer, to purchase goods and services from the business. Another technology might be the introduction of delivery which refers in how the businesses deliver their goods around the customer’s address.

Manifestations of Dementia

Manifestations of Dementia Melinda Godfrey GNUR543 St. John Fisher College Mrs. Yowell is a 90-year-old woman who is a resident of a long-term care facility. She was alert and mentally quite capable until about a year ago when she began to manifest signs and symptoms of dementia. A review of her medical records failed to document a thorough analysis of her dementia, but a diagnosis of â€Å"probable Alzheimer disease† was recorded. What are the common manifestations of dementia? The definition of Dementia is â€Å"a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.It is caused by physical changes in the brain. † (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). The first manifestations of Dementia usually are: * Loss of memory – generally the patient doesn’t notice the loss of memory but a loved one will. This is generally the entree into the physician’s office leading to a diagnosis. * Trouble focusing and follo wing conversations – the patient is unable to handle more than one task at a time and will not be able to perform a task and listen to or follow a conversation easily. * Impaired judgment and reasoning – patients become confused and are unable to cope as well when unexpected events come up.Other symptoms could include: mood changes, personality and behavior changes. As noted, dementia is not a disease itself but a cluster of cognitive changes. The onset symptom of dementia can vary depending on the disease or syndrome that is associated (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). The major dementia diseases or syndromes are: 1. Alzheimer Disease (AD) – AD accounts for 60 – 80% of the cases of dementia (Shadlen & Larson, 2012). 2. Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) – DLB starts with progressive cognitive decline and usually the patient also has hallucinations, periods of lucidity and some rigidity.DLB has abnormal accumulations of protein structures in the patie nt’s brain (Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page, 2011). 3. Frontotemporal Dementia (FT) – FT is associated with the shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain (Frontotemporal Dementia Information Page, 2011). Generally the patient will have trouble with speech and behavior. 4. Vascular Dementia – This form of dementia results from many strokes. When a patient has a stroke, the blood flow is interrupted to the brain and the result is brain tissue damage (Types of Dementia, 2011).These patients normally lose their cognitive ability before their memory. 5. Parkinson Disease with Dementia – Approximately 40% of patients with Parkinson’s disease will have dementia (Parkinson’s disease, 2011). The nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed leaving no way for the brain to send messages. What other potentially treatable factors might have led to Mrs. Yowell’s deteriorating mental function? T here are many reasons that Mrs. Yowell may have impaired mental functioning (see Table 1). The first and easiest reason to rule out would be a urinary tract infection (UTI).A urine sample can show if there are white blood cells (indicating infection) present in the urine. The increased levels of bacteria in an elderly person’s body can cause toxicity which leads to the altered mental status (Midthun, 2004). Most noted changes are confusion, agitation and lethargy. Table 1| | (Shadlen & Larson, 2012)| Secondly, Mrs. Yowell could have vitamin deficiencies. For example, if a patient has low levels of thiamine they can develop Wernicke’s encephalopathy. This can cause damage in the brain to the thalamus and the hypothalamus.These patients will exhibit signs of confusion, loss of memory and hallucinations (Dugdale, 2010). If left untreated it can cause permanent damage but, it is usually corrected by injections of thiamine. Another cause of confusion/delirium in elderly pat ients is an adverse drug reaction or interactions with another drug. Mrs. Yowell could have been given a new medication that is directly affecting her mental status. Nearly 70% of residents in long term facilities take nine or more medications (Gillick, 2012). Elderly patients have slower clearance rates of drugs through their liver and kidney thus leading to drug accumulation (Gillick, 2012).There should be a regular review of medications in order to anticipate and keep on top of any potential changes. Discuss in detail the organic brain/neuronal alterations that are typical of Alzheimer disease? The changes that occur in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are