Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Analytical Essay Sample on “Snow Falling on Cedars”

Analytical Essay Sample on â€Å"Snow Falling on Cedars† The aim of literature is to entertain and inform. We see this in the novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. Guterson uses stylistic language techniques to capture the reader and involve them in the text. By integrating flash backs into the murder mystery genre, the characters are made three dimensional, and the reader becomes involved. The story informs the reader by integrating important themes into the text. Literature aims to entertain. Snow Falling on Cedars is entertaining because it is written in such a way that the reader becomes involved with the characters. Guterson uses metaphors of the surrounding area, to give insight into the characters. For example, the radiator in the courtroom is sluggish and slow to get started, and is in a state of disrepair. This is a metaphor for the townsfolk, and by using it, Guterson has made the reader link the two together. Through using descriptive metaphors in the early stages of the book, when the same character traits are brought up later, they already feel familiar to the reader. The book is well written in the murder mystery genre, which creates suspense. The plot draws and captivates the reader. Guterson integrates flashbacks from different character perspectives, which make the murder mystery more intriguing. These flashbacks hold in them vital clues and insights to the plot and the reader is forced to think. The layers of plot are graduall y built up, giving the book a three dimensional quality. Subtle clues given by the author create a question about Kabuos innocence. This question creates curiosity in the mind of the reader, who is entertained by the suspense and drama, and finally the conclusion. Literature also aims to inform. Through different characters experiences in Snow Falling in Cedars, Guterson subtly informs the reader of several strong themes. The rising snowstorm is a metaphor for the building tension between the two communities on the island, and through this and Ishmael and Hatsues relationship we are shown racial tension. Through Carl and Kabuos lost friendship, Ishmaels missing arm, Whaleys personality, and the racial prejudice shown by the townsfolk, we are shown the impacts of war, both on communities and individuals. These are the prominent themes in the book, although Guterson weaves several others in as well. Through the suggested incompetence of the lawyers and law enforcers, and the run down courtroom, Guterson questions the human ability to pass judgement accuracy. Ishmaels phantom pains in his missing arm are a metaphor for his heart, which still aches for Hatsue, even though she is long gone. This and the comparison between Ishmael and Carl highlight s the theme that we need to learn and move on. These themes are interlaced and layered throughout the text unobtrusively, but in such a way that at the end of the book, the reader subconsciously takes away a new understanding of people and their cultures. Snow Falling on Cedars is a good example of Literature that entertains and informs. The way it is crafted in layers, using a good murder mystery plot with stylistic language makes it entertaining. The subtle integration of theme into this plot gives the reader a better understanding at the end of the story. The reader is captivated and this is what makes it such a good read.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

A Citizens Right To be Equal (american History X) essays

A Citizen's Right To be Equal (american History X) essays America is known to many as a free country. It was founded on the belief that all citizens would have the opportunity to thrive. This notion has not always been true. In the early years of our country, racism was a large setback. Slavery ruined the idea of a free country, the idea that was supposed to be the most important of all. Over the years slavery was abolished and racism has been largely eliminated. There is, however, some racism still present in that only holds our country back. These racist people cannot be called citizens because of their actions. The definition of a citizen is A person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or nation (American Heritage Dictionary). Part of being loyal and protecting the state is to obey the rules and ideals that the state has set. One of those ideals is to work with our peers toward something that would better society, no matter what race or religion they may be. We can see examples of this in the movie American History X. The movie begins with a gang of black guys trying to rob a car from one of the main characters, Derek. Derek, a racist, kills two of the three gang members, one of them very brutally by making him bite the curb and stomping on his head. He is sent to jail for three years for murder, and it would have been life if his brother had testified in the trial. As they explain later in the movie, Dereks racism started off because of his father. He told Derek not to listen to his black teacher saying, read the book, ace the guys test. Just dont swallow everything he feeds you whole just because you see it on the evening news. The father goes on to talk about affirmative black-tion and how the stuff his teacher tells him is nigger bullshit. Dereks racism only got worse when his dad, a fireman, was killed in a black neighborhood on the job in a black neighborhood...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The difference between leadership and management techniques and their Essay

The difference between leadership and management techniques and their influences on the organizational structure - Essay Example This study looks into leadership and management that both are needed to maintain all business processes successfully. The basic difference between management and leadership is that of notions they possess about the strategic tools and effectiveness of the proposed methods. The difference between their perceptions observed by the research includes viewpoints about changes in the organization such as; managers believe change would bring various challenges and threats for the company. However, leaders think that change provides an opportunity to the professionals to avail competitive advantage. At other side, when it comes to handle the change managers attempt to deal with it through strategic plans, but leaders aim to address such issues, through mind. Other differences between their approaches include managers` methodology of utilizing power through balanced activities. Managers, intend to understand and consider all aspects of the threats and try to concentrate on short-term plans. T hey follow their self-made views and examine self-performance to practice substantial and perform job accordingly. On the contrary, thoughts and practices of leaders involve a use of heart and mind logistics. Leaders possess capabilities to sense all possible facilities, which help them plan long-term strategic methods; they do intend to follow their viewpoints. They are flexible enough to alter or create new vision with the demands of the time. They simply do not focus to perform assigned duties in control like the managers` approaches, but they struggle for their dreams along with inspiration and self-motivation. In general, managers are looked as administrators not as leaders. Concept of managers as leaders emphasize on the fact that managers while performing as leaders are expected to promote new approaches. Managers can only perform as effective leaders, when they show interest towards executing proposed strategies of achieving goals. Additionally, they should have some qualiti es to inspire their followers and workers performing under their observations. A manager can inspire people like leaders by utilizing technical strategic tools (Adeniyi 2007). For example, if a manager intends to lead and manage things at the same time quietly, he/she can perform far much better than a cheerful leader. Most importantly bridging the gap between the basic difference in managers and leaders` functions can help managers to perform as efficient leaders (Adeniyi 2007). For example, leaders bring up new ideas and managers regulate the existing ideas, thus at this point it is vital that managers should understand the importance of taking up challenges, through changed strategies and modernized approaches. For the managers to perform as effective leaders it is vital to understand the demands of the position and fundamental requirements for being a good leaders otherwise, the whole organization has to suffer (Adeniyi 2007). F

