Healthcare Factors behind Cost Curve and Supply Curve Coursework

Healthcare Factors behind Cost Curve and Supply Curve - Coursework Example The recent scare globally is the threat of ebola, which needs special attention from the healthcare providers. Hospitals need to be ready for such emergencies to ensure safety of all citizens in the country. Secondly, affordability of healthcare services to most citizens remains to be a great issue that the federal government seeks to address. The cost of medical care continues to shoot day by day. The amounts allocated in the federal budget every financial year continues to rise despite various interventions to this sector. From the report that was recently issued by the government, it predicted that the entire spending of this sector will be close to 20 percent of the GDP by the year 2016. Policymakers have largely questioned this because increase costs does not reflect better, and quality services in these hospitals (Hicks, 2014). Further, the sector has vowed to eliminate both racial and ethnic disparities in their institutions. Trainings to all members of staff operating in these hospitals has been enhanced in oder to ensure performance excellence and improved healthcare services to all in the country. I totally agree with her arguments and findings. For instance, with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, every citizen and employee in this industry is expected to have an insurance cover. However, most people who are insured are seeking medical care from these hospitals leading to strain on the available resources. Hence, this directly affects the cost curves. To some extend, people who are insured are normally charged slightly higher in these hospitals. Another issue that has been addressed in her essay is the number of taskforce operating in rural hospitals in the country. Generally, there is a shortage, and the federal government has to address this issue by employing more staff to work in these hospitals. Most of these hospitals operating in these areas experience a lot of pressure due to

International Marketing Master Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

International Marketing Master - Case Study Example The recent terrorist attacks in the last 3 decades have brought turmoil in the current travel and tourism industry bringing a severe collapse in the travel and tourism sector worldwide. The first of these atrocities took place in 1982 during the Iraq affair and the oil crisis. The international tourism industry greatly suffered during those years of severe political unrest. The next unfortunate event was the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in north Europe in the year 2001. Umpteen numbers of bookings for the trips to Europe were dismissed. Another heinous act that took place on 11th September 2001 was the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The aftermaths of the terrifying incidence revealed the crumble of the international tour and travel for a long time. The year 2002 revealed intensive respiratory syndrome epidemic due to air travel (Mangili & Gendreau, 2005). Air travel is capable of spreading newly budding contagions which could even give rise to pandemics. The travel and tourism industry worldwide experienced a set back again. The next plan of brutal act of the terrorists who were caught carrying liquid explosives on 10th August 2006 in flight from United Kingdom which could have destroyed tolls of innocent lives was terminated. The travel and tourism industry has yet again undergone a tremendous shock. ... It is true that the international travel and tourism industry is presently facing a turbulent environment. However, it is certain from the ever adventurous tourists from around the globe and their impeccable passion for travel that the worldwide international travel and tourism is doubtlessly to overcome this temporary challenge. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the business leaders' forum for travel and tourism is presently working with governments to spread consciousness of the economic magnitude of the globe's prevalent creator of prosperity and service (Travel & Tourism Security Action Plan, n.d.). Analyzing the current problems of global business conflicts including the Tourist Behavior: The travel and tourism industry is facing major challenges at the very moment due to the problems of global business conflicts. These may be analyzed as follows: Political Political Unrest Political unrest among different nations still has adverse affects on the international travel and tourism especially on the countries involved. War at the moment would be the last thing that the travel and tourism industry would wish for. Tourists never wish to select a destination which is suffering from any sort of political disturbances. One would have never chosen a destination like when the American soldiers faced the Taliban groups. Lack of Government Contribution Deficiency in the support of the respective governments of every country in aiding to develop and sustain its travel and travel sector offers a great business conflict. Economical Lack of Funds The small and medium enterprises in developing and underdeveloped countries especially in rural areas are incapable of flourishing tourism activities due to

How to Have a Good Golf Game

How to Have a Good Golf Game Golf is much more than just hitting the ball, finding it and hitting it again. It is a constant learning process with unforgettable experiences. Golf offers you independence, but ultimately it always comes down to how well you know your limitations and the confidence you have in your ability. You must have the heart and head to play and the courage to accept the consequences. There are no shortcuts. Although there are many factors that contribute to success, golf requires patience and practice, as there is no comfort zone. Patience and practice pay off. Golf is a never-ending journey full of learning and discovery. Golf is a tough sport. You are going to need to work on and try to perfect your technical skills. To become a professional golfer, you can start at any age. As long as you have passion to play the game, you can fulfill your dreams (Wright 4). The good news is that anyone has a shot at becoming a pro golfer. The bad news is that the game is extremely difficult to play at a professional level and the competition is fierce. To become a professional golfer requires putting in hours of practice. A young golfer should start playing on various local courses on a regular basis. One needs to take golf lessons and a have a teacher analyze their form and give them pointers for improvement. According to Wright a lot of players accept the idea that they will have good days and bad days on the greens and therefore dont work at it. In fact, study and practice produces results (*). There is, and always will be, room for improvement. You also need to develop the appropriate mental and physical traits (10). You must practice the game every day and devote a lot of time to it. The golf swing will always be a work in progress regardless of how good it is. The goal is to be your best every day. Once you start feeling confident in your golf game, it is time to get out there and compete. To further your golf game, you should consider going to a golf school. If you are in high school, see if there is a school golf team or club to join. To see how you stack up against the competition, you can enter amateur events. Check with your local golf courses for more information about amateur events coming to your area (Keough42). In amateur events, you can play against other golf amateurs. By doing well in some amateur events, that can give you the needed confidence to take your dreams to the next level. The first steps towards playing against the pros are beating fellow amateurs (44). Start by playing tournaments at your local golf courses, then state and national junior events. Success in those events leads to recognition for college scholarships, and so can good high school golf credentials be a very important factor. Of all the many factors opening the door to golf, college golf is a terrific developmental ground. Robert, Bell, a student at the University of Minnesota, started his college golf career with this Division I School. After visiting the campus and seeing the training facilities, I found that they had the program to best fit my needs. It can have an enormous impact on a golfers career since you do not have to pay to play golf, and you do not have to pay for lessons at the driving range. You also get regular practice time with your team, access to weight training and the opportunity to compete at a high level. Many professional golfers matured at the college level, on their schools dime. Even Tiger spent two years at Stanford (Elling 15). If you do not play college golf, you can still refine your skills at the amateur level and prepare to turn professional. The technical skills are important to making it on the PGA, but what separates the best is the mental side of the game (Green 21). I f you are a golfer who loves the challenge and has the ability for making big shots in tournament play, you might have the tools to make it. If you play this game long enough, eventually you will face some challenges. It is how you handle those challenges that will define who you are as a competitor. One of the biggest things to do is when you feel you are well above and beyond your amateur competition, is to go to Qualifying School. When starting out on a career to become a professional golfer, every golfers dream of success. The vision may be clear, but without a plan it is just a dream. Becoming a PGA Tour Golfer does not necessarily required going to college of winning past tournaments. What you must do however is qualify. Each year there is what is called Qualifying School that covers six grueling rounds of tournament style golf where only a small number of players make it to the tour (Duunbar 19). Anyone can go for it, but it is extremely difficult. According to Dunbar The only other way to qualify for the tour without going to Qualifying School is through special exemptions (21). Each tournament has a committee that set aside a few special exemptions for players they would like to attend their tournament. One final avenue to becoming a professional PGA golfer is known as t he Club Professional. Each course around the country has a resident Professional. Gaining membership to this section of the PGA is done through apprentice program. A golfer must work under an established golf professional. Over time, and after fulfilling certain requirements, a player is recognized as a Golf Professional as well. Qualifying School is held every year by the PGA Tour and allows amateurs to compete for a post on the pro tour (25). When you continue to have success against top amateurs, this gives you the opportunity to explore your professional options. At this point, finding sponsorship support becomes very important, because breaking into professional golf is very expensive. When you feel ready to take your game to the professional level, you should begin the process of getting your PGA Tour card. Once you register with the PGA Tour and pay the registration fee, you begin the qualifying process. About 1% of the people who register for a PGA Tour card get a card each year (Forsyth 39). It is a long and difficult process. You have to finish at the top of various events over the course of months. Mr. Forsyth points out that, it takes most people multiple attempts, if ever, to get onto the PGGA tour (41). Even after obtaining your PGA Tour card there is no guarantee you will remain on the tour. Each year requires you to play well enough to keep your PGA Tour card. There are various ways to retain your card, such as being in the top 120 players or finishing in the top ten in a major (42). One of the major rewards of the game is that ev ery round begins with a new scorecard. Every time you walk onto the course, you play with the thought that this is your day to be the champion. With all the benefits of this career, it is clear why professional golfers say, Play golf for a living and never work a day in your life. (44). Golf is one of the few professional sports where you can control your own future. Even if there are no educational requirements, it would still be best if you finish a degree in college so that you have some sort of back up if you do not make it on the tour. To be a Golf Professional will surely take a lot of hard work. Some golfers believe that you must have some sort of natural talent to have chance of becoming a pro. In a book called The Golfers Mind Dr. Bob Rotella states, if becoming an expert means joining the PGA Tour then it is believed that a very minute percentage of us will actually make it, no matter how many hours it is. This side of the issue believes that while most PGA pros have spent the better part of their lives playing golf, they still possess an underlying talent that separates them from the rest of the pack. For every guy on tour there are probably 50 guys that did the same thing growing up but did not have the talent to take it to the next level (Sotzek 112). According to Sotzek, it comes down to the fact that talent by itself can be wasted without practice, work ethic, and desire, but at the same time desire, practice, and work ethic are all pretty useless without some natural talent (114). While most professional athletes have a great work ethic, it is still their natural ta lent that gets them to the top of their game. The opposing views of the natural talent argument by Dr. Bob Rotella states that is an excuse for those that lack drive, motivation, mental fortitude, dedication and the ability to sacrifice. All of these things can be learned and for many professional athletes are learned at an early age so it appears to be natural ability (27). If you read any story about a top golfer, you will realize that they spent the majority of their life practicing their skills because they thrive on competition. That is the sacrifice you have to make. So after all is said, both sides of this argument agree on is that golf is a game that cannot be mastered. Most golfers continue to play because of the love of a challenge. Playing great golf is much more than developing solid fundamentals and sound technique. It is about keeping all things perspective. A lot of players accept that idea that they will have good days and bad days on the golf course and therefore they do not work at it. In fact, study and practice produces results. The golf swing will always be a work in progress regardless of how good you are. The goal is to have a swing that is sound and works with every club in your set and holds up under pressure. The true essence of golf is capitalizing on opportunities and minimizing mistakes. It is a thinking mans game t o a great degree. Every shot is your responsibility. As long as you have the passion for the game, you can fulfill your dreams. Dreams do come true. If you do become a professional golfer, you will have a chance to earn big money and at the same time, play the sport you really love. If you do not like to work inside and if you love the outdoors, you will surely enjoy this kind of p rofession. Often times, you will also be traveling from one place to another together with your competitors sand so you can also gain many friends. Many young golfers set their hearts on playing on tour, but plenty of other opportunities exist in professional golf far beyond the golf course. PGA professionals are top class players but are also experts in other areas of the golf industry form running golf courses, to coaching and teaching. Becoming a professional golfer is a full-time job that requires commitment and love for the game. A golfer can become mentally tougher by learning from past experiences, because the game is a constant learning process. The approach to achieving a golf goal is to formulate a game plan and proceed systematically. Along the way, there is a need to assess and reassess strengths and weaknesses honestly. It takes time and effort to pursue a career on the PGA Tour, but the end result will be worth it.