threefold. The first is amyloid plaque, this is abnormal clumps of protein found outside of the nerve cells. The protein pieces are in the fatty membrane that is around the brains nerve cells. The amyloid is a protein that is snipped from a larger protein (amyloid precursor protein) during metabolism (Copstead, 20 10).These clumps form plaque and can block cell-to-cell signaling (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). In a healthy brain the fragments are broken down and eliminated before they turn into plaque. Without the ability to signal the brain may also activate the inflammatory response. At this point it is still not known whether the plaque causes or is created by AD. Secondly, inside the nerve cells there is a protein called tau. This protein is normally helps maintain the cell structure allowing proper nutrition and signaling. The tau protein in AD is changed into twisted strands, called tangles (Common Types of Dementia, 2012).It is said that the changes are brought on by the phosphorylating enzymes which are activated by inflammatory changes, lipid abnormalities and aging (Copstead, 2010). Thirdly, the brain is losing connectivity between nerve cells and cells are dying which results in permanent brain damage. Other changes in the brain include shrinking of the hippocampus and cortex. AD also shows an increase in ventricles. The progression of the damage in the AD brain is predictable. According to the Alzheimer’s research center, the plaques and tangles spread through the cortex in a predictable fashion (Common Types of Dementia, 2012).Summary Scientists believe that the cause of AD is multi-factorial. IT could be a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. Specifically, it is believed that a person with diabetes, depression or heart disease is more likely to develop AD (Copstead, 2010). There is a link to a gene, APOe4 that is thought to be associated with late onset AD. However, studies have shown it is not present in some cases of AD and is present in cases with no AD (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). At this point the definitive diagnosis of AD can only be obtained after death (Common Types of Dementia, 012). This means that clinicians must ask the right questions to diagnose this disease. AD is still quite unknown as to the order of the changes that occur in the brain. As more research is conducted we will be able to identify the manifestations of the disease earlier and slow the progression of AD. References Common Types of Dementia. (2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Alzheimer's Association: http://www. alz. org Copstead, L. -E. C. (2010). Pathophysiology. St. Louis: Saunders. Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page. (2011, December 28).Retrieved March 8, 2012, from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www. ninds. nih. gov Dugdale, I. M. (2010, February 6). Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Medline Plus: http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus Frontotemporal Dementia Information Page. (2011, December 28). Retrieved March 8, 2012, from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www. ninds. nih. gov Gillick, M. M. (2012, February 22). Medical Care of the Nursing Home Patient in the United States. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from UpToD ate: http://www. uptodate. com Lexicomp. 2012). Retrieved February 5, 2012, from Lexicomp: https://online-lexi. com Midthun, M. R. (2004). Criteria for Urinary Tract Infections. Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Medscape: http://www. medscape. com Parkinson’s disease. (2011, September 26). Retrieved March 5, 2012, from PubMed Health: http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov Shadlen, M. -F. M. , ; Larson, E. B. (2012, February 10). Evaluation of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from UpToDate: http://www. uptodate. com Types of Dementia. (2011, June 23). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Cleveland Clinic: http://my. clevelandclinic. org

Fresh Water Essay

1. Introduction Fresh water is an indispensable resource for human livelihood, agricultural irrigation and economic development (Brooks, 2007). However, due to the rapid population growth and the limited reserves, increasing regions have faced serious scarcity of fresh water (Williamson, 2010). Saudi Arabia is one of the driest countries in the world (CIA, 2011). According to World Bank (2011), the world average fresh water consumption is nearly 7000m ³/year/person, while the water resource per capita in Saudi Arabia is less than 1200m ³/year/person. In order to satisfy the demand for water, Saudi Arabia currently supplies fresh water via deep drilling of fossil groundwater (UNESCO, 2009). Nevertheless, society increasingly recognises that those water resources are non-renewable and are liable to be reduced by the overexploited boreholes and wells. Thus Saudi Arabia needs to find alternative and sustainable methods to solve these issues. Since there is abundant sea water around Saudi Arabia, large-scale desalination could be the ideal solution to water scarcity. However, the expensive cost and the detrimental influence on the environment might limit the scale and sustainability of this method. Due to the cheap cost and the minor environmental damage, wastewater reuse is regarded as another potential solution. However, it seems to have a low social acceptance. Therefore, this report will compare the feasibility of desalination and water reuse in terms of cost, social acceptance and environmental impacts, thereby exploring the most suitable method to deal with the scarcity of water in Saudi Arabia. 2. Background Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea (CIA, 2011). It is famous for the abundant reserves of oil and gas. However, the fresh water resources in Saudi Arabia are very limited. According to World Bank (2011), there is no one river and lake with perennial water throughout this country. Furthermore, due to the influence of the subtropical climate, the annual precipitation is only about 100 mm and the climate is hot and dry (ibid.). Additionally, rapid population growth has caused higher increase of demand for water (Abderrahman, 2000). Shortages of water have constrained the development of agriculture and economy (Williamson, 2010). Since the underground water is estimated to be able to supply for 320 years, the underground water is still the principal source of water at present (UNESCO, 2009: 100). However, with the increasing awareness of defects of this method, the focus of the future development of water provision has shifted to other sustainable water technologies. In order to deal with fresh water shortages, desalination has received enormous investments. According to Abu-Arabi (2007), in 2004 the number of desalination industries reached 30 and they can supply 1.1 billion cubic metres of fresh water per year. Wastewater reuse is regarded as another future means of water provision. According to Bashitialshaaer et al (2009), in 2009 there were 33 wastewater treatment plants with a capacity of 748 billion cubic metres per year. 3. Requirements Cost should be the principal consideration of water provision because an expensive cost might limit the scale of application of methods. This also includes the cost of energy consumption. Social acceptance plays a significant role in the development of water supply technologies. If the water cannot be accepted by society, it will lead to very little consumption. Environment has a profound influence on human beings. In order to prevent water supply technology undermining the environment, its impacts on the environment should be considered. 4. Presentation of options 4.1 Desalination Desalination is â€Å"a specific treatment process to take minerals from saline water to purify for drinking water and irrigation† (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). Sometimes this process is used to take salinity and other pollutants from wastewater. The general method of desalination is reverse osmosis or multi-stage flash distillation (Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, 2008). 4.2 Water Reuse Water reuse means treating wastewater to a specific quality, and then using treated or reclaimed water from one application for another application (McKenzie, 2005; Asano, 2006). The resources for wastewater reuse are various; according to Asano (2006), they could be domestic wastewater, industrial sewage, municipal sewage or agricultural wastewater. 5. Comparison of Options 5.1 Cost Although the cost of desalination has decreased dramatically in the past three decades, it is still expensive to use in large scale. Alghariani (2003) points out that the expenditure of desalination consists of initial investment for equipment, running costs (including staff and maintenance), as well as chemicals or specialised parts. At present, according to the Third World Water Assessment Report (UNESCO, 2009: 155), the average cost of desalination is between $0.60/m ³ and $0.80/m ³. Moreover, Owens and Brunsdale (2000, cited in Alghariani, 2003: 5) claim that the cost of desalination in Florida can even be less than $0.55/m ³, which is one-tenth of the cost price in 1979. However, as Wright (2009) points out, this cost is still higher than other water supply technologies. Apart from expenditure, desalination is generally