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Sao Paulos Climate Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sao Paulos Climate - Case Study Example This climate has remained relatively stable for decades; the last reported snow storm occurred in 1918 (Sau Paoulo Climate and Weather). Sao Paulo is the richest city in Brazil and the southern hemisphere, and it is also the most populated. It holds over 11,000,000 residents and is over 1500 square kilometers. The city is growing at such a fast and expansive rate that much of its infrastructure has had difficulty evolving and meeting the needs of the growth. Energy production has therefore been very, very chaotic. The state has been able to produce more electicity than the plants in both Argentina and Chile, but because of the constant increase in population, power outages are becoming a presence and a threat. An increase in the electrical supply of the city is needed. Furthermore, the existence of geothermal plants, as well as imports of natural gas and cogeneration are becoming more vital to the city's survival (Henkin). With these problems in mind, it is important to consider the question: To what extent do "ecological" materials satisfy the thermal necessities of a building in a city of Tropical climate as So Paulo With the current energy crisis abounding, it appears that necessities provided by energy, including air conditioning in climate control, are being threatened. However, considering the fact that this is a city in a tropical climate, one item that the city may wish to consider and invest in is that of solar power. Solar power could help to answer the energy crisis, and thus also assist with the thermal necessities in a city in a tropical climate. While the initial investment may be costly, the strategy would certainly pay for itself in the end, benefit the city overall, and help to solve the problems of energy existing today. Urban heat in the island areas itself has been a reported problem that could be put to use and gain significant energy features. For instance, many islanders report that the climate can be quite hot in February. Since this is an island affected by its location under the equator, heat can be extreme at the peak seasons. This means that buildings will be using more climate control features, such as air conditioning, to protect customers and themselves from inevitable health concerns, like heat stroke. Further energy shortages are always expected during these months because of this inevitable behavior. However, if the heat and sunlight can be harnessed and put into good effect, it could actually solve the energy efficiency problem, and thus the island could use one of its own energy resources to help with the climate during the hotter months. The sunlight exposure present at Sao Paulo also brings a few other items to light that one must need to consider. This concept is that of electromagnetic radiation, including UVA, UVG, and UVC. Most individuals know that some sun exposure, if it is slight, can be beneficial to one's health. In fact, a lack of sunlight can make individuals feel depressed. However, too much sun is also dangerous, and can cause detrimental effects to one's health, including sunburns, heatstroke, and skin cancer. These factors need to be considered for those living in the city. Works Cited Henkin, S. "Sao Paulo: Urbanization Run Amok." World and I, Vol. 14, August 1999. Sau Paulo

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Mitochondrial DNA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mitochondrial DNA - Essay Example This is accomplished in humans by the sequencing one or more of the hypervariable control regions (HVR1 or HVR2) of the mitochondrial DNA (Schwartz & Vissing 2002). Mitochondrial Eve is referred to as an ancestor who has been hypothesized on the grounds of fossil as well as DNA evidence (Vigilant et al. 1991). Phylogenies are constructed on mtDNA comparison shown that the living humans whose mitochondrial lineages branched earliest from the tree are indigenous Africans, while the lineages of indigenous peoples on other continents all branch off from African lines (Vigilant et al. 1991). Researchers can reason that all humans descend from Africa; and then they migrated out of Africa to populate the rest of the world. If the mitochondrial analysis is accurate, then mitochondrial Eve represents the origin of the mitochondrial family tree. Eve must have predated the mass departure and lived in Africa (Vigilant et al. 1991). Mitochondrial Eve was the most recent matrilineal ancestor of humans alive today. On the other hand, as evident lineages died out, the status of common matrilineal ancestor would have been passed to a descendant of the previous matrilineal ancestor. ... The nucleotide sequence of the hypervariable 1 (HV-1) region of mtDNA was determined from samples of all four groups. There were 275 HV-1 sequences, and a total of 164 haplotypes were observed (Jackson et al.). Jackson reveals that through analysis of molecular inconsistency indicated that the distribution of these haplotypes within the Limba sample was considerably different from the other ethnic groups. He further states that there was no significant difference between the other groups (Jackson et al.). These distinguishing results show genetic differences that can be observed within different ethnic groups in considerably close proximity of each other. Moreover, Jackson, and his group, observed some mtDNA haplotypes that were similar among the Sierra Leone ethnic groups and that have not been published in any other West African studies (Jackson et al.). As a result, there may be evidence for mtDNA lineages that are unique to this region of Western Africa. The methods of sampling w ere cheek swabs, using the BuccalAmp DNA Extraction kit according to the manufacturer's specifications, which were taking from 166 unrelated individuals from all four ethnic groups: Mende, Temne, Loko, and Limba (Jackson et al.). These samples were obtained in pre-arranged meetings and males were primarily observed. This was because matrilineal and patrilineal studies were conducted (Jackson et al.). Matrilineal and patrilineal ethnic lineages over three generations were recorded for each individual. The mtDNA haplotypes were determined by analyzing the nucleotide sequence of the hypervariable region (HV-I). HV1 sequences were allied and edited from positions 16001-16480 to ensure the identification of unambiguous polymorphisms (Jackson et al.). 480 bases of HV-I