amazon com Essay -- essays research papers

Have you ever purchased any product on the Internet, used the Internet to collect information or data, or played computer games on the Internet? You must agree that it is fast, easy, and enjoyable. The Internet has been a part of our daily life for several years now. In addition, in the business world, a new business model, E-business and E-commerce, has appeared for several years. According to Ali, there are two main types of E-commerce: B2B and B2C (2000). One is business to business (B2B). This means that enterprises use the Internet to transact or trade between business operations and their partners. Another is business to consumer (B2C). In other words, enterprises provide products, support good, and services to the customers on the Internet. Amazon.com is a famous Internet retail company in E-commerce. Its business includes B2B and B2C. It opened its business in July 1996. Today, Amazon.com has expanded its business in more than two hundred and twenty countries and this company sells various products like electronics, books, music, DVD, House wares, PCs and cars (Amazon.com Announces 4th Quarter Profit 2002). It is the biggest retail store in E-commerce. Even though Amazon.com owns these accolades, this company is struggling to survive. Amazon.com had a $19 billion market value before its stock prices decreased from $75.25 to $9.25 (German, 2001). The problem is that Amazon still has not made real profits since it opened. How to help Amazon.com keep standing on the stage? If Amazon.com wants to survive in E-business and start making real profits, Amazon.com should merge with other retail companies, operate a new E-business strategy, and rebuild its financial structure. Everyone is wondering when Amazon.com will start making real profits. Last year, their stock price went down from $76 to $14 (Hahn & Celarier, 2001). Moreover, Amazon.com lost almost $150 million last year (Amazon.com announces 4th quarter profit, 2001). How can Amazon.com start making real profits? Hahn & Celarier suggests that Amazon.com should merge with other retail companies such as General Growth Properties, Wal-Mart, and Bertelsmann because the merger will expand their market share, and create a new passageway and increase new customers and products , and recover their cash and Net sales loss (Fitch, 2000). First of all, the merger will help Amazon.com expand the market ... ...ve a good system or body in E-commerce. Since the so-called internet bubble burst in April 2000, hundreds of dotcom companies have closed because of the recession of E-commerce (Misek, 2003). According to Seewald,  ¡Ã‚ §That trend is expected to continue this year as chemical companies continue to cut back on external spending ¡Ã‚ ¨ (2001). E-business seems like a bomb for investors and customers because the speed of collapse is very fast. No one knows which company will disappear in E-business. Even though Amazon.com is an E-commerce Pioneer, and it earned $1.12 billion last quarter, compared with $972 million in the fourth quarter in 2000, and has $19 billion market value (Amazon.com Announces 4th Quarter Profit 2002), it is also struggling to survive in the E-commerce world. Unless Amazon.com merge with other retail companies, practice new E-commerce strategy, and rebuild its financial structure, it will not be eliminated through competition in the E-commerce. Marking profits is the most important for company, espec ially for Amazon.com. If Amazon.com exercises these proposals presented in this paper, it will overcome its challenges and weaknesses, and then start making real profits.

Ocd Abstract

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER: WHO IS AFFECTED AND HOW TO TREAT IT? Abstract Sometimes we think we know ourselves better than anybody else. But haven't you asked yourself why you're acting the way you act and you can't even figure the answer out? This tells us that we don't truly know ourselves because there are still questions unanswered. Try to imagine how our behavior changes to the point that we are no longer in control of it.We experience strange behavior once in our life but is this really natural or is it a disorder? Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by persistent and repetitive thoughts (obsession) and actions (compulsions). We tend to ignore symptoms and we didn't know that these can lead to a devastating results if left untreated. OCD is a growing epidemic in society and we should take it seriously once we see the early symptoms.It doesn't matter if you're a child, an adult or even if you're on your 60's, everybody can be a victim of this disorder. This disorde r may interfere with our daily routine and it can have a bad impact on relationships for some people. There's a lot of factors causing OCD such as biological, psychological and sociocultural and it can also be inherited and pass on to the next generation without awareness. However, this can be prevented by having enough knowledge to point out what is wrong, and how to treat it.Cognitive-behavior therapy is one of the emerging solution for this disorder. It combines cognitive therapy and behavior therapy by helping clients regularly act out their new ways of thinking and talking in their everyday life. It's never too late to think and look for possible solutions for OCD. Keywords: obsessive-compulsive disorder, biological factor, psychological factors, sociocultural factors, cognitive-behavior therapy

Beethoven Research Paper Essay

While many men and women throughout history have made significant, valuable and lasting contributions to society, Ludwig Van Beethoven is an especially remarkable figure worthy of special note because he embraced and devoted his whole life to music. Born to a drunkard father and an unhappy mother, the young Beethoven was exposed to a brutal training in music at the hands of his father, who hoped that the young boy would prove to be another prodigy like Mozart. Ludwig Van Beethoven’s music set the 18th century Traditions and were shaped and molded because of the great composers Mozart and Haydn, who taught and raised him up in his musical capabilities (Ludwig Beethoven). Beethoven’s success was measured by his devotion, Beethoven dropped out of grade school by the age of ten to study music full time with Christian Gottlob Neefe. March 26, 1778 Beethoven performed his first piano recital at the age of seven; at the twelve years of age Beethoven published his first composition made up of Piano Variations (Ludwig Beethoven). Throughout the years Beethoven began to experiment with different styles and genres of music, the styles changes can be heard in his symphonies, String quartets, and Piano Sonatas. At a young age Beethoven requested to be an assistant court organist, because of his young age Court officials were hesitant but accepted him (Ludwig Van Beethoven). Through his young years of his life, it is clearly evident to how devoted and passionate he was when it came to music. Through the musical years and compositions of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Beethoven gave opening to his own dramatic musical voice. Through Beethoven’s adulthood he faced many trials and tribulations. But Beethoven always used his problems as a stepping stool to become stronger and better at whatever he did, and at the same time he was composing his great and memorable works, Beethoven was struggling with the fact that he was going deaf (Ludwig Van Beethoven). In 1801 Beethoven confessed this horrible news to Franz Wegeler, a German physician from Bonn, German; the same place Beethoven was born. He wrote, â€Å"I must confess that I lead a miserable life for almost two years. I have ceased to attend any social functions, just because I find it impossible to say to people: I am deaf. If I had any other profession, I might be able to cope with my infirmity; but in my profession it is a terrible handicap† (Ludwig Van Beethoven). Miraculously, despite his increasing deafness, Beethoven continued to compose. From 1803-1812, these years are what is known as his â€Å"heroic† period (Ludwig Van Beethoven). He created so much music, proving people nothing could stop him. He composed an opera, 6 symphonies, 4 solo concerti, 5 string quartets, 6 string sonatas, 7 piano sonatas, 5 sets of piano variations, 4 overtures, 4 trios, 7 sextets, and 72 songs (Beethoven, Ludwig van). Despite his amazing output of beautiful music, Beethoven was lonely and always miserable throughout his adulthood. Beethoven never married or had children (Beethoven, Ludwig van) and somehow, despite his wild personal life, physical disability, and complete deafness, Beethoven composed his greatest music. String quartet NO. 14 contains 7 linked movements without a break (Ludwig Beethoven). Beethoven’s adulthood was a crazy rollercoaster but in everything he did, he was always dedicated and did everything whole-heartedly. A quote by Liszt, the Arch Romantic, perfectly sums the impact and importance of Ludwig Van Beethoven to not only the music community but also to the history of music itself. â€Å"To us musicians the work of Beethoven parallels the pillars of smoke and fire which led the Israelites throughout the desert, a pillar of smoke to lead us by day, and a pillar of fire to light the night. His darkness and his light equally trace for us the road we must follow, both the one and other are a perpetual commandment and an intolerable revolution.† Works Cited: â€Å"Beethoven, Ludwig van.† Pbs. Feb 17 2013, 8:00 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/beethoven.html â€Å"Ludwig Beethoven.† 2013. The Biography Channel website. Feb 15 2013, 12:05 http://www.biography.com/people/ludwig-van-beethoven-9204862. â€Å"Ludwig Van Beethoven.† Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. [pic]

