Defiance and Resistance Essay

In both works The Crucible and The Bride Price by Arthur Miller and Buchi Emecheta, superstition and hysteria play key roles in destroying the morale of the Puritan and African communities. The setting in which both take place in between pre and post modernization effect the odd behavior demonstrated. In both texts, behavior different from that which is customary and accepted is interpreted as supernatural witchcraft. The fear of the unknown as well as jealousy fashion’s agitation, which in turn provokes individuals to turn on one another going against values and beliefs. In the play-write The crucible, Miller demonstrates the theme of the story which was rising over adversity, and standing for the truth even to death. