A Passing of the Torch; Europe from 1500-1800

A Passing of the Torch; Europe from 1500-1800 When you step back and observe history from afar you’re missing part of the story. Observing the rise of Europe, you cannot simply take into account it happened. To understand the past you need to look into past, in documents and first-hand accounts to observe the underlining issues. To best explain the major shift in energy from the Indian Ocean Basin to the North Atlantic in 1500 to 1800 you have to observe the world and the people in context. Europe is an underdog to rise to the top.Having just experiencing the worst of the Black Death wiping out a majority of its populations, a tragedy in all senses, turned into a blessing. It sparked the scientific revolution; inspiring the Europeans to shift their views towards knowledge and discovery (Reilly, 434) . Sprinting ahead, Europe took the world by surprise. With their footing in a ‘new world’ the opportunities were endless. Exhausting their colonies at its full potenti al, with the cash crop, sugar they were able to revolutionize commerce into a representative model of modern trade.The Europeans weren’t the only ones making radical changes in the era. The Confucian Scholars were forcing Chinese to push inward and were eliminating commerce (Kristof, 551). Shifting of energy from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean; Europe gained power in the era through two main triggers, the scientific revolution and the developments of the sugar plantations in the new world. To better understand what’s happening with Europe in the 1500’s and later you need to also look back at the past and see where they have been and the events leading up to the beginning of a new era in European success and discovery.When you examine Europe today they are one of the world’s leaders, less than a thousand years ago the now prominent country was spiraling down, on the brink of demise. In the mid-fourteenth century the Bubonic Plague, also known as th e Black Death, originated somewhere in Asia and progressively spread though out Europe, the Near East and North Africa. Without doubt it became the greatest health disaster to date; mass graves were being dug to compensate for the dead. The Plague spread like wildfire wiping out an estimated one-fourth to one-third of the population (Reilly, 436).With no known source of treatment available or why the disease was spreading the Europeans turned to what they knew best, Religion. The Christian consensus was that God had bestowed the plague as a devastating judgment with the meaning of punishing the inflicted for his sins. People tried anything to avoid their seeming inevitable deaths, from walking around with incense to mask the wreaking stench of death, fleeing from their homes to find unaffiliated areas, or most commonly turning to God. The priest with the duty of serving the people, considered holy and without sin, were the main care takers of the stricken.Unsurprisingly, they too ne eded to be cared for, for they as well, contracted the disease joining their following to the death beds. We know today that the Black Death was not a punishment from god, but at the time, they had only to believe what the church told them (Reilly, 460). As priest died alongside the commoners their belief system was shattered. It was common of the time to believe what the church had told them and take it as true. For instance the church stated that the earth was the center of the universe, and it was heresy to state otherwise.With the church being proven wrong, people began to look outward for new knowledge. â€Å"Without visiting a deep ravine, one cannot understand how deep the earth is†¦ ,† just like Emperor Taizong said Europe began looking at the world to discover the truths; what is now known as the Scientific Revolution and the beginning of their restoration. Today, it is impossible to think about Modern Times and the way we live without thinking about science. We have pushed the scientific front to our limits, and now reap the benefits, from cars, phones, to healthcare. The scientific revolution truly lives up to its name.It truly was revolutionary, the standard of knowledge in the Modern world. The revolution can be traced back to Europe in a dispirit search for new understanding. Looking outward for answers from other countries such as the Muslim world and China, who already had beginnings of scientific thought, a sense of discovery and development; inspired the Europeans. In the year 1492, sailing in search of new discovery, specifically a new trade route to China, Columbus had stumbled on a seemingly endless supply of natural resources, land, and opportunity. It was called America.Entirely changing the way the ancient Greeks had depicted the world, helping enlighten the people that common knowledge was wrong (Goldstone 715-716). The Scientific Revolution and the desire to reach for new understanding that came with it pushed the European s. Now doubting all they had been taught before tested the fabrics of their society, the discovery of America was the most significant aspect of the shift of energy into the Atlantic Ocean. This was exactly what Europe needed. Now having the mass amounts of resources, to utilize the discovery they required manpower.Slaves were the perfect tool for procuring the workforces they required. Where better to look than Africa? Packed with able bodied men, the African tribes lacking in the ability to retaliate, found their freedom relinquished; crammed into unsanitary, overcrowded slave ships (Mintz, 47). Martinique, a sugar plantation located on the island Lesser Antilles located in the Caribbean Sea, is an example of where they could have landed (Martinique, 628). In the drawing, Field Gang, you can see the sugar plantation, a large field being worked by a multitude of black workers and one controlling master watching over them, the multitude of slaves.To compensate for the disparity in t he work force, the plantation owners had revolutionized the process in which they operated their plantations. Specialized tasks were given to each worker to increase efficiency. This specialization resembled the earliest forms of assembly line. However, instead of the machines we have today, they had an agro energy focus. This means that the plantations shifted toward the use of human energy over the use of machinery (In Class).Unknowingly the systems used on plantations translated directly to the factories which began to pop up in the urban cities. At the end of the Black Death, Europe was a country in chaotic state. They were looking for a change and this desire paved the way. With a lack of populous, the lords of the current system, serfdom collapsed with little to no one to work the fields. Unlike their competitors Europe moved into the cities in search of opportunity (In Class). Drawing from their experiences in the sugar plantation, and the slave trade the Europeans became the frontier in production.Springing up in the industrial cities, factories played a large part of the shifting of energy to Europe, with them, goods and services could be provided with a significantly lower cost and at more efficient rates. This without a doubt gave them an edge over the competition. With the coming times, Europe in the sense of the world scope began to break into the picture. The Transatlantic Trade, shipping of goods between Europe and its colonies, set the stage for the shift of energy to the Atlantic Ocean. Allowed access to the resources in the ‘New World’ causality benefited the colonizers with the cheapest production of desirables.It also set for a sense of manifest destiny for the country (In Class). In conclusion this marked the beginnings of modern society developing. The question of the era is why Europe? A country stricken by plague, the collapse of feudalism, and lacking in internal stability in the form of natural resources or people; happen s to be the perfect candidate. The desire for knowledge and their desire to look outward fit the bill perfectly. To make the circumstances even more perfect China lost its edge in the commerce propelling Europe ahead.David Christian writes in his essay World History in Context â€Å"One of the aims of world history is to see the history of human beings as a single, coherent story, rather than as a collection of the particular stories of different communities. † When looking at the rise of Europe as a superpower in the world, you can’t focus on the singular efforts and happenings of Europe. The rest of the world had an influence on the future. The shift in energy wasn’t only accountable to the success of Europe, notably looking at China you can see the ties between the two. For Centuries China had been a leader in commerce and trade.They assembled the largest fleet known to date consisting of over 3500 ships which had the capabilities to sail across the Pacific e nabling the most secure and cost efficient form of trade. The Merchants of this era were prospering but all good things have to come to an end. After the death of the Yongle Empire in 1424, a struggle for power out broke internally. Under suspicious circumstances the successor to the empire who was selected to rule the country died. The Confusion Scholars ceased control of the country introducing new policy and deep-rooted idealisms of their ancestors.Trying to turn the focus of the country inward by 1500 they dissembled the entire fleet, destroyed the records, and made it illegal for any ship to be constructed with more than two masts. By 1525 any ocean going ship had to be destroyed. Along with the disappearance of a great Chinese fleet the ports in India, it marked one of history’s biggest lost opportunities. Without the ability of merchants to export their goods, they fell from their former glory. To add burden to this the Scholars viewed them as â€Å"necessary evils at best† (Kristoff, 555-556).Also their country already vastly spread out over thousands of miles of land, contained almost all the necessary natural resources to self-sustain itself and found no need to search elsewhere for goods. Europe on the other hand, lacked in many natural resources, which cause the need for colonization and expansion of their limits. China’s unwillingness to become a global market, unlike Europe, hurt their chances of being at the top of the era (In Class). Instigating the shift in power during the era in question, the scientific revolution and developments made in the New World, lead to a drastic change in history.Imagine if Europe had not been affected by the Bubonic Plague. We might never have explored outwards to the Americas leaving the Native population to expand. It serves evidence to the fact that changing parts of the past would alter the future. If it wasn’t for the fact that Europe had rose to power. It is not irrational to assum e many of the discoveries made in this time would differ. We live in the world we do today, because the shift in energy brought about from the scientific revolution and the developments with the sugar plantations, lead to the passing of the torch from China to Europe.

Bill Miller and Value Trust

? Bill Miller and Value Trust Background Information Bill Miller is one of the most renowned professional fund managers. This can be proven by the outperformance of the Value Trust, which is managed by him, compared to its benchmark index, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), for an astonishing 14 years in a row; and this marked the longest streak of success for any manager in the mutual-fund industry. By the middle of 2005, Value Trust is worth $11. 2-billion. Bill Miller’s approach to investment management was research-intensive and highly concentrated. For instance, nearly 50 percent of Value Trust’s assets were invested in just 10 large-capitalization companies. While most of Bill Miller’s investments were value stocks, he was not averse to taking large positions in the stocks of growth companies. In other words, Bill Miller’s investing style is iconoclastic: â€Å"You simply can’t do what he’s done in the supremely competitive, ultra-efficient world of stock picking by following the pack†¦The fact is that Miller has spent decades studying freethinking overachievers, and along the way he’s become one himself. † Mutual Funds Definition A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pooled the funds of individual investors to buy a portfolio of securities, stocks, bonds, and money-market instruments to meet specific investment objectives; investors owned a pro rata share of the overall investment portfolio (Bruner, 2007). The various investments included in a fund’s portfolio are handled by professional money managers in line with the stated investment policy of the fund. All mutual funds have a portfolio manager, or investment advisor, who directs the fund’s investments according to explicit investment objectives. Mutual Fund Types Investors have different objectives, so various types of mutual funds are needed to help them achieve their goals. Most mutual funds fit into one of three basic categories: money market mutual funds, bond funds, and stock funds. Money market mutual funds hold cash reserves, or short-term debt investments issued by the government, corporations, or financial institutions (i. e. , U. S. Treasury bills and bank certificates of deposit). Bond funds invest in debt instruments issued by corporations or government agencies. Stock funds are one of the most popular types of mutual funds, ranging from relatively conservative equity income funds to value funds, growth funds, aggressive growth funds, small-company funds, and international funds (Hirschey and Nofsinger, 2008). Advantages of Mutual Funds Diversification Using mutual funds can help an investor diversify their portfolio with a minimum investment. When investing in a single mutual fund, an investor is actually investing in numerous securities and spreading investment across a range of securities can help to reduce risk but will never completely eliminate it. If a few securities in the mutual fund lose value or become worthless, the loss maybe offset by other securities that appreciate in value. Professional Management Mutual funds are managed and supervised by investment professionals. As per the stated objectives set forth in the prospectus, along with prevailing market conditions and other factors, the mutual fund manager will decide when to buy or sell securities. This eliminates the investor of the difficult task of trying to time the market. Furthermore, mutual funds can eliminate the cost an investor would incur when proper due diligence is given to researching securities. Convenience With most mutual funds, buying and selling shares, changing distribution options, and obtaining information can be accomplished conveniently by telephone, by mail, or online. Minimum Initial Investment Most mutual funds have a minimum initial purchase of $2,500 but some are as low as $1,000. Disadvantages of Mutual Funds Risks and Costs Changing market conditions can create fluctuations in the value of a mutual fund investment. There are fees and expenses associated with investing in mutual funds that do not usually occur when purchasing individual securities directly. There are drawbacks associated with mutual funds: No Guarantees. The value of mutual fund investment could fall and be worth less than the principle initially invested. The Diversification â€Å"Penalty†. Diversification can help to reduce your risk of loss from holding a single security, but it limits your potential for a â€Å"home run† if a single security increases dramatically in value. Costs. In some cases, the efficiencies of fund ownership are offset by a combination of sales commissions, redemption fees, and operating expenses. If the fund is purchased in a taxable account, taxes may have to be paid on capital gains. Expenses Because mutual funds are professionally managed investments, there are management fees and operating expenses associated with investing in a fund, which is called expense ratios ranging from 0. 2% to 2. 0%. These fees and expenses charged by the fund are passed onto shareholders and deducted from the fund’s return. Taxes As a fund shareholder, you can be taxed on distributions of dividends and/or capital gains made by the fund and profits you make when you sell the fund shares. Research Hypothesis 1. There is a possibility that his overall performance may be affected because of Bill Miller’s choice of concentrating heavily in certain sectors such as financials, health, consumer goods, and telecommunications. 2. By examining and analyzing various theoretical explanations, we will be able to determine whether Bill Miller’s success is dependent on luck and/or skill and whether it is sustainable or not. Evaluation of Bill Miller’s Performance Bill Miller’s results seemed to contradict conventional theories, which suggested that, in markets characterized by high competition, easy entry, and information efficiency, it would be extremely difficult to beat the market on sustained basis. Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) There are three levels of market efficiency which were distinguished by the degree of information believed to be reflected in current securities’ prices. The weak form of efficiency maintained that all past prices for a tock were impounded into today’s price. The semistrong form of efficiency held that today’s prices reflected not only all past prices, but also all publicly available information. The strong form of efficiency held that today’s stock price reflected all the information that could be acquired through a close analysis of the company and the economy. Many scholars argued that the sock market followed a â€Å"random walk†, where the price movements of tomorrow were essentially uncorrelated with the price movements of today. They argued that capital markets’ information was efficient, and that the insights available to any one fundamental analyst were bound to be impounded quickly into share prices. If EMH were correct and all current prices reflected the true value of the underlying securities, then arguably it would be impossible to beat the market with superior skill or intellect. â€Å"In such a market,† as one economist said, â€Å"We would observe lucky and unlucky investors, but we wouldn’t find any superior investment managers who can consistently beat the market. Yet, Bill Miller, who over long periods, greatly outperformed the market. In reply, Malkiel suggested that beating the market was much like participating in a coin-tossing contest where those who consistently flip heads are the winners. Malkiel suggested that the success of a few superstar portfolio managers could be explained as luck. Similarly, the stock-market crash on October 1987 had also seemed to undermine t he strength of the EMH. Academic research exposed other inconsistencies with the EMH, for example, January effect, blue Monday effect, etc. Those results were inconsistent with a random walk of prices and returns. Bill Miller was an adherent of fundamental analysis; his approach was research-intensive and highly concentrated. Nearly 50% of Value Trust’s asserts were invested in just 10 large-capitalization companies. Analysis of Bill Miller’s Key Strategies Bill Miller, portfolio manager for Legg Mason Value Trust, had a great track record for an astonishing fourteen years in a row. He was the only active mutual fund manager to have consistently beaten the S&P 500 over the last fourteen years. Bill Miller pointed out that his streak was due to luck; 95 percent luck. This section will evaluate Bill Miller’s investment philosophies and whether he is just plain lucky or it is based on luck and sustainability. The figure below lists the categories in which Bill Miller has invested in and the annual returns each category receives: As can be seen in the figure above, Value Trust has a portfolio that is highly volatile. Although highly volatile, the concentrated portfolio still showed outperformance when judged by calendar years, thus giving an ominous sign that the outperformance is not the result of good stock picking, but merely the result of taking on greater risk than the market as a whole. Bill Miller’s investment philosophy to build up Value Trust is to consistently buy cheap stocks, and focused on established companies suffering through periods of poor performance. These judgments resulted in Value Trust’s outperformance for fourteen years. However, taking risks (i. . having a highly concentrated volatile portfolio) and underperforming the value style (i. e. buying cheap stocks from companies suffering through periods of poor performance) is not a good combination and could hurt him later on. One might think that Bill Miller’s investment philosophy could be a â€Å"value trap†, mistaking a more or less permanent change in value or industry conditions for a tempora ry one. The bulk of Bill Miller’s portfolio is from consumer (i. e. homebuilding) and financial categories. These stocks tend to trade at cheap prices. Furthermore, the housing bubble began inflating in mid 1990’s, thus making it an easy way for investors like Bill Miller to make money. This event led to further success of Value Trust despite the high level of volatility. Investment Philosophies Buy low-price, high intrinsic-value stocks Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that are undervalued by the market. People believe that a business is broken, scandal, but the company is still able to generate positive future cash flows. He buys low and sell high. The market price in long run still imitates the value of the firm. Take heart in pessimistic markets Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that have the least promising outlook and sell those stocks that have the greatest opportunity for near-term gain. In other words, Bill Miller is investing in stocks that have the greatest opportunity for long-term gain instead of near-term gain. Remember that the lowest average cost wins The lower the shares go, the higher the future rate of return and the more money you should invest in them. When a stock drops and he believes in the fundamentals, the case for future retunes goes up. Again, market price in long run still imitates the value of the firm. Buy low-expectation stocks When the market’s been down for a while, and it looks bad, then you should be more aggressive, and when it’s been up for a while, then you should be less aggressive. Bill Miller thinks buying low-expectation stocks, buying higher dividend-yielding stocks, staying away from things with high expense ratios. Take the long view Bill Miller tends to hold onto stocks he invested in for a long period of time which results in a low portfolio turnover. According to him, the biggest opportunity for investors is really thinking out longer term. Look for cyclical and secular underpricing Bill Miller tends to invest in stocks that are undervalued or mispriced. He believes that most growth people own stocks that are secularly underpriced; things that can grow for long periods of time. Behavioural Finance Bill Miller’s educational background in Philosophy and Economics and his active involvement in the study of Behavioural Finance reflect his investment strategy. During Bill Miller’s Investment Conference in 2004, he remarked that â€Å"I believe that every exploitable anomaly in the market is behaviourally based. This is the only way that sustainable anomalies can be created. These are the anomalies that are not easily arbitraged away. One of the most remarkable behavioural anomalies that we see is that people take today’s data (e. g. , the GDP report, the unemployment report) and concludes that the market is getting ahead of itself. The market does not look at today’s data. It is looking at the data down the road. † This statement demonstrates that his belief that the market reflects the available information fairly accurately in the short term. In addition, he remarked that â€Å"Because the market looks forward, because the market discounts, and because the market prices reflect, in essence, the data refracted through the decision procedures and emotions of investors, then the market will change as the world changes because it is incorporating new information. † With this statement, it appears that Bill Miller expresses a partial belief in the EMH, unlike Warren Buffet. Value Investing As what was stated in the case, Bill Miller has been following an approach to equity investing and followed a number of strategies, specifically Ben Graham’s. Bill Miller analyzes and evaluates the stocks performance in the long run which explains his strategy of buying low, with high intrinsic value. In addition, he has been holding onto stocks for a longer period than an average fund manager, hence a low turn-over rate which explains his strategy of taking the long view. Conclusion By comparing Miller’s investment philosophy with Warren Buffett’s, there is one thing that makes Buffett’s investment philosophy more applicable and Miller’s philosophy a â€Å"swing-for-the-fences† approach. Miller should look at a company’s financials before making an investment. His view of welcoming negative sentiment about companies and buying stocks as their prices fall failed to look at the company’s liquidity. The company could have issues with high levels of debt and poor financials. Even though if for instance, some of his stocks (due to volatility) have failed to meet his expectations (a â€Å"stinker†), the inflated housing bubble that grew during the 1990s caused high levels of annual return could still make the overall performance of Value Trust successful compared to the others. Thus, given the nature of his concentrated portfolio, his long outperformance can be seen as a random variable, or â€Å"luck†. There are approximately 8,044 mutual funds out there; and 4,600 of these were U. S. equity mutual funds. Thus, there is a 50 percent chance of beating the market. Since Bill Miller has outperformed its competitors over fourteen consecutive years, how come no one has followed in his footsteps?

