Web Analytics

The explosive growth in the amount of smartness and tablets marked we have fully entered the RA of mobile computing. There are more and more people prefer to buy the products or services they desired online. The company who can success overnight must be the one who can better understand the demands of customers. For those who have no Idea of the power of Internet marketing, Axiom Technology can be a good example. It has been established since August 2010 and there are no any offline franchised stores ever opened. The only channel for customers to get their products is ordering from their online store.This is totally an Internet marketing model and no one knows what will happen to this company in the future. Now only four years have passed Axiom Technology has overtaken Samsung to become the biggest seller of smartness in China and the company valuations has approaching 40 billions dollars (BBC, http://www. BBC. Com/news/business-28684581). The success of Axiom is not accidental but u sing tons of techniques to analyses customers and trying to understand their needs. Behind this web analytics is the most important tool to achieve this in Internet marketing.What web analytics does Is the study of visitor, navigation, and traffic patterns to determine the success of a given web site then through the objective tracking, collection, measurement, porting, and analysis of quantitative Internet data to optimism websites and Internet marketing initiatives (Web Analytics Association, http:. ‘/ indicators could tell us the operation performance of a website. Such as the sources of the visitors (where our visitors come from), the conversion rates of the visitors (includes the registration rates, opportunities to sale and other conversion rates we setup to monitor).Knowing these indicators is the basis of Internet marketing initiatives. In short, web analytics is a tool to help us optimism our website and align our resources to fit the Internet marketing strategies. Th is could be divided into several aspects. I will explain them one by one in this article. Monitoring the Operation Status of the Website This is the most basic function of web analytics. Web analytics tool like Google Analytics can collect the data which provided by the website such as slipstream data, user experience data and operational data then generate different kinds of statements through analyses the collected data.These statements can give a overview of the website and tell us whether it is healthy or not. The variation trend of clicks, umber of visits, number of users and other data like this can help marketers maintain the website from different aspects. However, for those non-technical specialist stakeholders web analytics tool can be an important tool to translate the professional terms such as page views, average time per visit and conversion rates to readable information. Monthly summary is one of the most common reports that web analytics tool can generate for a compa ny to monitor its website.The information contained in the summary is of a relatively basic level. The monthly summary shows page views, visits ND visitors, as well as average time per visit and average page views per visit. The main purpose of the monthly summary is to inform key stakeholders about the level of activity on the website throughout each month (A. Phone, et al. , 2004). Figure 1 is a typical monthly summary. There are also other reports such as monthly dashboard which allow users to compare the activity on the website over a year, because of the limited words it is not possible to detail here.Figure 1. A Typical Monthly Summary The operators of the website will be panic without the support of different kinds of data. Because it means they have lost the perception to the status of the website. They have no idea how many visits today, thousands or none, will be a mystery. Without the direction of data, the operators will lost their target and path for Internet marketing. Evaluate the Efficiency of the Promotion Campaigns Like offline business processes, Internet marketing also needs promotion campaigns to acquire customers, improve brand image and customer perception.However, without web analytics we can not measure the help that the promotions bring to our websites Kips and we even can not know whether the growing Kips are profit from With web analytics we can track the sources of our visits then identify whether they are visiting through our promotions such as pay-per-click ads or banner ads. Moreover, we can further analyses the conversion rates relate to registration and order placing then find out the efficiency of our promotions and to what extent they can improve our Kips.Finally, according to the analysis we can adjust the Internet marketing strategies about the promotions. For example, to measure the efficiency of a banner ads we can easily calculate cost per acquisition to find out that: Cost per acquisition = Advertising and promotional cost/Number of click-troughs. Promote the Website Effectively Search Engine Optimization (SEE) and Search Engine Marketing (SEEM) SEE and SEEM are two vital parts in web analytics because they are the most important way for a website to fetch visits. Search engines are a key part of any company's acquisition portfolio.For good reason, citizens of the Internet use search to find everything they are looking for. The business impact of this customer behavior is that we all pour a lot of resources into optimizing our websites to show up optimally in search engines for relevant queries (Vanish Sushi, 2010). There are several indexes for us to analyses SEE such as related keywords ranking, the click through rate (CTR) of the search terms and the number of invalid pages of the website in the search results. The traffic level is the foundation of a website.So it is necessary for us to know how good our website performing on SEE and SEEM clearly (Eric Eng, et al. , 2012). Precision Marketing SEE and SEEM can improve the web exposure of the website so the users can find our website more easily. But sometimes it is also necessary to push our website to some specific users directly so called online promotions. Online promotion included customer segmentation, source segmentation and target market segmentation. Customer segmentation which based on customer behaviors can reveal the customer types our website attracts.The search terms based on source and affiliated websites analysis can let us know which parts on our website were cared about by our users and how our users found us. This analysis could direct us for our online promotion. We will know which groups of users we should send them e-mails. Moreover, web analytics can also help us find suitable places to do the online promotions. For example, the most related website we should put the advertisements on if we want to issue a product or organize an activity or the frequently searched keywords to do the sponsored links and SEE.So it can help us avoid the inefficiency promotions which will waste our operating costs. Through eliminating low efficiency costs and increase the ratio of high efficiency costs we could keep the budgets constant but have a better publicity. In the meantime, we can also find out which websites have more relevance with us then we can improve our how to organize the contents we want to promote. Optimizing the Customer Experience of the Website Simple and Effective Interactive Process The simple and easy-to-use interactive process will help the users achieve their targets and operations better.And the users are tend to visit the website which have more friendly interface that can let them surf on it without any troubles. Help the Users to Find What They Interested Recommend the contents which the users may interested are far more better than let themselves find what they want. Many websites like Amazon, eBay now have recommendation function based on the analysis of users behav iors, this function will elf on keep customers and let them browse more contents or use the services provided by the websites.Listen to the Users Web analytics is more than tons of daily statements of the websites. Actually, survey, lab usability testing and site visits are all belong to web analytics. Vanish Sushi were sorted them as the qualitative analysis in web analytics. These methods can let us listen to our users' heart. With the results of these surveys we can do better on our website includes the design of function, interactive and navigation. All of these are aimed at enhancing the user experience of the website.In a word, the websites are living for traffic level, all what we do above can be concluded as three stages: monitoring the traffic, attract the traffic and keep the traffic. The traffic level can be easily translated to users, and the users are the only core for the websites. Part 2: http://www. Activation. Co. UK/ is a local company. You are required to: Identif y its main line of business and its online marketing strategy, Critically evaluate its website designing and its online marketing strategy, and Make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of its website and online marketing strategy.Main Line of Business Active Alton is a local company operating a variety of sports and leisure facilities in Alton and it claimed itself as a non-profit organization. It currently operates 7 leisure and activity centers including Dell Farm, Inspire: Alton Sports Village, Lessee Sports Park, Highpoint Community Sports & Arts Centre, Lea Manor Recreation Centre, Stockroom Park Golf Centre and Stockroom Park Athletics Centre & Health Club.The main business that Active Alton run are the fitness and leisure events. Rely on the activity centers Active Alton provides its own brands covered a wide range of ports and services such as Profiles Health & Fitness, Hydra Swim, Active Golf, Kid Around, Active Education, Active Communities, Active Training & D evelopment and people will enjoy a discount price to access the facilities through Join the membership and this is also the main sources of income to the organization.Online Marketing Strategy As a local organization who have held so many sports centers and leisure facilities, Active Alton seems has no intention to invest vast amount of time and money in online marketing because people are ultimately prefer to choose a fitness centre by sitting it not by Just browsing it online. The website of Active Alton are more like a exhibition not an online franchise store. I have drawn a structure chart of the website below and will analyses the online market strategy by using it. Through the structure chart we can have a general understanding of the whole website of Active Alton.As I state before, the website is consist by the introduction of the sports centers and leisure facilities. The only entrance for customers to checkout is in the membership page and will be shown after click ‘s ign up online'. And there is o any online customer service but only two forms in the feedback and contact us pages. Because the organization possesses venues and stadiums and only provide very limited online transactions channel and customer service (the digital channels complementary is relatively low), the e-commerce business mode could be defined as between ‘Bricks and mortar' and ‘Bricks and clicks' refer to Figure 2.Figure 2. Three Business Modes in E-commerce In conclusion, the online marketing strategy should have objectives for online contribution in percent which means sales, service, profitability should drive the strategy. From the structure of the website I did not see much of elements which can bring extra incomes for the organization. Because of the products the organization provides is fitness and leisure services it is not possible to exploit new geographic markets. So the website has communicate benefits of existing products to existing penetration strat egy (H.Igor Anions, 2007). Figure 3. Nations Product-Market Growth Matrix Website Designing There are eight most important factors in successful e-commerce site design (Lauded and Travel, 2009), in this part I will use this figure to evaluate the designing of the Bessie. Figure 4. The Eight Most Important Factors in Successful E-commerce Site Design All functions of the website are working normally during my test but it has no obvious funnel which can guide visitors to the checkout system and finally become customers.In general, there must be a button or link to purchase the product when we click into the introduction page of a product but for this website there is not. What instead of is a sign up online button which is in membership page so we can not see it directly. This will largely reduce the conversion rates and lower the functionality of the website. The information provided by the website are quite rich, from the introduction of the organization to the details of every venu es and brands. And they have been placed in landing page so they are full accessible.But the customer service is a short slab of the website. There are only two forms provided in the contact us and feedback pages. According to Lauded and Tracer's research it will annoy 75. 1% visitors if a website has no contact information available. Figure 5. E-commerce Website Features that Annoy Customers For other aspects in the figure 4, the layout and design of Active Lotto's website are happily integrated style, both aesthetically and functionally. It has a dominant hue which is blue and the color is not been abused everywhere.The text are legible enough and the graphics are simple therefore the visitors will not be distracted. To sum up, the website is easy to use but lack of functionality and it need to be improved. Recommendations For the Web Designing To improve the effectiveness of the website can be translate to improve the user experience of it. First and the most important thing is t o add a purchase button with the corresponding price table in every introduction page of the stadiums, this will increase the conversion rates and lead to a higher incomes which is the fundamental goals of e-commerce.And for the customer service, add at least one contact information (landlines, e-mail or both) to contact us page that visitors can use it to contact the organization actively. If the visitors are confused about some descriptions the conversion rates indirectly because people will not purchase anything if they are confusing about it. For the Online Marketing Strategy According to the organization's conditions I did a SOOT analysis for it. Active Alton Strengths – S 1. Well-known brand 2.Abundant Resources 3. Extensive Services Weaknesses – W 1. Internet channel using 2. Web technologies 3. Online customer service Opportunities – O 1 . New customer segment 2. Co-branding promotion 3. Cross-selling SO strategies Integrate the services and trying to at tract new customers through cross-selling and co-branding promotion WOW strategies Improve the user experience of the website and introduce new services to attract new customers Threats – T 1 . Other competitors who have advanced technologies 2.Customer choice 3. New entrants SST strategies Attract competitor's customers by provide better services and hardware WET strategies Improve the user experience of the website and build a thorough customer relationship management system Figure 6. A Internet-specific SOOT Analysis for Active Alton Active Alton is an organization who has possessed a lot of resources including stadiums and parks. So the products and services it can provide can be varied if introduce cross-selling method.The growth point of the business is to attract new customers through new products and services and better user experience of the website. In this circumstance I would like to recommend WOW strategies for the organization. This kind of online marketing stra tegy is focused on improving the effectiveness of the website and develop new products that fit the e- commerce business such as special offers which people can only get from the online store.