Andy Worhol essays

Andy Worhol essays When you think about it, department stores are kind of like museums. Andy Warhol made that quote to totally destroy the fine line between fine arts and commercial arts (art used for magazine illustrations, comic books, etc.). Warhol did not create paintings, but he developed a new printing method he called screen-printing, to make the very unique illustrations he named Pop Art. No one is more associated with Pop Art than Andy Warhol. His art made him stand out as one of the most unusual, yet influential artists of the 20th Century. Andrew Warhola, his original given name, was born on September 28, 1930 in Forest City, Pennsylvania as the son of Slovak immigrants Julia and Ondej Warhola. He grew up in a depressed Philadelphia neighborhood stricken with poverty and crime. As the youngest of three boys, he became naturally timid and shy and the target of bullies at school. On top of being shy, he was afflicted by Sidemans Syndrome, a rare childhood disease characterized by irregular movements, physical disturbance, and acute rheumatic fever. Since he was constantly sick, he spent a great deal of time in his mothers care. When he was thirteen, his father died in a terrible construction accident. After of his fathers death, Warhol was drawn even closer to his mother. Soon after, his family moved to another town in Pennsylvania called Oak Land. He had trouble making friends there too, so he spent most of his free time with either his mother or girls he had met. Often he would go see movies and collect auto graphed photos of stars which were given out after the screening. Several of these photos were used later in his prints. Warhol was an incredibly bright child, but didnt partake in any extracurricular activities due to his extreme shyness and because he believed his abilities were superior to his peers. Warhol continued to be the loser of his class until finally he graduated. He appl...

Tax Deduction in Repairs Essays

Tax Deduction in Repairs Essays Tax Deduction in Repairs Essay Tax Deduction in Repairs Essay Tax Deduction in Repairs Name: Institution: Tax Deduction in Repairs A) Although it is a question of degree whether a repair to plant is on capital or revenue account, every repair must improve the nature of the asset Expenditure can be deducted for repairs to premises that are used in the process of generating assessable income (section 25.10 under ITAA97). If the premises are also used for other purposes, then deduction should be of a reasonable amount. Deductions cannot be made for capital expenditure. The key issue in this case is whether repairs are included under the capital account or the revenue account. Including repairs under a capital account would mean that they are not deductible. If they are included in the revenue account, they are deductible. All expenditure in a business must be designated as either capital or revenue. To establish this, the effect of the expenditure on the business’s outlay is checked. If the expenditure has an enhanced effect on the outlay of the business, then it is capital expenditure. If the expenditure simply allows the business to continue operating at its current level, then it is revenue (Marriot, Edwards Mellett, 2001). Repairs must also be allocated to either the capital account or the revenue account. This designation to either account is what determines whether the repairs will be deductible or not. When looking to see if a repair is deductible, several criteria must be met. These criteria determine whether repairs will be capitalized or not. It is crucial to outline which repairs are capitalized which ones are not. Any repairs that are made to improve or alter the property are capitalized. This is because they enhance the outlay of the business. This also includes any repairs made in the process of renovating the business premises. Capitalization means that the repairs are included in the capital account as opposed to the revenue account. Such repairs are not deductible (Marriot, Edwards Mellett, 2001). Other repairs do not have any impact on the outlay of a business. For instance, upgrading a computer’s software would help it run better but repairing damaged hardware will only help it run, as it should be. Such a repair does not improve the business’s outlay; it only reinstates it to the standard level. Repairs resulting from wear and tear would be included in this category as routine day-to-day repairs. Once included in the revenue account, these repairs become deductible. The IRS provides further clarification on this. It states that a repair can only be considered deductible if it keeps your property in â€Å"a normal efficient operating condition†. If a repair meets that condition, it is considered a business expense and goes into the revenue account. Alternatively, if the repairs are part of a reconditioning plan aimed at making your property more apt for your business, then they are capitalized. This includes reconditioning, improving or altering your property (Internal Revenue Service [IRS], 2013). Section 8.1 of ITAA97 also has clarification on the issue of deductible repairs. The section states that deductions cannot be made for losses of a private or capital nature. Additionally, deductions cannot be made if the repairs are made to property or premises that are used to generate exempt income. Repairs that are capitalized can be considered the same as the losses of a capital nature. The exemptions in section 8.1 therefore go hand in hand with stipulations made by the IRS. B) Deductible repairs Section 8-1 under ITAA97 on general deductions states that, a person can deduct from their assessable income any loss or outgoing so long as it was incurred in the process of generating assessable income, and also if it was incurred in the process of conducting a business with the aim of generating an assessable income. There are several exceptions to this. Deductions cannot be made for loss of a capital nature or a private nature. In addition, deductions cannot be made if the loss was incurred in the process of generating exempt income. Another exemption is that deductions do not apply for capital expenditure. Capital expenditure refers to â€Å"all capitalized costs during the year for both new and used structures and equipment chargeable to fixed asset account† (U.S. Dept of Commerce, 1992, p. 2). When applied to structures, capital expenditure would refer to all the costs that are incurred in the acquisition, construction and preparation of a building or structure for its intended use. In Kieran’s case, capital expenditure is seen in the improvements that he made to the premises. The cost of adding walls and doors to create offices and the cost of repainting the walls is considered capital expenditure. These expenses are therefore not deductible. Capital improvements are any costs that add to the utility of a business for more than one accounting period (Eisen, 2007). It is usually considered that, without the improvement, the use of the asset will be limited. These expenses are usually capitalized, meaning that they are attached to the initial cost of the asset. Capital improvements are, therefore, a part of capital expenditure (Eisen, 2007). In Kieran’s case, the upgrades that were made to the computer systems fell under capital improvements and, by extension, capital expenditure. These upgrades are therefore not deductible as repairs. The office party that Kieran held could be considered an entertainment expense. The rules on entertainment expenses state that these expenses can cover clients, customers, suppliers and even employees (Fishman, 2013). In Kieran’s case, it is likely that he was entertaining employees. However, the expenses he listed were not for the actual party but damages to the premises because of the party. According to Fishman, one is not allowed to deduct expenses for the use of an entertainment facility including the costs of depreciation (2013). Kieran’s office was the entertainment facility and therefore, any repairs to damage from the party are not deductible. On the rent that Kieran paid, the IRS states that rent can be deducted as an expense, but only if the rent is for property used in business (IRS, 2013). The rent that Kieran paid for his office space qualified for deduction because he used the premises for his debt collection business. This business generated his assessable income. Additionally, the rent did not qualify for any of the exemptions stated by the IRS such as unreasonable rent. However, this rent does not qualify for deduction as a repair. It qualifies only because of being rent. Lastly, Kieran made two other repairs. He spent $900 repairing the computer and used $360 to replace the taps in the kitchen sink. These repairs fall well within the conditions stipulated in section 25.10. They were made to the property that Kieran used to generated assessable income. Additionally, they did not qualify for any of the exemptions stated under section 8.1. Therefore, the only amounts that Kieran could claim as a deduction for repairs were the $360 used to replace the taps in the kitchen and the $900 used to repair the computer systems. References Eisen, P. J. (2007). Accounting. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron’s Educational Series. Fishman, S. (2013). Tax deductions for professionals. Berkeley, Calif: Nolo Marriott, P., Edwards, J. R., Mellett, H. J. (2001). Introduction to accounting. London: Sage Publications Ltd United States. (1992). Annual capital expenditures. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census Internal revenue Service. 2013, March 4. Business expenses. Retrieved from www.irs.gov/pub/irspdf/p535.pdf

Case Study of Bob Jackson-Free-Samples for Students

1.After reviewing the symptoms, pathological reports and physiological parameters, it seems that Mr. Bob Jackson is suffering from Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is defined as a condition of idiopathic inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal tract (starting from the mouth to anus). Although, maximum reported cases shows ileocaecal occurrence. It is one of the most common diseases encountered in the domain of gastroenterology and falls under the category of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) (Baumgart & Sandborn, 2012). The major leading cause behind the occurrence of the Crohn’s disease is uncontrolled inflammation. This uncontrolled inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract may occur because of beer consumption. Mr. Jackson, consumes 6 stubbies of beer per week such high beer consumption rate at the age of 55 might have resulted in the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to Crohn’s disease (Manninen et al., 2012). Another excepted cause behind developing susceptibility towards Crohn’s disease is nutritional deficiencies. Mr. Jackson resides in a rural community (100 Km northwest from Melbourne) and people of the rural community lack nutrition in diet, leading to the arrival of the stigma of the Crohn’s disease (Kyle, 2013).   One of the most important bacterial threats stated so far behind the occurrence of the Crohn’s disease is Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis. Recent research conducted by Traveria et al., (2013) identified the existence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis in the sheep. Mr. Jackson is a sheep farmer by occupation at the Paterson’s Plains in Australia. His job profile demands close association with the sheep and during his duty hours, the bacteria Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis might have got transfused into his blood steam via food or via cut and leading to the development of the Crohn’s disease. The prolong use of the Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) make a person susceptible for the development of the Crohn’s disease. Mr. Jackson, has been on the medication with Ibuprofane for nocturnal bone pain in hips and back. This prolong use of this NSAIDs might made Mr. Jackson develop Crohn’s disease (Ananthakrishnan et al., 2012). Examination of the gastro-intestinal tract of Mr. Jackson noted lower abdominal distension. In the majority of the cases, people who are suffering from the Crohn’s disease tend to consume less food in order to avoid the excretion of the watery stool or due to lack of appetite. This empty stomach leads to the formation of wind and leading to abdominal distension. Moreover, Crohn’s disease classified with crypt inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the lower part of the small intestine or colon. Such inflammation in the lower part of the abdomen can result in the development of the lower abdominal distention. The transmural spread of the inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract leads to the generation of the lymphedema, which is followed by the thickening of the stomach wall and mesentery. This thickened mesenteric fat y extends up to the serosal surface of the bowel causing Mr. Jackson gastrointestinal tract to appear mildly obese.   Pain in the left lower quadrant of the gastrointestinal tract again shows signs and the presence of the inflammation. Moreover, it is the small intestine from where the nutrients are absorbed in the blood stream. High level of inflammation followed by formation of the granuloma in the small intestine prevents this normal absorption of the nutrients and thus further generating the pain. Furthermore, this inflammation in the gastro-intestinal tract leads to the generation of the delayed type hypersensitivity response or other type I and Type II hypersensitivity response. This rise in the hypersensitivity response leads to the increase in the levels of the cytokines mostly IL-8. High levels of IL-8 in the blood caused problem with the urinalysis (Steenholdt et al., 2012).    Headache in the last few days as encountered by Mr. Jackson may not have a direct relation with the pathophysiology of the Crohn’s disease however, increase in the level of abdominal pain, lack of nutrient and lack of sleep might be the reason behind this sudden headache. Thus from the above detailed analysis of the condition of Mr.Jackson on the basis of disease aetiology and pathophysiology, it seems that Mr. Jackson might be suffering from Crohn’s disease The symptoms of crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis are more or similar. The common symptoms of the Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis are: So taking the medical condition and the symptoms Mr. Jackson into consideration, he becomes a bit dubious to claim that he is suffering from Crohn’s disease. He might also be the victim of the Ulcerative Colitis. Ulcerative colitis affects colon and the rectum leading to chronic inflammation. Thus, Ulcerative colitis affects mostly the lower portion of the gastrointestinal whereas; Corhn’s disease can affect or may cause inflammation to any portion of the gastrointestinal tract (Bressler et al., 2015). In order to detect the exact Inflammatory Bowel disease that has affected Mr. Jackson, a ultrasonography of the entire stomach is mandatory.   The ultrasonography will reveal the exact point of inflammation via show casing the organo-megally. It is in the ileum or in the upper portion of the respiratory tract then it will be Crohn’s disease while if the organ enlargement is seen in the rectum or colon then Ulcerative Colitis can be confirmed (Chatu, Subramanian & Pollok, 2012). Crohn’s disease as discussed is caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis whereas Ulcerative Colitis is mostly caused by Escherichia coli (Winter et al., 2013). A bacterial culture test using the selective media for the Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis will help in the elucidation of the exact micro-organism colonizing in the gastrointestinal tract leading to the elucidation of the disease. Ananthakrishnan, A. N., Higuchi, L. M., Huang, E. S., Khalili, H., Richter, J. M., Fuchs, C. S., & Chan, A. T. (2012). Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, and risk for Crohn disease and ulcerative colitisa cohort study.  Annals of internal medicine,  156(5), 350-359. Baumgart, D. C., & Sandborn, W. J. (2012). Crohn's disease.  The Lancet,  380(9853), 1590-1605. Bressler, B., Marshall, J. K., Bernstein, C. N., Bitton, A., Jones, J., Leontiadis, G. I., ... & Group, T. U. C. C. (2015). Clinical practice guidelines for the medical management of nonhospitalized ulcerative colitis: the Toronto consensus.  Gastroenterology,  148(5), 1035-1058. Chatu, S., Subramanian, V., & Pollok, R. C. G. (2012). Meta?analysis: diagnostic medical radiation exposure in inflammatory bowel disease.  Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics,  35(5), 529-539. Kyle, J. (2013).  Crohn's disease. Butterworth-Heinemann. Manninen, P., Karvonen, A. L., Huhtala, H., Rasmussen, M., Salo, M., Mustaniemi, L., ... & Collin, P. (2012). Mortality in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. A population-based study in Finland.  Journal of Crohn's and Colitis,  6(5), 524-528. Steenholdt, C., Svenson, M., Bendtzen, K., Thomsen, O. Ø., Brynskov, J., & Ainsworth, M. A. (2012). Acute and delayed hypersensitivity reactions to infliximab and adalimumab in a patient with Crohn's disease.  Journal of Crohn's and Colitis,  6(1), 108-111. Traverà ­a, G. E., Zumarraga, M., Etchechoury, I., Romano, M. I., Cataldi, A., Alvarado Pinedo, M. F., ... & Romero, J. R. (2013). First identification of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis sheep strain in Argentina.  Brazilian Journal of Microbiology,  44(3), 897-899. Winter, S. E., Winter, M. G., Xavier, M. N., Thiennimitr, P., Poon, V., Keestra, A. M., ... & Popova, I. E. (2013). Host-derived nitrate boosts growth of E. coli in the inflamed gut.  science,  339(6120), 708-711.

Analysis of Carphone Warehouse Financial Statements Essay

Analysis of Carphone Warehouse Financial Statements - Essay Example mobile services into one single media delivery chain facilitated by the expansion of high speed wireless internet and broadband services worldwide (Pricewaterhousecoopers, 2006). This new economic era changed many industries since it pushed the demand for products for high tech product such as mobile telephones up since mobile technology became a part of the new integrated supply chain of high tech products. In the United Kingdom a major player in the communication services industry is The Carphone Warehouse Group. The emphasis of this report is to analyze the financial position, performance and prospects of this firm as well as providing a brief analysis of the accounting standards that Carphone Warehouse utilizes in its presentation its financial reports. Carphone Warehouse is the biggest player in the European market in the independent retailing of mobile phones and related services with over 2,200 retail stores across 11 countries (Carphone, 2007). The United Kingdom company established its operation in 1989 whose founder Charles Jones envision a firm that had the potential of dominating the European market with the implementation of a organic growth model. The organic growth business model is a business or economic philosophy that emphasis on steady constant growth over a prolonged period of time (Moore, 2006). An example of a booming economy that utilized this model to reach constant 10% economic growth for multiple decades is the Chinese economy. Carphone Warehouse transformed from a small mobile retailer 18 years ago, to a multinational giant in the telecommunication industry that obtain annual sales of 3.99 billion pounds in 2006 (Annual Report: Carphone, 2006). The company’s strategic focus includes a continued market share growth, value added services, building lifetime customer relationship and increasing productivity and profitability (Carphone, 2007). The mobile services industry generated global revenues of approximately 3.32 trillion dollars

Why is prison overcrowding a growing concern in the US Research Paper

Why is prison overcrowding a growing concern in the US - Research Paper Example The challenge is costing tax payers more money, in US, there are many people behind bars than any other country in the world. According to current statistics by Wagner and Sakala (2014), it is estimated that between 1.4 million to 2 million people in US are in prison. The numbers of people released in jails inclusive of local jails are approximately 688,000. Collection of all information provides a clear perspective of number of prisoners in United States. According to the authors, the U.S. hold 2.4 million people in all states prisons including 1719 states prisons, 2259 juvenile correctional centers, 79 Indian jails, 102 federal confinements, military, immigration and civil confinements. Crowding of correctional facilities is quite significant to prisoners, tax payers and the officials working in confinement centers. An analysis of the topic is important, measures taken to correct problems arising from crowding or overcrowding of state prison can only be done by a study of the topic. This makes it quite significant to every citizen in US. They provide views on how to tackle such difficulties. The crowding effect in US correctional facilities started in early the 1980s due to an increase in criminal activities such as drug use. The war on drugs with tough policies increased the number of inmates in the U.S. Research shows that the U.S. has the highest number of inmates in the world; they are currently higher than prisoners held in Russian and South Africa. Prisons in the southern part of the United States have more inmates that any other region. The state of Alabama contains the highest number of prisoners than any other state. Despite the highest number of prisoners held in Alabama, they also have small number of staff. However, federal prisons in the U.S. saw a decline in the number of admission of prisoners in 2009. There was an increase of prisoners by 430%, which saw the number of prisoners rising from 294,000 to

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis - Research Paper Example Epidemiology The incidence of this condition in the United States is 4-14 per 100,000 children of less than 16 years of age, per year (Rabinovich, 2010). The prevalence rates are estimated to be 9-113 cases, per 100,000 population in general (Rabinovich, 2010). Internationally, it has been found that this condition is more prevalent among certain populations like Native Americans (Rabinovich, 2010). Etiology More often than not, the cause of this condition is idiopathic and most researchers are of the opinion that the disease occurs due to interaction of multiple factors, the environmental, genetic and infectious factors (Ringold et al, 2005). The gene which has been implicated for this condition is IL2RA/CD25 gene. Another gene which has been implicated is VTCN1 gene (Rabinovich, 2010). Pathophysiology The pathogenesis is not well understood. Most of the experts opine that an external trigger, in the form of trauma or infection triggers autoimmune reaction and this leads to synovial hypertrophy and inflammation of the synovium. The inflammation extends further and affects other organs too (Rabinovich, 2010). ... The onset is either abrupt or insidious. other symptoms include limping, gastrointestinal symptoms, redness of eye, fever, photophobia, orthopnea, weight loss, systemic illness and shortness of breath (Ringold et al, 2005). Children with this condition usually have history of school absences. They are unlikely to participate in physical education classes. In many children, a triggering factor, either in the form of infection or in the form of trauma may be noted. History of travel to regions endemic for ticks can point to a diagnosis of Lyme's disease. In some children anemia may be present. Illness in home pets is significant and can point to the diagnosis of reactive arthritis (Rabinovich, 2010). Physical examination may reveal arthritis, macular rash, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, muscle tenderness, serositis and pericardial rub (Rabinovich, 2010). Types There are mainly 5 types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis which have been described. These are based on the number of joi nts involved within 6 months of presentation and associated involvement of other organs in the body (Ringold et al, 2005). They are: 1. Oligoarthritis: This is the most common type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and accounts for more than 50 percent of the cases. It involves less than 5 joints. Uveitis is commonly associated with this type (Ringold et al, 2005). 2. Polyarthritis: More than 5 joints are involved in this type (Ringold et al, 2005). 3. Systemic arthritis: Systemic involvement is predominant in this type and presents as fever, generalised rash and inflammation of various other organs along with arthritis. 10- 20 percent cases of juvenile idiopathic arthritis present with systemic involvement (Ringold et al, 2005). 4. Enthesitis-related