Foucault's Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foucault's Philosophy - Essay Example It is important to situate the topic, to understand in what context it should be viewed in Foucault’s theory. Discipline is distinguished from either torture or punishment; by these distinctions, the discussions on discipline, therefore, excludes those practices that subject the body to atrocious and terrifying abuse, and the strictly punitive measures to which errant individuals are subjected for purposes of either retribution or rehabilitation in atonement for their misdeeds. In describing disciplines, Foucault goes through a description of what they are not. For one, disciplines are not slavery because they do not involve the ownership of the body and its attendant violence. They are not served because they do not subject the individual will to the expressed will of the master. Disciplines are not vassalage because the latter entails a distant relationship that exerts no power over individual behavior or department, but only on the claim to the products of labor and ritual symbols of loyalty. Finally, they are not ascetism, which is a spiritual renunciation of things worldly, and seeks to increase one’s utility over his own body – the reverse of what disciplines do. Foucault draws a parallel between economic exploitation and disciplinary coercion: "If economic exploitation separates the force and the product of labor, [then] disciplinary coercion establishes in the body the constricting link between an increased aptitude and an increased domination† (Foucault, 1977:138).... They are not service, because they do not subject the individual will to the expressed will of the master. Disciplines are not vassalage because the latter entails a distant relationship that exerts no power over individual behaviour or deportment, but only on the claim to the products of labor and ritual symbols of loyalty. Finally, they are not ascetism, which is a spiritual renunciation of things worldly, and seeks to increase one’s utility over his own body – the reverse of what disciplines do. Foucault draws a parallel between economic exploitation and disciplinary coercion: â€Å"If economic exploitation separates the force and the product of labour, [then] disciplinary coercion establishes in the body the constricting link between an increased aptitude and an increased domination† (Foucault, 1977:138). Clearly, then, the aim of discipline is to make the body more capable to do things in a certain way, while at the same time detaching this competency from t he individual’s will over it in favour of a higher degree of obedience to the external will. Discipline then is a â€Å"political anatomy of detail† (p. 139), and the results of discipline then are obedient or â€Å"docile† bodies. Foucault broadly traces the genealogy of disciplinary methods that span centuries. First among these is the art of distributions which refers to how the spatial allocation of individuals influences the body to comply with what is desired of the individual. These refer to enclosures such as factories, schools, barracks; partitioning, where â€Å"each individual has his own place, and each place its individual† (Foucault 1977:143); and functional sites architecturally designed to enhance supervision and

Operation Management of Best Buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Management of Best Buy - Essay Example However, in a global restructuring program, the company closed its Shanghai headquarters in 2011 plus other nine stores (Zhihao, 2012). Despite being seen as a saviour, after other electronics retail companies that had failed, Best Buy was forced to shut down operations because of several reasons. According to Baijia (2013), the company operated on small scale. As such, it could not take advantage of economies of scale aimed at lowering costs. Additionally, the company failed to strike a balance between lowering prices while at the same time providing high quality services. This meant that despite offering low prices on its products, these products did not satisfy customer needs. As such, many customers were dissatisfied with the product quality hence many preferred those produced by rivals. With fewer customers using its products compared to competitors, there were reduced profits. Furthermore, there was an unsuccessful strategic adjustment in the United States hence forcing the company to shut down its branded stores in 2010. After the shutdown, only outlets branded Five Stars were still in operation. The Five Sta r brand was the one that people in China recognized more than Best Buy branded stores, hence the need to leave it in operation. Additionally, the Five Star brand had been in operation for longer compared to Best Buy stores in China (Zhihao, 2012). The numerous challenges forced the Company to shut down its China stores in order to focus on an expansion plan in areas that were deemed more profitable. Focus was on areas like the United States of America which were viewed as being profitable with more growth opportunities (Bloomberg News, 2011). The failure of Company to do well in China can be attributed to its inability to fully understand the Chinese market. Whereas its target market was the middle class, it was unable to judge what these shoppers were interested in buying.

Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Corporate Governance - Essay Example 5,6). A Director is considered independent provided he or she is free of any business or other relationship with CCA or a related party which could reasonably be perceived to materially interfere with the exercise of their unfettered and independent judgment. A related party for this purpose would include the Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 9). a) Does the board have a remuneration/ compensation committee? Yes, the Board has a compensation committee which gives the quantum and structure of compensation(Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 14). The Board (on the recommendations of the Committee) has set a remuneration strategy that supports and drives the achievement of CCA’s strategic objectives (Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 19). b) Does the board monitor and review outcomes of the remuneration system in place to ensure that the remuneration system is operating as intended?Yes, The Compensation Committee (Committee) is responsible for reviewing the nature and amount of the Group Managing Directors and senior executives’ remuneration (Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 19). a) Does the board oversee the overall function of the company of strategic objectives, risk strategy, corporate governance and corporate values? Yes, the coca cola company has laid a good foundation of management and oversight which includes monitoring, reviewing and laying a strategic direction for the company(Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 9). b) Do the board members posses appropriate experience, competencies and personal qualities and qualified to hold the governance position?Yes, the nomination Committee reviews the Board’s composition to ensure that it comprises Directors with the right mix of skills, experience, expertise and diversity to enable it to fulfill its responsibilities to shareholders (Coca-Cola Amatil Limited , 2012, p. 9). c) Has the board established a proper

Business profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business profile - Essay Example Poffertjes are always sold in portions which can contain one or two dozens of them. These food products can be packed and sold in plastic plates, or cardboards, and are always accompanied by a disposable fork. It is possible to sale poffertjes when they are ready made; all that a customer needs to do is to microwave them. Poffertjes can be sold when they are ready made, and on this basis, they will always be accompanied by small portions of butter, and powdered sugar. Some business people can also produce poffertjes but serve it with milk and eggs. This type of poffertjes contains a leavening agent such as baking powder. Apart from butter and powdered sugar, poffertjes can also be served with strawberry and white whipped cream (Moor, 2012). Poffertjes can also be referred to as the Indonesian cuisine. This is because Indonesia has some very strong historical ties with the Netherlands. This is because Indonesia was a colony of Netherlands. Why the name Poffertjes: This term poffertjes first appeared in the 1700s, when the first recipe for the cuisine was developed. During this period, this cuisine was considered a poor man’s food, and was made from water, yeast and buckwheat flour. This is because buckwheat only grew in arid areas, and on most occasions, it is the poor people who resided in these areas (Moor, 2012). When producing it for domestic use, the product is baked on a cast iron pan. When producing it commercially, the product is baked on dimpled large copper plates. However, there are special materials developed to bake these products. These facilities are referred to as poffertjespan. For a chef to know if these products are actually baking, they usually produce a puff like sound, when they are being turned around (Moor, 2012). That is why they are called the poffertjes, derived from the puff like sound they produce while they are being prepared. Recipe: To produce this cuisine, the following are the requirements (Moor, 2012); 1 cup of warm milk . Three quarters of teaspoon dry yeast. 2 cups of buckwheat flour. Butter. Powdered sugar 2 eggs. Pinch salt. Method of Preparation: The first step is to sprinkle yeast on the warm milk, and thereafter setting it aside so that it should proof. When this milk product is ready, then the next step is to mix it with flour and eggs, slowly adding milk to it (Moor, 2012). During this process, it is important to stir it well, as this will ensure that there aren’t any lumps on the product. After this is done, then the next step is to cover the product, and leave it for about 45 minutes. This is for purposes of making it to rise. After the 45 minutes are over, then the chef has to heat the pan, and thereafter butter each dimple. The cook should use small portions of butter during this process (Moor, 2012). When bubbles begin appearing on the surface, and sides dry up, then they are ready to be served. How to sale the product in Dubai: Dubai is a cosmopolitan Arabian country, and as su ch, it hosts a variety of foreigners who came from Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Since this is a European delicacy, my target market will mostly center on the Europeans. However, I will also seek to sale this cuisine to the native people of Dubai. I believe, they will like the new experience. I intend to sale this cuisine as a ready made food product. This is because I will be operating a kiosk, and therefore it will be very expensive to hire cooks, who will be making it,

How is the dimension of color treated in the cartoon 'Spongebob Coursework

How is the dimension of color treated in the cartoon 'Spongebob Squarepants' (i.e. Is it realistic, or surreal) - Coursework Example The main character of the story, Sponebod Squarepants is given a mix of bright and dull yellow color. When individually assessing the color scheme of the main character, primarily a realistic approach can be observed. The color yellow goes along with the concept of a typical realistic kitchen sponge. Adding to it, the character has been given a dull pattern on the sides of its body. This connects the character to the factual state of a kitchen sponge, which is rubbed and squeezed turning it dull and pale. Though in this aspect there is a realistic approach in the treatment of color, while considering the cumulative visual impact of this character along with other animate and inanimate characters, the approach can be observed to be surreal. Contrasting combinations of colors are quite frequently used all through the cartoon series. The color schemes used in the cartoon are quite uncommon in real life scenario. However, the cartoon being inspired by the underwater world, this surreal approach helps the viewers connect to their own imaginations of a world they have not

Effects of Language Difference on Subsidiary Performance Essay - 1

Effects of Language Difference on Subsidiary Performance - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that multinational enterprises investment firms struggle to diversify in their field of investment in foreign countries. This is because they focus on hiring and recruiting new employees of different language backgrounds in their respective nationalities. Language can be termed or described a chosen unique system of conceptual symbols that let individuals communicate effectively. Language generally is the greatest used mediator which facilitates understanding and relation between management, employees, and customers of every given business. A multi linguistic human resource usually gives out benefits, for example, a larger and wider range of perspectives. This workforce also gives a greater competitive ability generally in the marketplace globally. Multinational enterprises that are venturing into new economies are faced with the new language and cultures which should be overcome to ensure organizational goals and objectives are achieved. M ultinational enterprises can be defined as financial firms and entities that are involved in the supply of services and goods in at least two or more economies. These corporations are large in size and they are involved in different forms and fields of business activities in different countries. Increased competition, venturing into new business form and globalization has forced most business firms alongside with their employees to interact with different nationalities. This has been caused by variation in availability of resources. Surveys show that languages play an important part in communication in multinational enterprises. A workforce with different language background may encounter language barrier if working together. This leads to misunderstanding it also suggests that language barrier causes ineffective communication or it may cause miscommunication within a company. According to past studies, they indicate that language does not only facilitate communication. The language barrier will not affect the human resource only, it also hinders effective communication. Customers will find it hard to communicate out their need or even fail to get important information about particular or certain services or products being offered by Multinational Corporation.

