Sensitivity Of Duplex Real Time Pcr - 1617 Words

Sensitivity of duplex Real-time-PCR compared microscopic detection of M. bovis: Results revealed that out of 600 lymph node sample with lesions suggestive to tuberculosis 580 (96.6%) was positive for AFB detected by microscopic examination of ZN stained smears. However, by duplex real-time PCR 588 (98%) was confirmed to M. bovisinfection. Analytical specificity: The specificity of real-time PCR targeting IS1081 and IS6110 was evaluated to 19 strains of different Mycobacterial species. The real-time PCR targeting both IS1081 and IS6110 sequences showed negative result with all Mycobacterial A. Selim et el. 50 species in two concentrations of DNA from each strain, 5ng/ µl and 5pg/ µl; while strong positive result with M. bovisBCG was detected. Furthermore, ÃŽ ²-actin internal control showed positive Ct-values with all Mycobacterial species including M. bovisBCG (table 1). Table 1. Mycobacteria and non-mycobacteria analyzed for the determination of the specificity of real-time MAP-PCR Target sequence IS1801 IS6110 Template concentration Species, Sub-species Type Host species / Source 5ng/ µl 5pg/ µl 5ng/ µl 5pg/ µl M. avium subspecies avium (M128/2) TS Cattle – – – – (01A1077/2) FI-J Cattle – – – – (00A0720/2) FI-J Pig – – – – (03A0910/2) FI-J Poultry – – – – (03A2530/1) FI-J Poultry – – – – M. avium subspecies hominisuis (01A0554/1) FI-J Pig – – – – (01A1054/1) FI-J Human – – – – (01A0255/1) FI-J Dog – – – – M. bovisBCGShow MoreRelatedEvaluation Of The Method Of Rt Pcr3051 Words   |  13 PagesIntroduction RT PCR is one of the most useful methods used within investigated tissue to compare all transcripts accurately. To apply it accurately it has some challenges as it critically depends on the various reference materials and correct use of calibration. PCR diagnostics application to tissues is often limited by the lack of quality template due to inefficient RNA extraction methodologies (Sellars et al., 2007). Ecologically influenced or disease phenotypes and the cellular expression patternsRead MoreMicrorna Essay1004 Words   |  5 Pagesnucleocytoplasmic shuttle exports pre-miRNA from nucleus to cytoplasm using GTP.[24] Cytoplasmic processing Another enzyme RNase III enzyme Dicer cleaves premiRNA. It cuts away the loop joining the 3’ and 5 ‘arms yielding imperfect miRNA duplex about 22 nucleotides. Functional miRNA is duplex but only one strand is usually incorporated into RISC. [25, 26] RISC in association with miR binds to 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of target gene mRNA to inhibit protein translation or promote RNA degradation. Role of miRNARead MoreDr. Alwine : A Scientist Of Cancer Biology And An Investigator1048 Words   |  5 Pagesis a straight forward method. Several of the times this technique is used as a confirmation or verification of their research process. The Northern Blotting technique is a multipurpose procedure by allowing the usage of various types of probes. These probes include: radiolabeled and non-radiolabeled, oligonucleotides, such as primers, and in vitro transcribed RNA. This technique can also produce sequences then can be partial homology, unlike real time PCR or other procedures which can be used as hybridizationRead MoreUses of Nanotechnology1790 Words   |  8 PagesINTRODUCTION: In recent times, infectious diseases continue to pose a major healthcare issue in developing countries making it imperative to develop logical solutions for robust and rapid diagnosis and treatment of these infections. Traditional techniques suffer from limitations, including laborious specimen processing, bulky instrumentation, and slow result readout. In view of the urgency for sensitive, specific, robust and rapid diagnostics, numerous advancements have been made in the areaRead MoreCell Free DNA Case Study1819 Words   |  8 Pagesare various methods and technologies used for quantitative and qualitative analysis of ctDNAs, commonly used platforms to name a few are digital PCR (dPCR)283, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR)284, BEAMing285, 286, cancer personalized profiling by deep sequencing (CAPP-Seq)287, tagged amplicon deep sequencing (TAM-Seq)270, safe-sequencing (Safe-Seq)288, duplex sequencing289, integrated digital error suppression (iDES)-enhanced CAPP-Seq290, whole-genome sequencing (WGS)291, 292 and next-generation sequencing

Disease Alzheimer s And Parkinson s Disease Essay

Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive disorders that mainly affect neuronal cells and functions, and commonly characterized by abnormal protein metabolism and aggregations i.e. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease, Prion diseases, Motor neurone disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lou Gehrig’s disease, among others. Currently, there is no single cure out there to treat these debilitating diseases. However, present therapies available either slow down the disease progression or inhibit mutant protein’s aggregation. Recent studies are facilitating our understandings in both neurochemistry and the genetic pathogenesis of the disease nature, which may result in exciting new discoveries and also provide a platform for the development of new effective drugs to cure these devastating diseases. This essay will discuss the shared pathological characteristics for common therapeutic approaches to combat agains t these incapacitating diseases with particular focus on the two most common neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by progressive loss of structure and, or function of particular groups of neurons (Gorman, 2008). The share common pathological features found in all neurodegenerative diseases are - deposits of misfolded protein aggregates (I.e. microscopically visible inclusions or plaques) and neurotoxic protein accumulations inShow MoreRelatedThe Common Types Of Dementia1013 Words   |  5 PagesIt’s a progressive disease which means it gets worse over time. If diagnosed early on, the quality of life for people with dementia as well as their family members can be significantly improved. There are many different types of dementias although some are far more reciprocal than others. One of the most common types of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Other few types of dementias are â€Å"Vascular dementia, Mixed dementia, Parkinson s disease and Frontotemporal dementia (Krishnan, D. S)†. All of the variousRead MoreDementia And Alzheimer s Dementia995 Words   |  4 PagesDementia and Alzheimer s Dementia and Alzheimer’s was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. He discovered both of them, dementia is like Alzheimer’s just not as severe. Dementia has several different types, these include Alzheimer s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and Front temporal dementia. The first changes you notice with dementia is Cognitive changes. These include memory loss, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with complex tasks, difficulty with planningRead MoreNot Only Is It Detrimental To The Social Development Of1604 Words   |  7 Pagesthat, â€Å"Many of these lifestyle changes have been shown to lower the risk of other diseases, like heart disease and diabetes, which have been linked to Alzheimer s† (Alzheimer s Association Organization). Even if evidence cannot definitively determine if these lifestyle changes directly relate to a prolonged life, there are correlations that have been developed in a multitude of studies. In terms of Parkinson’s disease, it has been proven time and time again that the slowing of motor function can beRead MoreDementia With Lewy Bodies ( Dlb )1473 Words   |  6 Pages(DLB) is a type of dementia that shares symptoms with both Alzheimer s disease and Parkinson s disease. It may account for around 10 per cent of all cases of dementia (Alzheimer’s Society, 2016). Lewy refers to the inflamm ation or neuro-inflammation of the brain (Surendranathan et al, 2015). Both Parkinson s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies are age-related diseases, although onset before age 65 years is not uncommon and both diseases are more common in men than in women (Walker et al, 2015)Read MoreEvaluation Of A Multi Model Experimental Design Using A Subject Through A Pre Test Control Group Design1165 Words   |  5 PagesMethod Participants The ideal sample is 150 participants between the ages of 50-80 years old with both male and females equally represented, all of whom suffer from and have been diagnosed with Alzheimer s disease, other forms of dementia, or Parkinson s disease according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-5]. The selected participants will have volunteered for the study or were referred by physicians and caregivers, and come from multipleRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects On The Lives Of Millions Americans Essay1714 Words   |  7 PagesNeurodegenerative diseases continue to affect the lives of millions Americans each year, with incidence and prevalence rates ever increasing. These diseases cause degeneration or death of nerve cells in the brain. These diseases can cause a financial and emotional burden on not only patients themselves, but also family members and care givers as well. Molecular mechanisms that underlie these diseases have remained relatively unclear, despite much research. Understanding the mechanisms of these diseases are facilitatedRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Parkinson s Disease Essay831 Words   |  4 PagesParkinson Disease by Melissa Green Topical Bibliography In partial fulfillment of the writing requirement for Anatomy and Physiology 304 and the Department of Speech-Language Pathology SUNY Buffalo State Fall 2016 Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms or tremors, rigidity, (bradykinesia) or slowness of movement and posture instability. Parkinson’s involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in theRead MoreThe Health Effects Of Coffee Consumption1181 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The health effects of coffee consumption have been controversial for many years. My claim is that moderate coffee consumption is beneficial for health. Moderate amount of coffee can possibly prevent people from some disease risks, provide high content of antioxidant for people and improve physical performance as well as brain functions. Too much coffee consumption may have adverse effects on health. Thus, the amount of coffee should be moderate in order to maximize the positive healthRead MoreParkinsonS Disease, Also Known As Pd, Shaking Palsy, And1530 Words   |  7 Pages Parkinson s disease, also known as PD, shaking palsy, and paralysis agitans is an idiopathic neurodegenerative disorder; it rises from an unknown cause and increases in severity over time (Ronken). The disease was named after English physician James Parkinson, who first described it in 1817 (Weiner). PD can be defined as the degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra, which is the area of the brain that contains dopamine cells and regulates movement. As the degeneration of neurons occurs,Read MoreCoffee Benefits1019 Words   |  5 PagesBenefits [edit] Reduced risk of Alzheimer s disease Several studies comparing moderate coffee drinkers (about 2 cups a day) with light coffee drinkers (less than one cup a day) found that those who drank more coffee were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer s disease later in life. [2][3] [edit] Reduced risk of gallstone disease Drinking caffeinated coffee has been correlated with a lower incidence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in both men[4] and women[5] in two studies performed

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8 Free Essays

string(29) " default due to a flat tire\." Ella I realize I have more issues than I thought. As soon as we turn onto the Back Road, a passion combusts inside me. It only flames hotter when we pull up to The Hitch, an old abandoned restaurant stationed at the end of the road. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It’s the perfect set up for street racing, with a long straight road tucked between the lofty trees on the mountains. The sky is black, the moon bright, but there are clouds rolling in. I cringe, thinking of the night on the bridge. We’d been racing before I’d gone there. Micha gets a text message right as we brink the end of the road. He pulls the car to the side, maneuvering carefully across the pot holes. He pushes the parking brake in and checks his phone, shutting it off, and looking torn up. â€Å"What’s wrong?† I ask. â€Å"You look upset?† â€Å"Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s great.† He’s lying, but how can I press him to tell the truth when I’m a liar too? â€Å"So this is your surprise?† I will my voice to sound disappointed, but it comes out pleased. Micha gives me a sidelong glance. â€Å"Don’t smile, pretty girl. It’ll ruin your whole I’m-neutral-and-don’t-give-a-shit act.† I opt to remain impartial. â€Å"Who are you planning to race tonight?† â€Å"You mean who are we racing?† He smiles alluringly through the dark cab of the car. â€Å"Well, I thought I’d leave that up to you.† In front of the trees is a line of cars with their headlights on and their owners standing near the front. They’re a rough crowd, mostly guys except for Shelia, a big girl with arms thicker than my legs. She’s the only girl I’ve ever truly feared. â€Å"Well, there’s Mikey.† I rub my forehead with the back of my hand. â€Å"Does he still got that piece of crap 6 cylinder in his Camaro?† â€Å"Yeah, he does.† Micha leans back in the seat, examining me amusedly through the dark. â€Å"You think that’s who I should go for?† â€Å"It’s the obvious choice.† I don’t like where my thoughts are heading, but I can’t shut off my basic instinct. I’ve always been a hanging-out-with-the-guys kind of girl and therefor there is an abundance of knowledge about cars stashed away in my head. Lila is the first girl I’ve been friends with. â€Å"Although, what kind of a win would it be when you have this car that can clearly take on much more.† â€Å"You think I should take on someone in my own league?† â€Å"If you want the win to mean anything, then yeah.† We look at each other, like magnets begging to get closer. Yet flip one the wrong direction and they will push apart. â€Å"So which one is it, pretty girl?† He drapes an arm over the headrest behind me and his fingers brush my shoulder. â€Å"The underdog or the big dog.† There’s a dare in the air, teasing the real me to come out tonight. I want to give in, just for a few hours, and let my inner ropes untie. I want to allow myself to breathe again, but I fear the loss of control – I fear I’ll have to feel everything, including my guilt. â€Å"Micha, I think we should go back.† I put my seatbelt back on. â€Å"This isn’t my thing anymore.† He presses his lips together firmly. â€Å"Please can we have a night? Just you and I. I really need this right now.† I pick up on his strange vibe and the sorrow in his eyes. â€Å"Okay, what’s wrong? You’ve seemed a little out of it. Was it bad news on that text you got?† He traces the figure eight tattoo on his forearm. â€Å"Do you remember when I got this?† I absentmindedly touch my lower back. â€Å"How could I forget, since I have the same one on my back?† â€Å"Do you remember why we got them?† â€Å"I can’t remember anything about that night.† â€Å"Exactly, yet you’ll remember it forever. No matter what happens, which is completely ironic.† He lets his finger linger on the tattoo that represents eternity. â€Å"There’s something bugging you.† I tug the bottom of my shirt down to cover up my tattoo. â€Å"Do you want to talk about it?† He shakes his head, still focused on the tattoo. â€Å"Nah, I’m good.† To distract him from his thoughts, I point my finger at a smokin’ hot 1970 Pontiac GTO, blue with white racing stripes. â€Å"What about Benny? Does he still have the 455?† Micha’s eyes are pools of black liquid. â€Å"You think we should take on the big dog?† â€Å"I think you should take on the big dog,† I clarify. â€Å"I’ll just watch you kick his ass.† His expression darkens. â€Å"No way. I’m not racing unless you’re in the car with me. It’s tradition.† A starvation inside me emerges. â€Å"Alright, I’ll ride with you, just as long as you do one thing for me?† â€Å"Say it and it’s yours,† he says without blinking. My hunger urges me closer to him. I prop my elbows on the console, and my arms are trembling. He doesn’t move, frozen like a statue as I put my lips next to his ear. â€Å"Make sure you win,† I breathe and my body arches into him on its own accord, before I sit back in the seat. His face is indecipherable, his breathing fierce, his gaze relentless. â€Å"Okay, then. Let’s go win us a race.† We climb out of the car and hike across the dirt road toward the row of cars and their owners. I shield my eyes from the headlights and wrap an arm around myself, knowing these guys are going to give me crap for how I’m dressed. Micha swings his arm around me protectively. â€Å"Relax. I got you baby.† â€Å"Well, what do we have here?† Mikey, the owner of the Camaro, strides up to us. He’s got black hair, a kink in his nose, and his thick neck is enclosed with a barb-wire tattoo. â€Å"Is the infamous duo back again to get their asses kicked?† I roll my eyes. â€Å"You beat us once and that was by default due to a flat tire. You read "The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8" in category "Essay examples"† His face pinches as he takes in my shirt, tank top, and curled hair. â€Å"What the fuck happened to you?† Chandra, his girlfriend, sputters a laugh. Her dress is so tight that her curves bulge out of it and her stilettoes make her almost the same height as me. â€Å"Holy shit, she like turned into a little princess or something.† Micha squeezes my shoulder, trying to keep me calm. â€Å"So who’s up first? Or has no one decided yet.† Mikey eyes Micha’s Chevelle and there’s a nervous look in his eyes. â€Å"You think you can just walk in here and play the game after sitting out for nearly a year?† I mouth to Micha, a year? Micha shrugs. â€Å"What? You were gone. Why the hell would I want to race?† â€Å"Again, you need to move on without†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trail off. Mikey will use what I say against Micha, so I have to watch my mouth. â€Å"We want to race Benny.† Mikey’s laughter echoes the night. â€Å"You and what army?† I point at Micha’s Chevelle parked near the road. â€Å"That army right there.† Mikey shakes his head and shoos us away. â€Å"That thing don’t stand a chance against the GTO. Now run along and come back when you got something bigger.† He’s testing my control. A lot. â€Å"As opposed to yours?† I retort, getting into Mikey’s face. â€Å"Because that thing’s all looks and no go.† Micha directs me back by the shoulders and a trace of amusement laces his voice. â€Å"Easy there, tiger. Let’s try not to get our asses kicked tonight, okay?† Benny hops off the hood of his car, flicks his cigarette to the ground, and leaves his buddies to join us. â€Å"What’s up? Did I hear someone wanted to race me?† Benny’s the kind of guy that everyone respects because they’re afraid of him. When he was a freshman he got into a fight at school with a senior twice his size and beat him up pretty badly. No one knows what the fight was over or what happened, but it was enough that everyone became cautious of Benny. Mikey points a finger sharply at me. â€Å"Princess right here wants to challenge you to a race in that thing.† Benny’s eyes wander to the Chevelle as he cocks his shaven head and crosses his muscular arms. â€Å"Micha, isn’t that your car?† Micha pats my back and winks at me. â€Å"Yeah, apparently she’s my spokesperson.† Benny deliberates this and then turns to Mikey, who’s glaring at me. â€Å"I don’t see what the big deal is. I have no problem with Micha racing. In fact, it might be kinda nice to have a challenge for a change.† Benny slaps Mikey on the back kind of hard and then pounds fists with Micha. â€Å"Thanks man,† Micha says with a respective nod. â€Å"Are you and I going to line up first then?† Benny bobs his head up and down, nodding as he stares at the road pensively. â€Å"Yeah man, I think that’d work.† They chat a little bit more about the rules and what not, while Mikey continues to scowl at me like an angry dog. Once they’re done talking, Micha and I walk back to the car, while everyone else scatters toward the starting line located right in front of The Hitch. â€Å"So what’s your plan?† I ask. â€Å"Because beating him won’t be easy.† â€Å"You’re my plan.† He opens the passenger door for me. â€Å"With you in the car, there’s no way I won’t win, otherwise you’ll never let me live it down.† Tucking my head into the car, I drop into the seat and then look up at him. â€Å"I won’t make your car go any faster.† He grins, slamming the door. â€Å"Sure you will.† He slides across the front of the hood and climbs into the driver’s seat. â€Å"You’re such a show off,† I remark. He starts up the engine and it thunders to life. â€Å"That’s like the pot calling the kettle black.† I slump back in the seat and fold my arms. â€Å"I may have been a lot of things, but I was never a show off.† He hooks a finger under my chin and angles my head toward him. â€Å"Taylor Crepner’s graduation party two years ago. You were standing on the roof with a snowboard strapped to your feet, telling everyone you could make the jump. I think that’s pretty close to showing off.† I make an innocent face. â€Å"But I did make the jump, didn’t I?† â€Å"Yeah, but not without breaking your arm,† he says. â€Å"And that’s beside the point.† â€Å"You’re right,† I admit, touching the small scar on my arm where the bone broke through the skin. â€Å"I was showing off and you had to drive my dumb ass to the hospital, then sit in the waiting room while I had surgery to put my arm back together.† His finger traces a line down my neck and to my chest bone. â€Å"I was there because I wanted to be.