Pablo Picasso's Works Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pablo Picasso's Works - Research Paper Example The focus in paper "Pablo Picasso's Works" is on Pablo Picasso's works and the importance of them. Picasso is one of the influential artists of the 20th century. That is, he helped develop and explore variety of artistic styles that are used in the contemporary art world. He was characterized by extraordinary artistic talent in his early years, through developed to a realistic manner during his time. It is no doubt that Pablo Picasso has played a vital role in the artistic industry and his legacy will for a long time define the contemporary world. However, the main focus of this paper is the works rather individuality of Pablo Picasso. The works of Pablo Picasso were exceptionally prolific throughout his career. Pablo Picasso produced an estimate of 50, 000 works, comprising of; 2800 ceramics, 1885 paintings, 1228 sculpture, 12,000 drawings and many more paintings. The main technique was the use of color as an expressive element. In addition, Pablo Picasso relied on drawing as oppose d to subtleties of color to create form and space. To add texture, Pablo Picasso added sand to his paintings. The artist’s early sculptures were characterized by carved wood and modeled in clay or wax. However, with time the sculpturing technique changed and he focused more on diverse materials to make his sculptures. These styles are followed in the contemporary world and will continue to influence the work of art in the future. He is one of the most important figures in consideration of art movements during this period.

Website Review and Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Website Review and Summary - Essay Example The Rockingham website is to represent a local website on substance abuse. All the websites address the challenges the nation as a whole faces as a whole due. The websites have been developed to control the addiction. Drugs have been developed to use medications to cure the various illnesses that the human race faces. The drugs, however, can be abused. People can take drugs for reasons, which they are not meant. Taking the drugs over a long period leads to addiction. The focus is not on the amount of drugs, or the number of drugs is taken. The negative consequences that come as a result of the drug addiction are the main idea of focus. Drugs can be taken in small amounts and not very frequently, but lead to problems. It is considered as drug abuse. According to Edelfield & Moosa (2012) drug abuse can start as a result of an illness, wanting to find relaxation or wanting to fit in since their friends are doing it. Drug abuse does not automatically start to cause problems after they are taken. It is a process that takes time (Doughty, 2012). The individual has overdependence on the drugs. They cannot function without taking the drugs. The drugs then cause problems in the health or social relations. Some of the disadvantages cited in the websites include the following. There have been a significant number of teenagers that have dropped out of school as a result of drug addiction. The teenagers get introduced and eventually hooked to taking the drugs. Drugs can also cause depression. There are drugs that are meant to relax the mind and prevent anxiety. However, over-reliance on the drugs can lead to depression (Roleff, 2005). Drugs are chemical substances. They introduce certain synthetic chemicals in the body with the aim of controlling something in particular. When the chemicals get introduced into the body in large amounts they can alter the body normal functions. This may eventually lead to serious health complications

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

English - Essay Example It all started when McDonald brothers had a very successful drive-in restaurant and decided to cut cost and simplify. They fired all their carshops and got rid of the things on the menu and mechanized the entire food preparation. This basically brought the factory in the restaurant kitchen and revolutionized how to run a restaurant. This proved to be a huge success that it inadvertently altered how and what we eat. This idea of cheapness and convenience brought by the fast food industry however is not necessarily healthy. It basically skewed our food preference towards the mechanized meat that produces unhealthy calorie that it is now cheaper to buy a burger than a carrot. The effect is devastating to our health. Statistics showed that one out of three children who were born from 2000 in America will contract diabetes and among the minorities, that will be one in two or 50 %. And this new method of feeding corn to the cows (the feedlot operator can buy corn at fraction of what it cos ts to grow) resulted in E. coli that is acid resistant. This is the more harmful E. coli as its mutation evolves to a strain called "E. coli 0157:h7". And it's a product of the diet that is being fed to the cattle on feedlots. A diet of corn which cows were not made to eat by natural evolution but by deliberate government policy of heavily subsidizing corn which is central to U.S. agriculture. Where it is grown in greater volumes and receives more government subsidies than any other crop. Between 1995 and 2006, corn growers received $56 billion in federal subsidies, and the annual figure may soon hit $10 billion (Heffern, 14). This E. coli 0157:h7 is so lethal that a child named Kevin, went from being perfectly healthy to being dead because of E. coli hemorrhage after eating just three hamburgers (Food Inc.). We may not know it but we also eat oil when we consume industrial food. Just to bring a steer to slaughter, it consumes 75 gallons of oil. Overall, the industry guzzles up petr oleum fuel of about 40,000 gallons per year. Consuming oil in food production not only makes the food industry vulnerable to oil spikes just like what is happening today with the recent crisis in Libya,it also makes the food more unhealthy with all its carbon dioxide emissions. Also, just when we thought that we were able to save money when we avail of fast foods as they are cheap, we are in fact very wrong. There are a myriad of hidden costs associated when we avail fast foods. When these hidden costs are factored in and included in the accounting its true cost, it is in fact more costly. In fact, experts had this consensus that â€Å"consumption of fast food, which have high energy densities and glycemic loads, and expose customers to excessive portion sizes, may be greatly contributing to and escalating the rates of overweight and obesity in the USA (Rosenheck, 246). Similarly, other studies have also concluded that â€Å"our findings suggest that increase in the supply of fast food restaurants have a significant effect on obesity† (Currie). Cheap does not also means we are able to save. Just when we thought we were able to save with the cheap price of fast foods, the industry took us for a ride. They worked against us with the typical allure of fast food chains that they are cheap and convenient . . . . For a few more dollars, you can

Website Review and Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Website Review and Summary - Essay Example The Rockingham website is to represent a local website on substance abuse. All the websites address the challenges the nation as a whole faces as a whole due. The websites have been developed to control the addiction. Drugs have been developed to use medications to cure the various illnesses that the human race faces. The drugs, however, can be abused. People can take drugs for reasons, which they are not meant. Taking the drugs over a long period leads to addiction. The focus is not on the amount of drugs, or the number of drugs is taken. The negative consequences that come as a result of the drug addiction are the main idea of focus. Drugs can be taken in small amounts and not very frequently, but lead to problems. It is considered as drug abuse. According to Edelfield & Moosa (2012) drug abuse can start as a result of an illness, wanting to find relaxation or wanting to fit in since their friends are doing it. Drug abuse does not automatically start to cause problems after they are taken. It is a process that takes time (Doughty, 2012). The individual has overdependence on the drugs. They cannot function without taking the drugs. The drugs then cause problems in the health or social relations. Some of the disadvantages cited in the websites include the following. There have been a significant number of teenagers that have dropped out of school as a result of drug addiction. The teenagers get introduced and eventually hooked to taking the drugs. Drugs can also cause depression. There are drugs that are meant to relax the mind and prevent anxiety. However, over-reliance on the drugs can lead to depression (Roleff, 2005). Drugs are chemical substances. They introduce certain synthetic chemicals in the body with the aim of controlling something in particular. When the chemicals get introduced into the body in large amounts they can alter the body normal functions. This may eventually lead to serious health complications

My School Essay Example for Free

My School Essay I,________,have been a part of the _________School District my entire life. For me school has been a mixture of emotions. Some years I loved school and learning and other years I hated school and felt as if I would never amount to anything. The movie Stand and Deliver made me wonder how much better of a student I could have been if all my teachers cared as much as Mr. Escalante. In elementary school I had mixed emotions. I loved school up until about 3rd grade but then I started to hate school. It became harder for me to get good grades and I felt dumb. Many of my teachers also had my sister, who was an A+ student so they would always make statement about how I should follow in her footsteps and such. But I was never as smart as her or good at school like she was. Once I was in the 3rd grade I began to struggle with all subjects except reading, once this struggle began I started to care less about school and grades. Middle school is where things began to turn around for me. In the 6th grade I had Mr. Pollock as one of my teachers. He was the most caring teacher I have ever had,  he showed me I could do anything I put my mind too and he pushed me to succeed the way Mr. Escalante pushed his students. In the movie Mr. Escalante says â€Å"Students will rise to the level of expectations† and this is exactly what my teacher did to me, he set the expectations high and then pushed me to exceed them. High school was another good experience. I always was a â€Å"teacher’s pet† and got good grades without really trying. I never studied while in high school and was very involved in extracurricular activities. This was good for me then but has caused me problems now. Now that I am in college and have to study and really work hard I don’t do as good as I would like. In my opinion my past schooling has set me up to fail in college. Even though I was taught the things I needed to be taught. I didn’t learn to push myself. I got by either just barely or passing with flying colors I, Thanh Nguyen, I have been grown up in Vietnam, so I went to elementary, middle, high school there. And the education is a lots harder here in States. For me school has been a mixture of emotions. Some years I loved school and learning and other years I hated school and felt as if I would never amount to anything. In elementary school I had mixed emotions. I loved school up until about 5rd grade but then I started to hate school In my opinion my past schooling has set me up to fail in college. Even though I was taught the things I needed to be taught. I didn’t learn to push myself. I got by either just barely or passing with flying colors