IPods & the American Teenager Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IPods & the American Teenager - Research Paper Example or nano, this particular product continues to innovate and thus has maintained its supreme position at the helm of the personal listening device field. With bright new flashy skins, as well as a series of interfaces which tie directly into the Apple network, the innovation of the iPod continues and has ensured that this product remains at the forefront of an ever-changing industry. Teenagers are the primary audience for Apple’s strategic marketing campaigns as they are also an important buying demographic unencumbered by major financial obligations. Teenagers are the demographic who may be able to afford to spend $250 on the latest iPod or the accessories associated with the latest personal mp3 player. Because teenagers often have more disposable and non-discretionary income than most other demographic groups, they have been the target audience for the iPod since it was released. Importantly, Apple Computer has added new video capabilities of the iPods. How will this impact th e American teenager? (Levy 44-60). iPods originated as personal listening devices more than eight years ago and there have been many changes associated with this particular product. Apple Computer has always been at the forefront of innovative change in a competitive industry and the iPod remains a product which is continuing to evolve. Through its many endeavors, Apple has successful appealed to a young generation of technically savvy teenagers intent on being in the forefront of fashion, music and technological innovation. Through the introduction of the sleek Apple personal computer to the iPod, iTouch and now the iPhone, Apple has consistently staked a claim for its specific demographic. Apple remains at the forefront of the digital revolution and the latest edition of the iPod is its next natural progression in the increasingly popular hand-held personal music device industry. The decision by Apple Computer to add a new video capability to its iPod will have a variety of

Learn to think critically Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learn to think critically - Essay Example How do you do that without carrying out this problem-options process again and again I would like to suggest a way to stop this regress by turning an option into a step towards a goal or objective that needs to come about because of my action. What am I trying to accomplish by doing this versus that Once I have that, all the rest falls into place. For example, in this exercise, how can I answer the question of which critical thinking skill can I or should I develop more I can say one option for this problem is to stay up all night to get this paper turned in on time. Another answer is a goal, a condition or state of what it would be like that I want to have. That desired state might be something like this: I will always be prepared for the requirements of school. From this ideal, action steps (options) come, and may include for me to prioritize everyday challenges at school such that I can turn my work in on time and perhaps get better grades. The option of staying up all night for a one-page paper then is not optimal. It does not help me get to my goal or objective very well. Think of what it would mean for me. I have. Staying up late or working all night will deprive me of my beauty rest, another important goal of mine.

Court Structure in Srilanka Essay Example for Free

Court Structure in Srilanka Essay The Supreme Court is the highest and final court of record, and exercises final civil and criminal appellate jurisdiction. Litigants who do not agree with a decision of the original court, be it civil, criminal, or Court of Appeal, may take the case before the Supreme Court, with permission from the Court of Appeal, or special permission from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, however, will only agree to consider cases involving a substantial legal issue. The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and not less than six, and not more than ten, other judges. Cases that fall under the several jurisdictions of the Supreme Court are exercised, subject to provisions in the Constitution, by a bench of at least three judges of the Supreme Court. Thus different cases may be heard at the same time by several judges of the Supreme Court sitting apart. Appeals of decisions of a High Court Trial at Bar are heard by a Bench of five or more Supreme Court judges. The Constitution provides for temporary restrictions on fundamental rights if national security issues are involved. This determination and opinion of the Supreme Court should be by at least five judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, except for in the event of the Chief Justice’s recusal. The Chief Justice’s recusal will result in another judge of the Supreme Court taking the Chief Justice’s place. The Constitutional Council’s approval is not required if the appointment is for a period of less than 14 days. The age of retirement for Supreme Court judges is 65 years. COURT OF APPEAL The Court of Appeal is the first appellate court for decisions of all original courts and certain Tribunals. The Court of Appeal is composed of the President of the Court, and not less than six, and not more than eleven other judges. Many cases at the Court of Appeal are presided over by a single judge. The Court of Appeal hears appeals against judgments of the High Courts. It exercises appellate jurisdiction for the correction of errors in fact or in law at a High Court, or any Court of first instance, or Tribunal, or other Institution. In addition to the jurisdiction to affirm, reverse, correct, or modify a judgment, the Court of Appeal may give directions to a Court of first instance, Tribunal, or other Institution, or order a new trial, or order additional hearings as the Court of Appeal deems appropriate. â€Å"Even when there is no right of appeal from a particular court or tribunal, [the Court of Appeal] can exercise [its] powers of ‘revision’ and quash the original court’s or tribunal’s order [based on] an error of law apparent [in] the record.† 1The Court of Appeal, if appropriate, also has the authority to issue a ‘stay order’ and suspend proceedings in a lower court until the revision application is heard and determined. The Court of Appeal also has the authority to receive and admit new evidence additional, or supplementary, to evidence already recorded in a court of first instance. Appeals of judgments, sentences and orders at a High Court Trial at Bar are forwarded directly to the Supreme Court by virtue of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, No.21 of 1988. The Court of Appeal, in exercising its power to examine and reverse a judgment of any court of first instance, has the authority to examine any record of any court of first instance. The Court exercises jurisdiction to grant writs of habeas corpus in order to bring before the Court a person who has to be dealt with according to the law, or to bring before the Court a person illegally or improperly detained in public or private custody. Court of Appeal cases are now published in Sri Lanka Law Reports. As of October 2012, Court of Appeal cases from 1809 through 2005 are accessible online. See section on Cases, Bills, and Acts. HIGH COURTS Trials at a High Court are conducted by the State (Sri Lanka), through the Attorney-General’s Department. The Attorney-General’s Department prosecutes on behalf of the State. Murder trials and various offenses against the State are tried at the High Court; other criminal offenses are tried at a Magistrate’s Court. While some High Court trials will have a jury, some trials will not have a jury. The types of cases that require a jury are provided in the Second Schedule of the Judicature Act No.2 of 1978. Also, the Attorney-General has the authority to determine whether a case that does not fall into a category provided in the Second Schedule of the Judicature Act No.2 of 1978 should nonetheless have a jury. The Penal Code stipulates the types of cases argued in a High Court: â€Å"The Penal Code defines most of the criminal offenses known to our law. And the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. No: 15 of 1979 sets out which of these offenses [can be tried] by each court [High Court and Magistrate’s Court].† The High Court is composed of not less than ten and not more than forty judges. This Court sits in 16 provinces in the country (16 High Courts). Judges of the High Court are appointed by the President of the Republic on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, and in consultation with the Attorney-General. The President of the Republic, acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, exercises authority in disciplinary matters concerning the High Court judges. The President may terminate the service of a High Court judge on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) was established by the enactment of Article 111D of the Constitution, incorporated by the 17th Amendment, which became effective on October 3, 2001. The JSC is composed of the Chief Justice (as Chairman) and two other judges of the Supreme Court appointed by the President of the Republic. The age of retirement for High Court judges is 61. 4. DISTRICT COURTS District Courts are the Courts of first instance for civil cases. District Courts have jurisdiction over all civil cases not expressly assigned to the Primary Court or a Magistrate’s Court. Sri Lanka has 54 judicial districts. Every District Court is a court of record and is vested with unlimited original jurisdiction in all civil, revenue, trust, insolvency and testamentary matters, other than issues that are assigned to any other court by law. Certain specific civil issues handled by the District Courts include: i. Cases related to ownership of land. ii. Action by landlords to eject tenants. iii. Action to recover debts of more than Rs. 1,500. iv. Action in connection with trademark and patent rights, and infringement of copyright laws. v. Claims for compensation of more than Rs. 1, 500 for injuries caused by negligence. vi. Divorce cases (Formerly, divorce cases were handled by the now defunct Family Courts). Judges of the District Courts are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (See section on High Courts for information on the JSC). The JSC has the power to dismiss and maintain disciplinary control over the District Court judges. The retirement age for District Court judges, generally, is 60 years. 5. MAGISTRATE’S COURTS The Magistrate’s Courts are established under the Judicature Act, No.2 of 1978. Each Judicial division has one Magistrate’s Court, and there are 74 judicial divisions in Sri Lanka. Each Magistrate’s Court is vested with original jurisdiction over criminal offenses (other than offenses committed after indictment in the High Court.) In cases involving criminal law, the Magistrate’s Courts and the High Court are the only Courts with primary jurisdiction. The respective domains of these Courts are detailed in the Code of Criminal Procedure. Appeals from these courts of first instance may be made to the Court of Appeal and, under certain circumstances, to the Supreme Court, which exercises final appellate jurisdiction. The vast majority of the nation’s criminal cases are tried at the Magistrate’s Courts level, which forms the lowest level of the judicial system. Cases may be initiated at a Magistrate’s Court by any police officer or by anyo ne else making an oral or written complaint to the Magistrate. The Magistrate is empowered to make an initial investigation of the complaint, and to determine whether his or her Court has proper jurisdiction over the matter, whether the matter should be tried by the High Court, or whether the matter should be dismissed. If it is determined that the Magistrate’s Court has the proper jurisdiction over the matter, the prosecution may be conducted by the complainant (plaintiff), or by an officer of the Government, including the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General, a state counsel, or any officer of any national or local government office. At the trial, the accused has the right to call and cross-examine witnesses. Trials are conducted without a jury, and the verdict and sentence are given by the Magistrate. Any party in a case who is in disagreement with a judgment has the right to appeal the judgment, on any point of law or fact, at the Court of Appeal. If the police decide not to institute criminal proceedings in a Magistrate’s Court, the complainant has the option of filing a private plaint, and the complainant may retain an attorney for this purpose. As indicated earlier, while murder trials and various offenses against the State (Sri Lanka) are tried in a High Court, other criminal offenses are tried in a Magistrate’s Court. The Penal Code defines which court, a Magistrate’s Court or a High Court, has the necessary jurisdiction (Code of Criminal Procedure Act No.15 of 1979). If a new offense is codified by law, for instance the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the relevant statute will indicate the manner of trial. The Magistrate’s Courts are ordinarily empowered to impose the following sentences: A fine of up to Rs. (rupees) 1,500.00, and/or two years of rigorous or simple imprisonment, unless special provisions vest the Magistrate’s Courts with the power to impose higher penalties. Magistrates are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and the Commission exercises disciplinary oversight over the judges, including the power of dismissal (See section on High Courts for information on the Judicial Service Commission). The retirement age for Magistrate’s Court judges, generally, is 60 years. 6. PRIMARY COURTS Each Primary Court is vested with the following jurisdictions: I. Original civil jurisdiction over cases involving debt, damages, demands, or claims that do not exceed Rs. 1,500. Ii. Enforcement of by-laws by local authorities and disputes relating to recovery of revenue by these local authorities. iii. Exclusive criminal jurisdiction over cases relating to offenses â€Å"prescribed† by regulation by the Justice Minister. iv. Offenses in violation of the provisions of any Parliamentary Act, or subsidiary legislation, that is related to jurisdiction vested in the Primary Courts. The Primary Courts are established under the Judicature Act, No.2 of 1978. There are seven Primary Courts: One each in Anamaduwa, Angunukolapelessa, Kandy, Mallakam, Pilessa, Wellawaya and Wennappuwa. In all other divisions, the Magistrate’s Court exercises the jurisdiction of the Primary Courts. Requests for revision of orders made by a Primary Court are handled by the High Court in that province. All Primary Court judges are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which is also vested with the power of dismissal of the Primary Court judges (See section on â€Å"High Courts† for information on the JSC). Generally, the retirement age for Primary Court judges is 60. 7. MEDIATION BOARDS The mediation Boards Act of 1995 and subsequent amendments govern these mediation aspects. The Minister has power to set up Mediation Boards and set the areas that will come under such mediation boards. Commercial mediations are reality now in SL.Arbitration ; Is also another form of dispute resolution . Arbitration Act of 1995 and subsequent amendments govern the procedureTribunals- Labour Tribunal established under industrial Disputes Act provides provisions for the employees to institute action against employers.Agricultural Tribunals established under the Agrarian Services Act of 1979 enables settling disputes as to cultivation and related matters.Read Judicature Act , Constitution of Sri Lanka , Books on Legal System about Sri Lanka for further details. Visit website of Minisrty of Justice as well to get current information 8. OTHER COURTS AND TRIBUNALS The other courts include the Kathi Court, the special tribunal that adjudicates on matrimonial matters relating to Muslims. Buddhist ecclesiastical matters that fall under the purview of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance of 1931 are heard by the ordinary courts. Disciplinary matters pertaining to Buddhist clergy are handled by religious councils which are under the authority of the Buddhist priests themselves. There are numerous administrative tribunals, such as the Inland Revenue Board of Appeal, The Workmen’s Compensation Tribunals, Labor Tribunals, the Board of Appeal under the Factories Ordinance, Tribunals under Agricultural Productivity Law, Labor Tribunals under the Wages Board Ordinance, etc. Most decisions of these tribunals can be appealed at the Court of Appeal; when regarding a substantial question of law, the decision of the Court of Appeal may be taken up at the Supreme Court. REFERNCE âž ¢ http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/sri_lanka.htm âž ¢ http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/research/srilanka/legalsystem.html âž ¢ http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Sri-Lanka-JUDICIAL-SYSTEM.html#ixzz2KPq331RT