Kahuna Cleaning Supply Essay

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Advanced Critical Writing

The author’s claim about binge drinking is backed up by the literature with findings that British young people are some of the worst perpetrators of binge drinking (Kuntsche, Rehm and Gmel, 2004) and that almost a quarter of British adults are classified as ‘hazardous’ drinkers (NHS, 2011). In a recent presentation to parliament, David Cameron wrote that â€Å"we have to tackle the scourge of violence caused by binge drinking. And we have to do it now.† (Home Office, 2012). Alcohol is undoubtedly a public health issue and is involved in a high number of road traffic accidents and anti-social activities such as assault, as well as being associated with a number of chronic diseases including alcoholic liver disease and a range of cancers (Rehm et al., 2009; Schutze et al., 2011). Furthermore, the economic cost can be devastating with alcohol-related injury costing the National Health Service (NHS) around ?2.7 billion a year, based on 2006 to 2007 figures (NHS , 2011). Therefore, the Government should indeed feel some responsibility to tackle and reduce these figures if at all possible. The author argues that such a strategy as minimum unit pricing for alcohol will be an infringement on the British people, a violation of the free market economy and will cause moderate and responsible drinkers to pay for the â€Å"crimes of a few.† However, the author later contradicts themselves saying that â€Å"boosting the cost [of alcohol] isn’t going to stop me drinking, it’s going to just leave me out of pocket.† Here, the author has gone from the extreme and dramatic to an almost mocking of the proposed policy. It becomes unclear whether the author truly believes that the policy would severely affect the innocent or whether it would simply leave people short of a few pounds at the end of the month. This type of contradictory writing can also been seen elsewhere in the article. For example, the writer opens the article with a murky and sinister scene using evocative words and phrases such as â€Å"swarming†, â€Å"staggering† and †Å"teenagers hunched over a bottle of Frosty Jacks.† This use of language suggests that the author is disgusted and repelled by binge drinkers and the open consumption of cheap alcohol on British streets. However, the author quickly goes on to denounce Government attempts to tackle the problem as a â€Å"crazy idea†, once again sending out a mixed message to the reader. The author also argues against the claim that an increase in prices for drinks with a high alcohol content will put off the type of people who buy such drinks purely to achieve a state of drunkenness, namely individuals suffering from alcoholism. The author asks â€Å"isn’t it their choice to drink alcohol?† and suggests that it is unacceptable to hurt the average person financially by trying to price such individuals out of the alcohol market. This an extremely reductionist viewpoint, meaning that the author of the article is reducing the plight of an alcoholic to the result of just â€Å"their choice† rather than taking into account the plethora of reasons that can lead an individual down the destructive road of alcoholism, such as homelessness, debt or abuse. Such a view-point is potentially damaging as Spanagel (2009) has warned that a reductionist view of the causes of alcoholism can stand in the way of a better understanding of the underlying pathological p rocesses involved in such addictive behaviour. The author goes on to claim that implementation of a ?0.45 minimum unit price for alcohol is the result of the Government’s attempt to try and make revenue from people who can afford a price rise but are just inconvenienced by it. This is an extreme accusation and the author has failed to take into account the evidence that suggests otherwise. Namely that such a policy could have a positive effect on public health and the economy. Using a price-to-consumption model using various data sources and based on 54 population sub-groups classed as harmful, hazardous or moderate drinkers, Purshouse et al. (2010) estimated that a ?0.45 minimum price unit for alcohol would reduce alcohol consumption by 4.5% and avoid 1,970 alcohol-related deaths. A recent systematic review found that a price increase of alcohol by around 10% would lead to a reduction in consumption of alcohol by around 5% (Wagenaar, Tobler and Komro, 2010). Both of these studies have provided strong evidence that a min imum unit pricing strategy with alcohol would be effective in reducing hazardous alcohol consumption. Further strengthening the argument in favour of minimum unit pricing are doubts that other attempts to reduce alcohol consumption will be far from successful. In a recent editorial, McKee (2012) highlighted that the three main â€Å"lines of attack† for tackling hazardous drinking consist of marketing, pricing and availability. Marketing and restrictions on availability are difficult to control, especially due to the lobbying power that many companies within the alcohol industry possess (McKee, 2012), and education-based interventions have been shown to be ineffective (Anderson, Chisholm and Fuhr, 2009) Therefore, pricing appears to be potentially the most effective and most easily manipulated element that the Government can utilise to tackle hazardous drinking. However, in addition to the positive effects that a minimum pricing policy has been predicted to have, there were a lso a number of drawbacks. For example, an increase in type 2 diabetes in young women was predicted due to a loss of the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and most of the reductions in harm would have been seen in chronic disorders in the over 45s, limiting the positive effect on the health and well-being of younger people (Purshouse et al., 2010). Furthermore, the figures produced by Purshouse et al. (2010) were based on a time period 10 years after policy implementation, suggesting that the benefit of a minimum pricing policy could be a long time coming. These drawbacks could be seen to support the author’s claim that the Government would use a minimum pricing strategy primarily to increase their income, seeing as though implementation of the policy would be limited in its immediate and overall beneficial effects on public health. Furthermore, alternatives to minimum pricing such as increasing tax on alcohol, have also been found to decrease levels of alcohol consumption (Elder et al., 2010). However, the existence of potentially equally as effective strategies for tackling hazardous drinking does not automatically suggest a conspiracy by the Government to reap more revenue through a minimum pricing strategy. The author of the article disagrees with the claim that alcohol fuels crime and with the figure that intoxicated people are involved in causing around 5,000 avoidable crimes every year. However, it is well documented that alcohol is prolifically involved in crime. From 1998 to 1999, 70% of crimes were found to have involved alcohol (Home Office, 2001), with alcohol being a component in up to 70% of all stabbings and beatings, 40% of domestic violence incidents and 50% of child protection cases (Alcohol Concern, 2000). These figures are highly disturbing and the author’s credibility is severely damaged in denying belief in such figures. The author ends the article with a rhetorical question by asking whether we would want â€Å"to live in a free country where people live as their consciences tell them† or whether we want to try and â€Å"control the behaviour of the poor by pricing them out of activities that we disapprove of?† A similar use of rhetoric can be seen throughout the article. For example, the author suggests that the next stage after minimum unit pricing may be an increase in theatre tickets to reduce the number of â€Å"poorer, less educated people who might talk during the show.† This is an example of hyperbole where the author is exaggerating in order to manipulate their audience and create a strong emotional reaction. Through the use of rhetoric, the author will hope to encourage their audience to ‘come round’ to their way of thinking. However, the article would be far more persuasive if the author were to use more facts and empirical evidence to support their view s. In conclusion, the article is well-written in terms of persuasiveness and in using rhetoric to create a strong emotional reaction in the audience. However, the author too often makes statements that contradict current empirical evidence without justification, which damages the credibility of the source. References Alcohol Concern (2000) Britain’s Ruin: Meeting Government Objectives via a National Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Alcohol Concern. Anderson, P., Chisholm, D. and Fuhr, D.C. (2009) Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies and programmes to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. Lancet, 373, pp. 2234-2246. Elder, R.W., Lawrence, B., Ferguson, A., Naimi, T.S., Brewer, R.D., Chattopadhyay, S.K., Toomey, T.L. and Fielding, J.E. (2010) The effectiveness of tax policy interventions for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 38(2), pp. 217-229. Home Office (2012) The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Home Office. Home Office (2001) Fighting Violent Crime Together: An Action Plan. London, UK: Home Office. Kuntsche, E., Rehm, J. and Gmel, G. (2004) Characteristics of binge drinkers in Europe. Social Science and Medicine, 59, pp. 113-127. McKee, M. (2012) Minimum unit pricing for alcohol – the case for action is overwhelming. European Journal of Public Health, 22(4), pp. 451. NHS (2011) Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011. London, UK: The NHS Information Centre. Purshouse, R.C., Meier, P.S., Brennan, A., Taylor, K.B. and Rafia, R. (2010) Estimated effect of alcohol pricing policies on health and health economic outcomes in England: an epidemiological model. Lancet, 375, pp. 1355-1364. Rehm, J., Mathers, C., Popova, S., Thavorncharoensap, M., Teerawattananon, Y. and Patra, J. (2009) Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. Lancet, 373, pp. 2223-2233. Schutze, M., Boeing, H., Pischon, T. et al. (2011) Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 342, d1584. Spanagel, R. (2009) Alcoholism: A systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behaviour. Physiological Reviews, 89(2), pp. 649-705. Wagenaar, A.C., Tobler, A.L. and Komro, K.A. (2010) Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 100, pp. 2270-2278. Advanced Critical Writing The author’s claim about binge drinking is backed up by the literature with findings that British young people are some of the worst perpetrators of binge drinking (Kuntsche, Rehm and Gmel, 2004) and that almost a quarter of British adults are classified as ‘hazardous’ drinkers (NHS, 2011). In a recent presentation to parliament, David Cameron wrote that â€Å"we have to tackle the scourge of violence caused by binge drinking. And we have to do it now.† (Home Office, 2012). Alcohol is undoubtedly a public health issue and is involved in a high number of road traffic accidents and anti-social activities such as assault, as well as being associated with a number of chronic diseases including alcoholic liver disease and a range of cancers (Rehm et al., 2009; Schutze et al., 2011). Furthermore, the economic cost can be devastating with alcohol-related injury costing the National Health Service (NHS) around ?2.7 billion a year, based on 2006 to 2007 figures (NHS , 2011). Therefore, the Government should indeed feel some responsibility to tackle and reduce these figures if at all possible. The author argues that such a strategy as minimum unit pricing for alcohol will be an infringement on the British people, a violation of the free market economy and will cause moderate and responsible drinkers to pay for the â€Å"crimes of a few.† However, the author later contradicts themselves saying that â€Å"boosting the cost [of alcohol] isn’t going to stop me drinking, it’s going to just leave me out of pocket.† Here, the author has gone from the extreme and dramatic to an almost mocking of the proposed policy. It becomes unclear whether the author truly believes that the policy would severely affect the innocent or whether it would simply leave people short of a few pounds at the end of the month. This type of contradictory writing can also been seen elsewhere in the article. For example, the writer opens the article with a murky and sinister scene using evocative words and phrases such as â€Å"swarming†, â€Å"staggering† and †Å"teenagers hunched over a bottle of Frosty Jacks.† This use of language suggests that the author is disgusted and repelled by binge drinkers and the open consumption of cheap alcohol on British streets. However, the author quickly goes on to denounce Government attempts to tackle the problem as a â€Å"crazy idea†, once again sending out a mixed message to the reader. The author also argues against the claim that an increase in prices for drinks with a high alcohol content will put off the type of people who buy such drinks purely to achieve a state of drunkenness, namely individuals suffering from alcoholism. The author asks â€Å"isn’t it their choice to drink alcohol?† and suggests that it is unacceptable to hurt the average person financially by trying to price such individuals out of the alcohol market. This an extremely reductionist viewpoint, meaning that the author of the article is reducing the plight of an alcoholic to the result of just â€Å"their choice† rather than taking into account the plethora of reasons that can lead an individual down the destructive road of alcoholism, such as homelessness, debt or abuse. Such a view-point is potentially damaging as Spanagel (2009) has warned that a reductionist view of the causes of alcoholism can stand in the way of a better understanding of the underlying pathological p rocesses involved in such addictive behaviour. The author goes on to claim that implementation of a ?0.45 minimum unit price for alcohol is the result of the Government’s attempt to try and make revenue from people who can afford a price rise but are just inconvenienced by it. This is an extreme accusation and the author has failed to take into account the evidence that suggests otherwise. Namely that such a policy could have a positive effect on public health and the economy. Using a price-to-consumption model using various data sources and based on 54 population sub-groups classed as harmful, hazardous or moderate drinkers, Purshouse et al. (2010) estimated that a ?0.45 minimum price unit for alcohol would reduce alcohol consumption by 4.5% and avoid 1,970 alcohol-related deaths. A recent systematic review found that a price increase of alcohol by around 10% would lead to a reduction in consumption of alcohol by around 5% (Wagenaar, Tobler and Komro, 2010). Both of these studies have provided strong evidence that a min imum unit pricing strategy with alcohol would be effective in reducing hazardous alcohol consumption. Further strengthening the argument in favour of minimum unit pricing are doubts that other attempts to reduce alcohol consumption will be far from successful. In a recent editorial, McKee (2012) highlighted that the three main â€Å"lines of attack† for tackling hazardous drinking consist of marketing, pricing and availability. Marketing and restrictions on availability are difficult to control, especially due to the lobbying power that many companies within the alcohol industry possess (McKee, 2012), and education-based interventions have been shown to be ineffective (Anderson, Chisholm and Fuhr, 2009) Therefore, pricing appears to be potentially the most effective and most easily manipulated element that the Government can utilise to tackle hazardous drinking. However, in addition to the positive effects that a minimum pricing policy has been predicted to have, there were a lso a number of drawbacks. For example, an increase in type 2 diabetes in young women was predicted due to a loss of the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and most of the reductions in harm would have been seen in chronic disorders in the over 45s, limiting the positive effect on the health and well-being of younger people (Purshouse et al., 2010). Furthermore, the figures produced by Purshouse et al. (2010) were based on a time period 10 years after policy implementation, suggesting that the benefit of a minimum pricing policy could be a long time coming. These drawbacks could be seen to support the author’s claim that the Government would use a minimum pricing strategy primarily to increase their income, seeing as though implementation of the policy would be limited in its immediate and overall beneficial effects on public health. Furthermore, alternatives to minimum pricing such as increasing tax on alcohol, have also been found to decrease levels of alcohol consumption (Elder et al., 2010). However, the existence of potentially equally as effective strategies for tackling hazardous drinking does not automatically suggest a conspiracy by the Government to reap more revenue through a minimum pricing strategy. The author of the article disagrees with the claim that alcohol fuels crime and with the figure that intoxicated people are involved in causing around 5,000 avoidable crimes every year. However, it is well documented that alcohol is prolifically involved in crime. From 1998 to 1999, 70% of crimes were found to have involved alcohol (Home Office, 2001), with alcohol being a component in up to 70% of all stabbings and beatings, 40% of domestic violence incidents and 50% of child protection cases (Alcohol Concern, 2000). These figures are highly disturbing and the author’s credibility is severely damaged in denying belief in such figures. The author ends the article with a rhetorical question by asking whether we would want â€Å"to live in a free country where people live as their consciences tell them† or whether we want to try and â€Å"control the behaviour of the poor by pricing them out of activities that we disapprove of?† A similar use of rhetoric can be seen throughout the article. For example, the author suggests that the next stage after minimum unit pricing may be an increase in theatre tickets to reduce the number of â€Å"poorer, less educated people who might talk during the show.† This is an example of hyperbole where the author is exaggerating in order to manipulate their audience and create a strong emotional reaction. Through the use of rhetoric, the author will hope to encourage their audience to ‘come round’ to their way of thinking. However, the article would be far more persuasive if the author were to use more facts and empirical evidence to support their view s. In conclusion, the article is well-written in terms of persuasiveness and in using rhetoric to create a strong emotional reaction in the audience. However, the author too often makes statements that contradict current empirical evidence without justification, which damages the credibility of the source. References Alcohol Concern (2000) Britain’s Ruin: Meeting Government Objectives via a National Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Alcohol Concern. Anderson, P., Chisholm, D. and Fuhr, D.C. (2009) Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies and programmes to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. Lancet, 373, pp. 2234-2246. Elder, R.W., Lawrence, B., Ferguson, A., Naimi, T.S., Brewer, R.D., Chattopadhyay, S.K., Toomey, T.L. and Fielding, J.E. (2010) The effectiveness of tax policy interventions for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 38(2), pp. 217-229. Home Office (2012) The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Home Office. Home Office (2001) Fighting Violent Crime Together: An Action Plan. London, UK: Home Office. Kuntsche, E., Rehm, J. and Gmel, G. (2004) Characteristics of binge drinkers in Europe. Social Science and Medicine, 59, pp. 113-127. McKee, M. (2012) Minimum unit pricing for alcohol – the case for action is overwhelming. European Journal of Public Health, 22(4), pp. 451. NHS (2011) Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011. London, UK: The NHS Information Centre. Purshouse, R.C., Meier, P.S., Brennan, A., Taylor, K.B. and Rafia, R. (2010) Estimated effect of alcohol pricing policies on health and health economic outcomes in England: an epidemiological model. Lancet, 375, pp. 1355-1364. Rehm, J., Mathers, C., Popova, S., Thavorncharoensap, M., Teerawattananon, Y. and Patra, J. (2009) Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. Lancet, 373, pp. 2223-2233. Schutze, M., Boeing, H., Pischon, T. et al. (2011) Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 342, d1584. Spanagel, R. (2009) Alcoholism: A systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behaviour. Physiological Reviews, 89(2), pp. 649-705. Wagenaar, A.C., Tobler, A.L. and Komro, K.A. (2010) Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 100, pp. 2270-2278.