considered a high-cost process due to the enormous energy consumption (Abu-Arabi, 2007). Nevertheless, this does not seem to be a problem for Saudi Arabia. According to the CIA (2010), the proven oil and gas reserves in Saudi Arabia are respectively the first and fifth in the world. As Abu-Arabi (2007) points out, in Saudi Arabia the annual solar energy received by each square kilometre of land is equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of crude oil. Abundant energy may lead to a low price. Nevertheless, oil is non-renewable and oil reserves are estimated to last less than one century (World Energy Council, 2010), so the consumption of energy should be taken into account as a considerable cost. Moreover, the treatment of the waste gas generated by desalination also increases the cost (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). The cost of water reuse is influenced by various factors such as treatment level, intended reuse options, location of treatment, wastewater collection and transportation. According to Qadir et al (2009), the average cost of recycling water is approximately $1.79 per cubic metre. However, compared to desalination, wastewater reuse has the advantage of cost. Fryer (2010) demonstrates that the relative marginal cost of seawater desalination is higher than water recycling, and amounts to up to $2000 per acre-foot. The water recycling represented a general fluctuation pattern between approximately $300 and $1000 per acre-foot (Fryer, 2010). Even so, water recycling appears cheaper than desalination. 5.2 Social acceptance While both options can generate safe water, desalination seems to have higher social acceptance. Sloane (2009) investigated the acceptance of desalination and water reuse at Nourieh Palms. As shown in Table 2, in all areas but particularly drinking water, the approval rate for desalination is higher than water reuse. This reflects that more people trust the quality of water which is generated by desalination. Source: Sloane (2009: 128) For most uses, reclaimed water tends to have lower social acceptance than desalination. There are various reasons why people do not trust reclaimed water. First, most people do not understand the difference between treated and untreated water (McKenzie, 2005). Secondly, they are often concerned about the type of wastewater, treatment levels and the availability of information (Qadir, 2009). There are particular concerns with the wastewater produced by the petroleum industry, brought to the surface when drilling oil. This kind of wastewater is difficult to treat due to the high content of oil (Asatekin and Mayes, 2009). Therefore, though reclaimed water undergoes a very thorough treatment process which makes it entirely safe to drink, the public are reluctant to drink treated sewage. However, it is not impossible that people will accept drinking such treated sewage. For example, Singapore has successfully used reclaimed water, a product named NEWater, to supply drinking water (Tortajada, 2006). This reflects that treated wastewater could become widely accepted through public education. 5.3 Influence on environment There are some environmental disadvantages of desalination. Since Saudi Arabia is rich in oil and gas, clean energy such as solar energy tends to be used less than fossil energy (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). The overuse of fossil energy may cause serious environmental pollution. For instance, oil might generate large quantities of carbon dioxide, which is the main factor leading to global warming (Al-Aza, 2005). Furthermore, the gas emissions from oil could undermine the ozone layer and cause acid rain (ibid.). In addition to environmental pollution caused by fossil energy, brine discharge is another serious problem. After desalination, the brines generally have a higher concentration of salt, nearly twice that of natural seawater (Tsiourtis, 2002). The brines are generally discharged back to the same place where the seawater comes from. This might lead to increased concentration of salt in the sea, which is a potential threat to aquatics. In contrast with the desalination, wastewater reuse is regarded as an eco-friendly way to supply fresh water. Recycling water can maximise the use of rainfall and other current water resources so that the limited underground water resources can be conserved (Miller, 2005). In the meantime, decreased energy consumption could reduce the pollution caused by the use of fossil energy (Ghermandi et al, 2007). Therefore, recycled water is a sustainable and eco-friendly method to supply good quality fresh water. 6. Conclusion From the information given above, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) Both desalination and wastewater reuse are feasible water supply technologies. 