Proteins from Mammalian Cells Extraction

Proteins from Mammalian Cells Extraction Introduction: The aim of this practical was to generate protein material from Caco-2 cells and measuring the amount collected by using a bicinchinonic assay (BCA assay). The Caco-2 cell line is widely used in laboratories since it has very similar morphologic characteristics to normal enterocytes. This provides the cells with similar functions such as transport of nutrients and enterocytic differentiation when cultured in a monolayer in vitro. Therefore, Caco-2 cells have been shown to be a suitable model system to investigate the structure and function of the small intestinal epithelium (Ismael J. HIDALGO). By breaking up these cells, the collected components can be analysed in further experiments. This is usually done by using a detergent based solution to lyse the cell but other methods can also be used such as electrical lysis. Once this process has undergone, a homogenous extract of the broken-down cell is obtained and various techniques can be performed to analyse the components. The first use of the broken-down cell material in this practical was in a BCA assay to help measure the amount of protein yielded from the extraction step. The BCA technique is very commonly used in laboratories to measure the total protein concentration of a sample by comparing it to a protein standard. This method is popular because it can not only accurately determine the protein concentration of most sample types, but can also have various other applications such as measuring column fractions after performing an affinity chromatography or studying protein to protein interactions. The method measures the concentration of protein by analysing the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu1+ in an alkaline environment (known as the biuret reaction) combined with the colorimetric detection of Cu1+ by the bicinchoninic acid. This produces a signal that can be read by a spectrophotometer. The results can then be analysed to determine the concentration of the protein sample (Measure of protein using bca, PK SMITH RI KROHN). Protein extraction Materials Pipettes and tips Deionized water NaCl Trizma base lot#SLBH1724V (sigma) opened on 13/12/2013 Triton-x-100 lot#48H0208 (sigma) Sodium dodecyl sulphate Protease inhibitor Caco-2 cell culture plate (2 wells) Cell scraper Centrifuge tube 3x 1,5mL, 1x 50mL Plate reader Method Firstly, a buffer was prepared by adding 0.174g of NaCl with 0.303g of Tris to a 50mL plastic tube. 2,5mL of triton-x-100 and 0,5mL of Sodium dodecyl sulphate were then added to the tube. Water was finally added to create a final volume of 25mL. The buffer pH was then measured using a standard pH meter. Hydrogen ions were slowly added combined with a continuous monitoring of the pH change to obtain a final pH of 8,6. Buffer calculations: NaCL (Mr=58) 120mM needed => (58g/M)x(0.12M) =6.96g 6.96g/40=0.174g for 25mL Tris (Mr=121) 100mM needed => (121g/M)x(0.1M) =12.1g 12.1g/40=0.3025g for 25mL Triton-x-100 1% needed from 10% stock solution => 25mL/100 (to get to 1%) =0.25mL 0.2510 (10% stock solution) =2.5mL Sodium dodecyl sulphate 0.2% needed from 10% stock solution => 25mL/500 (to get to 0.2%) =0.05mL 0.05mlx10 (10%stock solution) =0.5mL Next, 1mL of protease inhibitor solution was prepared by adding 10 µl of protease inhibitor to 1mL of the buffer prepared earlier in a 1.5mL Eppendorf tube. The tube was then placed on ice. The next step was the addition of 200 µl of protease inhibitor buffer each to 2 wells of the caco-2 cells followed by vigorous scraping at the bottom of the well using a cell scraper. The cell suspension was then removed and placed into a microfuge tube and placed on ice. The tube containing the cell suspension was left to incubate on ice for 30 minutes receiving a resuspension by inverting the tube every 10 minutes. The tube was then centrifuged at 13000 rpm for 5 minutes.   After noticing that the sample needed more centrifugation, the tube was centrifuged for another 3 minutes at 13000rpm. The supernatant was then collected into a fresh tube. BCA assay Materials Pipettes 1x 96 well plate Bovine serum albumin (BSA) 2mg/mL Deionized water BCA reagents A and B Ependorf tubes Extracted protein Method Firstly, 6 standards were prepared by diluting Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) (2mg/mL) with water as followed: Table 1. Preparation of standards volumes Concentration (mg/mL) BSA (mL) Water (mL) 0 0 100 0.25 12.5 85.5 0.5 25 75 1 50 50 1.5 75 25 2 100 0 25  µl of each standard was loaded on the 96 well plate in duplicate as shown below. 5 µl of cell extract mixed with 20 µl of water to create a 1/5 dilution of the extracted protein was then loaded in 3 separate wells. Also, 2.5 µl of cell extract mixed with 22.5 µl of water to create a 1/10 dilution of the extracted protein was also added to three separate wells of the plate. Table 2. 96 well plate distribution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A 0 0 Sample 1 (1/5) Sample 1 (1/5) Sample 1 (1/5) B 0.25 0.25 Sample 2 (1/10) Sample 2 (1/10) Sample 2 (1/10) C 0.5 0.5 D 1 1 E 1.5 1.5 F 2 2 G H The next step was to prepare a working reagent which was made by mixing 5mL of BCA reagent A with 100 µl of BCA reagent B. 200 µl of this BCA reagent was added to all the wells containing standards and samples. And the plate was then incubated at room temperature for 30 minutes. Finally, the plate was read at 540nm on a plate reader. The remaining cell extract was stored at -20C for further experiments. Results After cell extraction and the BSA assay, the sample absorbance results from the plate were as followed: Standards: Table 3. Standards absorbance Standards (mg/ml) 0.000 0.250 0.500 1.000 1.500 2.000 Absorbance Date: 23/01/2017 0.077 0.338 0.495 0.828 1.083 1.438 Date: 23/01/2017 0.083 0.348 0.500 0.799 1.056 1.469 Mean 0.080 0.343 0.498 0.814 1.070 1.454 Standard deviation (n=2) 0.004 0.007 0.004 0.021 0.019 0.022 CV % (n=2) 5.303 2.062 0.711 2.521 1.785 1.508 Table 4. Standards mean absorbance recapitulative Standards Concentration Mean Abs 1 0 0.08 2 0.25 0.343 3 0.5 0.498 4 1 0.814 5 1.5 1.07 6 2 1.454 Using these results, a standard curve was plotted (Figure2.). Figure 1. Standard Curve (Absorbance over concentration) Samples: Table 5. Samples absorbance results and mean Absorbance Results Sample 1 (1/5) (n=3) Sample 2 (1/10) (n=3) 0.529 0.319 0.539 0.332 0.536 0.368 Mean 0.535 0.340 By extrapolating the known absorbances obtained from the samples on the standard curve, a final absorption can be calculated. Note that the dilution factor is considered to create an end concentration and the mean of both samples was calculated to finalise the measurement of extracted protein (Table 6.). Table 6. Final extracted protein concentration Sample 1(1/5) sample 2 (1/10) End concentration (mg/ml) absorbance 0.535 0.34 Sample 1 sample 2 mg/ml Concentration (mg/mL) 0.609 0.312 3.04 3.12 Mean 3.08 Total error (n=2) 0.057 CV % (n=2) 1.837 Finally, after the extraction of the protein from the caco-2 cells and the BCA assay we can affirm that the amount of protein yielded had a concentration of 3.08 mg/ml. Discussion This practical shows the essential mechanisms involved in breaking down a cell to analyse its material. This is firstly done by lysing the cell to release its contents. The most common method in doing so is by using a detergent-based solution such as sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Sodium dodecyl sulphate is used in many methods such as in gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE see practical 2) or nucleic acid extraction. The structure of SDS gives it an amphiphilic property, meaning it is both hydrophilic and lipophilic, both essential properties to be used as a detergent. It works by disrupting non-covalent bonds of proteins which produces dissociation of protein complexes. This results in the solubilisation of cell membrane proteins for example. There are different types of detergents, some can be denaturing reagents such as SDS, and others can be non-denaturing. The other detergent used in this practical is Triton X-100 which is a non-denaturing, non-ionic detergent. This detergent contrib utes to maintaining the protein structures to a minimum (size and charge) (thermos fischer SDS). Another important step in the extraction of cell material is the centrifugation of the cell suspension following cell lysis. The centrifugation step is used to separate the components of a homogenate, in this case, the cell suspension. The extract is rotated at high speeds, creating a separation of the components by size and density. The larger the component, the greater centrifugal force will be applied, hence they will move the most rapidly. By altering the speed of centrifugation, different components can be isolated. Using this technique, we can collect the components by forming a pellet. If the pellet is impure, as it was during the experiment, repeated centrifugation may improve its quality (fractioning of cells, molecular biology of the cell 4th edition). After successfully obtaining the cell extract and performing the BCA assay, a standard curve can be plotted. But how accurate and precise is this curve? This depends on the quality of the results from the BCA assay standards. In other words, the precision of these. The precision of the standards was determined by testing two replicates on the plate. And was expressed as a coefficient of variation percentage (CV% where CV=standard deviation (SD)/mean) (Desvignes). Figure 2. Comparison of the coefficient of variations of the standard duplicates As shown above, the CV% for all standards were very low (usually acceptable below 20%). This means that the precision of the results was good and that the standard curve is precise(Desilva)(EMEA). In this experiment, the cell line that was used were Caco-2 cells derived from a tumour of the human gut epithelium and are a model of enterocytes. (The human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2; pharmacological and pharmacokinetic applications) A monolayer of caco-2 cells exhibit very similar characteristics to the cells found in the small intestine due to its morphology. For example, they express microvillus hydrolases and nutrient transporters commonly found in the small-intestine. This makes them very useful in mimicking the gut in a laboratory setting. Conclusion         Ã‚   By using a detergent based solution, it is possible to break up cells to collect their material for further analysis. The quantification of the material can be achieved by performing a BCA assay which involves various techniques such as centrifugation followed by plotting a standard curve using standards prepared. This material can then be used in further experiments to analyse their components. In this experiment, the Caco-2 cell line was used, this cell line was derived from a tumour of the human gut epithelium and share various similarities with the cells commonly found in the small intestine.