Systematic review and metaanalysis Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Systematic review and metaanalysis - Thesis Example Uman (2011) further goes on to appreciate the fact that systematic review and meta-analysis have the same stages and outlines the eight steps that are similar in nature when employing the two methods in reviewing any given studies. Uman (2011) concurs with O’Rourke (2007) that the distinction between the two terms is ambiguous in a way. However, both point the description and definition of the two terms based on the historical background upon which they were founded. They go on to acknowledge the similarity in the steps as well as the fact that meta-analysis is a step in systematic review. It is critical for scholars to understand the historical, premises, and pitfalls of systematic reviews and meta-analysis in addition to the methods of conducting meta-analysis. O’Rourke (2007) traces systematic reviews and meta-analysis back to the 17th Century when a French Mathematician named Blaise Pascal came up with methods of dealing with the games of chances that were involved in gambling. He further asserts that this was the time when the quantitative approaches were applied in the field of science acknowledging the various observations that started to emerge. As he points out, the mathematical approaches now allowed the astronomers to compare and merge various observations. O’Rourke (2007) goes on to point the contributions of Laplace and Gauss in the development of the systematic reviews and meta-analysis. This could then be the turning point in the 20th Century when statisticians merged the idea in addressing the questions of similar caliber that arose from clinical results. He appreciates the role played by British statistician Karl Pearson who was able to combine various observations from different clinical trials. Pearson did th is by regrouping study observations into larger groups while considering the small groups too (ORourke, 2007). Additionally, the author states that the reasoning Pearson had was not very clear

SDL-VALUE & VALUE CO-CREATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

SDL-VALUE & VALUE CO-CREATION - Essay Example 147-149). Consequently, the article explores the virtues of Aristotle’s stand on exchange and use value differences. Indeed, the article is based on claims and comments made by other prominent economic scholars such as Adam smith. In these references, the authors concentrate on the domain of goods-dominant logic. This presence is intended to compare and contrast the two logics taking into reference the business concept of Coca Cola Company. Service Dominant Concept The service-dominant model is based on the aspect of interdependence between consumers and producers. Presumably, the system is based on direct producer-consumer observations. It is sufficiently important that the relationship or transfer of value between producers and consumers have different forms of interpretation. Indeed, different interpretations depend on the corresponding discipline or field of study (Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2009, p. 33-35). Apparently, the fundamentals of commerce are the underlying factors that streamline the aspect of utility and production. Thus, the different models translate to the fundamental principles of production and consumption as explained in consumer science and other related disciplines. Consequently, the article approaches the issue with the intentions of unearthing any underlying associations. Value In the view of service-dominant value, value is considered to be characterized by the total effects of both the producers and consumers. An illustration of this is that, goods are valued after reaching a particular point in the process of consumption. Therefore, the consumers confer the element of value to goods when these prove to be effective in their use. At this point, it is clear that there is a relationship between the aspect of value and the process of consumption (Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2009, p. 35-38). Therefore, the aspect of value is best explained when consumption is put into consideration, since these two affect each other. The value of goods t herefore, depends on how satisfactory they are to the consumer. This is the major differentiating factor between goods-dominant perspective and the service-dominant value perspective. For instance, Coca Cola would be interested in preparing and delivering Coca Cola drinks as a product in goods dominant logic. However, in service dominant logic, Coca Cola would be interested in synergising customer satisfaction with factors of production. Goods Dominant Concept In the goods-dominant value, value is attached to the transfer of goods to the consumers from the producers. In this perspective, the more goods are transferred between producers and consumers, the higher the value. On the other hand, the service-dominant value draws from different views and approaches (Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2008, p. 147-149). In this case, to facilitate the transfer of goods between producers and consumers, the consumers must make their payments for the goods. This is meant to ensure the continuity of the v alue chain, so that consumers can come back and get more goods at a value. In the context of Coca Cola Company, service in service dominant logic, is the application of competences in terms of knowledge and skills in all factors of production aimed at providing refreshment service to the consumers. The issue of productive and non-productive