2) The cost of desalination has decreased dramatically, but is still far more than water reuse. Desalination requires more capital and energy. 3) Reclaimed water has low public acceptance, especially for drinking water. 4) Desalination could undermine the environment, while water reuse is eco-friendly. 7. Recommendation Considering the cost and the impact on the environment, wastewater reuse is recommended to be used as the main water supply technology. Although the public acceptance of recycled water is lower than desalination, the example of Singapore has proven that reclaimed water could be accepted in daily life. Desalination is a costly water supply technology. Furthermore, it needs a vast amount of energy. Even if Saudi Arabia has abundant oil and gas reserves, as these resources are non-renewable, desalination is not suitable for sustainable water supply. Additionally, it has detrimental influences upon the environment. Therefore, Saudi Arabia should improve the ratio of wastewater reuse in the whole fresh water supply system. 8. References Abderrahman, W. (2000). Urban Water Management in Developing Arid Countries. Water Resources Development 16 (1) pp7-20. Abu-Arabi, M. (2007). Status and Prospects for Solar Desalination in the Mena Region. In Rizzuti, L., Ettouney, H., and Cipollina, A. (eds.) Solar Desalination for the 21st Century: A Review of Modern Technologies and Researches on Desalination Coupled to Renewable Energies (pp163-178). Dordrecht: Springer. Al-Aza, M. (2005). Oil Pollution and Its Environmental Impact in the Arabian Gulf Region. Boston: Elsevier. Alghariani, S. (2003). Water Transfer Versus Desalination in North Africa: Sustainability and Cost Comparison. London: School of Oriental and African Studies. Al-Sahlawi, M. (1999). Seawater Desalination in Saudi Arabia: Economic Review and Demand Projections. Desalination (123) pp143-147. Asano, T. (2006). Water Reuse: Issues, Technologies and Applications. New York: McGraw Hill. Asatekin, A. And Mayes, A. (2009). Oil Industry Wastewater Treatment with Fouling Resistant Membranes Containing Amphiphilic Comb Copolymers. Evrion. Sci. Technol. 43 (12) pp. 4487-4492. Bashitialshaaer, R., Persson, K., and Larsson, M. (2009). Estimated Future Production of Desalinated Seawater in the MENA Countries and Consequences for the Recipients. Dubai: IDA World Congress. Brooks, D. (2007). Fresh Water in the Middle East and North Africa. In Lipchin, C., Pallant, E., Saranga, D. And Amster, A. (eds.) Water Resources Management and Security in the Middle East (pp. 33-64). Dordrecht: Springer. CIA (2011). Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html Fryer J. (2010). An Investigation of the Marginal Cost of Seawater Desalination in California. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://r4rd.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Cost_of_Seawater_Desalination__Final_3-18-09.pdf Ghermandi, A., Bixio, D. And Thoeye, C. (2007). The Role of Free Water Constructed Wetlands As Polishing Step in Municipal Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse. Science of the Total Environment. 380 (1-3) pp. 247-258. Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club (2008). Desalination: Is It Worth the Salt?. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://texas.sierraclub.org/press/Desalination.pdf McKenzie, C. (2005). Wastewater Reuse Conserves Water and Protects Waterways. On Tap Winter 44 (4) pp46-51. Miller, G. (2005). Integrated Concepts in Water Reuse: Managing Global Water Needs. Desalination 187 (1-3) pp. 65-75. Tsiourtis, N. (2002). Desalination and the Environment. Desalination. 141 (3) pp. 223-236. UNESCO (2009). The United Nations World Water Development Report, 3: Water in a Changing World. Paris and London: Earthscan. Qadir, M., Bahri, A., Sato, T., and Al-Karadsheh, E. (2009). Wastewater Production, Treatment and Irrigation in the Middle East and North Africa. Biomedical and Life Science 24 (1-2) pp37-51. Sloane, T. (2009). Water Provision: A Comparative Analysis. London: Sage. Tortajada, C. (2006). Water Management in Singapore. International Journal of Water Resources Development (22) pp. 227-240. Williamson, F. (2010). Water Management: Traditional and Alternative Approaches. International Resource Management. 15(2) pp. 227-231. World Bank (2011). Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://data.worldbank.org/country/saudi-arabia World Energy Council (2010). Issues. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://worldenergy.org/Issues Wright, G. (2009). The Economic Feasibility of Desalination for Water Supply to Arid Regions. Global Water Issues 13 (2) pp202-206.