† â€Å"You missed a performance because of me.† â€Å"I don’t care – never have.† My gaze involuntarily flicks to his lips. Suddenly, I want to kiss him, like I did that night on the bridge. It makes me uncomfortable because the feeling owns me. I lean away, putting space between us. Sensing my transfer of attitude, he revs up the engine and spins the tires, fishtailing the car to the startup line. He shoots me a smug look, cocking an eyebrow. â€Å"Now that’s showing off.† Shaking my head, I restrain a grin. Benny lines up the front of his GTO with Micha’s Chevelle and his girlfriend struts up between the two cars. She’s wearing jeans and a short t-shirt that shows her stomach. She flips her dark hair off her shoulder and then raises her hands above her head. People line up along the road, watching, and placing bets on the winner. I spot Ethan and Lila toward the front, chatting about something, and Lila is doing her flirty hair flip thing. â€Å"When did they get here?† Micha ignores me, eyeing Benny through his rolled down window. â€Å"To the baseline and back?† Benny’s arm is resting casually on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, man. First one back wins.† They look away from each other. Benny waves at his girlfriend and she nods her head. â€Å"On your mark. Get set. Go!† Her hands shoot down and screeches cut the air. A trail of dust engulfs us as we race off. The trees on the side of the road are a blur, and the sky is one big streak of stars. I keep silent as Micha shifts the car over and over again, but something inside me awakens from a very deep sleep. Benny pulls ahead and makes a sharp swerve right in front of us. His red tail lights are blinding in the night and his exhaust is puffing out thin clouds of smoke. Micha speeds up, inching the front end toward the rear of the GTO. As we approach the end, Benny pulls farther ahead, but it’s not over yet. Micha has a thing for flipping the car around, without decreasing the acceleration. It’s scary as hell, but it works every time. Besides with the longer body of Benny’s GTO it doesn’t have quite the turning power. We reach the end and I should probably be nervous. The road cuts off into a steep, rocky hill and the space to turn around is narrow, but I’ve never gotten scared, not even now. I guess I can’t change what’s in my blood. The GTO begins to slant sideways as Benny turns it. Micha veers to the side to get around him and shoots for the open gap between the car and the trees. I grab the handle above my head, the brakes squeal, and I brace my feet up on the dashboard. It’s like being on a merry-go-round on crack. Everything spins – the trees, the sky, Micha. For a second, I shut my eyes and it feels like I’m flying. It takes me back to the night on the bridge. She said she could fly. The car straightens out and Micha floors the gas pedal. Like I predicted, Benny is having a harder time lining back up. By the time we’re speeding up the road again, he’s a small distance behind us. Micha punches the gas and shifts the car into a higher gear. The long front end of the GTO materializes through my window and Micha floors it, shooting me a look that lets me know I can tell him to slow down if I want. I don’t. People flee to the side, panicking at our dangerous speed as we rip through the finish line. It isn’t clear who the winner is or who’s going to be able to get their car to stop in time, before crushing into The Hitch. Brakes shriek and dust swamps the windows. My body is thrown forward with the car’s abrupt halt and I smack my head on the dashboard. Micha works to regain control of the wheel and straightens the car as it skids to a stop. Everything settles and the dust slowly clears. Micha and I stare out the windshield, breathing loudly, our eyes as wide as golf balls. The front bumper of the Chevelle is a sliver away from a very large tree. â€Å"Holy shit,† Micha whispers and looks at me, his eyes bulging. â€Å"Are you okay?† I lower my hand from the dashboard, my chest heaving with my breaths. Rubbing the bump on my head, I turn in my seat toward Micha. There is an eerie calm inside me and one of my worst fears becomes a reality. I’m an adrenaline junkie. Plain and simple, but I think it’s how I’ve been all along. I just never admitted. I’m no longer in control. As I incline toward Micha, my heart flutters to life in my chest. My eyes shut and my lips brush his, gently tasting him. It feeds my hunger vaguely and I edge back, letting my eyes open. Micha is looking at me, his eyes pools of blue like the deep spots of the ocean hidden from the world. His hand comes up behind my head and he entices my lips back to his. Something snaps inside me, like a rubber band. With one swift movement, and the aid of my own willingness, Micha lifts me over the console and I straddle his lap, looping my arms around his neck. His hands burrow into my thighs and slip under my skirt onto my bare skin. My breath falters at the intimacy of his touch. No one has ever touched me like this before, without me running away. Usually, being this close to someone sends me into a room packed with self-doubt, panic, distrust, and unfamiliarity. My legs tense and Micha leans back. â€Å"Stay here, baby,† he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. â€Å"Trust me, okay? Don’t run.† He waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his hands under my skirt. I arch my body into him, pressing my chest against his, and my nipples tingle. His tongue sensually plays with mine, tracing every spot on my mouth and my lips. My body starts to fill with a secret longing. Micha moves his mouth away from mine and my legs tremble in objection. He sucks a path of kisses down my jawline, moving to my neck and residing on my chest right above where my breast curves out of the top of my shirt. It sends a shock through my body and my legs uncontrollably tighten around him, my knees pressing into his sides. He lets out a slow, deep groan and his hand slides higher into my skirt as he guides me closer. I can feel him pressing in between my legs and it scares the shit out of me, but not enough to make me stop. It’s like all the sexual tension I ran away from has sprung free all at once. My fingers sneak under the bottom of his shirt and trace along the outline of his lean muscles. I don’t know where to stop or how to put the line back up. My mind is racing and I clutch onto his shoulders needing my control back. Someone bangs on the window. â€Å"Are you two having fun in there?† I jump back and my cheeks start to heat at the sight of Ethan and Lila staring at us through the window. In his black tee and jeans, Ethan blends in with the night, but his dark, insinuating smile glows. Lila’s eyes are magnified and her jaw is hanging open. Micha does nothing to help the situation. A lazy grin spreads across his face as he watches me through hooded eyes, looking very pleased with himself. The adrenaline washes out of me and leaves a numb feeling in its place. I climb off his lap and straighten my skirt and hair before getting out of the car. I calmly walk around the back of the car and join Ethan and Lila. â€Å"So who won the race?† I ask, smoothing the last of the wrinkles out of my skirt. Ethan smirks at me. â€Å"Is that what you’re really thinking about at the moment?† I stare at him blankly. â€Å"What else would I be thinking about?† Micha climbs out of the car, stretching his long legs. â€Å"We won, I’m pretty sure,† he says, taking my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. â€Å"Although, I’m betting there’s an argument going on about it.† Ethan nods agreeably and takes a sip of his soda. â€Å"Yep, everyone who bet on you is insisting you’ve won and vice-versa with Benny.† Micha interlaces our fingers. â€Å"So the same old, same old.† â€Å"You know how these things go.† Ethan pats Micha’s shoulder sympathetically. â€Å"They’re never going to come to a decision.† My hand is sweating in Micha’s. He just cracked me open and my mind is racing with a billion thoughts. I can’t do this with him. I can’t crush him. I need to repaint the lines somehow. â€Å"We should just leave,† Micha says to me. â€Å"Let’s not even give them the benefit of our argument.† â€Å"You want to drive out of here all suave?† I ask. â€Å"And make a grand exit?† Micha smiles and squeezes my hand. â€Å"A grand statement.† â€Å"Which would be?† â€Å"That we don’t give a shit.† I let out a shaky breath and nod. â€Å"That sounds good to me.† â€Å"You want to meet up at the house?† he asks Ethan. â€Å"I’m sure we’re going to have to do some tuning up on The Beast after what I just did.† Lila scrunches her nose and pops her gum. â€Å"The beast? Do I even want to know what that is?† Micha taps the car door with his free hand. â€Å"Yep, that’s what I named it. Kind of like how you call your car your baby.† Lila laughs. â€Å"Oh, I get it. Although, I like my name better.† Micha traces his thumb along the palm of my hand. â€Å"Are you ready to go? Or do you want to go pick a fight with someone first.† I flash a panicked glance at Lila, who knits her eyebrows. â€Å"Maybe Lila and I should ride together. I haven’t spent any time with her today.† â€Å"You’ve spent time with me every day for the last eight months,† she replies. â€Å"I think we’re good for a few hours.† â€Å"I’ll take care of her.† Ethan chucks the empty bottle of soda across the parking lot and it lands in the back of his truck. â€Å"Really, really good care of her.† Lila lets her blonde hair fall into her face to hide her blush. I’ve never seen her blush like that. What exactly have the two of them been up to tonight? Micha shakes his head at Ethan. â€Å"Be good.† Ethan rolls his eyes and then walks off with Lila toward his truck. Micha and I get into his car and I prepare myself to make a speech. Micha squeezes his eyes shut and holds his hand up. â€Å"Don’t even say it. Just let it go for the night. Please. I need to just feel this.† The pain in his voice causes me to fasten my jaw shut. Opening his eyes, he starts up the car and we drive down the road. Micha waves to Benny as we pass and everyone’s eyes follow us. Then the darkness takes over as we pull out onto the main road and the headlights light up the night like a tunnel that leads to the unknown. How to cite The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8, Essay examples