Psychology of self esteem Termpaper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychology of self esteem Termpaper - Essay Example To some extent self esteem is synonymous to confidence but in literal words it means a feeling of pride in one's self, in other words what do you think about yourself; if you think good about yourself then you have a high self esteem while on the other hand if you think low about yourself then you are suffering from low self esteem issues. Self esteem is crucial and a cornerstone of a positive attitude towards living. It is very important because it affects how you think, act and even how you relate to other people. It allows you to live life to your potential. Low self esteem means poor confidence and it causes negative thoughts, which means that you are likely to give up easily rather than face challenges. In addition, it has a direct bearing on your happiness and wellbeing. "What is the most important thing for a person starting out on the road to success?" "I would tell them the most important thing is to work on your self esteem, that's the best advice I can give" (Wagner, †Å"Larry King Live†) Hence here we know how important it is in character and lives building but what role can our parent's play towards it? how can a family contribute in developing their child's self esteem? Healthy self esteem is a child's shield against the challenges of life, kids who feel good about themselves end up handling their problems and matters in a much mature way because they believe in their selves and their capabilities but self esteem can also be defined as feelings of capability defined with feelings of being loved. A child who might have achieved something great but if their parents does not love them then they would feel that whatever they have achieved is in vain or maybe it was not enough to make their parents feel happy. Thus it is important for the parents to inculcate in them the feeling of being loved and even if the child cannot perform well at any platform that would not change the love they have for them. A child will thus feel confident that they have someone to love them forever and the same feeling of confidence and being loved develops in them a high sense of self esteem. Parents are a child’s role model. Children try to copy them and eventually become like them so a parent should always keep tabs on the fact that their actions influence the personalities of their kids. For example if one is pessimistic or unrealistic about oneself and one’s abilities and continues to confess this in front of one’s child, the child might end up believing that may be all individuals are like that. If a parent concentrates on their own self esteem, this act alone can greatly nurture the self esteem of their child. Here Seligman (Stepp 2) offers a great deal of practical advice, he says that according to his research children listen to how adults criticize them and absorb the style of the criticism as well as the substance. Parents should try to identify their child's beliefs and most importantly what do the children thi nk about themselves. Parents need to help kids set more accurate standards and be more realistic in evaluating themselves, this will help them have a healthy self-concept. Bad perceptions about themselves with regards to any aspect of their lives, may make them feel worthless for example if a child is

Influence of reference groups on purchasing behaviour (personal Essay

Influence of reference groups on purchasing behaviour (personal examples with reference to academic literature) - Essay Example Even in this technology driven consumer world, the purchasing decisions can be greatly influenced by so many social factors like family, peers and the society in which the consumer is interacting. These entities which influence the purchasing behavior of a consumer is generally referred as ‘reference groups’ and this paper briefly analyses the influence of different reference groups in the purchasing of consumers in general and female consumers in particular. â€Å"A reference group is an actual or imaginary individual or group having significant similarities in their evaluations, aspirations, or behavior† (Park & Lessig, 1982, p.102) Family, peers and societies are some reference groups which can affect the purchasing behavior of a person. These reference groups can influence the consumer in different ways like informational influence, motivational influence, utilitarian influence and value-expressive influence. A consumer will get information about a product from family, peer group or from the society. For example, consider a child got information about a new toy or video game from his friends (peer group) or from different toy shops (society). Moreover the peer group can motivate the child to purchase that toy or video game by explaining the special features about that product. On the other hand when the child ask his parents (family) to purchase that toy or video game for him, the parents will discuss the utility of that toy w ith him initially. Moreover they will discuss the price (Value) of the product also before taking the final decision about whether to purchase it or not. â€Å"Parents, teachers, and peers are representative of normative referents who provide the individual with norms, attitudes, and values through direct interaction (Childers & Rao, 1992, p.199). Normative referents are the ones with we usually interact directly. The direct interaction will help us to

Case Study Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Questions - Case Study Example By so doing, the company has put into use the business warehouse, SAP net waiver, data warehousing solution, SAPs analytical and reporting. In the process, the regional enterprise resource planning system, feed the warehouse with their data. At their point, the data received is the manipulated by formatting and standardizing it for analysis and enterprise-wide reporting. By so doing, the differences in the data over the enterprise is eliminated. To add-on that to better the data loads and increase user adoption and perception, the specialists in the Colgate information systems implemented the SAP Net Weaver BW. Further, the specialists implemented SAP objects of the business web intelligence to develop customized reports. The SAP web intelligence puts in place a strong, instinctive interface. The interface gives opportunities to the involved professionals to enquire spontaneously on their data. Each time a sales report got developed and run, there was a discrepancy and differences in the shipment and the number of the orders made. Again colligate need data that was more usable and viable in decision making. To add on that there was a need for a different business units and managers of the company to work with the same type of data world over. The act will help in the development and making of more relevant decisions. Secondly, the form of the data output for the senior managers from the warehouse is an HTML table that is produced daily. In the table, there are comparison between the operational and financial metrics of the day in relation with that of the past month and quarter in general. The data was not however used well enough by the employees in the decision-making in the bid to make an impact on the business gains. With increased need of more user-friendly data, accessed and timely access of the data, the senior managers together with their casuals, demanded increased access to the warehouse. The main issue was to

Human behaviour in the workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human behaviour in the workplace - Essay Example According to Mullins (2010), a trait is a characteristic that is dominant in an individual that makes them behave in a particular manner. Traits have been greatly used ti study the personalities of individuals mostly in their workplaces. The theory majors on the differences between individuals and what makes them unique in their different ways (Uczynski and Buchanan 2009).   Further to that, the main purpose of this theory is to identify the differences between individuals based on their personalities. Traits theory differentiates individuals into cardinal traits, central traits, or secondary characters. Cardinal traits are traits that are evident in individuals whole life. The traits are unique to every individual to some extent they are identified on the uniqueness of the traits. Central traits are the obvious characteristics found in a person that can be used to define their personalities. Despite being unique to most individuals in most cases, to some situations they are not un ique. Last is a secondary trait; the trait exists in a person's life because of a particular attitude or preferences. They are not dominant in an individual's personality, but they occur under different circumstances (Uczynski and Buchanan 2009).Personality Questionnaires Theory.This theory focuses on using questions to measure the personalities of individuals. The questions used are based on a yes, no or I do not know answers. In workplace, questionnaires theory can be applicable in measuring the level of team building exhibited by the workers.

Financial Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Institutions - Essay Example As financial institution involves services of many people, it is hard to manage everything appropriately. Sometimes, due to some human errors, wrong data is stored in the records which then create problems for the managers and regulators of the institutions. Due to the increasing use of computer and technology, data is sometimes hacked or corrupted which then results in wrong approximation of assets and capital. Unfortunately, financial institutions also face troubles due to the disloyalty of their employees. In some cases, these employees reveal the private data of the institutions or get involved in stealing or bribery. Due to the lack of skills, sometimes employees make mistakes in even entering the details of the customer in the records, which then create huge problems for the institution (Operational Risk, 2008). Financial institutions are amongst the most regulated sectors in the world. They operate in an extremely regulated environment and follows laws and regulations very strongly. The reasons behind regulating financial institutions are: The operations of financial institution involve money transactions and valuable possessions of its clients and thus they need to be highly protected. The regulators of financial institution ensure its customers for the security of their belongings as any harm to these things would not only result in the financial loss of the institution but would also adversely affect its image in the world market. As technology is improving day by day, regulators of financial institutions need to monitor it closely so that they would be able to adopt it accordingly and become the trend setters. This can have a positive impact on their business and would also help in efficient storage of data and information. Financial institutions require very efficient ways of storing data as the operations of financial institutions rely mainly on the information of the