3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria Research

3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria Research A distinct type of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria due to a mutation in the Translocase of Inner Mitochondrial Membrane 50 (TIMM50) gene Abstract BACKGROUND: 3-methylglutaconic aciduria biochemically characterized by increased urinary excretion of 3-methylglutaconic acid result from defective leucine metabolism and disorders affecting mitochondrial function though in many cases the cause remains unknown. Recently mutations in mitochondrial TIMM50 gene has been reported in four patients from two unrelated families. We report additional mutations in TIMM50 gene in 6 individuals from two unrelated consanguineous families with a distinctive type of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. METHODS:Â  We report on three patients of South Asian ancestry with intractable epilepsy, microcephaly, developmental delay, visual deficit spastic quadriplegia and three Caucasian patients of eastern European origin with intellectual disability with or without seizure. Metabolic testing revealed mild lactic acidosis and excretion of large amount of 3-methylglutaconic acid in urine in all patients. Full exome sequencing was performed using genomic DNA isolated from one surviving patient, two healthy siblings and both parents of South Asian family. Exome sequencing was also performed for Caucasian patients of eastern European origin. RESULTS:Â  Exome sequencing identified two homozygous mutation Gly372Ser and Iso392Thr mutations in the gene TIMM50. There were no other candidate alterations in exome that could explain the phenotype in the proband. The mutations are located in the conserved C-terminal domain of the Tim50 protein that interacts with the N-terminal domain of the Tim23 protein in the intermembrane space and regulates mitochondrial protein import of presequence-containing polypeptides Both parents are heterozygous. CONCLUSION: Given the phenotypic similarilty of the patients from two unrelated families and an earlier report of mutations in additional family, we conclude that TIMM50 gene mutation results in a novel mitochondrial disorder with 3-methyl glutaconic aciduria. INTRODUCTION 3-methylglutaconic aciduria (MGCA), an increase in urinary 3-methylglutaconic acid or 3-methylglutaric acid, can be a nonspecific finding in mitochondrial disorders, organic aciduria, urea cycles disease, neuromuscular disorders. but is a consistent abnormality of 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase deficiency and patients with mutations in TAZ, SERAC1, OPA3, DNAJC19 and TMEM70 gene1. These genes all encode mitochondrial membrane or membrane related proteins. In 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase deficiency due to mutation in AUH gene , 3-methylglutaconic acid derives from 3-methylglutaconyl CoA (3MG CoA), an intermediate in leucine catabolism1. It has been proposed that in other disorders, 3-methylglutaconic acid derives from aberrant isoprenoid shunting from cytosol to mitochondria via mevalonate pathway or redirection of mitochondrial acetyl CoA toward production of 3MGA due to an increase in the intra-mitochondrial NADH/NAD+ ratio resulting from mutation induced impairment in electron transport chain or Kreb cycle function 2. Examples of mitochondrial include Barth syndrome, a cardioskeletal myopathy with neutropenia, abnormal mitochondria and MGCA. Barth syndrome is caused by X-linked recessive mutations in the TAZ gene which encodes the mitochondrial membrane localized transacylase involved in the maturation of cardiolipin. Autosomal recessive mutations in the OPA3 gene (OMIM: 606580), the mouse ortholog of which encodes a mitochondrial inner membrane protein of unknown function, cause MGCA3 (OMIM: 258501), a neuroopthalmologic syndrome characterized by early-onset bilateral optic atrophy and later-onset spasticity, extrapyramidal dysfunction and cognitive deficit. MGCA5 (OMIM: 610198) is yet another form of MGCA caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the DNAJC19 gene (OMIM: 608977) and in addition to increased urinary excretion of 3-methylglutaconic acid, patients present with infancy or childhood onset dilated cardiomyopathy, microcytic anemia, mild muscle weakness and ataxia. Many patients die of cardiac failure. The DNAJC19 gene encodes the human homolog of the yeast Tim14 which is a part of the Tim23 mitochondrial protein import machinery and hasbeen shown to interact with the mtHsp70 in an ATP-dependent manner to regulate Tim23 function (Davey, 2006). WE report a distinct type of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria resulting from a mutation in mitochondrial TIMM50 gene in 3 sibs from a consanguineous family. We initially reported these xases in abstract form. Recently two different mutations in mitochondrial TIMM50 gene have been reported in four patients with 3 methylglutaconic aciduria, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability and lactic acidosis. Subjects Family 1 Family 1 has three affected sibs of South Asian ancestry with intractable epilepsy, microcephaly, developmental delay, visual deficit spastic quadriplegia. Two affected sibs died unexpectedly when they were visiting families in a remote area of a South Asian country. Metabolic testing had revealed large amount of 3-methylglutaconic acid in urine in all three affected sibs. The patients have a healthy brother and a healthy sister. Mother and father are first cousins. Detailed clinical history, imaging, EEG and metabolic testing were obtained for all affected persons. Full exome sequencing was performed using genomic DNA isolated from one surviving patient, two healthy siblings and both parents. Patient IV-1. Patient IV-1 was the first born child of the parents and was born at 36 weeks gestation after a normal pregnancy and delivery. Her weight at birth was 1.99 kg. Her weight, height and head circumference were always below 5th centile. She also had asthma and frequent episodes of pneumonia presumably due to aspiration, but the family refused G-tube placement. She was severely delayed. She never sat, stand or spoke. She has poor head control, truncal hypotonia but very brisk tendon jerks and sustained clonus. Funduscopy revealed bilateral optic atrophy. She developed seizures at 1 year of age. EEG revealed multifocal spikes arising from both hemispheres. She was treated with phenobarbital and Zonegran but family was noncompliant with medications. She continued to have daily myoclonic jerks. MRI at 2.5 and 5 years of age showed increased T2 signal in basal ganglia and periventricular white matter, brain atrophy, prominent ventricle, increased extraxial fluid. Normal liver en zymes and blood count, normal blood and CSF glucose and a serum ammonia of 21. Several serum lactate levels were mildly elevated. Lactate 2.8, 4.5 (Pyruvate 0.23), 5.4 (normal 0.7 to 2.1) Lactate to pyruvate ratio 20:1. Urine organic acid analysis revealed very high lactic acid, 3-methylglutaconic acid, and 3-methylglutaric acid. Muscle biopsy revealed only scattered atrophic muscle fibers on electron microscopy. Respiratory chain enzyme activities were within normal limits. She died at 7.5 years of age apparently due to complications from an infection while she was visiting families in a remote area of a South Asian country. Patient IV-4 was twin A born at 36 weeks gestation after an uncomplicated twin pregnancy. Her weight, height and head circumference were always below 5th centile. She was severely delayed. She never sat, stand or spoke. She has poor head control, truncal hypotonia but very increased reflexes and spasticity in the limbs. At nine-month-of age, she started to experience several episodes of eye fluttering and body jerking. Her EEG reved slow background, poor sleep architecture and frequent multifocal spike and sharp wave activities coming from both the left and right hemispheres. Her seizures were treated with Zonegran and was poorly controlled but parents refused more aggressive treatment of seizures. Metabolic testing revealed mild elevation of lactate and moderate increase of 3 methylglutaconic, 3 methylglutaric acids in urine. A brain MRI at 11-month-of age revealed diffuse volume loss supratentorially with prominent sulci and extraaxial fluid spaces, mild enlargement of the ventricl es and patchy signal abnormalities in the basal ganglia bilaterally, especially involving the caudate nuclei and putamen. On spectroscopy with voxel placed in the right basal ganglia with short and long TE, there was a lactate peak which inverted on long TE spectrum. Also, the NAA peak was low with NAA to creatinine being 1.15 on short echo and 1.29 on long echo spectrum. Also, the choline was elevated with choline/creatine ratio being 1.00 on short echo and 1.41 on long echo images. She died at 1.5 years of age apparently due to complications of an infection while she was visiting families in a remote area of a South Asian country. Patient IV-5 is a 13 year old female of South Asian ancestry, with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria intractable epilepsy, microcephaly, developmental delay, visual deficit and spastic quadriplegia. She was born at 36 weeks gestation after an uncomplicated twin pregnancy. She was twin B and stayed in NICU for 18 days for feeding issues. Her weight was 1.4 kg and she was not intubated. Patient first presented with seizures at 3 months of age with eyelid fluter and jerking of extremities. Her initial EEG revealed multifoal spikes. Initial biochemical evaluation revealed normal serum and CSF glucose, normal ammonia and liver enzymes. Serum lactate and CSF lactate 4.24 mmol were mildly elevated . Lactate was 2.7. Ammonia 25. Serum amino increased alanine 43.6 micromol/dl (9.9-34.5). Csf lactate 4.24 mmol. CSF alanine 7 micromol/dl (0.6 -4.7). There were also mild elevations of serum and CSF valine, leucine, isoleucine and alanine and lysine. Urine organic analysis revealed moderate increase of 3 methylglutaconic, 3 methylglutaric, glutaric, adipic, suberic, and sebacic acids. MRI of brain at 11 months of age revealed severe atrophic changes involving gray and white matter, predominantly of the cerebrum. Grossly abnormal signal is seen in the basal ganglia, particularly the caudate nucleus and the putamen with relative sparing of the globus pallidus and thalamus. A recent MRI (at age 13 years) reveals severe but stable atrophic changes of the gray and white matter of the supra and infratentorial brain, stable white matter changes of the putamen, caudate nucleus and periventricular white matter, Scattered diffusion restriction in the retrotrigonal white matter, compatible with active demyelination and atrophic changes of the optic nerves. Her seizures were treated with with Keppra, Lamictal, Zonegran and Onfi. She also receives carnitine. She continues to have brief episodes of whole body stiffening each week, but the family was also not very compliant with medications. He r current EEG shows slow background for age, poorly formed sleep spindles indicatvie of diffuse neuronal dysfunction, frequent multifocal interictal spike and wave suggests increased risk of seizures arising from multiple foci and hypsarrhythmia in sleep . She has failure