Friday, November 15, 2019

strategic analysis of mcdonalds in india

strategic analysis of mcdonalds in india McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. Values. Our values summarized in Q.S.C V. Provide good quality, services to customer. Have cleanliness environment when customer enjoys their meal .The value of food product makes every customer is smiling. Executive Summary. This documentation is mainly about the business strategies of McDonalds in India how it applies their strategies to interact with external environment. This discussed the following Porters models to imply the companys strategies in detail; Porters Generic Strategy analysis.(Use to identify the strategies to select) Porters Value Chain analysis. (Use to identify the value chain activities to support the strategy.) As a fast food company, the rivals that it has faced in the Indian economy during the implementation the strategies they applied, and the strategy changes according to different situations reports from this document. Porters generic strategy analysis of McDonalds is mainly on its unique characteristic applied in India, companys commitment dedication driven to reach the success in the Indian market. It shows McDonalds Business strategies that took place during the banking crisis which lead to global economy recession how it affected the Indian economy. Through Porters Value Chain Analysis this document tries to highlight McDonalds primary activities support activities of their production process, applied in India. Through this analysis, it shows the factors influencing the company performance, coordination between firms in the industry their quality support services as well. Also, report tends to discuss the situation of other competitors in the industry, their performance and position in the Indian market. Finally, this report implies that low cost focus strategy can keep a company to survive in the recession. Also, it can achieve low cost focus strategy through their logistic systems, reducing food wastes and increasing effectiveness of employees. Introduction. Mc Donalds, was originated in USA (California) in 1954, and has become one of the successful fast food chains in the world. Also one of the most recognized and established brands in the world. To such a development it helps some successful business strategies which lined to its external environment (Macro environment) and the industry environment (Micro environment). This document discussed the success of McDonalds especially in India and the strategies that they followed to reach the current position. Also, this provides a discussion of an analysis of why the company selects those strategies in response to the changing external environment to reach the goals. The company was able to establish around 30,000 franchising stores in 119 countries, targeting around 47 million people each day and it generates about $ 15 billion revenues annually. In India, McDonalds is a 50-50 joint partnership business between McDonalds corporations [USA] and two Indian businessmen. It took them six years with an investment of 4 billion to build up their supply chain properly in the Indian market. Their first restaurant in India was opened in 1996 at New Delhi. By introducing differentiated menu products according to the Indian taste, improving logistics systems with better supplier relationships it began to spread all over the country rapidly. Now the company expanded in 34 cities in India by covering 132 outlets. N. Jadhav A.Shaikh 2010, Supply chain management, Perishable products (Restaurant chain)[Presentations], viewed [ 19/12/2010], http://www.slideshare.net/sunilmbsingh/mcdonalds-final (Diagram 1) Porters Generic Strategy Analysis: Porters generic strategies framework provides a major contribution to the development of the strategic management the company can achieve to their competitive advantages by differentiating their products and services from its competitors through low costs. Mc Donalds targeted their products and services by a broad target through covering most of the market places. Also, it attains competitive advantage through market segmentation using Porters differentiation focus strategy. 8.1 Differentiation strategy of McDonalds: In differentiation strategy, fast food chains need to be more selective in which products to offer more creative in their promotion strategy. McDonalds offers specialized (Regionalized) version of its menu. This leads to differentiate the products from other competitor products as well. Mc Grilled sandwiches in US Canada. Mc Chicken Premiere Zesty chicken in UK, France, Italy Belgium. To overcome their healthy issues Mc Donalds added salads other lighter options to its menu encourage people to visit more often. Product adaptation in India- Vegetarian selections, No beef or pork items, McMasala Wide variety of menu items according to the Indian menu items; Vegetable non vegetable products. Health conscious items. Local flavors. Food preferences India B. Craig K. R. Dickson, 11th December 2007, Supply chain management, Mc India ppt[Presentations], viewed [ 19/12/2010],http://www.slideshare.net/KRDickson/McIndia-Final-ppt (Diagram 2) Mc Donalds premium line: They have introduced a group of products in early 2000s. It includes McDonalds larger chicken sandwich, salad line coffee products. Grilled chicken sandwiches are targeted different demographic markets. Mc Cafes located in Australia within the McDonalds restaurant. Types of restaurants: Counter service drive through (With indoor outdoor seating in Delhi.) McDrive locations near highways offer no counter services or seating. McCafà © restaurants within the same McDonalds restaurants. (They increased sales by 60% from this strategy.) Expansion for the following locations as well; More distribution centers within 500 km radius. Satellite cities near Mumbai Delhi. Cities with tourist appeal and eating out culture. Petrol stations, railway bus stations in around Delhi. Shopping malls and movie complexes (Delhi Mumbai) Differentiating promotion programs: McDonalds focused on superior price performance during the time of economic crisis. Point of sales (POS) promotion programs. Combo meals. (Customers get more discounts through this.) Lottery for winning its products. Sampling activities to taste their products to a discount price. Internet promotions. TV and other media promotions. To differentiate with their competitors McDonalds tried to focus on its unique campaign. Im lovin it campaign to attract family. Feature artists to attract teenagers. Introduces wireless technology platform, by allowing their customers to access internet by creating an innovative environment. 8.2 Cost leadership strategy: Under Porters competitive strategies, McDonalds uses an overall low-cost leadership strategy to reduce cost increase sales. Higher profits resulting from sales through lower prices than competitors as the unit cost is lower. Mc Donalds is having a biggest market share out of completive fast food restaurants. Therefore, they increase sales by reducing price than competitors. Food Items McDonalds Subway KFC Pizza Hut Dominos Burgers Pizzas Rs 20- Rs 70 Rs 65- Rs 135 Rs 25- Rs 175 Rs 55- Rs 175 (Regular) Rs 35-Rs 140 (Regular) Combo Meals Rs 49- Rs 119 Rs 45- Rs 175 Rs 55- Rs 150 Rs 120- Rs 250 Rs 120- Rs 230 Beverages Rs 25- Rs 50 Small- 300ml Rs 35- Rs 45 Small 300ml Rs 30- Rs 55 Small 300ml Pet beverage MRP 600ml Rs 30 600 ml Deserts Rs 12-Rs 25 Rs 20- Rs50 Rs 15- Rs 65 Rs 40- Rs 60 Rs 25 100 ml Cup of Baskin Robbins (Diagram 3) Market share (worldwide): Company Stores Countries Market share McDonalds 31108 120 33.06% Burger King 11455 58 13.68% Wendys 8811 22 11.69% Hardeess 3295 15 2.78% Jack in the Box 2000 1 3.67% (Diagram 4) McDonalds India: Network competitors Company Outlets (No.) Cities Covered McDonalds 132 34 Pizza Hut 137 34 Dominos 220 42 Subway 131 32 KFC 34 09 (Diagram 5) Bruce Craig, Keith R. Dickson, International Business Management, Network competitors [Online], available at: http://www.slideshare.net/KRDickson/McIndia-Final-ppt [20/12/2010] Through adding 700-900 restaurants annually, McDonalds enter new markets through lower prices. It shows a great barrier to entry for competitors to enter the industry. Through its strong centralized authority tight control, standardized procedures McDonalds takes most an efficiency approach. Key elements of McDonalds business strategy; Adding 700-900 restaurants annually. Giving low price products, Extra offers through new menu items. Highly selective in granting franchises. Selects most convenient places to customers. Focused on limited product lines through maintaining the quality. Extensive advertising. Proper HR management through equitable wage good training. McDonalds cost leadership strategy growth strategy is based on; Adding new restaurants. Maximizing sales sales in existing restaurants. Improving profitability (globally) Success behind their business lies in the maximum of Think global, act local. They ensure that their structure fits with the international environment, but also have internal flexibility geographically. McDonalds has twice the market share of its closest competitor, Burger King. :