Human Resource Management Initiative and ERP †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Human Resource Management Initiative. Answer: Introduction Human resource management Human resource management is a relatively new approach that has gained importance in the past few decades and has brought a great revolution in the business world. Human resource management aims at improving the performance of the workforce and achieved it by developing better relations between employers and employees and promoting a better environment for the employees to work in (Hendry, 2012). Today, business organisations are spending billions of dollars every year in the management of their human resources because human resources have become an important asset for all business organisations. The investment in human resource is made with a hope that the business originations will be able to achieve market competencies by developing their human resources and increasing their competencies. Even in such tough market situations, where the market competition has reached a global scale, organisations have started feeling scarcity of resources but are always ready to invest these resources for the development of their human resources because they are heavily relying upon their human resources to help them in preforming better than the competitors (Armstrong Taylor, Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 2014). Thus, it becomes important for business organisations to measure the return on investment which they receive by allocating important resources to the ir human resources. Business Case ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. is a multinational manufacturing company based in Australia. The company was started in 1987 and has its foreign subsidiaries in China, India and Vietnam from where it outsources all the manufacturing process and assembles the final products in the headquarters (Australia). ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. has an approximate workforce of 850 employees that help the company in carrying out all of its operations. The company has been preforming well since its foundation but has started losing a significant portion of its market share of late. The loss in market share can be attributed to the companys orthodox work practices as the most of the departments in the company are still using multiple softwares to plan, monitor and analyse the work operations. The company has been conducting a lot of research in this area and has concluded that to remain competitive, it will have to implement an ERP business suite throughout its subsidiaries that will enable them to carry out their operations with more efficiency (Oseni, Rahim, Smith, Foster, 2014). The management of the company has finally decided to invest in the acquisition of an ERP business suite that will be tailored to the needs of the organisation and will cover important functional areas, such as human resource management, supply chain management, customer relationship management, financial management, production management, etc. but a major issue that the company is facing is to design and implement a training and development program that will be aimed at increasing the skills and technical efficiency of employees in using ERP business suite (Jain Sharma, 2016). Due to tough market competition and scarcity of resources, it is important for the company to allocate its resources towards the right business programs because a wastage of investment will not only make the company incur losses but also might throw it out of market competition and make it difficult for the company to sustain in the market for a longer period of time (Armstrong Taylor, Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 2017). To check whether the initiative is feasible or not, the company has planned that it will conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis and check the return that it is likely to receive over a period of one year on the investment that it will have to make to fulfil the training and development program. Human resource management initiative The human resource management initiative that ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. is planning to undertake is the training and development of its employees so that they can become familiar with a new software that will be implemented in the workplace within a short period of time. Training and development is one of the most important core functions in human resource management that aims at improving the skills and competencies of the workforce so that they can cope up with the changing market trends (Jehanzeb Bashir, 2013). In this business setup, it is important for the business organisation to arrange for a training and development program that will help the employees in learning how to operate the new software and use its various tools and functions to carry out the business operations with a greater efficiency than before. The employees are going to be the end users of the new software, which makes it obvious that they should know how to operate it and also have knowledge about the errors or issues that might come up while using the software. In case the workforce is not comfortable with the software, the entire investment would go in vain and would even cause collateral damages to the company, such as loss of productivity, failure of supply chain managem ent, etc. The details of the training program are given below: On the job training and development sessions that would last for a month The employees will be trained for one hour during their work hours Professional support and software engineers will train the employees The employees will be taught how to use the software and deal with some major and minor errors that might occur while carrying out day-to-day operations Apart from training the employees for the software, the professionals will also conduct social activities and team building activities to help them understand the importance of team work and a team oriented environment (Phillips Phillips, 2016) The training sessions will also include simulation activities where the employees will be given practical situations to deal with A batch of 85 employees will be trained at once A total of 10 batches will be trained everyday The professionals will also help the employees in transferring the learnings from the training program to their jobs and will visit the company every week (for 1 month after the end of the program) to help the employees with any issues that they might be facing while using the software post-training. The training cost or the training fees will cost $600,000 to the company, which will include training and development of 850 employees over a period of one year and all the material that will be required for training the employees, such as papers, documents, books, study material, etc. The management at ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. is now planning to calculate a return on the investment and a cost-benefit analysis that it would achieve through the training and development program which it is planning to implement for the employees, so that a better view of the entire business decision can be achieved. Cost-benefit analysis Cost-benefit analysis is a process that allows business organisations to carefully analyse their decisions in terms of cost involved and the benefits that will be achieved. It is an approach in which the benefits of a business situation are analysed and then the cost associated with taking that action are subtracted. For this particular business case, the cost-benefit analysis will be analysed for a period of 1 year since the commencement of the training program. The cost incurred in a training program can be described as: The cost incurred towards the assessment of training needs, compensation of the training program designers, investment made in the acquisition of training material, computers, handouts, etc. The main cost of the training program i.e. the fees paid to the training organisation and professionals The third and one of the most important costs of a training program is the loss of working hours that will be caused due to the employees missing their work for a specific period of time to attend the training sessions (Cost Benefit Analysis for Training, n.d.). The cost incurred in this training and development program are given below: The main cost of the training program - $600,000, which includes an assessment of training needs, procurement of training material and the fees that will be paid to the training organisation. The loss in working hours of the employees will cost the company around $100/hour. The cost here is significantly reduced because the workforce will be divided into smaller groups and will be trained for one hour. When a particular group of employees will be attending the training session, the other groups can handle their work for the time being. On the overall, the company will have to bear a cost of $100/hour or $1000/day or $30,000 per month. In short, the loss of working hours will cost the company $30,000 in the entire training program. Total cost of the training program = $600,000 + $30,000 = $630,000 If the company will invest such a high amount in training and developing its employees, there must be certain benefits that the company aims at achieving through the training program, which will help the company in evolving in the market and becoming more competitive. The benefits of the training program are discussed below: The company will definitely be able to achieve an increase in its productivity and efficiency by helping the employees in becoming more competitive. The efficiency and productivity benefits will be around $50,000/month ($600,000/year) in terms of increased production, increased customer satisfaction and increase in sales due to streamlined operations and better quality products. The company will also be able to save a lot of resources that were earlier being wasted because of effort duplication. The company will achieve benefits worth $10,000/month ($120,000/year) in terms of saved resources The company will be able to increase the competencies of its workforce and will also be able to engage and retain them for a longer period of time. The monetary benefits of reduced labour turnover rates, better employee engagement and satisfaction levels will be approximately $2,000/month ($24,000/year) The company will be able to grab a greater market share and will become more competitive because of an increase in its workforce competencies. The benefits of this will be approximately $5,000/month ($60,000/year) Miscellaneous training and development benefits, such as increased team work, will be $1,500/month ($18,000/year) The total benefits that the company will be able to achieve through this training program in a single financial year are = $600,000 + $120,000 + $24,000 + $60,000 + $18,000 = $822,000/year From the above cost-benefit analysis, it can be clearly seen that the training program is highly beneficial for the company and will definitely provide the company with a competitive edge in the market. Return on investment model Return on investment, also known as ROI, is a model that helps business organisations in calculating the return that they will achieve by investing a certain amount of money in a specific program (Satiman, Mansor, Zulkifli, 2003). ROI helps business organisations in identifying the right investment opportunity by comparing the rate of return of different programs. The formula used for calculating the return on investment for a particular program is given below: Rate of return (in percentage) = (program benefits/costs of program) * 100 (Cost Benefit Analysis for Training, n.d.) The return on investment for the training and development program that the ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. is planning to implement in its workplace is given below: Rate of Return = (822,000/630,000) * 100 = 130.5%, which means that for every dollar invested in the training program, the company will receive an approximate return of $1.3 above the cost of the training program. Evaluation From the above cost-benefit analysis, it is evident that the benefits of the human resource management initiative being planned by the organisation will far outweigh the cost of the entire training and development program. The company will receive a return of 130.5% on the investment that it will make in training and developing its employees over a period of one year. To sum up, the benefits of the training program are listed below: A competitive workforce that will be able to use an ERP business suite to carry out various functions and operations of the business organisation A workforce that would understand the important of team work and will be comfortable in working as a team An increase in the level of employee satisfaction and competencies because of the training program Increased job satisfaction, job engagement, job commitment and organisational commitment Reduced employee turnover rates and absenteeism Streamlined operations Greater efficiency and productivity due to digitisation of operations Less wastage of resources due to reduced duplication of efforts A competitive edge in the market Critical Reflective Analysis Even though there were a number of problems in finding out the right costs and benefits related with the training and development initiative being planned by ABC Company Pvt. Ltd., on the overall, the report has been greatly helpful in understanding the importance that cost benefit analysis and return on investment play in a business set up. In the present day business world, the competition has reached a global scale and the resources available to business organisations are also scarce, which increases the importance of investing the right amount of resources in the best available options so that the companies can ensure a sustainable position in the market for a longer run. The business case of ABC Company Pvt. Ltd. is helpful in understanding the way in which a cost benefit analysis and a return on investment approach can be used to identify the positive outcomes of a project. The case is also helpful in understanding that business decisions can become better when the cost involve d is weighed against the monetary as well as the non-monetary benefits of a project. After preparing this report, to become competitive and to ensure success in the market, one must analyse each and every business opportunity using a cost benefit analysis and a return on investment model so that the project that can bring the highest return on investment is passed. Comparing the cost-benefit analysis and the return on investments of different initiatives can help in understanding the feasibility of each initiative and choosing the best imitative out of multiple initiatives. Bibliography Jehanzeb, K., Bashir, N. A. (2013). Training and Development Program and its Benefits to Employee and Organization: A Conceptual Study . European Journal of Business and Management , 5(2). Cost Benefit Analysis for Training. (n.d.). Retrieved May 05, 2017, from www.managementstudyguide.com: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/cost-benefit-analysis-for-training.htm Nas, T. F. (2016). Cost-Benefit Analysis: Theory and Application. Lexington Books. Rackley, J. (2015). Return on Investment. Marketing Analytics Roadmap. Hendry, C. (2012). Human Resource Management . Routledge. Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Satiman, L. H., Mansor, N. N., Zulkifli, N. (2003). Return on Investment (ROI) training evaluation in Malaysian SMEs: factors influencing the adoption process. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal. Oseni, T., Rahim, M. M., Smith, S. P., Foster, S. (2014).An Initial Empirical Evaluation Of The Influence Of Erp Post-Implementation Modifications On Business Process Optimisation. Jain, D., Sharma, Y. (2016). Cloud Computing with ERP - A Push Business Towards Higher Efficiency. Annaul Research Journal of SCMS Pune, 4. Phillips, J. J., Phillips, P. P. (2016). Handbook of Training Evaluation and Measurement Methods. Routledge. Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2017). Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page Publishers.