to thrive despite G-tube feeding. At 12 years of age, G-tube was placed due to history of aspirations. Height, weight and head circumference below 5th centile. She is severely delayed. She is nonverbal and never learned to sit independently, stand or walk. She recognizes family members, responds to their voice and looks and smiles at them. Her fundoscopy shows mild optic atrophy. She has bilateral esotropia and dysconjugate gaze. She has poor head control and truncal hypotonia, but her limbs are spastic and her tendon reflexes are very brisk. Family 2 Patient V:1 was the first son of Caucasian consanguineous parents (IV:4 and IV:5) of Eastern European origin. Within the context of an organic acid and amino acid study in young and adult subjects with non-syndromic developmental delay and intellectual disability, he was investigated at the age of 17 years and presented with a developmental language disorder (involving semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic components of the linguistic system), emotional and communicative problems (fearful, aggressive, and loner), and hyperactivity. On neuropsychological testing he showed a short attention span. The child was born at term after an uneventful pregnancy and his birth weight was 2.9 kg. At 4 months of age he was affected by myoclonic jerks that were controlled by administration of valproic acid and lamotrigine. Developmental delay was observed starting from the middle of the first year of life, accompanied by decreased muscle tone. He could walk without support only at 6 years. At last medi cal exam, the patient showed a reduced muscle mass (height 148 cm, Z-score 3.43; weight 38 kg, Z-score 4.21; BMI 17.1 kg/m2, Z-score 2.02) and a head circumference of 51 cm (Z-score 2.76). Due to refusal of parents, no brain imaging studies could be performed. Fundoscopic examination was normal. Laboratory tests, including creatine phosphokinase (CPK), liver enzymes and plasma amino acids, were normal. The profile of urinary organic acids showed a large peak of 3-methylglutaconic acid (113 mmol/mol creatine) and a slightly increased level of 3-methylglutaric acid (17 mmol/mol creatinine). Patient V:3 was the younger brother of V:1, the third child of IV:4 and IV:5. He was investigated at the age of 11 years and presented with a clinical phenotype (developmental delay and intellectual and behavioral disorder) similar to that of his brother. The pregnancy and early postnatal course was unremarkable and birth weight was 3.1 kg. At 3 months he received valproic acid and lamotrigine to control tonic seizures with sudden stiffening movements of arms and legs. The boy walked independently at 4 years. When he was 9 years, his growing parameters were: height 119 cm (Z-score 2.47), weight 22 kg (Z-score 1.91), BMI 15.5 kg/m2 (Z-score 0.38), and head circumference 48 cm (Z-score 3.52). Neuropsychological exam revealed mental retardation and impaired communicative skills, including poor language abilities (few repetitive words with no sentences). Occasionally, the patient is aggressive. Ophthalmologic examination revealed left esotropia. High levels of 3-methylglutaconic acid (15 5 mmol/mol creatine) were identified in urine, together with smaller amounts of 3-methylglutaric acid (22 mmol/mol creatinine). Patient V:5 was the second son of consanguineous parents (IV:9 and IV:10) related to those of patients V:1 and V:3. The girl was delivered by cesarean section because of growth arrest at 37 week. The neonate showed no external malformations. Birth weight was 2.1 kg. In the following years, the clinical phenotype was characterized by delayed developmental milestones, nocturnal enuresis, severe cognitive impairment, speech retardation, and lack of communicative skills. Results of the electroencephalogram were normal. No brain imaging data are available. On a few occasions, levels of ammonia and lactic acid were found to be slightly elevated, but these results could not be confirmed by repeated blood analyses. Plasma levels of amino acids are within normal range. Fundoscopic examination was normal up to 7 years, but since then there is evidence of mild bilateral optic atrophy. Urine levels of of 3-methylglutaconic acid and 3-methylglutaric acid were 176 mmol/mol creatine and 29 mmol/mol creatinine, respectively. DISCUSSION Deleterious Nature of the TIMM50 gene alteration: TIMM50 NM_001001563 c.1114G>A p.G372S The p.G372S variant (also known as c.1114G>A), located in coding exon 9 of the TIMM50 gene, results from a G to A substitution at nucleotide position 1114. The glycine at codon 372 is replaced by serine, an amino acid with somewhat similar properties. The alteration is not observed in healthy cohorts: Based on data from the NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP), the TIMM50 c.1114G>A alteration was not observed among 6,503 individuals tested. Allele frequency data for this nucleotide position are not currently available from the 1000 Genomes Project and the alteration is not currently listed in the Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP). Though some variants may appear to be rare due to database-specific ethnic underrepresentation, rare missense alleles commonly exhibit a deleterious effect on protein function (Kryukov, 2007; Tennessen, 2012). The altered amino acid is conserved throughout evolution: The G372 amino acid position is completely conserved in eukaryotes all th e way from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to humans (Mokranjac, 2003). The alteration is predicted deleterious by in silico models: The p.G372S alteration is predicted to be probably damaging and deleterious by PolyPhen and SIFT in silico analyses, respectively. The amino acid is located in a functionally important protein domain: The p.G372S alteration is located in the conserved C-terminal domain of the Tim50 protein that interacts with the N-terminal domain of the Tim23 protein in the inter membrane space and regulates mitochondrial protein import of presequence-containing polypeptides (Geissler, 2002; Yamamoto, 2002; Guo, 2004). The alteration cosegregated with disease in the family herein: Co-segregation analysis revealed that this alteration is present in a heterozygous form in the mother, father and brother, and absent in the sister. Based on the available evidence, the TIMM50 c.1114G>A (p.G372S) alteration is classified as a likely pathogenic mutation. The TIMM50 gene is not currently known to underlie Mendelian disease (aka clinically novel). The TIMM50 gene function is consistent with the probands clinical presentation: The Translocase of Inner Mitochondrial Membrane 50 (TIMM50) gene (OMIM: 607381) is located on human chromosome 19q13.2 and consists of 11 exons. It encodes the Tim50 protein, a 353 amino acid 40 kDA homolog of the yeast Tim50 protein that functions as an integral part of the mitochondrial Tim23 protein import machinery by linking protein translocation across the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes. This interaction was confirmed by the coprecipitation of Tim50 with an antibody against Tim23 (Geissler, 2002; Yamamoto, 2002; Guo, 2004). The authors further confirmed that the C-terminal domain of Tim50 is located in the inter-membrane space (IMS) where it stably binds to the segment of Tim23 that spans the IMS and regulates its function. Nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins are synthesized in the cytosol and subsequently imported into the mitochondria through the function of translocators, the TOM complex of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), and the Tim23 and Tim22 complexes of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) (Jensen, 2002). While the Tim22 complex is involved in the transport and insertion of proteins lacking the presequence into the inner membrane, the Tim23 complex is required to process and insert presequence-containing precursor proteins. The IMM generates a proton motive force that is critical for cellular energy synthesis (Stock, 2000) and the permeability barrier of the IMM needs to be maintained during the transport of proteins through the pore-forming Tim23 protein associated with other IMM proteins such as Tim14 (human DNAJC19), Tim17, Tim21, Tim44 and Tim50. Using various yeast IMM protein mutants, Meinecke et al. (2006) demonstrated that tim17 and tim21 mutant mitochondria displayed membra ne potential values that were comparable to wild type mitochondria, whereas tim50 mutant mitochondria showed a drastic reduction of the membrane potential. Further functional studies revealed that the Tim23 channel is tightly regulated by Tim50 in its inactive state to maintain the IMM permeability barrier and is opened only when presequence-containing polypeptide chains need to be translocated into the mitochondrial matrix or the inter membrane space (IMS). Loss of Tim50 function in yeast led to cellular growth arrest and reduced cell viability (Mokranjac, 2003). Knockdown to Tim50 expression in cultured human cells using RNA mediated interference resulted in an increase in the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis in response to cell death stimuli (Guo, 2004). A 50 kDa isoform of the human mitochondrial TIM50, TIM50a, consisting of 456 amino acids has been found to localize in nuclear speckles, specifically in the Cajal bodies, and interact with small nuclear ribonuclear proteins (snRNPs), the coilin protein and the Survival of Motor Neurons (SMN) protein (Xu, 2005) which has been implicated in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). The protein sequences of the mitochondrial TIM50 and the nuclear TIM50a are identical with the exception of additional 103 amino acids at the N-terminal of TIM50a that are the result of an alternative translational start sequence. This additional N-terminal sequence in TIM50a is thought to contain a putative nuclear localization sequence that allows the Tim50a isoform to display a nucleus specific localization. Based on their results, Xu et al. hypothesized that Tim50a might be involved in the regulation of snRNP biogenesis and possibly the function of the nuclear SMN protein encoded by the SMN1 gene. One of our patien ts had mulsle biopsy. Although there were atrophic changes, no neuropthic pattern was seen. Reference List (1) Wortmann SB, Kluijtmans LA, Rodenburg RJ et al. 3-Methylglutaconic acidurialessons from 50 genes and 977 patients. J Inherit Metab Dis 2013;36:913-921. (2) Ikon N, Ryan RO. On the origin of 3-methylglutaconic acid in disorders of mitochondrial energy metabolism. J Inherit Metab Dis 2016;39:749-756. Legends Legend to Figure 1 Five-generations pedigree of the family with mild 3-methylglutaconic aciduria in which the TIMM50 p.(Ile293Thr) was identified. Subjects V:1, V:3, and V:5 (filled symbols) are patients suffering from intellectual disability and increased urinary excretion of 3-methylglutaconic acid. They are born to consanguineous parents and homozygous for the TIMM50 c.1011T>C mutation predicting the replacement of isoleucine 293 with threonine in the encoded protein. The mutation was inherited by a common ancestor (either I:1 or I:2) and has been identified in the heterozygous state in the clinically and biochemically unaffected subjects III:3, III:4, III:9, IV:2, IV:4; IV:5; IV:9, IV:10, and V:2.