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Biblical Symbolism In Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although critics have come up with many different interpretations of this poem, one idea that has remained prevalent throughout these discussions is the apparent religious symbolism present throughout this poem. "The Ancient Mariner" contains natural, gothic, and biblical symbolism; however, the religious and natural symbolism, which coincide with one another, play the most important roles in this poem (Piper 43). It is apocalyptic and natural symbolism that dominates the core of this poem (43). The biblical symbolism found in this poem mainly reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the Mariner's revelation that good will triumph over evil, and his acceptance of all nature as God's creation. It is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the mysterious wind that blows on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could also not associate the murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told that the Polar Spirit "loved the bird that loved the man who shot him with his bow." It is doubtful that someone with Coleridge's Christian background and faith could fail to see here an analogy with God who loved his son who loved the men that killed him. Another example of symbolism is the fact that the albatross is hung around the Mariner's neck like a crucifix. Event the "cross" in "cross-bow" hints at the murder of Jesus, which logically paces the albatross as a symbol for Christ. It is thought that Coleridge deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind. The apocalypse is heavily reflected upon throughout this poem as Coleridge combined the vivid colors, the ocean, and the death fires of "The Ancient Mariner" with the terror and desolation of the days of wrath in the apocalypse. The section of the poem after the Mariner kills the Albatross is a description of the emptiness and desolation that the Mariners experience, and the curse that is over the ship. This section of the poem has tremendous correspondence to the apocalyptic story. The language and form in this part of the poem represent the images and words, which have traditionally described the wrath of God and the guilt of man in Christian term s. Its is at this point in the poem that the Mariner feels guilty for having killed the Albatross and for the deaths of his shipmates.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Lobbying strategies used by financial services Essay