Blood pressure Essay Example for Free

Blood pressure Essay Blood pressure (BP), sometimes referred to as arterial blood pressure, is the pressureexerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, blood pressure usually refers to thearterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.[1] The blood pressure in the circulation is principally due to the pumping action of the heart.[2] Differences in mean blood pressure are responsible for blood flow from one location to another in the circulation. The rate of mean blood flow depends on the resistance to flow presented by the blood vessels. Mean blood pressure decreases as the circulating blood moves away from the heart through arteries and capillaries due to viscous losses of energy. Mean blood pressure drops over the whole circulation, although most of the fall occurs along the small arteries and arterioles.[3] Gravity affects blood pressure via hydrostatic forces (e.g., during standing) and valves in veins, breathing, and pumping from contraction of skeletal muscles also influence blood pressure in veins.[2] The measurement blood pressure without further specification usually refers to the systemic arterial pressure measured at a persons upper arm and is a measure of the pressure in the brachial artery, major artery in the upper arm. A person’s blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure over diastolic pressure and is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), for example 120/80. The table on the right shows the classification of blood pressure adopted by the American Heart Association for adults who are 18 years and older.[4] It assumes the values are a result of averaging blood pressure readings measured at two or more visits to the doctor.[6][7] In the UK, blood pressures are usually categorised into three groups: low (90/60 or lower), high (140/90 or higher), and normal (values above 90/60 and below 130/80).[8][9] Normal range of blood pressure While average values for arterial pressure could be computed for any given population, there is often a large variation from person to person; arterial pressure also varies in individuals from moment to moment. Additionally, the average of any given population may have a questionable correlation with its general health; thus the relevance of such average values is equally questionable. However, in a study of 100 human subjects with no known history of hypertension, an average blood pressure of 112/64 mmHg was found,[10] which are currently classified as desirable or normal values. Normal values fluctuate through the 24-hour cycle, with highest readings in the afternoons and lowest readings at night.[11][12] Various factors, such as age and sex influence average values, influence a persons average blood pressure and variations. In children, the normal ranges are lower than for adults and depend on height.[13] As adults age, systolic pressure tends to rise and diastolic tends to fall.[14] In the elderly, blood pressure tends to be above the normal adult range,[15] largely because of reduced flexibility of the arteries. Also, an individuals blood pressure varies with exercise, emotional reactions, sleep, digestion and time of day. Differences between left and right arm blood pressure measurements tend to be random and average to nearly zero if enough measurements are taken. However, in a small percentage of cases there is a consistent difference greater than 10 mmHg which may need further investigation, e.g. for obstructive arterial disease.[16][17] The risk of cardiovascular disease increases progressively above 115/75 mmHg.[18] In the past, hypertension was only diagnosed if secondary signs of high arterial pressure were present, along with a prolonged high systolic pressure reading over several visits. Regarding hypotension, in practice blood pressure is considered too low only if noticeable symptoms are present.[5] Clinical trials demonstrate that people who maintain arterial pressures at the low end of these pressure ranges have much better long term cardiovascular health. The principal medical debate concerns the aggressiveness and relative value of methods used to lower pressures into this range for those who do not maintain such pressure on their own. Elevations, more commonly seen in older people, though often considered normal, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Physiology There are many physical factors that influence arterial pressure. Each of these may in turn be influenced by physiological factors, such as diet, exercise, disease, drugs or alcohol, stress, obesity, and so-forth.[20] Some physical factors are: †¢ Volume of fluid or blood volume, the amount of blood that is present in the body. The more blood present in the body, the higher the rate of blood return to the heart and the resulting cardiac output. There is some relationship between dietary salt intake and increased blood volume, potentially resulting in higher arterial pressure, though this varies with the individual and is highly dependent on autonomic nervous system response and the renin-angiotensin system.[21][22][23] †¢ Resistance. In the circulatory system, this is the resistance of the blood vessels. The higher the resistance, the higher the arterial pressure upstream from the resistance to blood flow. Resistance is related to vessel radius (the larger the radius, the lower the resistance), vessel length (the longer the vessel, the higher the resistance), blood viscosity, as well as the smoothness of the blood vessel walls. Smoothness is reduced by the build up of fatty deposits on the arterial walls. Substances called vasoconstrictors can reduce the size of blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure. Vasodilators (such as nitroglycerin) increase the size of blood vessels, thereby decreasing arterial pressure. Resistance, and its relation to volumetric flow rate (Q) and pressure difference between the two ends of a vessel are described by Poiseuilles Law. †¢ Viscosity, or thickness of the fluid. If the blood gets thicker, the result is an increase in arterial pressure. Certain medical conditionscan change the viscosity of the blood. For instance, anemia (low red blood cell concentration), reduces viscosity, whereas increased red blood cell concentration increases viscosity. It had been thought that aspirin and related blood thinner drugs decreased the viscosity of blood, but instead studies found[24] that they act by reducing the tendency of the blood to clot. In practice, each individuals autonomic nervous system responds to and regulates all these interacting factors so that, although the above issues are important, the actual arterial pressure response of a given individual varies widely because of both split-second and slow-moving responses of the nervous system and end organs. These responses are very effective in changing the variables and resulting blood pressure from moment to moment. Moreover, blood pressure is the result of cardiac output increased by peripheral resistance: blood pressure = cardiac output Xperipheral resistance. As a result, an abnormal change in blood pressure is often an indication of a problem affecting the hearts output, the blood vessels resistance, or both. Thus, knowing the patients blood pressure is critical to assess any pathology related to output and resistance. Mean arterial pressure The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is the average over a cardiac cycle and is determined by the cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and central venous pressure (CVP),[25] Curve of the arterial pressure during one cardiac cycle The up and down fluctuation of the arterial pressure results from the pulsatile nature of thecardiac output, i.e. the heartbeat. The pulse pressure is determined by the interaction of thestroke volume of the heart, compliance (ability to expand) of the aorta, and the resistance to flow in the arterial tree. By expanding under pressure, the aorta absorbs some of the force of the blood surge from the heart during a heartbeat. In this way, the pulse pressure is reduced from what it would be if the aorta wasnt compliant.[26] The loss of arterial compliance that occurs with aging explains the elevated pulse pressures found in elderly patients. The pulse pressure can be simply calculated from the difference of the measured systolic and diastolic pressures,[26] Arm–leg gradient The arm–leg (blood pressure) gradient is the difference between the blood pressure measured in the arms and that measured in the legs. It is normally less than 10 mmHg,[27] but may be increased in e.g. coarctation of the aorta.[27] Vascular resistance The larger arteries, including all large enough to see without magnification, are conduits with low vascular resistance (assuming no advanced atherosclerotic changes) with high flow rates that generate only small drops in pressure. The smaller arteries and arterioles have higher resistance, and confer the main drop in blood pressure along the circulatory system. Vascular pressure wave Modern physiology developed the concept of the vascular pressure wave (VPW). This wave is created by the heart during the systoleand originates in the ascending aorta. Much faster than the stream of blood itself, it is then transported through the vessel walls to the peripheral arteries. There the pressure wave can be palpated as the peripheral pulse. As the wave is reflected at the peripheral veins, it runs back in a centripetal fashion. When the reflected wave meets the next outbound pressure wave, the pressure inside the vessel rises higher than the pressure in the aorta. This concept explains why the arterial pressure inside the peripheral arteries of the legs and arms is higher than the arterial pressure in the aorta,[28][29][30] and in turn for the higher pressures seen at the ankle compared to the arm with normal ankle brachial pressure index values. Regulation The endogenous regulation of arterial pressure is not completely understood, but the following mechanisms of regulating arterial pressure have been well-characterized: †¢ Baroreceptor reflex: Baroreceptors in the high pressure receptor zones detect changes in arterial pressure. These baroreceptors send signals ultimately to the medulla of the brain stem, specifically to the Rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). The medulla, by way of the autonomic nervous system, adjusts the mean arterial pressure by altering both the force and speed of the hearts contractions, as well as the total peripheral resistance. The most important arterial baroreceptors are located in the left and rightcarotid sinuses and in the aortic arch.[31] †¢ Renin-angiotensin system (RAS): This system is generally known for its long-term adjustment of arterial pressure. This system allows the kidney to compensate for loss in blood volume or drops in arterial pressure by activating an endogenous vasoconstrictorknown as angiotensin II. †¢ Aldosterone release: This steroid hormone is released from the adrenal cortex in response to angiotensin II or high serum potassiumlevels. Aldosterone stimulates sodium retention and potassium excretion by the kidneys. Since sodium is the main ion that determines the amount of fluid in the blood vessels by osmosis, aldosterone will increase fluid retention, and indirectly, arterial pressure. †¢ Baroreceptors in low pressure receptor zones (mainly in the venae cavae and the pulmonary veins, and in the atria) result in feedback by regulating the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH/Vasopressin), renin and aldosterone. The resultant increase inblood volume results an increased cardiac output by the Frank–Starling law of the heart, in turn increasing arterial blood pressure. These different mechanisms are not necessarily independent of each other, as indicated by the link between the RAS and aldosterone release. Currently, the RAS is targeted pharmacologically by ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists. The aldosterone system is directly targeted by spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist. The fluid retention may be targeted by diuretics; the antihypertensive effect of diuretics is due to its effect on blood volume. Generally, the baroreceptor reflex is not targeted in hypertensionbecause if blocked, individuals may suffer from orthostatic hypotension and fainting. Measurement A medical student checking blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. Arterial pressure is most commonly measured via a sphygmomanometer, which historically used the height of a column of mercury to reflect the circulating pressure.[32] Blood pressure values are generally reported in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), though aneroid and electronic devices do not use mercury. For each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressure is peak pressure in the arteries, which occurs near the end of the cardiac cyclewhen the ventricles are contracting. Diastolic pressure is minimum pressure in the arteries, which occurs near the beginning of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles are filled with blood. An example of normal measured values for a resting, healthy adult human is 120 mmHgsystolic and 80 mmHg diastolic (written as 120/80 mmHg, and spoken [in the US and UK] as one-twenty over eighty). Systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressures are not static but undergo natural variations from one heartbeat to another and throughout the day (in a circadian rhythm). They also change in response to stress, nutritional factors, drugs, disease, exercise, and momentarily from standing up. Sometimes the variations are large. Hypertension refers to arterial pressure being abnormally high, as opposed to hypotension, when it is abnormally low. Along with body temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse rate, blood pressure is one of the four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and healthcare providers.[33] Measuring pressure invasively, by penetrating the arterial wall to take the measurement, is much less common and usually restricted to a hospital setting. Noninvasive The noninvasive auscultatory and oscillometric measurements are simpler and quicker than invasive measurements, require less expertise, have virtually no complications, are less unpleasant and less painful for the patient. However, noninvasive methods may yield somewhat lower accuracy and small systematic differences in numerical results. Noninvasive measurement methods are more commonly used for routine examinations and monitoring. [edit]Palpation A minimum systolic value can be roughly estimated by palpation, most often used in emergency situations, but should be used with caution.[34] It has been estimated that, using 50% percentiles, carotid, femoral and radial pulses are present in patients with a systolic blood pressure 70 mmHg, carotid and femoral pulses alone in patients with systolic blood pressure of 50 mmHg, and only a carotid pulse in patients with a systolic blood pressure of 40 mmHg.[34] A more accurate value of systolic blood pressure can be obtained with a sphygmomanometer and palpating the radial pulse.[35] The diastolic blood pressure cannot be estimated by this method.[36] The American Heart Association recommends that palpation be used to get an estimate before using the auscultatory method. Auscultatory Auscultatory method aneroid sphygmomanometer with stethoscope Mercury manometer The auscultatory method (from the Latin word for listening) uses a stethoscope and asphygmomanometer. This comprises an inflatable (Riva-Rocci) cuff placed around the upperarm at roughly the same vertical height as the heart, attached to a mercury or aneroidmanometer. The mercury manometer, considered the gold standard, measures the height of a column of mercury, giving an absolute result without need for calibration and, consequently, not subject to the errors and drift of calibration which affect other methods. The use of mercury manometers is often required in clinical trials and for the clinical measurement of hypertension in high-risk patients, such as pregnant women. A cuff of appropriate size is fitted smoothly and snugly, then inflated manually by repeatedly squeezing a rubber bulb until the artery is completely occluded. Listening with the stethoscope to the brachial artery at the elbow, the examiner slowly releases the pressure in the cuff. When blood just starts to flow in the artery, the turbulent flow creates a whooshing or pounding (first Korotkoff sound). The pressure at which this sound is first heard is the systolic blood pressure. The cuff pressure is further released until no sound can be heard (fifth Korotkoff sound), at the diastolic arterial pressure. The auscultatory method is the predominant method of clinical measurement.