Global toy market

Global toy market 1.0 Background 1.1. Global toy industry Scenario More than 80% of global toy market is generated by three Continents i.e. Europe, North America and Asia. With the recent financial turmoil, the value of toy industry has decreased in two consecutive years, from US$78.67 billion in year 2007 to US$75.033 billion. The shrinking market size is mainly attributed by Western countries, particularly Europe. On the side of the world, Asia registered upward trend in market share for toy market. Chart 1 World Toy Market Scenario NPD analysts attribute the downward trend in global market value for toy industry to the following reasons Low unit price particularly in year end, which intensified further by the financial crises Cannibalization by other games categories namely video games, electronic games etc. In developed market, the per capita usage for toys is high as they are considered to be an important aid in a childs development vis-a-vis a wasteful expenditure in developing nations. The scenario is illustrated in below table:- Table 1 Toy expenditure Country Kids population in 2008 (million) Spending per kid in 2008 (US$) Total available market in 2008 (US$) United States 61.6 $281 $17.31 billion Japan 17.4 $286 $5 billion China 267.4 $17 $4.5 billion United Kingdom 10.3 $348 $3.6 billion France 11.9 $293 $3.5 billion Germany 11.4 $223 $2.5 billion Brazil 52.9 $38 $2.01 billion India 361.4 $5 $1.8 billion Mexico 32.6 $53 $1.7 billion Italy 7.9 $185 $1.5 billion Source: NDP Group, 2009 1.2 Toy Industry Structure Toys are classified into four broad categories, namely Traditional Toys which consist of action figures, dolls, playsets, stuffed animals, models, and other related products Board games Video Games Casino Games Accessories. Globally, the market is dominated by four large players viz: Mattel, Lego, Hasbro Bandai with Mattel the largest and selling toys under the brand Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price etc. Table 2 Global toy makers product portfolio Toy maker Traditional toys brands Board games Video Games Licensing product Mattel Barbie, Break the Safeâ„ ¢, Hot Wheels ®, Matchbox ®, American Girl ®, Fisher-Price ®, Little People ®, Rescue Heroesâ„ ¢, Power Wheels ® UNO Barbie CareNCure, UNO, Barbie Girls, Hot Wheels etc Disney, Warner Bros., Pixar, Viacom International Inc., Sesame Workshop Hasbro My Little Pony, SpongeBob, Toy Story Monopoly, Pictureka, Scrabble Monkeybar Transformer, G.I. Joe, Incredible Hulk, Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Wolverine, Disney, Iron Man Bai Dan Ben 10, Power Ranger, Dragon Ball, Digimon, Blue Dragon NIL Kamen Rider, Harumika, Tamaguchi, Mugen Pop PopTM Ben 10, Power Ranger, Dragon Ball, Ultraman MGA Entertainment Bratz range, Zapf Creation, Little Tikes, Baby born, Chou Chou, MGA games, My-ePets 3D, Resue PetsTM NIL NIL NIL Disney Disney characters NIL Disney characters Disney characters LEGO LEGO bricks NIL LEGO NIL Takara Tomy Plarail, Pocker Moser, Transformers, Tomica die-cast vechicles, Yumel and Nerul, Licca doll line Jinsei Games Tasinoko Production, Game software Disney characters There are several market signals have impacted to toy market. Globally, toy manufacturers are partnering with companies from other sectors, like fast-food chains in their merchandise promotion campaigns, e.g. McDonald Mushrooming of dedicated malls/stores for toys is becoming increasingly visible e.g. Toy â€Å"Râ€Å" us Retail consolidation in overseas markets has changed the landscape for toy exporters. Production of movies based on toy characters for television audience is a unique trend for promoting toy sales in the US. Toy makers are entering into licensing deals with movie studios to make products in the image of film characters e.g. Disney, Sony Picture, Bai Dan etc. 1.3 Mattel Inc. 1.3.1 Mattel Inc. founded by Harold Matt Matson and Elliot Handler (hence the name matt-el) and incorporated in 1948 with Headquarter in Hawethorne, Los Angeles County, California and later relocate to El Segundo, CA in 1990. Barbie was brainchild by Elliot and Ruth Handler co-founders of the Mattel Toy Company. Ruth came up with the idea for Barbie after watching her daughter, Barbara Handler, play with paper dolls. The three-dimensional model for Barbie was a Germen doll Mattel refashioned the doll into an all-American version and named it after Barbara, who was then a teenager. Barbies boyfriend, Ken, was introduced in 1961 and named after Barbaras brother. 1.3.2 Since establishment, Mattels product portfolio has grown from its flagship brand, Barbie, to toy cars, board games, dolls, cuddly toys and education toys – Mattel offers comprehensive product lines to cater for different age groups – new born to adult segments. This can encourage repeat customer and attract different customer profiles with its range of different toys. Table 3 Mattel Inc.s product range by market segments Market segment Brand Infant Pre-school School Kids Tweens @ Pre-teens Teens (12 years above) Adults / Parents Barbie P P P P Fisher Price P P P Hot Wheel P P Tyco Toys P P P American Girls P P Sesame Street P P P UNO P P Scramble P P P MyScene Dolls P 1.3.3 Mattels Corporate Structure 1.3.4 Business Model Broadly, Mattel Inc.s businesses are segmented by geographically – domestically and internally. Mattels presence at Canada, Latin America, European, Asian countries, Australia, and New Zealand. 1.3.5 Along its establishment in the market, Mattel has gone through several hypes and downs†¦ Table 4 Mattel Inc. Events in chronological order Success stories Failures * 1959 – Barbie debut * 1965 – Enters Educational Market with See ‘N Say * 1968 – Hot Wheels Introduced * 1977 – Ventures into Electronic Game Market * 1993 – Merges with Fisher-Price * 1996 – Introduces Tickle Me Elmo * 1998 – Fisher-Price takes control of Infant and Preschool Character Brands * 1998- Acquired Pleasant Company, the maker of the American Girl collection, which is a series of historical dolls, books and accessories * Mattel says the average American girl owns ten Barbie dolls, and two are sold somewhere in the world every second * As a teenage fashion model, Barbie has worn many fabulous fashions. Beginning with her trademark black and white striped swimsuit and swirled ponytail, Barbie has followed style trends as well as blazed her own fashion trail. She even inspired some of fashions top designers * Barbie celebrates her 50th birthday in 2009. * Mattels Barbie opened her first flagship store on March 6, 2009, six-story showpiece at Shanghai . The store will also be a testing ground for new marketing strategies and services, including a design center where visitors can create their own dolls * Sold The Learning Company at a lost in year 2000 * Toxic Toys Scandal. Recalled millions of China-made toys as potential hazards from parts of the toys which were colored using lead-based paint that may have exceeded the US Federal limit of 600 part per million. 18.2 million items were recalled in total in year 2007. 2.0 Mattels Vision and Mission Jennifer 2.1 Mattels Philanthropic Vision To make a meaningful difference, one child at a time. 2.2 Mattels Philanthropic Mission Mattel makes a difference in the global community by effectively serving children in need. Partnering with charitable organizations dedicated to directly serving children, Mattel creates joy through the Mattel Childrens Foundation, product donations, grant making and the work of employee volunteers. We also enrich the lives of Mattel employees by identifying diverse volunteer opportunities and supporting their personal contributions through the matching gifts program. 2.3 Mattels Philanthropic Values We intend to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children in need around the world through our interactions how we play with our communities, our partners, and our volunteers. Play with Passion: By making a meaningful and lasting impact on children globally. Play Together: By forming deep partnerships to enrich the communities in which we work and play, and engaging Mattel employees in our efforts. Play Fair: By acting with unwavering integrity in all aspects of our work. Play to Grow: By striving to make long term differences in the lives of children in need and seeking continuous improvement. 3.0 The External Assessment Ezuan Issues to discuss: Opportunities An alliance with an Asian company, Bandai Weakening dollar makes Mattels products more affordable in many of these new markets greatest pressures to adapting products with the constant changing of society * etc Threats Children abandon tangible toys such Hot Wheels and Barbie for more interactive and technological products. Need extreme careful to protect customers legal and moral reputations by respecting the privacy of the children and their families, which is put in jeopardy every time the website asks a minor to provide information. Global recession problems breaking into foreign markets due to cultural barriers After-effect of Toxic Toys Scandal with 18.2 million items were recalled in total in year 2007 Etc External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix Key Internal Factors Weightage Rating Weighted score Opportunities 1. Barbie an recognizable brand worldwide 0.1 4 0.4 2. Weakening dollar makes results market affordability 0.1 3 0.3 3. Favorable US tariff law 0.05 3 0.15 Threats 1. Children abandon tangible toys for more interactive and technological products. 0.1 1 0.2 2. Global recession cause reduce spending or down trading for toy 0.05 1 0.1 3. Cultural barriers hinder market penetration 0.1 1 0.1 4. High product substitution 0.1 1 0.1 5. Government Regulations and Environmental Quality 0.05 2 0.2 6. Higher bargain power from retailers 0.05 2 0.2 7. Raw material subject to price fluctuation 0.05 2 0.1 8. Highly seasonal business 0.05 2 0.1 9. Rising in ‘cyber @ virtual games 0.1 1 0.1 10. Unpredictable shift in the play patterns of Gen X kids ‘Netizen 0.1 1 0.1 Total 1.00 2.15 Note: Weight factor: 0.0 (not important) to 1.0 (very important) Rating scale: 1 = Major Weakness 2 = Minor Weakness = Minor Strength 4 = Major Strength. Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) for Mattel Inc. Wght. Mattel Inc. Hasbro Bai Dan MGA Ent. Disney LEGO Takara Tomy Rating WS Rating WS Rating WS Rating WS Rating WS Rating WS Rating WS Global Market share 0.10 4 0.4 3 0.3 3 0.3 2 0.2 4 0.4 3 0.3 3 0.3 Product Quality 0.10 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 Product variation 0.15 4 0.6 4 0.6 3 0.45 2 0.3 4 0.6 2 0.6 3 0.6 Price competitive 0.10 3 0.3 3 0.3 4 0.4 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 Technology Innovation 0.10 2 0.2 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 Management Experience 0.10 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 Financial position 0.10 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.3 3 0.1 Customer loyalty 0.15 2 0.3 2 0.3 2 0.3 2 0.3 2 0.3 2 0.3 2 0.3 Global expansion 0.10 3 0.3 4 0.4 4 0.4 2 0.3 4 0.4 4 0.4 2 0.1 Total 1.00 3.0 3.1 3.05 2.7 3.2 3.2 2.7 4.0 The Internal Assessment Ezuan Issues to be discussed: Strengths Long history in toy industry Preferred brand by customers Releasing new product annually follows a code of ethics, as well as requiring ethical actions of their suppliers. contributes to the communities merged with or struck licensing deals with a number of other established brands, including Disney, Fisher Price, Nascar, and even Microsoft. time delivery of products to retailers has soared in recent years from 50% to 90%, due to improvements in information systems and warehouse facilities. product availability has been improved in specific market with collaborative efforts with international firms, specifically Bandai Co. of Japan. able to simultaneously cater products to each markets taste, and maintain high flexibility and low costs by simplifying packaging strategies etc Weaknesses * Until the acquisition of Fisher Price, most of Mattels attempts to expand beyond their primary market of childrens toys were largely unsuccessful  · Etc Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix Key Internal Factors Weightage Rating Weighted score Strengths 1. Barbie as a long established brand – 60 years 0.05 4 0.2 2. Recognizable brand portfolio 0.10 4 0.4 3. Wide product range to cater various life stage 0.10 4 0.4 4. New product launch annually 0.05 3 0.15 5. Business Integrity 0.05 3 0.15 6. Corporate Social Responsibility 0.05 3 0.15 7. Strategic partnership with Microsoft, Disney, BanDai 0.10 3 0.3 8. Energetic management team 0.05 3 0.15 9. Efficient automation of SCM 0.05 3 0.15 10. Trade names and trademarks as significant assets 0.05 4 0.2 Weaknesses 1. Unprofitable mergers and acquisitions 0.05 2 0.1 2. Slipping popularity of their core product, Barbie. 0.10 1 0.1 3. After-effect of Toxic Toys Scandal 0.10 1 0.1 4. History of management struggles and uncertainty 0.05 2 0.1 5. Royalty expense for license agreement 0.05 2 0.1 6. Liquidity problems or bankruptcy of key customers Total 1.00 2.75 Note: Weight factor: 0.0 (not important) to 1.0 (very important) Rating scale: 1 = Major Weakness 2 = Minor Weakness = Minor Strength 4 = Major Strength. 5.0 Strategies in Action Jennifer 6.0 Strategy Analysis and Choice Ismi Strengths [S] Weaknesses [W] Opportunities [O] Threats [T] 7.0 Implementing Strategies 7.1 Background The growth plan for Mattel Inc will be:- Maintaining its Corporate Social Responsibility – sustain its commitment to children, business partners, suppliers and environment Expending its territories with product diversification and business sustainability – strengthen and gain market share Zero product recall to boost up its brand image Below illustrate the direction for Mattel Inc. to concentrate in:- 7.2.0 Mattel Inc.s Direction 7.2.1 Management Operation Strategies The massive recall incidence in 2007 Christmas season will be an occasion to be remembered for Mattel Inc. Thus it is essential for Mattel to enhance its working relationship with their suppliers and business partners. Mattels product lines are manufactured in both company-owned facilities and through third-party manufacturers and the market demand is highly seasonal driven. In order to mitigate, it is crucial for Mattel to ensure just-in-time inventory practices to reduce backlog of orders. Mattel is committed to executing Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) policy in all areas of its business, i.e. to all parties that manufacture, assemble, or distribute any product, or package bearing the Mattel logo, and, will only engage business partners commit to GMP. Mattel will ensure full compliance of GMP by its business partners, and will assist them in meeting GMP requirements. The GMP principles are to ensure there is a holistic approach that all the key stakeholders are being well care off. To ensure the closed monitoring the third party manufacturers, Mattel need to set up Centre of Excellence (CoE) in selected geographical areas strategically. The main function of the CoE is to embark manufacturing intelligent and ensure smooth execution of GMP and developing best practice in the manufacturing for their strategic partners. 7.3 Marketing Strategies 7.3.1 Segmentation Currently, Mattels product range is catered to wide range of age group, Market segment Brand Infant Toddlers Pre-School Kids Tweens @ Pre-teens Teens (12 years above) Adults / Parents Barbie