General knowledge about patenting and the patent reform legislation. A patent can be said to be a se of exclusive rights given to an inventor or his assignee for a given period in exchange for the invention details. However in countries like us extras qualification utility patents is used to differentiate them from other types of patents, this should not be confused with utility models grants by other countries. (http://www.ipaustralia-gov.au/patents/what_index.sch.html)examples of these particular patents for invention includes biological patents, business method patents, chemical patents and software patents. In some other countries other types of intellectual property rights (IPR) are called patents while industrial design rights are referred to as design patents which protect the physical designs of objects which are not of great utility. As such therefore, patent should not be mistaken for a right to practice or use the inventor, it(patent) provides the authority to prevent other people from making, using, selling or offering for sale or importing the patented invention for as long as the term of the patent remains, which in most cases is usually 20years. In real sense a patent is a limited property right that the government leases to inventors in exchange of their (inventors) disclosure of the details leading to their invention. Patent therefore, like any other property rights can be leased, mortgaged, assigned, licensed, given away or even transfered.As briefly stated above the rights governing a patent varies from country to country. For instance in Australia, other people are allowed to build on top of already patented invention. This is possible by making use of exceptions from infringement procedures e.g. allowances for academic research (http. /paustralia- gov.au/patents/what_ index .sch.html). While on the other hand in US things are very different on patent rights governing research, whereby even developing of an existing invention amounts to infringement. The mystery of patents is exhibited when one wants to make an improvement of an already patented invention. This can only be done legally by seeking permission from the patent holder, assuming that the patent is still in force When the new improvement is made the owner of it can bar the original patent owner from using the improvement and hence denying him of the right to exploit the patent. However some countries require that the invention be exploited in the jurisdiction it covers. Again the penalties of not working an invention vary from country to country but the common penalties ranges from revocation of the patent rights to awarding of a license to any party in a position to exploit the invention. The patentee can seek legal redress and challenge the revocation or the issuance of the license. But there exists a big hurdle in offering of tangible evidence that, the requirement of the public have really been met by the working the invention. Generally patents can only be put in force through law suits (e.g. in US, patent infringements are handled in the US federal courts) in other countries like France and Australia criminal penalties for patent infringements are given. In case of an infringement the patent owner will demand to be compensated financially for past infringement and then also seek to bar the defendant (infringer)from engaging in any further acts of infringement. However it is not always easy for the patent owner to prove that infringement really took place. As such, he is required to establish that the accused practiced all that the patent was entitled to; again, the issue of independent jurisdictions patent rights tradition also arises. The above statements about the powers of a patent owner are enough evidence to show that there is a great limitation on the patent owner because the accused has a right to challenge the validity of a patent .It is common for civil courts hearing patent cases to declare patents invalid. The basis on which a patent can be declared invalid are stated on the patent agreement, and again this varies from one jurisdiction to another. However some countries like UK have laws discoursing infringers from challenging the validity of patents. In the UK this discouraged through the certificate of contested validity. Nevertheless not all patent rights disputes are settled through litigatation. Majority of these disputes are settled through private patent licensing agreements. These agreement are simply practical, effective contracts whereby the patent owner (also know as licensor) voluntarily decides not to sue an infringer in return of some payment .Research shows that this is common in companies which deals with complex products. These companies also issue patented licenses to other business rivals under what is known as cross licensing agreements. This in turn facilities the cross accessing of each other inventions (special problems in patent cases 66.FRD 529,197 by Howard T Markey) As seen above different jurisdictions have different traditions of approaching patenting, but it should be noted that in many nations both single entities (natural persons) and corporate entities can apply for a patent. On issuance of this patent then the entity (ies) becomes the owners of the patents. However, it is mandatory that the inventor (s) be named so that the public can get to know how the owner(s) of the patent acquired the rights. For example in US only the inventor(s) (natural person) can apply for a patent, in cases of multi inventors then each inventor is given a patent which s very independent from those given to other co- inventors . It is a normal practice also in US for inventors to assign their ownership rights to a corporate body, this is done in cases of multi-inventors so that only one single entity has the rights to grant a license. Another reason is to increase the liquidity of the patent as property, so that inventors can be in a position to sell them to a third party, who in turn owns the patent as though they were the real investors. From the above detailed information about the function ability of patents and patent rights it is evident that patents and patent rights need to be protected by relevant laws so that neither party i.e. patent owners, authorities, and infringers is vulnerable to mistreatment. Therefore nations and also internal communities have come up with laws that govern the enforcement of patents. Patents as such therefore, are governed by laws at a national level and at an international level through signing of treaties. It can be said that patents are therefore not national but territorial in nature. It is traditional that every nation forms a [patent office which carries out patenting responsibilities in regards of the laws of the country. However cases of infringements are left to be catered by national courts. On an international scale it is the work of the world Trade organization (WTO) to harmonize these patent laws. Agreement have been reached successfully in aligning these patent laws .Adherence to these agreements is a mandatory requirement for admission to the WTO, a factor leading to mass compliance by many nations .Even the developing countries are not left back although they have been known to enforce national laws protecting their local industries. A paramount international meting held in Paris relating to patent systems culminated in the signing of the above agreement. Although the agreement does not have a consequential legal effect in national jurisdictions its principles are largely inculcated in many current patent systems. For instance one such principle is the right to claim priority which allows an application filled in a member state of the Paris meeting to be valid for one year and also to be filled in any other member state and still receive its original filling date. This is a great achievement since patent ownership is entirely date oriented. Again the powers and dynamics of patents vary from sate to another. In US for example, the lands prime law (constitution), gives the congress the mandate to make laws, to promote, and uphold the progress of Science and useful Arts. These laws once passed, are then enshrined in Title 35 of the United States Code. The United States patent and trademark office (USPTO) was created under the above laws. (US patent activity, 1790 to present – http://www. Upstaged/web/ offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/h-counts-html). In UR, patent laws are contained in the patents Act 1977 (amended). On international perspective, as mentioned above there exists international freely procedures e.g. procedures under European patent convention (EPC) which works under European patent organization (EPO) and patent cooperation Treaty (PCT) among many others. Similar treaties exist in African content countries. For a natural person or a corporate entity to be awarded a patent then an application requesting the same has to be filled at the relevant patent office. This application contains such information like how to make and put the invention into use and also the utility of the invention. Also contained in the application form is claims which explain more about the invention and the extend of patent rights in regards to applicants wishes. The above details together with a written description with drawings are part of the patent specification. In some nations like US, the applicant is also required to include the most effective way to make and practice the invention. The claim part acts as a disclosure to the public on the limits to which the patentee has over the invention. In other words a claim shows what the patent covers and what does not cover. It should be noted also that a single patent can have numerous claims, each regarded as an independent invention. Once the above requirements have been provided it is now the duty of the patent office to counter check whether the application is in order with the relevant legal provisions in relation to the particular specie of patents. Once it is approved the patent takes effect from the date issued and it is subject to yearly renewals so as to remain in force in relation to (Egbert vs. Lippmenn, 104 U.S. 333 (1881) â€Å"the corset case†) The US supreme court passed a decision that any inventor who has not applied for a patent for more than eleven years of using the invention, cannot be given one. Hence there is a need to seek for a patent once an invention has been made (http://www. Wolf Greenfield. Com/media/news. 9.pdf) In a summary of the above information about patent system four main aspects have clearly been discussed about, they include; i. Inventing: – Through intensive research and consulting Scientists and artists are able to come up with inventions. The desire to dig more and come up with inventions is catalyzed by the existence of patent rights. Which comes with much money as a result of selling patent licenses ii. Disclosing the invention made: – As per the meaning of patent, the disclosure of invention is for a common good. This is so because there are projections as to the rights of invention and hence inventors feel free to disclose their invention. This disclosure facilitates for exploitation of patent right when the current one expire or even improvements are made. iii. To invest in producing, experimenting, and marketing of the invention. This is done out the faith that infrequent cases are well protected against. iv. Designing and improving of earlier patents: – This can only be possible is details of already existing patents are disclosed to the public. All the above stuff concerning modern patent system allows for infant inventors to gain exclusive rights and therefore becoming licensors. They therefore gain financially and in the long run promoting more innovations. Due to loopholes the legal systems governing patents cases of double awarding of patents have been common. (According to R.Buck minster Fuller 1938). Due to the increasing number of inventions the patent filling systems are becoming more complex day and day and hence there is a likehood of awarding a patent to an invention already patented before. However with the introduction of reliable computing system this has been kept at bay. According to Michael Heller, a law professor and Rebecca Sue Eisenberg in a 1998 in their 1998 science article, intellectual property Rights (IPR) have become so much fragmented that signing them will require an agreement with all the owners of fragments. Another big hurdle in patents is that they discourage innovations especially with corporate entities who may own many patents and enter into litigations incases of infringement although they are doing absolutely nothing to develop the invention. Other numerous problems also exist and as a result critisms have been common opposing the patents system and proposing for their abolition altogether. Lastly, it will be fair to put forth some historical information regarding the existence of patents. Reliable evidence suggests that the first stints of patents can be traced to ancient Greek cities whereby any one who came up with a new recipe was allowed to make the food for one year. On the other hand, modern patents can be traced to the republic of Venice whereby new inventions were publicly communicated to prevent undue infringement. Other countries followed suit e.g. U.K, US and therefore the idea of patents spread through other parts of the World. The above detailed account about patents gives a reader of this paper a sound basis to now tackle the issue of financial services industry, lobbying strategies in the addressing of the patent reform bill (legislation) before the 110th congress. As already explained above the patents system in united states are under the body known as United States patent and Trade mark organization (USPTO).This body is therefore incharge of issuance of patents to inventors. According to a 2004 report by National Agency of a sciences and another report of 2003 report by Federal Trade Commissioner a bill (patent Reform Act 2005) was proposed. The main aim of this bill was to try and bring a theme of modernity in the USA patent system. Although it was not until 2007 when this bill was introduced to the bicameral US parliament (Senate and House of representatives). This bill now known as â€Å"The patent Reform Act of 2007† was introduced as a proposal in the 110th US congress for discussion and eventual change of the United States Patent Laws. The bills main objective was to bring the American patent laws to the same level with other countries patent laws. (According to a patent system for the 21st century, by Stephen. A. Merrill Richard L. Levin and mark B. Myers, 2004- (http://www ton.nap.eds/catalog//76.html) The main changes brought by this legislation were – I). Converting US from a first- to- invent system to a first- inventor- to -file system. This bill will bring US to conformity with other countries of world. This system will also reduce legal costs, simplify the patent process, improve fairness and also facilitate a movement towards harmonized international patent system. It is also agreed that this change will reduce the complexity associated with the current USPTO interference proceedings. This will therefore make inventors to focus