Orange marketing

Executive Summary Orange is a leading mobile phone network service provider in UK. The company has succeeded in the market due to its strong brand image, ability to offer a variety of products and the use of innovative distribution channels. UK’s mobile phone industry is characterized with intense competition, high regulation, saturation and slow growth.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Orange marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These threats have negatively affected mobile phone network operators. Orange for instance, has experienced a reduction in subscriptions and market share. Thus, Orange should implement an effective marketing strategy in order to improve its competitiveness. In particular, appropriate marketing objectives should be pursued, the marketing mix, as well as, segmentation, targeting and positioning should be improved. Marketing Strategy for a UK Branded Mobile Phone Network Pr ovider Introduction In this report, a marketing strategy will be developed for Orange Ltd. Orange is a leading mobile phone network provider in the United Kingdom (UK). The essence of the report is to enable the management of Orange to understand the dynamics of the UK mobile phone market. It will also help in developing products that will enable the company to remain competitive and profitable. The report begins with a situational analysis of the UK mobile phone market. Recommendations on how to adapt Orange’s marketing strategy to the current situation will then be highlighted. Terms of Reference Background The UK mobile phone market is characterized with intense competition and slow growth. Consequently, mobile phone network providers must develop effective marketing strategies in order to overcome the competition. Purpose In this report, a situational analysis will be conducted on the UK mobile phone market. Based on this analysis, recommendations will be made on how Oran ge can enhance its competitiveness through an effective marketing strategy. Scope The report will include a detailed analysis of the external environment, as well as, the internal environment of Orange. The recommendations will focus only on the marketing strategy. Methodology The external environment will be analyzed using the PESTEL framework, while the internal environment will be analyzed using the SWOT analysis. Recommendations will be made with the aid of marketing concepts such as 7 P’s, segmentation, targeting and positioning. Secondary data will be used for the analysis.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Limitations The main limitation is the difficulty in finding accurate and latest information about Orange and the UK mobile phone industry. Thus, the statistics used in the report are assumed to be accurate. Situational Analysis PESTEL Analysis PESTEL anal ysis is a tool used by marketers to study the macro-environmental factors that influence competition in a given industry. These factors include political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors. Political Factors Political factors are the government policies that affect the operation of businesses in a given country. The UK is one of the most politically stable countries in Europe (Jain 2007, pp. 471-492). The country is governed through a constitutional monarchy. The political stability enhances investments since it minimizes risks such as wars which can negatively affect businesses. In order to promote rapid economic growth, the government supports local businesses through subsidies, removal of tariff barriers to trade, bailouts and effective regulation. Currently, the government has implemented economic stimulus packages and austerity measures in order to promote economic growth. Economic Factors UK has the sixth largest economy in the world and the thir d largest in Europe, according to nominal GDP measures. In January 2010, UK left the recession it entered into in 2009, following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis (Michael 2011, pp. 420-431). UK recorded an increase in GDP by 0.8% in 2011 and is expected to record a GDP growth of 1.2% in 2012. Hence, the business cycle of UK is at its recovery stage. UK’s GDP per capita is $39,604, according to 2011 estimates (Dungey 2011, pp. 123-130). In January 2012, UK’s inflation rate was 3.6%, down from 4.2% in December 2011. The Bank of England lowered its interest rate to 0.5% in 2011 in order to enhance economic growth. Thus, unemployment rate has since reduced from 11.9% in 2009 to 8.1% in 2011. Nearly 60% of UK’s population is made up of median income earners, while 14% lives below the poverty line. The implication of these statistics is that UK has a large consumer market with a high purchasing power.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on O range marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social Factors According to the 2001 census, UK’s population is estimated to be 60 million people. Approximately two thirds of the population consists of individuals between the age of 15 and 60 years. This age group consists of the youth who spend their leisure time on entertainment through hand-held devices such as smart-phones. It also consists of the working class that highly depends on mobile phones for communication, organization of personal schedules and entertainment (Khuong 2011, pp. 357-372). Generally, consumerism remains very high in UK, despite the decline in economic growth. This has resulted into high consumption of luxurious and high quality goods and services. For instant, in 2011, the rate of mobile phone penetration in UK was 130%. Over 90% of the population has access to mobile phones, hence the high demand for mobile phone network services. Technological Fact ors UK invests approximately 3% of its total GDP on research and development (RD). The government promotes RD through incentives such as tax credits and direct investments (Antolin Manez 2011, pp. 641-659). UK has a high rate of technological transfer as illustrated by the sharp increase in the number of patents, copyrights and licenses issued in regard to new discoveries in the last decade. Emerging technologies such as 3G/ 4G network, cloud computing and broadband internet, have enabled mobile phone network operators to offer new services. The operators have also been able to use efficient distribution channels and offer excellent customer services through these technologies. Environmental Factors Environmental factors such as weather patterns impact provision of mobile phone network services. For example, floods and earthquakes can destroy network infrastructure or equipment. They can also interfere with the quality of network signal. Environmental risks are low in UK since the country is less susceptible to natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes (Fudge 2011, pp. 789-808). Legal UK has an effective legal framework that guides business activities. Business regulation focuses on consumer protection and promotion of fair trade. The mobile phone industry is highly regulated. The government regulates the content of data services provided by the mobile phone network companies.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government also controls calling rates through price caps (Ward Woroch 2010, pp. 18-32). Licenses for operating on new technologies such as 4G are obtained at exorbitant fees from the industry regulator. The high regulation impacts negatively on the revenues of mobile phone companies. Orange’s Differential Advantage Differential advantage refers to â€Å"the benefit(s) of a product that customers value and believe they can not obtain anywhere else† (Peters Donnelly 2010, p. 67). Sustainable differential advantage can be achieved by emphasizing psychological, as well as, functional values of a product. A differential advantage enables a firm to increase its market share and profitability. Orange’s differential advantages include the following. Orange is the best provider of online entertainment services via mobile phones. The company offers over 50 entertainment channels which cover cinemas, sports and music. The services are of high quality since they are based on high definition (HD) and 3D technology (Orange 2012, 10-600). Orange is also one of the few UK companies that have applied for 4G network technology license. The new network will enable the company to provide the best signal quality and the fastest internet access. Finally, Orange has introduced new services that suit the lifestyles of its customers. For example, it introduced contactless payment services which enable customers to pay for their shopping using their mobile phones. In a nutshell, Orange’s unique selling point includes high quality products, as well as, a variety of tailor-made products. By differentiating its products on the basis of quality, Orange has been able to achieve a competitive edge in UK. Competitive edge refers to â€Å"the ability to gain advantage over the competition in terms of one or more elements of the marketing mix that is valued by the potential customers† (Dhar Winer 2010, p. 76). The competitive edge has enabled Orange to increase its customers, thereby becoming the third largest firm by market size in the industry. Additionally, the firm has been able to maintain an average growth of 10% on profits in the last three years. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a tool used by marketers to analyze a firm’s internal and external environment. In particular, it enables the firm to identify its weaknesses and strengths, as well as, the threats and opportunities in the industry. Strengths Orange has the following strengths. First, Orange has a large customer base that consists of over 16.5 million mobile phone service subscribers (Orange 2012, 10-600). Second, Orange has formed a joint venture with T-mobile. The joint venture has enabled Orange to reduce its operating costs and to access additional capital for investments. Additionally, Orange has been able to access more customers, thereby increasing its profits. Third, Orange has a strong brand image that is recognized for high quality and a variety of services (Orange 2012, 10-600). Finally, the company has innovative distribution channels that improves customer satisfaction and lowers distribution costs. Weaknesses First, Orange has been experiencing a reduction in broadband subscriptions. Initially, Orange was operating on 2G and 3G networks which had a relatively slow internet connection. This led to high customer dissatisfaction. Second, Orange’s market share has reduced in the last three years due to high competition. Finally, the joint venture with T-Mobile will limit Orange’s control over its operations and services in UK (Orange 2012, pp. 10-600). Lack of full control over operations might deny Orange the opportunity to implement strategies that will enable it to overcome competition. Opportunities Orange has the following opportunities. First, the contactless payment segment of the market has not been fully exploited since only a few firms serve it. Thus, Orange has the opportunity to increase its revenue b y serving this segment. Second, the launch of 4G technology in UK is an opportunity for Orange to increase efficiency; to launch new products and to improve the quality of existing products (Giachetti Marchi 2010, pp. 1123-1150). Threats First, UK’s mobile phone industry is approaching its maturity or saturation stage. Consequently, there will be very little or no chance for growth in the future. Second, the economic crisis in Europe can negatively affect UK, thereby reducing expenditure on mobile phone services (Michael 2011, pp. 420-431). Third, high regulation, especially, on prices is likely to reduce Orange’s revenues. Finally, high competition is likely to reduce Orange’s market share and profits. Recommendations Orange can enhance its competitiveness by leveraging its strengths and exploiting the opportunities available in the industry. Additionally, it should minimize its weakness and the risks posed by the threats in the industry. This can be achieved by considering the following recommendations. Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Segmentation refers to â€Å"the process of grouping people or organizations within a market according to similar needs, characteristics or behavior† (Bradley 2005, p. 54). It helps marketers to identify the kind of customers that exist in a market and their needs. Orange should embark on market segmentation because it is often difficult if not impossible to satisfy all tastes and preferences. Additionally, firms that focus on a particular market segment are often more profitable. Orange can segment its market based on the following variables. To begin with, the company can focus on demographic factors (Hassan Craft 2005, pp. 81-89). Different age groups have different needs in regard to phone usage. For example, the teenagers are more likely to use phones for entertainment than adults. The working class is likely to use mobile phones for business transactions. Additionally, expenditure on mobile phone services varies across income groups. Thus, it is necessary to offer products that are tailor-made for every segment. For instance, more TV channels can be provided to target the teenagers, while low cost call services can be introduced to target low income earners. Segmentation can also be based on the benefits sought by the customers (Simkin 2007, pp. 464-474). For example, fast internet and data services can be provided to the business community, while contactless payment services can be provided to shoppers. Orange can also segment its market based on behavior. In this case, the company should focus on building brand loyalty in order to retain its customers. Finally, usage rate and user status can be used to segment the market. For example, relatively cheap services can be offered to heavy users of the network to enhance their loyalty. Additionally, customers can be group as post-paid and pre-paid clients in order to provide flexible service payment options. Targeti ng is the process through which one or more segments are selected. Targeting should take into account the extent to which existing segments are being served (Bradley 2005, p. 77). It will be much easier for Orange to appeal to customers in the internet/ data and contactless payment services since these segments have not yet been fully exploited. The size of the segment should also be taken into account since it determines profitability. In this context, the middle class that forms 60% of the population should be targeted. Specific groups within this segment such as the working class and the business community should be targeted with tailor-made products. Finally, Orange must take into account its ability to serve the selected segments. Currently, Orange is financially stable and has a well established brand, especially, in data and call services. Hence, it is capable of offering tailor made services for new and existing segments. Positioning, involves using marketing techniques such as advertising to create a mental image of a product in the customer’s mind (Kalafatis, Tsogas Blankous 2000, pp. 416-437). Orange should position itself by emphasizing the service features that are valued by each segment. For example, Orange can position itself as the provider of the fastest and cheapest internet in the data segment. It can also position itself as the provider of a variety of high quality entertainment services. Marketing Objectives Marketing objectives help a firm to address its weaknesses and to take advantage of available opportunities. Marketing objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Thus, Orange can consider the following marketing objectives: To improve customer satisfaction (broadband services) by 20% in the next 2 years To increase market share by 5% in the next 2 years To provide 99% 4G network coverage in the next 12 months To increase contactless payment service subscription by 15% in the next 18 months Marketing Mix: 7P’s The 7P’s refers to â€Å"product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people† (Bradley 2005, p. 91). The 7P’s are used as benchmarks for evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. Orange should assess its existing products to determine if they meet the needs of the customers. Products should be improved regularly in order to adapt them to the changing needs of the customers. Given the high competition in the market, Orange should focus on penetration pricing to increase its market share. Additionally, it can charge premium prices for high quality products that target high income earners. This will help in increasing profits. Promotion refers to the activities and techniques used to inform customers about a product. In this context, Orange’s adverts should emphasize the main features of its products. Additionally, a variety of advertising media such as print and electronic media should be used to rea ch many customers. Place refers to the actual location where the products are sold (Bradley 2005, p. 92). In order to increase sales, Orange should distribute its products through a wide range of channels such as online sales, retail shops and supermarkets. Packaging refers to the appearance of the product. In this case, the company should focus on including the features that are valued by the customers in its products. Given the high competition in the industry, Orange should position itself on the basis of service quality, variety, and excellent customer services. Finally, talented people should be hired and entrusted with the various marketing activities. This is because a marketing strategy can only be as good as the people who developed and implemented it. Conclusion The situational analysis reveals that UK’s mobile phone market is characterized with intense competition, high regulation and slow growth. These trends are the main threats in the industry. Orange’s m ain strengths include a strong brand image and financial stability (Orange 2012, pp. 10-600). Its main weakness is declining subscriptions, and market share. The introduction of 4G technology and new segments are the main opportunities in the industry. The current situation is likely to have a negative impact on Orange’s competitiveness if an effective marketing strategy is not put in place. The marketing strategy can be improved by enhancing the segmentation, targeting and positioning; setting appropriate marketing objectives and improving the 7P’s of marketing. References Antolin, M Manez, J 2011, ‘Multinationals, RD and Productivity: Evidence for UK Manufacturing Firms’, Industrial and Corporate Change, vol. 20 no. 2, pp. 641-659. Bradley, F 2005, International Marketing Strategy, Cengage learning, New York. Dhar, R Winer, R 2010, Marketing Management, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Dungey, M 2011, ‘A SVECM Model of the UK Economy and the Term P remium’, Journal of Economics and Management, vol. 34 no. 2, pp. 123-130. Fudge, S 2011, ‘Behavior Change in the UK Climate Debate: an Assesment of Responsibility, Agencies and Political Dimensions’, Sustainability, vol. 6 no. 3, pp. 789-808. Giachetti, C Marchi, G 2010, ‘Evolution of Firm’s Product Strategy over the Life-Cycle of Technology-Based Industries: a Case Study of Global Mobile Phone Industry’, Business History, vol. 52 no. 7, pp. 1123-1150. Hassan, S Craft, S 2005, ‘Linking Global Marketing Segmentation Decision with Strategic Positioning Options’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 22 no. 2, pp. 81-89. Jain, S 2007, ‘Global Competition’, Journal of Economics and Management, vol. 21 no. 3, pp. 471-492. Kalafatis, S, Tsogas, M Blankous, C 2000, ‘Positioning Strategies in Business Marketing’, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, vol. 15 no. 6, pp. 416-437. Khuong, V 2011, ‘ICT as a Source of Economic Growth in the Information Age: Emperical Evidence from 1996-2005 Period’, Telecommunications Policy, vol. 35 no. 4, pp. 357-372. Michael, J 2011, ‘From Plan B to Plan V: What the UK Economy Need to Reboot and Grow’, Journal of Economics and Management, vol. 4 no. 2, pp. 420-431. Orange 2011, Annual Financial report: 2011 FY, Orange, London. Peters, P Donnelly, J 2010, Marketing Management, McGraw-Hill, New York. Simkin, L 2007, ‘Achieving Market Segmentation from B2B Sectorisation’, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 23 no. 7, pp. 464-474. Ward, M Woroch, G 2010, ‘The Effect of Prices on Fixed and Mobile Phone Penetration’, Information Economics and Policy, vol. 22 no. 1, pp. 18-32. This assessment on Orange marketing was written and submitted by user Lane Walton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Every IB Business and Management Past Paper Available FREE and Official