U.S. Virgin Islands as a Vacation Spot Essay -- essays research papers

US Virgin Islands has a lot to offer whatever it is you are looking for. I am sure you can find it there. The US Virgin Islands are my favorite place outside of Philadelphia because of it stunning landscaping, unlimited duty free shopping and outstanding weather. In US Virgin Islands you can enjoys all activities anything from water sports around the island to a short boat trip to St. John?s and St. Croix. You can take advantage of the duty free shopping or enjoy yourself on the beautiful sandy beaches. Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the United States Virgin Islands and one of the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean. Charlotte Amalie is where the cruise ships dock and the white and pastel houses are heavily sprinkled against a background of emerald hills. Colorful sloops dock along the waterfront, and a few steps back, down alleyways lined with Old Danish warehouse buildings, is a world-famous shopping center. The landscaping in US Virgin Islands is amazing. The US Virgin islands are made up of three islands located in the Caribbean Sea just south east of Puerto Rico...

Masculinity and Advertising Essay -- Ads Advertising Marketing Gender

Masculinity and Advertising Picture this: There are three beach chairs on a beach and occupying each seat is a male college student. One guy has no shirt on and is wearing a hat. With a smile on his face, he looks to his right. The two guys sitting to his left are each reading a magazine. All three men seem to be enjoying the hot weather and the one looking to his right is enjoying a beer. Coming up on his right are three beautiful girls in bikinis. One girl is blonde, very well developed, and as she walks by you can see her breasts move back and forth with every step she takes. She smiles as she walks by, and by the expression on the guy's face he seems to be enjoying what he is seeing. Her two friends, who are brunettes, also have hourglass figures and smile at him as they walk by. The guy with the hat stares at them with a big smile. This guy then turns to his left and tells his friend, "It's your turn." His friend takes the beer that is offered to him, bangs it on the arm stand of the beach chair, and with this the girls rewind back to their starting positions. The music in the background plays again and the guy in the middle gets to enjoy the upcoming view. If you have not recognized this scene, it is a Miller Lite commercial that is typical of the ones shown during televised sporting events. In this paper I will analyze this commercial as well as others to reveal what the world of advertising on the Internet and on the tube set is all about. In a way, the advertising companies are prescribing certain roles of masculinity to men. These advertisers are suggesting that the men that are portrayed in their commercials or advertisement are the way men are or ought to be. I will explain why men should be aware of the issue... ...e use of half naked women walking around or the use of any alcohol. You can make it for T.V. or for a picture on a Web site. If you insist on making it a beer commercial you can have a dolphin swim up to the shore balancing a can of beer on its nose. I am not trying to persuade men to not watch the commercials or not go to the porn section, or go to the sports section of the web, but instead to view them in a different perspective. Men are portrayed as: having an identity crisis, unable to communicate with the opposite sex, and lastly a low level of language apprehension. Maybe even almost as cave man, we slam our beer down and the women go back to where they started. I'll be the first to admit that I enjoy looking at all types of women, whether they are clothed or half naked, but when I do my mouth is closed and when I open it, it's to carry on a conversation.