more on inventing. Since this change would make US to be in harmony with other countries it will help US inventors to pursue their innovative dreams in more consisted manner. On the hand, critics have agreed that this system of first to file will encourage unnecessary USPTO with unharmonized disclosure information; therefore quality of patents is compromised. Again the small scale inventors will be at a disadvantage when competing with large co operations in the race to the pattern office. The next major change was apportionment of damages. The bill will seek to bring sanity in the award of damages due from infringements of patents. The bill allows a court of law to ensure that the damages are paid according to the prevailing economic conditions pertaining to the patented invention. This was seen a measure to cut excessive royalty payment infringed patented. Large technological companies and financial services industries supported this change because they lie on features which are in most cases in patented. Critics of this system argued that, the congress should not attempt to prioritize the factors that a court may apply when determining reasonable damage rights. This system may also undermine the existing licenses and therefore leads to the rise of litigation. Those critics included USPTO, the biotechnology among many others. Other charges embedded in the bill included; Allowing a third party assignee to file a patent application, Revising procedures for patent interference disputes; Allowing financial institutions to infringe patents on the check collection system, Allowing a person who is not the patent owner to file a petition with the board cancel a patent as invalid among many other changes. These changes sought to facilitate a general overhaul of the US patent system. Which according to the coalition for 21st century patent Return was in dire need for periodic examination and foundational changes (http://www.ipfrolmer.com/depts/artic.asp?id=14890&deptid=4) This reform bill on patents was introduced to the House of Representatives by a democrat, MR. Howard Berman and in the senate by another Democrat, MR. Patrick Leahy. It was passed in the House of Representatives but put under more scrutiny pending voting in the senate following its introduction in the 110th United States Congress. The bill has been faced with positive and negative critisms from different organizations. Those organizations lobbying for its subsequent adoption argue that, the bill is necessary to bringing in the much needed changes and consequently reduce the number of soaring ills which are killing innovation. Some of these organizations include coalition for patent fairness, Business software alliance intellectual property owners association and lastly American institute of certified public accounts. Those according to them are weakening the rights of patent owners innovations included the following national small business organization, innovatiove alliance, Biotechnology industry organization among others (http://www.napp, org/resources/nap opp to 2007 senate Bill. pdf) According to the US department of commerce the only part which need some revision is section 4 which they argue may harm the nation’s intellectual property system. The bill also attracted critisms from international community with a Chinese expert calling the bill hypocritical; since it is weakening the rights of patent owners in US when US has been urging the Chinese government to strengthen the rights of their patent owners. An observation also comes from India pharmaceutical Alliance who argued the bills provision allows for the validity of a US patent to be challenged immediately after issuance. They also predict that the bill may favour Indian manufacturers since it reduces legal costs and risks. (Http.economictrimes.com/article show/mst 22256,pr+page – 1.cms1) The lobbying strategies The first question one should ask himself when tackling this debate is very simple, how is the proposed patent reform bill going to affect the performance of the financial institutions? Secondly has the current patent laws been in â€Å"favor† of the financial institutions? With these two questions in mind then it is very easy to the financial institutions stand in respect to these reforms. Consequently, therefore, the lobbying strategies they employ will be directly related to these effects. This issue of patent reforms may seem to a nonprofessional to be of no consequential impact and therefore does not deserve much thought but to the business community things are very different. The above detailed account of the pros and cons of the patent reform bill, it is very clear that there exists a tug-of war between some of the corporate US citizens. On one side of the war are much dreaded patent trolls or better known as patent sharks-small firms or individuals who wit fully trap large manufacturers in patent infringement suits in order to benefit from damage awards. On the other side of this war are financial institutions, which, includes banks and insurance firms who have joined hands with large tech-companies. It is understood that these two sectors have been faced with regular lawsuits coming from the much-dreaded patent sharks. At the center of the dispute is the current Americas patent system that is suffering from lack of a major policy overhaul for along period of time and struggling to stay in level with innovation in thev21st century. Therefore, financial institutions have always found themselves in a hot spot under the current patent laws. It is in this light that any reforms that seeks to address their plight is seen as a relieve to them. The first strategy therefore employed by these financial institutions was the formation of a bargaining platform in the form of â€Å"the coalition of patent fairness†. This group lobbied the senate to help curb the weak patents and bourgeois lawsuits from patent sharks. The group also lobbied against a ruling made by the federal appeals court that opened doors for patents on business methods, including different types of banking, investments and insurance techniques. It is through this lobbying that, the senate judiciary committee included a provision that grants banks immunity against lawsuits from patent holders like Texas Company Data Treasury, which holds patent on a method of digitally scanning, sending and storing checks. Another strategy used by financial firms is by applying for patents. These patents unlike those of other industries are not primarily for financial gains but for defensive purposes against the escalating number of patent infringement cases from the much-dreaded patent sharks. Financial institutions in US are also exploiting the fact that US is the only nation in the world to have been left back using the first-to-invent system of patenting to lobby the international organizations (WTO).this seems to have borne fruits because the USPTO seems to have yielded to the pressure and therefore agreed to bring some changes. This has worked through the harmonization of the US patenting system with the rest of the world. After the House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, many AUTM members frantically contacted their congressional members a move that enabled many parts of the bill to be amended. However the senate bill remained to be harmonized. Following great concern from the university community and other bodies, a number of changes were made. One lobbying strategy, which financial services institution used was voicing their concerns through the AUTM, an organization of many universities and other bodies that induces closeness to industries. It should be noted that the AUTM and the university community were not in anyway against the improvement of US patent system. Their main concern was to see that before the bill was finally voted for in the senate, the contentious parts should be first fine-tuned. As a show of great support to the improvement of the US patent system, the university group therefore put fourth the following suggestions (i) a one-year grace period for first inventor and strong inventor oath should be included. ii)Removal of the previous user rights expansion in favour of study of issue university patent can be in a risk of expanding prior user rights iii) Venue reform provision that exempt universities and technology transfer foundations that offer patent services to universities. The bill as it were had many provisions that were of great concern to US universities chiefly because it undermined the ability of the universities to transfer technology to local industries. This was due to the making of patents difficult to protect decreasing the amount of damages patent holder can get from an infringer and opening new avenues for infringers to put to task the validity of issued patents. This change of USPTO rules and the issue of Supreme Court in mind made it more burdensome, and expensive to get, maintain and even enforce patents. It also poses difficulties for Universities when starting companies, which attract venture funding. Other areas, which concerned Universities and financial institutions were, are as follows:- i. A compulsory search report and analyses, which reflect heavily on the financial aspects of Universities on technology, transfer offices. ii. Absence of meaningful inadequate contact reform iii. An open-ended, post-grant administrative review of patent quality. iv. Venue reform policy that forces patentee to file suits in the infringer home district court and v. Apportionment of damages in patent infringement suits. Another strategic lobbying device at the disposal of financial institutions and other concerned organizations was through approaching federal relations officer near them. These federal relations officers are discharged with the main duty of acting as the intermediaries between the people and senate (legislators). Due to the bill, having so many controversial sections, there was an urgent need for the stakeholders to harmonize their divergent views and come up with a consensus. This was achieved through the congressional research service (CRS) an arm of United State Congress that provides policy and legal advices to committees and members of both the house and the Senate regardless of party affiliations. The CRS committee collects views from the public and then they act accordingly. Again, this CRS also carries out civic education concerning the interpretation of bills and their effect to the lives of the common person. Holding of workshops and seminars with the other stakeholders was another worthwhile strategy used to help bring every concerned party on board so that when the legislation is adopted no one would feel shortchanged. Workshops are known to bring warring parties together on a mutual agreement. These workshops therefore lobbied the opposing bodies into ceding some of their unrealistic demands. Financial services institutions through their attorneys lobbied the senate judiciary committee into making provisions that gave them more power in the using of technologies made by other inventors. These technologies are necessary in the improvement of banking services offered to customers. The bill therefore needed to be lobbied and subsequently harmonized. Conclusion The AUTM through their technology transfer managers evaluated impact of the long legislation on its general operations and therefore come up with a strategy, educate the university management and also other interested and the work with the federal relations officer, who in turn contacts the lawmakers. This technology transfer managers advice the legislators on the need to go the dialogue way so that at end of it all no constituency feels as being shortchanged by the passing of the patent reform legislation. In general, the current state of the bill would weaken the entire American patent system by making patented under to protect. The damages entitled to a patent owner after an infringement has been reduced adding salt to the wound. New avenues for infringers to challenge an already issued patent have also been opened. Although the bill continues to be harmonized bit by bit, the university technology transfer system still view some areas as not fully catered for. The legislation also provides for a patent trial and appeal bond, which is charged with the responsibilities of reviewing decisions of examiners upon applications and reexamination proceedings. Financial services institution therefore can utilize this avenue in addressing and subsequent challenging of the patent reforms legislations. This board comes as an indicator on how this reform legislation has deliberately been drafted and therefore only needs to be harmonized on the small areas. However, it is fair to say that America need this bill to at least bring some uniformity with rest of the world because it has been the only country adopting the first-invent system of patenting. Two, according to Senator Leahy, America needs an efficient and streamlined patent system if it is to remain in the forefront of the world economy. This patent will bring quality and at the same time discourage counter productive litigations. Senator Berman on his side argued that, there should be no doubt, as to whether the US system of patenting produces high quality patents, and therefore changing the existing patenting practices through the congress is the only way out. The bill also, should not be viewed with suspicion since it was founded and introduced in the two houses on a bipartisan basis. It is also the bedrock of American innovation, and therefore there is great need to protect innovation and creativity, according to Senator Hatch. Financial services industry being one of the major economic players of the United State of America, needs also to standup on its own and voice out their grievances. In addition, financial services institutions like banks and insurance companies have a duty to challenge the patent reforms legislation because they have started to seek protection from infringement lawsuits from patent sharks. This was facilitated through the introduction of financial patents. References; More about patent reforms, available at, 1) http://www.ipfrolmer.com/depts/artic.asp?id=14890&deptid=4, accessed on april30 2008 Effects of patent reforms, available at, 2)Http.economictrimes.com/article show/mst 22256,pr+page – 1.cms1) , accessed on april30 2008 Patent reforms for 21st cen. available at, 3) http://www ton.nap.eds/catalog//76.html) accessed on april30 2008 US patent and trademark office, available at, 4) http://www. Upstaged/web/ offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/h-counts-html accessed on april30 2008 Regulations governing patent application, available at, 5) http://www. Wolf Greenfield. Com/media/news. 9.pdf) accessed on april30 2008 More about patenting, available at, 6)http://www.ipaustralia-gov.au/patents/what_index.sch.html) accessed on april30 2008 Patenting and innovations, available at, 7) Heller, M.A., & Eisenberg, R.S. (1998). Can Patents Deter Innovation? The Ant commons in Biomedical Research. Science. Different organizations response towards the patent reform bill, available at; 8) http://dev.bsa.org/country/public%20policy/patents.aspx, accessed on april30 2008