Every IB Business and Management Past Paper Available FREE and Official SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to do well on your IB exams (which you should since acing them will get you college credits), you need to prepare like you would for any standardized test such as the PSAT, SAT or ACT, with practice tests. Preparing for the IB exams doesn't simply mean reviewing your class notes. You should use IB Business and Management past papers as practice tests so that you feel prepared for the length, format, and types of questions asked. In this article, I'll provide you with links to IB Business and Management past papers, free and official. Additionally, I'll give advice on how to use them to ace your real IB test. Free IB Business and Management Past Papers Links The IB has cracked down on illegally uploaded real past papers in the last few years, so many previous sources are no longer available. Compounding this problem, IB so far has not provided any free sample IB Business and Management exam papers on its website. We'll be sure to update this article as soon as they do with links, though! While searching for "free IB Business and Management papers" online may still turn up some results, we do not recommend using them, as there's no guarantee those papers are real past IB papers. Instead, we recommend using the relatively inexpensive official paid IB past papers and markschemes for further practice. Paid IB Business and Management Past Papers Links To download safe and official IB Business and Management SL/HL past papers and markschemes, purchase them from the Follet IBO store directly. Currently, the IBO store has two sets of English-language IB Business and Management SL past papers and IB Business and Management HL past papers in the new, 2016-exam format: one set from May 2017 and one from November 2016. (There are a small number of past IB Business Management papers in French and Spanish available on the store as well.) Note: The IBO sells each paper and mark scheme individually (boo); an individual paper or mark scheme costs $3 (or about  £2.50). This means a full test (with all papers and mark schemes) will cost about $12. Buying everything on the site from 2015 to 2017 will be costly (not to mention in different languages), so we recommend you only buy the two most recent (November 2016 and May 2017) past papers. These past papers will be the most similar to your test, and two exams will provide plenty of practice. How to Use These Exams An IB Business and Management test will take you 3 hours for SL or 4.5 hours for HL. If you are going to invest that much time, you need to be maximizing your learning from these tests. To make sure you get the most out of each practice test, follow these rules: #1: Split the Test Over Two Days In May 2019, the IBO scheduled Paper 1 and Papers 2 on two separate days before and after a weekend. If possible, you should copy this schedule exactly so that your practice is realistic. At the very least, make sure you are taking the two papers on two different days. Having to hold on to the information over multiple days (with a weekend in-between!) makes it difficult to cram for this test. You need to have mastered the IB Business and Management concepts and be able to write intelligently about them. #2: Use Exact Timing. Make sure you time yourself so that you force yourself to practice your pacing. The time allowed per paper is: Business and Management SL Paper 1- 1 hour 15 minutes Paper 2- 1 hour 45 minutes Business and Management HL Paper 1- 2 hours 15 minutes Paper 2- 2 hours 15 minutes Do not stray from this timing, not even by a minute. You need to get used to the actual exam timing. Also, you’ll get an inflated practice exam score if you allow yourself extra time. Don’t do it! Stick to the real timing so that you have a realistic indicator of your IB score. #3 (and the most important): Review! After completing all papers, review your exam with the mark scheme. Why do you need to review? Reviewing helps you figure out what mistakes you are making or what information you do not know before you take the real IB Business and Management exam. If you don’t check your answers, you’ll make the same mistakes on the actual IB Business and Management test. Take some time (at minimum an hour) to review your answers. Taking one practice test with in-depth review is far superior to taking 8 tests without review. What’s Next? Learn more about IB Business and Management and related topics: IB Business and Management Study Guide Return on Assets: What It Is and How to Use It Check out where to find past papers for your other classes: Every IB Biology Past Paper Available: Free and Official Where to Find IB Chemistry Past Papers - Free and Official Every IB Economics Past Paper Available: Free and Official Every IB English Past Paper Available: Free and Official Every IB Geography Past Paper Available: Free and Official Every IB History Past Paper Available: Free and Official Every IB Math Past Paper Available: Free and Official Where to Find IB Physics Past Papers - Free and Official Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Post-occupancy evaluating of low income housing Essay