[37] Oscillometric The oscillometric method was first demonstrated in 1876 and involves the observation of oscillations in the sphygmomanometer cuff pressure[38] which are caused by the oscillations of blood flow, i.e., the pulse.[39] The electronic version of this method is sometimes used in long-term measurements and general practice. It uses a sphygmomanometer cuff, like the auscultatory method, but with an electronic pressure sensor (transducer) to observe cuff pressure oscillations, electronics to automatically interpret them, and automatic inflation and deflation of the cuff. The pressure sensor should be calibrated periodically to maintain accuracy. Oscillometric measurement requires less skill than the auscultatory technique and may be suitable for use by untrained staff and for automated patient home monitoring. The cuff is inflated to a pressure initially in excess of the systolic arterial pressure and then reduced to below diastolic pressure over a period of about 30 seconds. When blood flow is nil (cuff pressure exceeding systolic pressure) or unimpeded (cuff pressure below diastolic pressure), cuff pressure will be essentially constant. It is essential that the cuff size is correct: undersized cuffs may yield too high a pressure; oversized cuffs yield too low a pressure. When blood flow is present, but restricted, the cuff pressure, which is monitored by the pressure sensor, will vary periodically in synchrony with the cyclic expansion and contraction of the brachial artery, i.e., it will oscillate. The values of systolic and diastolic pressure are computed, not actually measured from the raw data, using an algorithm; the computed results are displayed. Oscillometric monitors may produce inaccurate readings in patients with heart and circulation problems, which include arterial sclerosis, arrhythmia, preeclampsia, pulsus alternans, and pulsus paradoxus. In practice the different methods do not give identical results; an algorithm and experimentally obtained coefficients are used to adjust the oscillometric results to give readings which match the auscultatory results as well as possible. Some equipment uses computer-aided analysis of the instantaneous arterial pressure waveform to determine the systolic, mean, and diastolic points. Since many oscillometric devices have not been validated, caution must be given as most are not suitable in clinical and acute care settings. The term NIBP, for non-invasive blood pressure, is often used to describe oscillometric monitoring equipment. Continuous noninvasive techniques (CNAP) Continuous Noninvasive Arterial Pressure (CNAP) is the method of measuring arterial blood pressure in real-time without any interruptions and without cannulating the human body. CNAP combines the advantages of the following two clinical â€Å"gold standards†: it measures blood pressure continuously in real-time like the invasive arterial catheter system and it is noninvasive like the standard upper arm sphygmomanometer. Latest developments in this field show promising results in terms of accuracy, ease of use and clinical acceptance. Non-occlusive techniques: the Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) principle Since the 90s a novel family of techniques based on the so-called Pulse wave velocity (PWV) principle have been developed. These techniques rely on the fact that the velocity at which an arterial pressure pulse travels along the arterial tree depends, among others, on the underlying blood pressure.[40] Accordingly, after a calibration maneuver, these techniques provide indirect estimates of blood pressure by translating PWV values into blood pressure values.[41] The main advantage of these techniques is that it is possible to measure PWV values of a subject continuously (beat-by-beat), without medical supervision, and without the need of inflating brachial cuffs. PWV-based techniques are still in the research domain and are not adapted to clinical settings. White-coat hypertension For some patients, blood pressure measurements taken in a doctors office may not correctly characterize their typical blood pressure.[42] In up to 25% of patients, the office measurement is higher than their typical blood pressure. This type of error is calledwhite-coat hypertension (WCH) and can result from anxiety related to an examination by a health care professional.[43] The misdiagnosis of hypertension for these patients can result in needless and possibly harmful medication. WCH can be reduced (but not eliminated) with automated blood pressure measurements over 15 to 20 minutes in a quiet part of the office or clinic.[44] Debate continues regarding the significance of this effect.[citation needed] Some reactive patients will react to many other stimuli throughout their daily lives and require treatment. In some cases a lower blood pressure reading occurs at the doctors office.[45] Home monitoring Ambulatory blood pressure devices that take readings every half hour throughout the day and night have been used for identifying and mitigating measurement problems like white-coat hypertension. Except for sleep, home monitoring could be used for these purposes instead of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.[46] Home monitoring may be used to improve hypertension management and to monitor the effects of lifestyle changes and medication related to blood pressure.[6] Compared to ambulatory blood pressure measurements, home monitoring has been found to be an effective and lower cost alternative,[46][47][48] but ambulatory monitoring is more accurate than both clinic and home monitoring in diagnosing hypertension. Ambulatory monitoring is recommended for most patients before the start of antihypertensive drugs.[49] Aside from the white-coat effect, blood pressure readings outside of a clinical setting are usually slightly lower in the majority of people. The studies that looked into the risks from hypertension and the benefits of lowering blood pressure in affected patients were based on readings in a clinical environment. When measuring blood pressure, an accurate reading requires that one not drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, or engage in strenuous exercise for 30 minutes before taking the reading. A full bladder may have a small effect on blood pressure readings; if the urge to urinate arises, one should do so before the reading. For 5 minutes before the reading, one should sit upright in a chair with ones feet flat on the floor and with limbs uncrossed. The blood pressure cuff should always be against bare skin, as readings taken over a shirt sleeve are less accurate. During the reading, the arm that is used should be relaxed and kept at heart level, for example by resting it on a table.[50] Since blood pressure varies throughout the day, measurements intended to monitor changes over longer time frames should be taken at the same time of day to ensure that the readings are comparable. Suitable times are: †¢ immediately after awakening (before washing/dressing and taking breakfast/drink), while the body is still resting, †¢ immediately after finishing work. Automatic self-contained blood pressure monitors are available at reasonable prices, some of which are capable of Korotkoffs measurement in addition to oscillometric methods, enabling irregular heartbeat patients to accurately measure their blood pressure at home. Invasive Arterial blood pressure (BP) is most accurately measured invasively through an arterial line. Invasive arterial pressure measurement with intravascular cannulae involves direct measurement of arterial pressure by placing a cannula needle in an artery (usually radial, femoral,dorsalis pedis or brachial). The cannula must be connected to a sterile, fluid-filled system, which is connected to an electronic pressure transducer. The advantage of this system is that pressure is constantly monitored beat-by-beat, and a waveform (a graph of pressure against time) can be displayed. This invasive technique is regularly employed in human and veterinary intensive care medicine, anesthesiology, and for research purposes. Cannulation for invasive vascular pressure monitoring is infrequently associated with complications such as thrombosis, infection, andbleeding. Patients with invasive arterial monitoring require very close supervision, as there is a danger of severe bleeding if the line becomes disconnected. It is generally reserved for patients where rapid variations in arterial pressure are anticipated. Invasive vascular pressure monitors are pressure monitoring systems designed to acquire pressure information for display and processing. There are a variety of invasive vascular pressure monitors for trauma, critical care, and operating room applications. These include single pressure, dual pressure, and multi-parameter (i.e. pressure / temperature). The monitors can be used for measurement and follow-up of arterial, central venous, pulmonary arterial, left atrial, right atrial, femoral arterial, umbilical venous, umbilical arterial, and intracranial pressures. Fetal blood pressure Further information: Fetal circulation#Blood pressure In pregnancy, it is the fetal heart and not the mothers heart that builds up the fetal blood pressure to drive its blood through the fetal circulation. The blood pressure in the fetal aorta is approximately 30 mmHg at 20 weeks of gestation, and increases to approximately 45 mmHg at 40 weeks of gestation.[51] The average blood pressure for full-term infants: Systolic 65–95 mm Hg Diastolic 30–60 mm Hg[52] Blood pressure is the measurement of force that is applied to the walls of the blood vessels as the heart pumps blood throughout the body.[53] The human circulatory system is 400,000 miles long, and the magnitude of blood pressure is not uniform in all the blood vessels in the human body. The blood pressure is determined by the diameter, flexibility and the amount of blood being pumped through the blood vessel.[53] Blood pressure is also affected by other factors including exercise, stress level, diet and sleep. The average normal blood pressure in the brachial artery, which is the next direct artery from the aorta after the subclavian artery, is 120mmHg/80mmHg. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using sphygmomanometer. Two pressures are measured and recorded namely as systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressure reading is the first reading, which represents the maximum exerted pressure on the vessels when the heart contracts, while the diastolic pressure, the second reading, represents the minimum pressure in the vessels when the heart relaxes.[54] Other major arteries have similar levels of blood pressure recordings indicating very low disparities among major arteries. The innominate artery, the average reading is 110/70mmHg, the right subclavian artery averages 120/80 and the abdominal aorta is 110/70mmHg.[55] The relatively uniform pressure in the arteries indicate that these blood vessels act as a pressure reservoir for fluids that are transported within them. Pressure drops gradually as blood flows from the major arteries, through the arterioles, the capillaries until blood is pushed up back into the heart via the venules, the veins through the vena cava with the help of the muscles. At any given pressure drop, the flow rate is determined by the resistance to the blood flow. In the arteries, with the absence of diseases, there is very little or no resistance to blood. The vessel diameter is the most principal determinant to control resistance. Compared to other smaller vessels in the body, the artery has a much bigger diameter (4mm), therefore the resistance is low.[55] In addition, flow rate (Q) is also the product of the cross-sectional area of the vessel and the average velocity (Q = AV). Flow rate is directly proportional to the pressure drop in a tube or in this case a vessel. ∆P ÃŽ ± Q. The relationship is further described by Poisseulle’s equation ∆P = 8 µlQ/Ï€r4.[56] As evident in the Poisseulle’s equation, although flow rate is proportional to the pressure drop, there are other factors of blood vessels that contribute towards the difference in pressure drop in bifurcations of blood vessels. These include viscosity, length of the vessel, and radius of the vessel. Factors that determine the flow’s resistance as described by Poiseuille’s relationship: †¢ ∆P: pressure drop/gradient †¢  µ: viscosity †¢ l: length of tube. In the case of vessels with infinitely long lengths, l is replaced with diameter of the vessel. †¢ Q: flow rate of the blood in the vessel †¢ r: radius of the vessel Assuming steady, laminar flow in the vessel, the blood vessels behavior is similar to that of a pipe. For instance if p1 and p2 are pressures are at the ends of the tube, the pressure drop/gradient is:[57] In the arterioles blood pressure is lower than in the major arteries. This is due to bifurcations, which cause a drop in pressure. The more bifurcations, the higher the total cross-sectional area, therefore the pressure across the surface drops. This is why the arterioles have the highest pressure-drop. The pressure drop of the arterioles is the product of flow rate and resistance: ∆P=Q xresistance. The high resistance observed in the arterioles, which factor largely in the ∆P is a result of a smaller radius of about 30  µm.[58] The smaller the radius of a tube, the larger the resistance to fluid flow. Immediately following the arterioles are the capillaries. Following the logic obvserved in the arterioles, we expect the blood pressure to be lower in the capillaries compared to the arterioles. Since pressure is a function of force per unit area, (P = F/A), the larger the surface area, the lesser the pressure when an external force acts on it. Though the radii of the capillaries are very small, the network of capillaries have the largest surface area in the vascular network. They are known to have the largest surface area (485mm) in the human vascular network. The larger the total cross-sectional area, the lower the mean velocity as well as the pressure.[55] Reynold’s number also affects the blood flow in capillaries. Due to its smaller radius and lowest velocity compared to other vessels, the Reynold’s number at the capillaries is very low, resulting in laminar instead of turbulent flow.[59] The Reynold’s number (denoted NR or Re) is a relationship that helps determine the behavior of a fluid in a tube, in this case blood in the vessel. The equation for this dimensionless relationship is written as:[56] †¢ Ï : density of the blood †¢ v: mean velocity of the blood †¢ L: characteristic dimension of the vessel, in this case diameter †¢ ÃŽ ¼: viscosity of blood The Reynold’s number is directly proportional to the velocity and diameter of the tube. Note that NR is directly proportional to the mean velocity as well as the diameter. A Reynold’s number of less than 2300 is laminar fluid flow, which is characterized by constant flow motion, whereas a value of over 4000, is represented as turbulent flow. Turbulent flow is characterized as chaotic and irregular flow.[56] Disorders Disregulation disorders of blood pressure control include high blood pressure, blood pressure that is too low, and blood pressure that shows excessive or maladaptive fluctuation. High Main article: Hypertension Overview of main complications of persistent high blood pressure. Arterial hypertension can be an indicator of other problems and may have long-term adverse effects. Sometimes it can be an acute problem, for examplehypertensive emergency. All levels of arterial pressure put mechanical stress on the arterial walls. Higher pressures increase heart workload and progression of unhealthy tissue growth (atheroma) that develops within the walls of arteries. The higher the pressure, the more stress that is present and the more atheroma tend to progress and the heart muscle tends to thicken, enlarge and become weaker over time. Persistent hypertension is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks,heart failure and arterial aneurysms, and is the leading cause of chronic renal failure. Even moderate elevation of arterial pressure leads to shortened life expectancy. At severely high pressures, mean arterial pressures 50% or more above average, a person can expect to live no more than a few years unless appropriately treated.[60] In the past, most attention was paid to diastolic pressure; but nowadays it is recognised that both high systolic pressure and high pulse pressure (the numerical difference between systolic and diastolic pressures) are also risk factors. In some cases, it appears that a decrease in excessive diastolic pressure can actually increase risk, due probably to the increased difference between systolic and diastolic pressures (see the article on pulse pressure). If systolic blood pressure is elevated (140) with a normal diastolic blood pressure (