Friday, November 8, 2019

Evaluate the Nazis economic policies from 1933 ¡V 1939. essays

Evaluate the Nazis economic policies from 1933  ¡V 1939. essays It is almost a universal conception that Hitler deliberately provoked World War II for his personal desires. Some historians prove this belief by Hitler ¡s biography  ¡My Struggle ¡ (Mein Kampf) and his series of bold and aggressive foreign policies. While others confirm this notion by demonstrating the objectives of pre-war Nazis economic policies. They claim that Hitler immediately started carrying out rearmament program and various war-preparatory measures once he came to power in 1933. Because of his lack of planning and ignorance to the economic situation, he failed to prepare Germany for a major war by 1939, and he even failed to deal with Germany ¡s own economic problems in 1932. However, this claim is not well justified. In fact, Hitler did put a lot of emphasis on economic recovery in the first three years of his regime. It is not until 1936 did he start accentuating his warfare programs. As a consequence, considering the time duration, the progress that the Nazi leaders made with their policies, and the  ¡Blitzkrieg ¡ war aim proposed by Hitler, actually Hitler was very successful in arming Germany and making Germany ready for a series of short but speedy wars by 1939 when he invaded Poland. When Hitler came into the office in 1933 he faced an economically devastated Germany. Although the economic situation was improved with aids given by the United States, Germany still suffered a great deal from the Great Depression in 1929, and  ¡economic activity had recovered only slightly from the lowest point of the depression ¡ . Unemployment was the most serious problem at that time. Hitler understood very well that, with six million official unemployment registers and an estimate of a million more non-registered, it was absolutely impossible to rearm Germany at that stage. He also understood that, instead of rearmament  ¡recovery was the immediate priority ¡ . Therefore, on May 1, 1933, H...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