The effectiveness of Chemical Compounds in Brassica vegetables in the Essay

The effectiveness of Chemical Compounds in Brassica vegetables in the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer - Essay Example The chemical compounds in vegetables known to treat and prevent cancer include phytochemicals, isoprenoids and pigments (Govind & Madhuri, 2011). Vegetable pigments in particular – flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins – are the main chemical components of Brassica vegetables, the group of vegetables known to significantly prevent the occurrence of one of the deadliest cancers in the body – colorectal cancer (Cartea et al. 251). In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, after lung cancer and preceding breast cancer (â€Å"Colorectal Cancer,† 2011). The antioxidant properties of various chemicals called flavonoids in Brassica vegetables prevent colon cancer as well as other forms of cancer, thus there is a need to take a closer look at these chemicals. Chemicals in Brassica Vegetables and their Benefits in Colorectal Cancer Prevention The over 3,500 sp ecies of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables include those from the family Brassicaceae or Cruciferae – kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, turnip, oilseed, and mustard (Cartea et al., 2011). These vegetables contain a number of chemicals such as vitamins, fiber, soluble sugars, minerals, carotenoids, glucosinolates, minerals and most of all, phenolic compounds (Cartea et al., 2011). Additionally, folic acid and selenium may also be present (Kumar & Andy, 2011). It is, however, the phenolics that account for the anti-cancer properties of Brassica vegetables (Cartea et al., 2011). There are around 8,000 naturally-occurring phenolic compounds with at least one aromatic ring and one or more hydroxyl groups attached to it (Cartea et al., 2011). Among the most widespread of the phenolics are the flavonoids, which contain 15 carbons with two aromatic rings connected by a three-carbon bridge (Cartea et al., 2011). The flavonoids act as scavengers of free radicals and inhibit hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes (Kumar & Andy, 2011). The free radicals eliminated by flavonoids include hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anion radicals and lipid peroxy radicals (Kumar & Andy, 2011). These radicals rob the body of the oxygen needed to promote a cancer-free internal environment. Moreover, flavonoids are also anti-inflammatory (Kumar & Andy, 2011). Flavonoids reduce the number of immobilized leucocytes that result from injury to the tissues during a disease, which then leads to decrease in total serum complement – a mechanism associated with a reduction in inflammation of the tissue (Nijveldt et al., 2001). The most widespread type of flavonoids are the flavonols and it is this particular subtype that is particularly the anti-cancer components of Brassica vegetables (Cartea, et al., 2011). The most common of the flavonols are quercetin and kaempferol, which are richest in amount in the leaves (Cartea et al., 2011). More specifically, quercetin, which is also found in French bean and red and yellow piyaz, has been known for its anticarcinogenic properties (Govind & Madhuri, 2011). Figure 1. Quercetin (http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=445) Figure 2. Kaempferol (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Kaempferol.png) Among the Brassica vegetables, it is red cabbage that has the highest antioxidant content and this is closely followed by green cabbage, mustard

Management of Personal financial services. China case study Essay

Management of Personal financial services. China case study - Essay Example Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in financial services has become utmost important because of the present challenging marketing environment. Presently, the company differentiate themselves by delivering exquisite customer experience and offer product, which are unique, tailor-made for delivering customer satisfaction. By delivering highly innovative financial products for core banking, insurance and wealth management, the company would be able to develop meaningful relationship with its customers. Often termed as relationship marketing in China, it is also focuses on customer retention. CRM also helps in laying emphasis on the product features, which highlights the product benefits that are meaningful and necessary for the customers. The Chinese investment banking companies rely on the strength of the financial services that help the banks to make tailor-made financial products for customized customer requirements. Although, CRM is relatively a new concept, it entails the diffe rent marketing approaches involved in obtaining the refined customer information search, which helps the management to attract potential customers (Besson, 2000). The CRM activities in the financial institutions involve the incorporation of electronic business activities, relationship and customer management activities, and integration of customer centric strategy with the back office or front office executives (Carson, 2005). The main crux of CRM activities involves building of long term and healthy relationships to retain customers in the competitive financial environment. 1.2.1 Customer Relationship Management in Chinese Financial Institutions The long term relationship building process with the Chinese customers has not only become an enduring strategy for relationship building, but it has also augmented for customer loyalty and retention. It was observed in Chinese banking that due to the financial implications there was a strong correlation between customer loyalty and profitability of the bank. The deregulation and emergence of new banking technology in the financial services industry have also