A Character Analysis of Charlie in Fitzgeralds Babylon Revisited :: Babylon Revisited Essays

A Character Analysis of Charlie in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited In considering Charlie Wales plight in Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited," I believe Charlie is a victim of his own success. As a successful businessman two times over he has burned many bridges behind him and for his well intentions he is blind to that continued fallacy. He does not seem to realize that the success he enjoys now is the envy that brought about Marion and Lincoln's contempt prior to Helen's death. I see Charlie attempting desperately to act out of character. Adept at business he has shown ability, humility and perseverance. However, he seems to be out of touch with the manifested feelings of others his path has crossed. I do believe Charlie is not truly ready for parenthood. It appears he is fighting a demon, longing for a piece of his life that was lost in his past. Motivated by guilt I believe he is substituting materialism for love believing money buys happiness. He would substitute a governess for parenting for he realizes his business ventures will not lend time to child rearing. We can all sympathize with Charlie on the surface, we have all made mistakes that we have to live with. Charlie is attempting to move forward with his life and erase the mistakes of his past. The ghosts of his past torment him repeatedly throughout the story, his child's guardians despise him and his old friends do not understand him. Duncan Schaffer and Lorraine Quarrles represent all that wrong with Charlie's life. Charlie attempts to steam forward and like a anchor they keep him moored in place. I can not truly sympathize with Charlie though there is a sense of empathy within me. I sense that with Lincoln Peters also.

Postmodernism and Social Praxis Essay -- Ethics Feminism Theology Essa

Postmodernism and Social Praxis Whereas the interpreter is obliged to go to the depth of things, like an excavator, the moment of interpretation [genealogy] is like an overview, from higher and higher up, which allows the depth to be laid out in front of him in a more and more profound visibility; depth is resituated as an absolutely superficial secret.(18) So those are the changes, and I try to show those changes...(19) In Communities of Resistance and Solidarity, as well as in A Feminist Ethic of Risk, Sharon D. Welch sets forth a liberation theology in which the deconstructive processes of Michel Foucault are key. Her theology is an amalgam of Foucault's poststructuralist concepts and liberation theology's action-oriented motivation. Welch claims the genealogical methods of Foucault are ideal motivators, urging the activist to political involvement. However, Michel Foucault's genealogy was not intended for such pragmatic applications. Foucault's purpose in writing genealogies was never action-oriented. He only set out to "show those changes." By definition, genealogy never rests in one discourse or on one "truth." Foucault, as an "interpreter," emphasizes the necessary tension between keeping distance from historical discourse and awareness of one's inescapable position in historical discourse. In short, the genealogist can never rest on his or her laurels: seeming bases of "truth" are actually co nstantly changing historical constructions. While Welch claims not only to possess this type of awareness, but also to recognize its absolute necessity for her theology, she is in danger of defeating her own goals: with no solid foundations, no fixed truths, on which to base liberation theology's arguments, how can her action-... ...78. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason. Trans. Richard Howard. New York: Pantheon, 1965. Kaufmann, Walter, ed. The Portable Nietzsche. New York: Penguin Books, 1982. Mohanty, Chandra Talpade, Ann Russo, and Lourdes Torres. Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991. Rabinow, Paul, ed. The Foucault Reader. New York: Pantheon, 1984. Schà ¼ssler-Fiorenza, Elizabeth. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins. New York: Crossroad, 1983. Welch, Sharon D. Communities of Resistance and Solidarity: A Feminist Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1985. A Feminist Ethic of Risk. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1985. Winter, Gibson. Address. "Religious Social Ethics in a Postmodern World." Temple University, Philadelphia, 22 March 1995.

Curley’s Wife Essay

Explore the ways Steinbeck presents one or more minor characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ In this essay I will be giving you an insight on how Steinbeck presents one minor character in the novel, Of Mice and Men. John Steinbeck wrote the novel in 1937 the novel is set on a ranch in the Salinas Valleys in California during the Great Depression due to the Wall Street Crash in America. America’s stock market crashed and many people ended up unemployed which led to them leaving their families to look for jobs around America including some of the characters in the novel.My essay is focused on Curley’s wife and I will be discussing the ways Steinbeck presents her appearance, personality, dreams and the ranch worker’s views her. Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife as a flirtatious woman and attention seeking towards other men. This is shown on (page 53) â€Å"She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red o strich feathers roughed lips, wide spaced eyes, with red fingernails†. This quote foreshadows and signifies that Curley’s wife will have sexual feelings to other men throughout the story because of the ways she appears and acts.Steinbeck also presents her wearing the colour red throughout the story. The colour red is a colour synchronised with danger this shows that people should keep away from her because she may be dangerous. The colour red can also be synchronised with love and romance this means that she could be flirtatious towards other men and she also can show love towards them. This is why she dresses this way it also suggests to the reader that Curley’s wife acts seductively towards other men because she dresses up in a seductive way so she can catch the attention of other men on the ranch such as George and Lennie.She dresses that way because she is a tramp and they like to seduce other men towards them despite having a husband called Curley. This also shows that she is not really loved by Curley because she needs other men to catch her attention and body. She also could be found innocent â€Å"wide spaced eyes† this is something which she cannot help. The worker’s on the ranch view Curley’s wife in a negative way. Evidence to support this is â€Å"I seen em’ poison before, but I never seen no piece of jailbait worse than her â€Å"Said George (to Lennie).This quote suggests that Curley’s Wife is unsafe to be around because she is â€Å"Jailbait† meaning she is a young woman considered in sexual terms. This shows that Curley’s wife could land Lennie in jail due to her being presented in that way. Due to Lennie calling her â€Å"Jailbait† this means that the reader is supposed see Curley’s wife in a negative way. This would also make the reader predict that Curley’s wife would be dangerous, trouble and bad as the story progresses. George also says â€Å"worse than her† this is suggesting that she is the worst jailbait he has seen.The reader also learns that they have encountered a problem like this before â€Å"I seen em’ poison before† this shows that they have come across another women like this before. We see this in the introduction  In Weed, Lennie â€Å"pets† a girl’s pretty dress and frightens her away which makes George and Lennie run out of town due to people chasing them. This quote may be prejudicing the reader because before the reader has actually learnt much about the character they are already presenting her in a negative way.This is because women were not seen as important in the 1930s and they had no rights therefore women were not well-respected so men could just talk about women in that manner. Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife in a provocative way so she can be noticed. This suggests that she uses provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’. This is her flimsy excuse to be with the men on the ranch. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in front of the ranch workers.She behaves in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention. Therefore this makes her body as an object because by using her body she can be noticed. Loneliness is a major theme in the novel. This suggests that she does this because she is lonely; she is the loneliest character in the story. She is also the only woman character so she needs company by anyone. Her husband, Curley does not really love her and she does not love him. Several times throughout the story she does this she says she’s looking for Curley but really that is just an excuse to be with other men.Steinbeck makes great use of isolation; it is shown throughout the story. Curley’s Wife is a character who is isolated. This shows that she is isolated because she can’t really go anywhere nor do much on a ranch so she needs people to keep her busy so her time can pass by. The main theme of the novel is ‘The American Dream’. Like many characters in the book, Curley’s wife also has a dream. She dreams of being a film star. Steinbeck makes very good use of dreams throughout the novel. Steinbeck uses context ‘The American Dream’ to present Curley’s wife’s dream.This can be shown in chapter five on (page 125) â€Å"Could ‘a been in the movies an’ had nice clothes- all them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I could ‘a sat in big hotels and had pitchers took of me. This quote shows that ‘The American Dream’ is important context here. ‘The American Dream’ states that anyone can achieve anything they dream of in America. However, for Curley’s wife, like lots of ordinary Americans, this does not turn out to be reality. She also repeats â€Å"I couldaâ €  this suggests that it could have been but now is no longer a possibility.Instead being in Hollywood she is stuck with her unloving husband Curley who does not really care for her. This may be the reason she is always attention seeking around the ranch so she can get noticed because her dream was to be noticed and â€Å"had pitchers† took of her. Steinbeck presents her in regret who has failed in life. In addition she talks about how she wants people to take pictures of her so she can be famous. She also says this before Lennie kills her this suggests Steinbeck’s view of the pointlessness of dreams.

Payment system

Types of payment system: They could use Commission: Workers are paid a percentage of the products' sales value this would be suitable as it would motivate staff to sell more as they rely on commission to earn money. They could use a bonus scheme: Workers must achieve pre-agreed sales targets to earn the bonus. This would encourage staff to sell more which would increase the company's turnover and profits.They could offer sales staff a salary: This would provide staff with financial security. However, it may not motivate Taft to sell more are the same amount Is pay each month regardless of performance. Performance related system: where pay Is linked to performance, with higher level of performance leading to Increased pay. Time or flat rate system: In which pay Is expected as an hourly, weekly or annual rate. How it motivate staff? People feel strongly about it.Pay helps to satisfy many needs (e. G. Security, esteem needs, resources to pursue self-actualization) Pay is the subject of much important business legislation It helps attract reliable employees with the skills the business deeds for success Pay also helps retain employees – rather than them leave and perhaps Join a competitor For most employees, the remuneration package is the most Important part of a job – and certainly the most visible part of any Job offer.Effectiveness Money can be used to motivate employees across a broad spectrum of Industries. In fact, according to the Personnel Systems website, a survey conducted by the American Compensation Association and the American Productivity Center showed that up to 89 percent of companies using financial incentives for staff were rated costive or very positive by more than 1,500 individuals taking the survey.Because everyone can use more money, this is by far one of the most common and effective ways to motivate staff. Broad Options Another advantage of using money to motivate employees is that a company has broad options in terms of the way to use it. From special bonuses to commission pay to gift certificates and cash rewards, money can be used In a variety of ways to get employees to strive for bigger and better goals.Moreover, companies have the option o change It up, depending on the specific goal In mind, so that cash Isn't always the best In which money can be used to motivate; sometimes, It can be Increased benefits that save the employee money without the company needing to write a Money appeals to all demographics and can motivate the lowest grade employee all the way to the CEO. This is another distinct advantage of using it to motivate staff because it appeals to all types of staff. The less an employee makes, however, the more he may be motivated by a few extra dollars in his check or incentive pay of some sort.