School Gossip Can Destroy Teachers and Staff Members

School Gossip Can Destroy Teachers and Staff Members A teacher conducts an activity to show her class just how silly gossip can be. She whispers something to a student and then that student whispers it to the next until it had been passed to every student in class. What started as, We are going to have a long three day weekend starting tomorrow ended up as, We will be lucky if three of you arent killed this weekend. The teacher uses this activity to teach her students why you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. She also discusses why it is essential to stop gossip instead of helping to spread it.​ The lesson above is sadly not limited to the students in the school. Gossip runs rampant in just about any workplace. Schools should be a safe haven where this is not a significant problem. The faculty and staff within a school should never start, participate in, or promote gossip. However, the truth is that all too often schools are the focal point of gossip in the community. The teacher’s lounge or the teacher’s table in the cafeteria is often the center of where this gossip occurs. It is mind-boggling as to why people need to talk about what is going on with other people. Teachers should always practice what they preach. Particularly those who have seen the negative impact gossip has had on their students. The truth is that the effect of gossip can be the same or worse as an adult. When Empathy Proves Elusive As a teacher, you have so much going on in your own classroom and life that it can be difficult to truly understand that there is just as much or more going on in every other classroom and co-workers lives. Empathy sometimes proves elusive when it should be commonplace. Gossip is frustrating because it builds walls between teachers and staff members that need to be working together. Instead, they feud because someone said something about the other to someone else. The entire idea of gossip among a school faculty and staff is disheartening. Gossip can split a schools faculty and staff in half and in the end, the people who are hurt the worst will be your student body As a school leader, it is your job to discourage gossip among the adults in your building.  Teaching is difficult enough without worrying about what others are saying.   Teachers should have each other’s back, not talk behind each other’s back. Gossip creates a large part of your discipline issues with students, and it will create even larger problems within your faculty and staff if it is not dealt with quickly. The key to minimizing the gossip issues among your faculty/staff is to educate them on the topic. Being proactive will go a long way in keeping gossip issues to a minimum. Have regular conversations with your faculty and staff members discussing the bigger picture about the damage that gossip can cause. Furthermore, implement strategic team build activities that bring them together and naturally forge solid relationships. When it comes to gossip, make sure they know what your expectations are and how you will deal with it when it becomes an issue. How to Proactively Defeat Conflict It is also not realistic to have a faculty and staff where there is never any conflict. A policy or set of guidelines must be in place when this happens that leads towards resolution between the two parties instead of division. Encourage your faculty and staff members to bring these issues to you and then act as a mediator between the two parties. Having them sit down together and talk out their issues will help. It may not be effective in every case, but it will peacefully solve the majority of conflict issues that you have with your faculty and staff. It is better to take this approach than to have them gossiping about it with other members of the faculty and staff which can lead to bigger issues down the line.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Sustainable architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainable architecture - Research Paper Example Sustainable architecture starts with linkage to personal values and involves the social, environmental and economic conditions of a project. Similarly, architectural expression emanates from this desire, responding to certain watershed, locations, sites, societies and proximities. The answers to what constitutes sustainable architecture embrace a range as wide and dynamic as the challenges facing the globe and the statements list is as diverse and extensive as the civilization the dominate the world. Sustainable development embraces a balanced sociocultural, ecological and economic progress. The above elements also characterize sustainable architecture. Construction and design is one of the extensive world industries; hence their effects on sustainability are enormous, (Turrent 85). The metropolis and municipalities people have designed and constructed to satisfy their ever-increasing requirements have been unproductively consuming the resources of the earth, while declining to satis fy millions of humans. Sustainable architecture is a necessity if people wish to ensure human and enduring planet existence. Attaining sustainable architecture needs a multifaceted global effort by all countries. Sustainable architectural practices must appear in all places, address various challenges, occur in various levels, function in different contexts, serve various requirements and limitations, be applicable at various scales and use diverse disciplines. Similarly, the possibilities, requirements, potentials are diverse in each nation, similar to levels of education, techniques, industrializations, mechanisms, strategies and motivation. Each nation, person and community, should identify best-suited remedies, and via domestic action contribute to progress at a global level. Sustainable architecture is sweeping change in that it can be attained globally. There are various areas to start, various points to address the challenge, diverse attractive ways to construct structures an d towns and increased effective ways to utilize, replenish and recycle resources. In other words, it ranges from high- tech remedies to low technological strategies, research, advancements, education, industrial achievements, innovation of design, economic aspects, legislative measures and enormous adoption of beneficial practices as principle practices. Significant potential lies in substituting adverse measures with beneficial measures and increasing the advancements in architectural structures and cities all over the globe. Sustainable construction should support better living that incorporates better utilization of land, urban development and construction. Better land use involves preservation of useful, natural areas and ensures health balance amidst constructed and natural environments. Better urban planning entail proficient means of transportation and effective systems of infrastructure – constructed to reduce consumption, garbage and affluence during utilization. Eff icient towns, municipalities and structures, are long lasting, appealing and flexible to other future uses, effective in resource use (energy and raw materials such as recycling after use), and well suited to environmental, human and society needs. Sustainable arch

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Effects of Cigarettes Smoking on Low Birth Weights of Infants Term Paper

The Effects of Cigarettes Smoking on Low Birth Weights of Infants - Term Paper Example These pregnancy outcomes are known to be associated with infant mortality (Kochanek & Martin, 2005). Hypothesis In this observational study it has been hypothesized that women who are smokers, on average, will give birth to infants with birth weight less than 2500 grams than those who are non-smokers Cigarette Smoking in the United States The prevalence of smoking in the adult U.S. population in 1965 was 42.4% (51.9% of men in the U.S. and 33.9% of women) (Giovino, 2002). More men than women continue to smoke (25.1% of men and 21.2% of women), however the decline in women smoking is at a far slower rate than that observed in men. The gap in the rate of smoking between men and women has diminished from almost 20% in 1965 to less than 5% in 1997 (MMWR, 1999). In spite of numerous reports since the mid 1960s about smoking and health risks (U.S. Surgeon General, 2001), a Department of Health and Human Services report released stated that 23% of the U.S. adult population smoked cigarettes between 1999 and 2001 (DHHS, 2004). Ebrahim, Floyd, Merritt, Decoufle, and Holtzman (2000), using data from the National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) of 187,302 non-institutionalized women aged 18-44, found that the prevalence of current smoking decreased significantly among both non-pregnant women (26.7% to 23.6% and pregnant women (16.3% to 11.8%) between 1987 and 1996. A 1999 report stated that 21 % of all U.S. women and 12.3 % of pregnant women in the U.S. reported smoking during pregnancy (Mathews, 2001). The Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Reproductive Outcomes Cigarette smoking has been known for decades to be related to poor reproductive outcomes (Annette, 2008). Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with first trimester spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth, placenta previa and abruption, low birth weight, restricted intrauterine lung growth, and sudden unexplained infant death (Hofhuis, de Jongste, & Merkus, 2003). Further , cigarette smoking has been associated with fetal loss, respiratory distress syndrome and other respiratory conditions of the newborn, and sudden infant death syndrome (Schoendorf & Kiely, 1992). In addition, it is estimated that 17 to 26% of low birth weight infants, 7 to 10% of preterm deliveries, and 5-6% of prenatal deaths could be prevented if pregnant women did not smoke (Husten, Chrismon, & Reddy, 1996). In terms of birth defects, one study, using the 345 cases of infants with clubfoot and the 3,029 controls of the Atlanta Birth Defects Case Control Study database, Honein, Paulozzi, and Moore (2000) identified an approximate 20- fold increased risk for clubfoot to occur in infants born to women who had a family history of clubfoot and who also smoked cigarettes (OR=20.30, 95%CI: 7.90, 52.17). This risk for clubfoot was much higher when both factors were considered together than the risk associated with either of these risk factors alone (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.72 for cigare tte smoking alone; OR=6.52, 95%CI: 2.95, 14.41 for family history alone). There have been numerous studies published about the association of cigarette smoking in pregnancy and low birth weight. For example, a population-based Swedish study (n = 538,829) showed that smoking