STRATEGIC PLANNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

STRATEGIC PLANNING - Essay Example It was incorporated in 1985 (served only 5,000 passengers with 51 employees) to cater travelers from Waterford to London Gatwick, and since then it has experienced phenomenal business growth and expansion (now serving over 60 million passengers and have employees over 6,000) because of its highly effective low-priced business strategy. The company today enjoys the status of ‘World’s favorite airline’, has 41 bases and more than 1,100 routes across 26 nations and now has a fleet of more than 220 aircrafts of one kind (preferably Boeing 737-800 to minimize operational costs). As part of its expansion policy, the company will induct more than 100 new Boeing aircrafts in its fleet to cater the pool of over 65 million customers (expected) in near future. (Internet: Ryanair.com) Strategy of governments to maximize their revenue by bolstering the Tourism Industry and attracting more people from other countries would create demand of traveling services of Ryan Air. However, Ryan Air could be affected by various political factors such as the adoption of ‘protectionism of domestic industry’ approach by various nations across Europe and America. This is aimed to protect domestic jobs and employment opportunities by imposition of tariffs, taxes, anti-dumping duties etc. on operations of foreign airlines. This approach by different nations to secure their domestic airline(s) might increase the operational costs of Ryan Air, thereby resulting in reduction of demand. Changes in ‘licensing laws’ and increase in barriers to entry in new markets may also affect the airline’s growth strategy. Also, European Union has ‘abolished the duty-free access’ to airlines that would definitely increase the operational costs of Ryan air . Also, the European Business article (2007) pinpointed the fact that European Commission impeded the expansion of Ryan Air across

Analysis on the Global Strategy of Volkswagen Essay

Analysis on the Global Strategy of Volkswagen - Essay Example The cars underwent testing by the automakers and the Nazi troops. In 1938, they set up a plant in Wolfsburg to continue its massive production for the German people. However, the Second World War changed the car production of Volkswagen into a military vehicle. Volkswagen was named as Wolfsburg Motor Works while British desired to eliminate the beetle name. Despite their effort, Volkswagen remained in the history. The cars were produced to serve the countries involved in the war, which destroyed the future of Volkswagen (Gunnel 6-7). The future of Volkswagen became certain due to Heinrich â€Å"Heinz† Nordhoof as the general manager. Massive production of the beetle was distributed throughout France, Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands. In 1949, British government returned the ownership of Volkswagen to Germany. The Volkswagen continued to produce car for commercial and luxury. It has achieved its goal to excel the â€Å"legendary mark† attained by the Ford Motor Comp any’s Model T. Moreover, the first design was altered to large car production. The popularity of Volkswagen increased with the introduction of the Golf GTI (â€Å"Brief Journey†). With its commitment to innovation, the Volkswagen continued to evolve in matching the preference of its customers. The main thrust of this paper is to analyze the global strategy of Volkswagen as the global leader in the automotive industry. ... By being number one, it means that Volkswagen has to surpass Toyota. According to The Guardian, Toyota was able to overshadow the General Motors, which was once the number one car dealer (â€Å"Toyota Holds†). The company aims to be the â€Å"global economic and environmental leader among mobile manufacturers† in 2018. To achieve the company’s goals, the Volkswagen attempts to innovate and utilize technologies but retaining the core aspect of customer satisfaction and quality. Second, the unit sales must increase above the average of 10 million cars a year since the market continues to expand. Third, the 8 % increase in the return sales of Volkswagen before tax to secure its financial situation, and its capacity to operate despite the crucial market environment. Lastly, the company aims to be the best employer among all companies, brands, and regions; hence, Volkswagen must create a first class team (â€Å"Strategy†). Furthermore, profitability is the main purpose of Volkswagen group, so that it remains viable in the car production. The economic condition affects their profitability, but they strive to achieve economic balance in their system. The capital expenditure must remain at the manageable position while the company achieves efficiency and flexibility. Global Strategy Multiple Brand-Strategy Multiple brand strategy is the common trend in the automotive industry. Volkswagen is divided into two forms: classic and sporty. The classic brands include VW, Skoda, and Bentley while sport brands involve Audi, Seat, and Lamborghini. Brand name is remarkably sensitive in the target market of the automotive industry (Schmid 3). That is why it is crucial