Costco case Analysis Essay

1. What is Costco’s business model? Is the company’s business model appealing? Why or why not? Costco’s business model is focused on producing high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover by offering members low prices on a limited selection of national name brands and select private-label products in a wide range variety. Costco is focused in low-cost strategy is concentrated on a narrow buy segment and out competing rivals by having lower costs, therefore being able serve a niche consumers at a lower price. (Gamble, John and Thompson, Arthur (2009). Costco’s business model is appealing because they are able to continually sell to a niche market. This niche market has annual income which ranges from $75,000 to $100,000 or more a year. By offering the best products possible at lower price, they are able to have these members return. Presently there are 47,679,000 card holders which include Executive members, Business member, Primary cardholders and Add-on cardholders. Whereas Costco has offered the most popular products in order to have a rapid turn-over. Cost co has proven that there business strategy has worked by continually producing higher net sale. 2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy? Strategy is the organization’s pre selected that means to achieve its goals or objectives, while keeping in view current and future external conditions. Costco’s strategy’s elements are low prices, limited product lines and selection and treasure hunt shopping environment. Costco’s is following cost leadership strategy which is good because on this base they can compete with their competitors. By limited product lines and limited selection they are offering limited 4000 items which are less as compared to its competitors. Costco’s is adopted market development strategy by capturing new markets for existing products. Also it provides such product at low prices to its members which they believe will not be available in next visit. This works as an incentive and members try to take maximum advantage and therefore Costco’s sales volume increases. At Costco’s warehouse products are not offered in every size. The strategy they followed is th at by offering every size their efficiency will decrease therefore it is said intelligent loss of sales. 3. Do you think Jim Sinegal has been an effective CEO? What grades would you give him in leading the process of crafting and executing Costco’s strategy? What support can you offer for  these grades? Refer to figure 2.1 in Chapter in developing your answers. Jim Sinegal is an effective CEO after gone through the case study. There are various reasons which show that Mr. Jim Sinegal was responsible to lead the path of strategy effectively. First, Jim Sinegal had made a transparent and well defined planned path for the Costco to follow. He was the only person in the company for the preparation of business model and appreciated over the growth of the strategy of the company. He had know how skills and created an environment to offer treasure hunt in the stores and maintain low prices and helps in promoting large volume of store traffic that helped in building quick turnover of inventory. He was responsible for driving the ability of the company to achieve yearly sales nearly to $130 million per store. According to the case study Sinegal had performed excellent job in the execution of the strategy process at Costco. He performed three functions in the company as producer, knowledgeable critic and director. He went to stores for investigation for checking out the performance of store managers and asked various questions from them, about the performance of stores and told them to do more work on their weak areas. In this case, when Sinegal found answers to his questions less than expected than he told store managers to do more research and come back with sufficient information. 4. What core values or business principle has Jim Sinegal stressed at Costco? The main business principle activity of Costco is to provide high value to users by offering global and local tag products at low prices, also it integrates its employees in a very nicely way. Jim Sinegal wanted to say that these two principal activities reflected in working environment of Costco which makes them profitable throughout the world as compared to other conventional wholesalers and merchandisers. 5. (in the event you have covered Chapter 3) What is competition like in the North America wholesale club industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest and why? Use the information in Figures 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 (and the related discussions in Chapter 3) to do a complete five-forces analysis of competition in the North American wholesale club industry. The wholesale club industry has evolved into a common oligopoly just as other major industries have. The â€Å"big three† of this industry are Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. A five forces analysis will be examined in regards to the wholesale club industry. Force one, barriers to entry; the three companies  are at an advantage because of the difficulty of new firms entering the industry. They accomplish economies of scale and scope due to the size and volume of their sales by buying and selling more goods on a larger scale with lower costs. It would take a considerable amount of time for a new entrant to achieve the benefits of economies of scale. The capital requirements are large due to the construction of buildings and acquisition of land and licenses. Only companies with an established distribution network would have a fair chance of entering the industry. Force two, the threat of substitutes, is not a factor because the service they offer is not offered by other outside competitors. Force three, the bargaining power of buyers, is the strongest force working in the favor of the industry. This is so because buyers cannot negotiate the price. The main reason customers come to wholesale clubs is they are attracted by the already low prices and value of buying in bulk. Force four, the bargaining power of suppliers could come into play if a more favorable opportunity presents itself in the general retail industry. Wholesale clubs offer only a percentage of the products that a general retailer does. A key strategy of Costco is aimed squarely at selling top-quality merchandise at prices consistently below what other wholesalers or retailers charge. Force fifth, rivalry among existing players, is not a major factor. Costco, the runaway leader presently, offers the â€Å"treasure hunt† deals where extreme bargains are offered for short, unannounced periods of time. This creates buzz amongst customers by enticing them to return on a consistent basis to explore what â€Å"treasures† are available. BJ’s sets itself apart by being the only club among the three to accept manufacturer’s coupons. They also are the only club to accept all four major credit cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, at all locations. They also offer a broader assortment of items as compared to Sam’s and Costco. 6. Base on the data in case Exhibits 1 and 4, is Costco’s financial performance superior to that at Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale? 7. Does the data in case Exhibit Exhibit 2 indicate that Costco’s expansion outside the U.S. is financially successful? Why or why not? 8. How well is Costco performing from a strategic perspective? Does Costco enjoy a competitive advantage over Sam’s Club? Over BJ’S Whole sale? If so, what is the nature of its competitive advantage? Does Costco have a winning strategy? Why or why not? Costco has been playing very successful in the wholesaling industry as it can be seen from its business strategies. First of all, for the purpose of supporting the Costco’s business model of generating high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover, Costco members are given a limited selection of nationally branded and select private label products in a wide range of merchandise categories. Then Costco combine its rapid inventory turnover with the operating efficiencies to run the business profitably at significant lower gross margins than traditional wholesales, mass merchandisers, supermarkets and supercenters. As a result, Costco takes advantages of its high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover to obtain the benefits of early payment discounts from merchandise vendors due to the high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover allow Costco to generate enough cash in account. Secondly, the pricing strategy of Costco is key factors to support the low price business strategy which is to cap the margins on branded name merchandise at 14 percent so that its members can buy with low price. Thirdly, Costco focus to offer limited selection that is about 4000 items with fast selling models, sizes and colors, and target the small businesses for its commercial and professional models selling. Furthermore, advertising and sales campaigns are not being used frequently by Costco for the marketing strategy and the company only launches campaigns for new warehouse openings. In addition, Costco also use direct mail to prospective new members occasionally and direct mail programs promoting selected merchandise to members regularly. Opening more new warehouses, building an ever larger and fiercely loyal membership base and employing well executed merchandising techniques to encourage members to shopping more frequently with big trip are the main central growth strategy of Costco. Moreover, online shopping is another alternative that Costco offered to members so as to make their shopping more convenient rather than switch to competitors. In addition, Majority of merchandise is owned by Costco, and the company also builds direct buying relationships with many producers of national brand name merchandise and manufacturers and this result in the available of flexible alternatives of suppliers for Costco in anytime to  have sufficient of stocked merchandise. Also, Costco’s membership base and member demographics contains powerful buying ability as it mainly target the individual customers with minimum income of $75000 and 30 percent of the targeted customers earn more than $100000 annually. For the purpose of executing Costco’s strategy successfully, the company offer biannual bonuses and full spectrum of benefits for its employees. More important, the promoting opportunities will consider the insiders first based on the company policy. Other factors that determine the success of Costco also include the business philosophy, values and code of ethics such as obey the law and governmental regulations, take of members, take of employees, respect suppliers and business partners, and reward the shareholders. Costco is beating both Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale in net sales and market share. However, Sam’s Club has launched an aggressive campaign to increase its market share. 9. Are Costco’s prices too low? Why or why not? Yes, because the gross profit margin falls into the normal range for this industry. However, it should be trending upward and as you can see it is actually decreasing slightly. If this trend continues, steps will need to be taken to correct the problem. Another probability indicator, return on stockholder equity indicates that the company has a problem. Average returns are around 12%, which Costco was nearing in 2004 and 2005. In2006, the company experienced a sharp decline which is causing for concern. Investigate this decline. It could be due to low profits after taxes. If the pricing is too low, this can happen. Currently, Sinegal, admittedly, tries to sell products at the lowest price possible for longevity. However, if the investors in the firm are not making appropriate returns for the risk, they will invest elsewhere. The current ratio figure is in the average range but on the decline. The debt to equity shows a strong balance sheet and low levels of debt. It is trending downward. The inventory turnover rate is slightly higher than average, indicating that Costco is outperforming competitors in moving product. Also cause for concern is the fact that the working capital is shrinking. This might indicate the inability to expand without a loan. 10. What do you think of Costco’s compensation practices? Does it surprise you that Costco employees apparently are rather  well-compensated? Costco’s compensation and benefits are higher than those at walmart. Salaried employees in Costco warehouses could earn anywhere from $30000 to $125000 anually. Costco employees enjoyed a benefit package that included the following points. Health and dental care plans. A dependant care reimbursement plan. Confidential professional counseling services. Company paid long term disability coverage equal to 60%,of earning for workers that were out for more than 180 days on a non-worker’s compensationleave of absence. Generous life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. An employee stock purchase plan. 11. What recommendations would you make to Costco top management regarding how best to sustain the company’s growth and improve its financial performance? Costco is a company that have some criticism, such as people has to wait for a long time to pay their products. However costco doeS not have big problems that desperately need to be fixed. So it should stand in the same course using the present strategy. I think Costco has the capacity to continue investing in new stores and grow sales. It can also expand sales by introducing new products line, like furniture. The company has the financial resources to keep growing its business and open more warehouse locations