Investigating Glue Essay Example for Free

Investigating Glue Essay Title To recycle the bad protein food by reproducing glue Aim Have you even thrown some food because it becomes bad? Do you think it really waste money? Do you want to make them become useful again? If you do, our experiment will show you how to do and everything about it. Apparatus: Heater, measuring cylinder à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2(250ml50ml), pH paper,beakerà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2(300ml500ml),glass rod, spoon Chemical: skim milk, vinegar Abstract The sticking properties of different proteins in daily food are being investigated in our experiment. Casein in dairy products and textured soy protein (TSP) in soybean products are abstracted out by precipitation in acid. The samples are then neutralized by carbonate and undergo a series of stress tests to compare the strength of our reproduced protein glues with commercial products. The basic principle of the sticking properties of protein glues is the ionic attractions and the Van der Walls attractive force generated by the protein molecules. Protein molecules are highly folded, resulting in a great contact surface area and exposure of the hydrophobic bonds. When two surfaces of substances like wood or paper are held together by protein, linkages are formed in between the molecules, and the two surfaces are stick together and are difficult to separate. We expect the result the casein in milk and textured soy protein in soybean milk have comparable sticking strength as starch contained in commercial glue. The significant advantage of the production of our protein glues is that proteins in expired food can be recycled and reused to make the useful glue. The glue produced is also not toxic or harmful to the environment. Introduction 1)The history of glue The earliest evidence of use of glue can still be observed in the cave paintings made by Neanderthal ancestors in Lascaux, France. These early artists wanted their work to last and mixed glue with the paint they used to help the colors resist the moisture of the cave walls. Egyptian artifacts unearthed in their tombs show many uses of glues; perhaps the most striking are the veneers and inlays in wood furniture, which was made using glue as early as 3,000 B.C. The Egyptians also used glue to produce papyrus. Greek and Roman artists used glues extensively; mosaic floors and tiled walls and baths are still intact after thousands of years. Around 1750, the first glue or adhesive patent was issued in Britain. The glue was made from fish. Patents were then rapidly issued for adhesives using natural rubber, animal bones, fish, starch, milk protein or casein. As we can see from ancient and medieval records, fish glue was both a common and important adhesive for many special applications; adapted by artists, it was used from the time of ancient Egypt to twentieth-century France, in painting media, coatings and grounds, in the gilding of illuminated manuscripts, and in pastel fixatives. 2)Theory of milk glue Casein is the principal protein found in cow milk (about 3%) from which it has been extracted commercially for most of the 20th century. It is responsible for the white, opaque appearance of milk in which it is combined with calcium and phosphorus as clusters of casein molecules, called micelles. The major uses of casein until the 1960s were in technical, non-food applications such as adhesives for wood, in paper coating, leather finishing and in synthetic fibers, as well as plastics for buttons, buckles etc. The first step in making acid-precipitated casein is acidification. Mineral acids or organic acids can add to the skim milk; or the milk is allowed to sour, in which case lactic acid, produced by fermentation of lactose, is the effective precipitant. The precipitated curd is then drained, washed, press to remove water, milled, drill, and ground. Solutions of casein in alkalis (with enough of the protein to give a suitable viscosity) can be used as glue. Such glue compares favorably in strength with animal glue on drying the protein forms numerous hydrogen bonds with the cellulose in paper and with itself, so it can stick woods together, but it is not water-resistant. Resistance to water can be imparted to casein glue, however, by modifying the simple formula of casein in alkali; these improved casein glues are widely useful in industry. Prepared casein glues are sold in the form of dry mixtures, which need only the addition of water before use. They are commonly composed of casein, lime, and a number of alkaline salts. Various chemicals have been used to improve the resistance to water, and many colloidal materials with adhesive properties can be mixed with casein to modify the properties of the resulting glues. It has thus been possible to adapt casein glues to a variety of specialized applications. These glues are used in the woodworking industry, in gluing paper, and in many other fields. Procedure à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Preparation of milk glue 1) 250cm3 of milk and 50cm3 of vinegar (about 5% ethanoic acid) were added into a beaker. 2) The mixture was heated slowly and stirred continuously until curds were observed. (Caution: Heater is very hot, temperature of mixture should not be more than 60à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) 3) Curds were allowed to settle to the bottom for about 10 minutes. 4) The heated mixture was filtered. 5) The curds were squeezed to remove liquid. 6) The curds were washed with little volume of water and squeezed again. 7) The curds were stirred with solid sodium hydrogencarbonate (NaHCO3) gradually and monitored pH by pH paper until pH became slightly alkali. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Testing of adhere strength of glue 1) The glues were used to stick two plywood together, a the plywood at downside , with contact surface of 20 cm2 2) Two samples were made for each glue and one sample of starch glue was made as control. 3) The stack plywood was pressed by 0.8kg mass and allowed to dry at dry place for 2 days . 4) The plywood was set above the ground. 5) 0.5 kg Test mass was added gently each time until the masses drop. 6) The maximum mass of the glues that can afforded were recorded. 7) The plywood was cut into 4, which contact surface was decreased 4 times, and the above tests were repeated. Reference 1)http://classes.ansci.illinois.edu/ansc438/milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html 2)http://science-in-farming.library4farming.org/Crops-Grains-Protein/PROTEINS-ARE-BASIC/Milk-Proteins.html