Post-occupancy evaluating of low income housing - Essay Example 22). The evaluation of functional aspects assures that the building is able to meet some of the most common and inevitable needs of the occupants, that could not be sidelined in any modern human accommodation, whatever the financial constraints (Bachman 2008, p. 15). The evaluation of technical aspects of an occupied low income housing supported by the user feedback helps understand how the technical maladjustments support or restrain the daily activities of the occupants (Brown 2001, p. 82). Very often minor technical fine tuning goes a long way in enhancing the eventual benefits to the occupants. Besides it also allows for improving the designs of the future low income accommodations. The same stands true in the context of evaluation with regards to social views. This suggests the minor improvements that could help better the design to suit the aspirations of the occupant as per one’s socio-economic needs and aspirations (Brown 2001, p. 82). Reference List Bachman, Leonard R 2008, ‘Architecture and the Four Encounters with Complexity’, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, Vo. 4, no. 1, pp. 15-19.

Are Cheaters and The 5th Wheel obscene television shows and should be Essay

Are Cheaters and The 5th Wheel obscene television shows and should be fined if not prohibited from airing - Essay Example With the sudden rise in popularity of reality television shows, many business moguls have ventured into this industry which has given American television channels a lot of shows to choose from; and many of these channels are showing shows which literally lack value either politically or scientifically. This paper aims to focus on television media, particularly looking into the reality television shows Cheaters and The 5th Wheel, and identify whether the shows are offensive, indecent, inappropriate, violent and meaningless. In so doing, this paper would also present a five-point plan on how to handle the violations that these shows have in the areas of language, script and over-all impact on the general viewing public. To be able to do this, a brief description of how the shows are done to have an idea what it is. The 5th Wheel is a reality television show about blind dating. Many viewers view it as an "augmented version" of the Blind Date. Only that in this show there will be four strangers, two of which are males and the other two are females, and they all would get together on a date to see who 'gels' well with whom. At the onset of the show, a guy and a girl will be partnered together to spend sometime to get to know each other. The same thing happens to the second couple. After which, the guys would exchange girls and try to spend sometime with the new girl. In the middle of this 'getting to know' each other stage, another girl (or guy) comes in to charm the guys away from the girls. Meaning, the guys now have three girls to choose from. This situation seems to be innocently normal, as all people experience blind dating and enjoy it. The only problem is that, the girls don't only wear super 'revealing clothes' (although some would dress up like a mummy) they would also end up kissing the guy 'intimately' on national television, plus the fact that the show has a 15-minute room where a guy and a girl comes in either to talk or get really intimate with each other. Kissing is a natural phenomenon and it is a beautiful thing; but kissing and petting on national television is another story. Cheaters is another reality television show about couples in which either the guy or the girl is cheating on the other. The set-up is like an investigation where in the cheating partner is tracked and videoed without his or her knowledge. Couples could either be seriously dating, divorced or married. We all know that this is a very private matter and doing your dirty laundry on national t.v. only sends one message - that nothing stays private and sacred anymore. After all the stalking and video recording, all information gathered are then shown to the 'crying victim of infidelity'; after which confrontation takes place, with all cast and crew: the couple, the third party, the host of the show and the camera men with the other crew members, not to mention the millions of viewers watching. During the confrontation, all obscenities are said as a result of anger and embarrassment. Just imagine how humiliating and embarrassing the situation is. The show is aired to encourage people to ren ew their temperance and virtue and it is also said that this show is dedicated to the faithful couples. Well, the goal is good but the effect is not. Marital or relationship problems such as this one happens everyday. Although it is not a good

Macroeconomic forecast paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Macroeconomic forecast paper - Essay Example The NCES distinguishes three possible scenarios and, moreover, provides different figures for men and women and different age groups. For 2005-2006 the NCES's forecast of unemployment rate for the middle alternative variant is as follows: for women 25 years or older - between 4,4% and 4,7%; for men from corresponding age group - between 4,4% and 5,2% (n.d., n.p.). The forecasts of the inflation rate calculated at national level vary even to a greater extent. The experts of the Economist Intelligence Unit estimate this indicator at 2,8% level in 2005 and at 2,7 % in 2006, predicting that it will "remain relatively contained" (2005, n.p.). At the same time their colleagues from the Federal Reserve also think that the inflation rate would go down in 2006 in comparison with 2005, but expect different figures - 2,6% and 2,5% correspondingly (2005, n.p.). Another figure provided by the Federal Reserve (n.d.,n.p.) is annual estimate of inflation rate for the next ten years, which equals to 2,5 %.

Types of CAPTCHA

Types of CAPTCHA Text-Based CAPTCHAs CAPTCHA was at first conceived by Andrei Broder and his associates in 1997 and around the same time Altavista site utilized this technique as a HIP around the same time. This strategy utilized a contorted English word that a client was made a request to sort. The bended word was less demanding for clients to see however troublesome for bots to perceive utilizing OCR procedures. Content based CAPTCHAs are as a picture containing a hard to perceive content string to be distinguished and written by the client in a content box gave close to the CAPTCHA picture on the Web page. The CAPTCHA picture is of low quality with various types of clamor and solid debasement connected to it. Blum and Von Ahn in Collaboration with Yahoo contrived EZ-Gimpy and Gimpy CAPTCHA to shield talk rooms from spammers. These CAPTCHAs challenges have been broken by lexicon assaults which contained a predetermined number of words in them. A more secure sort of content based HIP, called reCAPTCHA has been proposed by similar creators. Confuse Text CAPTCHA is the Xerox Pato Alto Research Center (PARC) form of Gimpy test. Unmistakable content based CAPTCHA methods incorporate Scatter Type, Handwritten Word based CAPTCHA and Human Visual System veiling Characteristic CAPTCHA. Different specialist organizations on the Internet like PayPal, Hotmail and YouTube utilize their own forms of content construct CAPTCHAs considering their sites and overhaul them with more current forms every now and again. With a point of enhancing ease of use of content based CAPTCHAs, Richard Chow et al have proposed a nonexclusive system for changing over a literary CAPTCHA into an interactive CAPTCHA. It propos es situation of various content CAPTCHA pictures in a matrix among which some are English words while others are not. The client must tap on all legitimate English words to breeze through this CAPTCHA test. Image-Based CAPTCHAs Blum and Von Ahn proposed at first picture based CAPTCHA called ESP-PIX CAPTCHA. It utilized a bigger database of photos and energized pictures of ordinary items. The CAPTCHA framework gave a client an arrangement of pictures all connected with a similar question or idea. The client was required to enter the question or idea to which every one of the pictures had a place with e.g. the program may show pictures of Globe, Volleyball, Planet and baseball anticipating that the client should effectively relate every one of these photos with the word ball. When all is said in done picture based CAPTCHAs show a visual example or idea that the client needs to distinguish and act as needs be. Diverse picture based CAPTCHA plot utilizes distinctive examples or ideas which are anything but difficult to be perceived by the clients and troublesome for the bot projects to mimic. Other than a few others, this class of CAPTCHA strategies include: Microsoft Asirra, Image Generation for Internet Authe ntication, Image Block Exchange and Face Recognition CAPTCHAs. Mosaic-based Human Interactive Proof called MosaHIP proposes a CAPTCHA conspire for securing the download of asset against Web-bots. It utilizes a solitary bigger picture called mosaic picture which is made from littler and halfway covering genuine and fake pictures. The client needs to drag an asset communicated in type of versatile content protest on the site page and drop it onto the zone of the mosaic picture containing the picture showed in the CAPTCHA picture. Google has proposed a CAPTCHA strategy in which a client must alter randomly pivoted pictures to their upright positioning. As of late, an Image Flip CAPTCHA technique proposes utilization of a composite CAPTCHA picture involving flipped and non-flipped pictures. The client needs to tap on all pictures that show up as ordinary and with no flip connected to them. Audio-Based CAPTCHAs The main sound based CAPTCHA was actualized by Nancy Chan to give another option to content based CAPTCHAs for outwardly impeded individuals. Sound CAPTCHAs take an arbitrary grouping drawn from recordings of straightforward words or numbers, consolidate them and add some unsettling influence and clamor to it. This recording is played when the client clicks a catch gave on the website page. The CAPTCHA framework then requests that the client enter the words or potentially numbers in the recording. Sound CAPTCHAs are more hard to tackle, hard to internationalize and more requesting as far as time and endeavors in contrast with content and picture CAPTCHAs. Notwithstanding, sound based CAPTCHA tests have turned into an option for outwardly impeded individuals. Most Web administrations incorporate it notwithstanding content and picture CAPTCHAs. Different CAPTCHAs Besides above sorts of CAPTCHA tests, Collaborative Filtering and Implicit CAPTCHA challenge have been proposed in writing. Joint separation CAPTCHAs approaches contrast from others in the scenes that CAPTCHA creators dont know at first the right solution for their planned CAPTCHA, however measure it from human conclusion. Understood CAPTCHA proposes single tick difficulties recognized as fundamental perusing joins which can be replied through involvement of the setting of the Website.