Car Service Business Plan Marketing Essay

Car Service Business Plan Marketing Essay The Business Plan is a professional study that analyzes a prospective project, also highlighting the benefits that may get from establishing such project. In addition to bring the necessary warnings of the considered risks might be occurred. This is besides giving a full analytic view in order to minimize the establishing and operational costs in the beginning stage of the project. Moreover the plan will release its own conclusion to the owners advising whether to begin the project or cancelled. The propose of this business plan is studying the possibility to establish and operate a new Car Service Center in Abu Dhabi, the Capital of United Arab Emirates. We will concentrate on the financial aspect, proving the profitability of the project. With reviewing the relative business aspects such like Marketing and Management. The Car Service center will serve small and medium range of private saloon cars of providing them the basic routine auto services for maintaining their cars and keep them running. The project will be within Abu Dhabi City, but not at the Industrial town Mussafah, a suburb of Abu Dhabi City. II. Business Description: Private cars Saloon become as the main transportation mean in the end of the twenty-century. It is integrated with the human privacy nature for everybody in this time. Moreover, the high income per capita in UAE (Which is estimated to be around UAE Dhs. 65,000 per capita) is driving people to fulfill their personal needs. However, transportation is one of the main essential things of these needs. That gives the enforcement to every family to have their own private car. By the end of the seventies, Abu Dhabi municipality ordered the entire car service workshops to move from Abu Dhabi Island. Therefore the Municipality established a new industrial suburb at the West Side of Abu Dhabi Island. The new Industrial area called Mussafah and it had been accommodated with all required infrastructure that might be needed for a modern industrial area. However, the distance Abu Dhabi city center to the new industrial area Mussafah is about (30) kilometer. That is considering a far distance to the routine car servicing to the people living in Abu Dhabi. Therefore, we are suggesting having our new car service center at a new unique location located beyond Al-Maqta Bridge on the right side of the main Alain Abu Dhabi Road. However, it is required to have a necessary license approval from the concern local authorities at Abu Dhabi Municipality. That is expected to be not easy to get from the first attempt, however it is not impossible. III. Product and Service The car service center will offer two major things as products and services to its variable customers: Servicing Automobiles: These automobiles are in the range from small to medium size of mainly Japanese and Korean cars in addition to other running cars in the town such like European and American cars. This service will include changing all the automobile fluids (Motor oil, Transmission fluid, Brake oil etc), replacing consumable items which is keeping the car running safely (Brake pads, sparks, plugs, Fuses, lamps), fixing the flat tires. In addition to fixing the minor problems that might occur to the automobiles. Spare Parts: The car service center will have compact sales counter for the consumable spare parts. These spare parts which are using in performing the routine daily jobs for the most common Japanese and Korean cars. Besides that, the sale counter will have some of the decorative accessories items. Refreshments: The customer lounge will be furnished with some self-service refreshment machines. These machines might include coffee, tea and hot chocolate machines, soft drinks and cold water machines, in addition to biscuits and chocolate candies machines. IV. Service Operation Establishing a state of art place to offer a remarkable service for saloon automobiles at Abu Dhabi City is the chief objective of this plan. The car service center is suggested to be at a unique place where it is easy to get, and not far from the city, as it should be within the metropolitan area of Abu Dhabi city. Therefore, the ideal place can be immediately after Al-Maqta Bridge on the right side of the main Alain Abu Dhabi Road. That area already contains several car agents like BMW Motors in addition to agents and distributors of major automobile spare parts and car accessories. The area of the suggested place will not be less than (500) square meters. That should contain the following: Workshop: Its area will be around (200) square meter. It will be furnished with the necessary heavy and light equipment to perform the required mechanical jobs. Moreover, it will include a small tool store with area of (9) square meter. Administration Section: Its area will be around (55) square meter. Which will contain a manager office with area of (12) square meters, accountant office with area of (9) square meter. Along with that the reception area will be with an area of (20) Square meters a compact kitchen with an area (4) square meters and a small store with an area of (6) square meters. Customer waiting lounge: Its area will be estimated at (20) square meters. It will be furnished with nice compact sofas. Along with that, some self-service refreshment machines will be distributed there. These machines might include coffee and hot chocolate machines, soft drinks machines, biscuits and chocolate candies machines, beside a small bathroom to be with an area of (4) square meters. In front of the customers waiting lounge will be a sales counter for the major spare parts, which is required to perform the project job. Along with the spare parts some auto decoration accessories can be offered. Back of this counter a spare parts store will be located with an area of (6) square meters. Staff Accommodation: The upper side of the customers waiting lounge and the administration section can be utilized as a staff accommodation place. It might contain three bedrooms, small living room, kitchen and two bathrooms. V. Market Analysis The target market is broadly based and is defined as the middle class person who owns a saloon car (mainly Japanese or Korean). Since the customer of this social class of the society is wildly known that he is taking care of his car to keeps it running in safely manner with minimum cost. However, the customers from high class who usually having European and American cars are servicing their car with the main cars agents. V.I Market Segmentation: The market for the car service center is not particularly segmented as a potential customer base. However the customers categories can be included with the following according to its importance: Employed staff with national oil and gas companies. Employed staff with official firms such like: Governments ministries, departments and authorities. Professional staffs such like: Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, etc. 4) Employed staff with semi government authorities such as national banks, governments own companies (i.e. ETISALAT), insurance companies, etc. These market segments are widely known that they do not want to lose their time for going to the far place of the Industrial area Mussafah. In addition that they are willing to deal with a professional reputable firm that can take care of their automobiles. Besides they are worries to keeping their car running smoothly and safely. V.II Market Needs: There is an important underlying need for the car service center at a particular location with offering basic car servicing facilities at a very reasonable price with a professional modernize firm. There is a real need for a highly professional car-servicing provider. That is having valuable high techniques service might be offered to the assigned target market. There is also a particular need for care service, which is relatively close to the customers. V.III Industry Analysis: Having an automobile and maintaining it in a satisfactory level has become more expensive than ever. We find people we can conclude that people are still willing to buy cars. As the standard of living in UAE has become very high comparing to the past. The family requirements are pressing to have a car in front of each house. Those requirements include taking the children to their schools, going for shopping with the family at afternoon. In addition to the living places are become little far from working places as the new modernize suburbs of Abu Dhabi city are spread in all directions out of the city (Al-Maqta, Um-Alnar, Shahama, Rahba, Bani Yas, Al-Wathbah and Jurn Yafour, etc.). Moreover, the new announced long weekends for most of the employed staff to UAE add its own remarkable value. This new weekend is forcing the families to go out of town during it. Specially, when the new attraction tourist facility have been spread in other UAE cities such like Dubai, Sharjah, Al-Ain, etc. V.IV Competitors: Our car service center will face direct competition from several service providers, which can be concluded as per the following: 1) Gasoline Service stations: These stations are belonged to Abu Dhabi Oil Company for Distribution (ADNOC FOD). Some Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½DNOC FOD Gasoline stations are providing the basic automobile servicing facilities, like changing the consumable fluids. In addition to that, some of them are having the automatic car washing facilities. a) Strengths: These stations are distributed all over Abu Dhabi City. They are enjoying the prestige and reputation of a respectful oil service national company. b) Weakness: These stations are providing the service of changing the motor and brake oil only. They are not having the facility to change other fluids such like transmission fluids. They are also can not replacing any of the consumable items such like brake pads. Their staffs are not well-trained and professional technicians. They are classified as helpers more than technicians are. In addition to that their space which is available for the service is very limit. It can only accommodate two cars at a time. 2) Fixing Tires Shops in the Town: It is by Abu Dhabi Municipality local laws, that all the workshops, which are being classified as industrial category, have to be located out of Abu Dhabi City. They have to be in the assigned Industrial area Mussafah, however small shops (One door shop only) are allowed to perform their jobs in the town. These shops can only provide the service of fixing flat tires and changing motor oil. a) Strengths: These shops are very close to customers as they are distributed all over town. However, they are offering very competitive prices, as their overheads are very low. b) Weakness: Their offered services are too limited (Changing motor oil and fixing flat tires). The workers in these shops are not professionals at all. Moreover, they are suffering from space limitations outside their shops. 3) The Industrial Area Workshops: These workshops are located at the Industrial Area, which is called Mussafah. These workshops are ranged from small shops with one door shop (fixing tires and changing motor oil) to very big workshops that are having more than (15) staff. a) Strengths: The bargaining in selling prices be highlighted the reputation of these workshops, besides the availability of all integrated automobile maintenance facilities in these workshops from light and minor problems too complicated and major problems. b) Weakness: They are suffering from the far distance between Mussafah and Abu Dhabi City. Besides, the nonprofessionally and not well-trained staff is the image of their reputation in the market. This leads that customers are losing the performance satisfactions of their jobs. VI. Marketing Strategy Car service center will develop the project by beginning with few employees to reduce costs. All employees will be very motivated, resulting in a positive and strong firm culture. This culture will carry over to all new staff, which is a prime objective for the expansion of Car service center. The first year of service may be possible the mainly significant, as Car service center plans to establish strong relations with customers. These relationships will help as Car service center to grow and evolve in this industry. Car service center will focus on three local geographical markets, the Um Alnar residential complexes, Al-Maqta residential suburb and North side of Abu Dhabi Island. Offering special coupon prices for the proposed customers will also integrate a particular marketing plan. Car service center will build up a character in favor of quality as well as customer service. VI.I Pricing Strategy: Our customers are especially sensitive to value of the work you are doing it for them. The car service center should guarantee that prices as well as service are alleged to be good assessment to the customer. Our Car services center is a firm that is positioned for impulse servicing; Price may be to meet up the demand curve. On the other hand, Car service center is not scared of best pricing a best product. VI.II Promotion Strategy: The car service center will put into practice a well-built sales promotion strategy. Moreover, advertising might be as secondary option, as the Sales promotions along with public relation strategies to encourage an image of community involvement for car service center, moreover to limit environmental impact. Advertising budgets is a continuing progression of management geared to endorse the center brand name moreover maintains the car service center at the forefront of each local marketing area. VII. Management Organization The management in the Car service center accepts as true very powerfully that relationships ought to be forthright, effort must be structured through sufficient room for creativeness, and also pay might be adequate via the amount as well as quality of work finished. VII.I Organization Chart: Workshop Manager Accountant Public Relation Officer Sales Supervisor Technician Supervisor Technician/Assistants/Helpers (4) VII.II Operation Team: Workshop Manager: He will be responsible for the workshop affairs and control the technical side of the whole firm. He should be very well oriented and experienced in the auto industry and his education not less than Technical Secondary School Certificate. Being an Arab nationality will be added advantage. However, he should possess good English spoken/reading and writing. He has to have valid UAE driving license. Accountant: He will be responsible for the bookkeeping daily routine procedures, preparing the banking statements, conducting the cash flows and stock controlling. He should have a degree in accounts with adequate experience in a similar position for the same industry and familiar with the computer accounts and having typing skills. He will follow up the official duties towards the different government departments. Having UAE driving license will be added advantage. Technician (2): They should have excellent experiences in the Auto Industry, and preferred to be Arabs nationalities. That will make them communicate easily with Arab customers. However English language will be extra benefit. In accumulation they might have UAE driving license. Salesman/Storekeeper: He will be responsible for the spare parts counter and sales activities besides coordinating between customers and the workshop. He will keep control of spare parts in the store. His education has to be minimum secondary school and have a university degree is an advantage. He should be an Arab and speaking English very well. In addition he might have a UAE driving license. Assistant/Helper (4): They should have good experience in the auto industry. IX. Failure Factors: There are some factors that will affect severely on the growing of any Business Project when the management will neglect them. Therefore, it is highly advised to study them very carefully. However these factors can be included by the following: 1- Inefficient controls over costs and quality of product. 2- Under-pricing of goods sold. 3- Bad relations with customers or suppliers. 4- Failure to promote and maintain a favorable public image. 5- Inability of management to reach decisions and acts on them or failure to keep pace with management system. 6- Reluctance to seek professional assistance. 7- Inadequate insurance. 8- Loss of impetus in selling. 9- Lack of staff training and knowledge of merchandise. 10- Bad personal relation. 11- Inability to cope adequately with competition. 12- Failure to anticipate market trends. 13- Loose control of liquid assets. 14- Insufficient working capital or incorrect gearing of capital borrowing. 15- Growth without adequate capitalization. 16- Bad budgeting. 17- Ignoring data on the company financial position. 18- Inadequate financial records. 19- Over-borrowing or using too much credit. X. CONCLUSION: As we have mentioned in the beginning that the auto service markets in Abu Dhabi City is a very prosperous market and has its noticeable advantages. As the project is having a good opportunity to successes, but the use of a high degree of leverage increases financial risk of not being able to meet debt service payments as they come due. Because of the key role played by the debt financing in most development projects, the financial risks are often substantial. The financial costs become the major carrying cost for any investment project. However this business plan is encouraging to enter this market with taking in consideration the marketing and finance remarks that have been explained in detail.