Grooms Wedding Speech - Damn Statistics -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Spee

Groom's Wedding Speech - Damn Statistics Ladies and gentleman, I have to be honest with you all and admit that I am quite nervous about standing up here and speaking this evening. While I was writing my speech I came across some interesting statistics about what guests are thinking about during a wedding speech. Apparently, twenty percent of you are thinking about getting onto the dance floor and partying the night away. Thirty percent of you are thinking about the marital status of the best man. Ladies, you may be pleased to know that he is single. He's also not very fussy as he showed at the stag party (bachelors party). It turns out that twenty percent of you are thinking about what happened at the stag party (bachelors party). Moving swiftly on. Ten percent of you are thinking about the type of couple that we will make. A rather worrying statistic, from my point of view, is that fifteen percent of you are having romantic thoughts about the person sitting next to you. There are several people here tonight who I would like to thank. I'd like to start by thanking my ...

Chemistry Essay

An increasing interest and intensive research have been devoted towards understanding the chemistry of ionic liquids over the past decade. These liquids are not any new and have extensively been used in organic separation and synthesis. With renewed interest towards these liquids, researchers have started to realize novel uses of ionic liquids and now research efforts have been spread to other specialties within the umbrella of science and technology. While research into ionic liquids has been limited to the classification as esoteric compounds, other applications of ionic liquids continue to be realized such as performance additives, bioreactor applications and in the designing of pharmaceutical compounds has received increasing recognition. Ionic liquids have been thought to be green although noxious ionic liquids have been synthesized with ease. An example of these potentially life threatening liquids have cyanide as their sole anion and alkaloid as the anions[1]. Therefore, there seems to be a misunderstanding on the nature of ionic liquids which has in many times led to the poor definition of ionic liquids. A detailed understanding will generate new insights into sustainable exploitation of ionic liquids in industrial processes. Apart from ILs being praised for being excellent solvents, they are also good catalysts especially in biological systems although they take part in highly selective catalytic solvents[2]. Definition of Ionic Liquids Ionic liquids, abbreviated as IL comprise of a new class of solvents that is mainly composed of ions (cations and anions). They ILs are regarded to be green solvents because of their properties such as negligibility to vapor pressure, high thermostability and non-inflammability. Due to these properties, new biotechnological applications are continuously being discovered. Among the biotechnological applications of ILs which have been developed include whole cell and enzymatic catalysis. While ILs have been labeled ‘green’, the label has recently been questioned and challenged after ILs were shown to decompose as relatively low heat intensities. ILs have also been shown to express some toxicity levels towards microbial cells as well as higher organisms. At the same time, it is possible to modify the physicochemical properties of ILs and come up with designer solvents with unique chemical structures[3]. Perhaps interventions required to make ILs retain their ‘green’ label could be the fine tuning so that the toxicity drawbacks are addressed. Their applications need to be broadened in order to fully maximize their benefits to man. Important properties of ILs have been investigated in order to understand this important class of solvents. However, not every ionic liquid will show similar properties as other classes of solvents. The most common properties of ILs which can be presented by this class of solvents include the liquid range which is 3000C (-96-+2000C)[4]. ILs have also been shown to be excellent inorganic, organic and polymeric materials solvents. The acidic composition of ILs can generally be said to be superacids. Some ILs are highly water sensitive and therefore have to be used in dry boxes. In contrast, other ILs are highly hydrophobic (water haters) and have high air stability. ILs have also shown high thermal stability up to temperatures of 2000C. vapor pressure at room temperature has not yet been estimated and is assumed negligible. While ILs are noninflammable, it has been shown recently that some can be explosive and this raises eyebrows over the tag, ‘green’ solvents. At room temperature, ILs are basically salts with heavy phosphorous or nitrogenous organic rich organic cations with a linear skeleton or chain of alkyl groups. Extensive research has been invested mainly in the imidazolium ILs especially the cations of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium. The structures of these cations have also been studied extensively. ILs are known to be of dual functionality since they have both the cations and the anions. The most common anions of ILs include, the nitrates such as chlorides (Cl-) and bromides (Br-), chloroaluminates such as [Al2Cl4]- Â  and [Al2Cl7]-, nitrates such as [NO3]-, tetrafluorophosphates [BF6]- hexafluorophosphates, Â  [PF6]-Â   and alkyl sulfates [RSO4] such as ethyl sulfate [C2H5SO4]-.

Why You Should Say Thank You Instead of Sorry

Why You Should Say Thank You Instead of Sorry Most people say â€Å"sorry† or â€Å"I’m sorry† too often- women in particular. You’re probably aware of whether this is an issue for you. And yes, some situations do call for a true apology: if you bump into someone or you’re expressing sympathy, sorry away! Ditto if you’re expressing genuine regret for a mistake you made. But not all situations call for your apology! Over apologizing can lead others to doubt you or lose confidence in your abilities. Through her comics below, Yao Xiao suggests that you say ‘thank you’ instead. Check out the following comic and see how using â€Å"thank you† instead of â€Å"sorry† can have a much different effect. [Source: The Art of Yao Xiao]

One Vote Can Make a Difference - What Are the Odds

One Vote Can Make a Difference - What Are the Odds The odds that one vote can make a difference in an election are almost nil, worse than the odds of winning Powerball. But that doesnt mean its impossible that one vote can make a difference. Its actually happened. There have been cases in which one vote decided the election. Odds That One Vote Can Make a Difference Economists Casey B. Mulligan and Charles G. Hunter found in a 2001 study that only one of every 100,000 votes cast in federal elections, and one of every 15,000 votes cast in state legislative elections, â€Å"mattered in the sense that they were cast for a candidate that officially tied or won by one vote.† Their study of 16,577 national elections from 1898 through 1992 found that only one had been decided by a single vote. It was the 1910 election in New York’s 36th Congressional District, won by a Democrat who claimed 20,685 votes to the Republican candidate’s 20,684. Of those elections, the median margin of victory was 22 percentage points and 18,021 actual votes. Mulligan and Hunter also analyzed 40,036 state legislative elections from 1968 through 1989 and found only seven that had been decided by a single vote. Of those elections, the median margin of victory was 25 percentage points and 3,257 actual votes. In other words, the chance that your vote will be the decisive or pivotal one in a national election is almost zilch. The same goes for state legislative elections. Chances That One Vote Can Make a Difference in a Presidential Race   Researchers Andrew Gelman, Gary King, and John Boscardin estimated the chances that a single vote would decide a U.S. presidential election to be 1 in 10 million at best and less than 1 in 100 million at worst. Their work, titled Estimating the Probability of Events That Have Never Occurred: When Is Your Vote Decisive? appeared in 1998 in the Journal of the American Statistical Association.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Given the size of the electorate, an election where one vote is decisive (equivalent to a tie in your state and in the electoral college) will almost certainly never occur,† Gelman, King and Boscardin wrote. Still, the odds of your one vote deciding a presidential election are still better than your odds of matching all six numbers of Powerball, which are smaller than 1 in 175 million. What Really Happens in Close Elections So what happens if an election really is decided by a single vote, or is at least pretty close? It’s taken out of the electorate’s hands. Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt, who wrote Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, pointed out in a 2005 column in The New York Times that extremely close elections are often settled not at the ballot box but in courtrooms. Consider President George W. Bush’s narrow victory in 2000 over Democrat Al Gore, which ended up being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. â€Å"It is true that the outcome of that election came down to a handful of voters; but their names were Kennedy, OConnor, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas. And it was only the votes they cast while wearing their robes that mattered, not the ones they may have cast in their home precincts,† Dubner and Levitt wrote. When One Vote Really Did Make a Difference The races won by a single vote, in addition to the new 1910 Congressional election in New York, according to Mulligan and Hunter, were: A 1978 race for Rhode Island state Senate was tied at 4,110 votes, and decided by a second runoff election. So was a 1980 race for New Mexico state House, at 2,327 votes for each candidate.A 1982 state House election in Maine in which the victor won 1,387 votes to the loser’s 1,386 votes.A 1982 state Senate race in Massachusetts in which the victor won 5,352 votes to the loser’s 5,351; a subsequent recount late found wider margin.A 1980 state House race in Utah in which the victor won 1,931 votes to the loser’s 1,930 votes.A 1978 state Senate race in North Dakota in which the victor won 2,459 votes to the loser’s 2,458 votes; a subsequent recount found the margin to be six votes.A 1970 state House race in Rhode Island in which the victor won 1,760 votes to the loser’s 1,759.A 1970 state House race in Missouri in which the victor won 4,819 votes to the loser’s 4,818 votes.And a 1968 state House race in Wisconsin in which the victor won 6,522 v otes to the loser’s 6,521 votes; a subsequent recount found the margin to be two votes, not one.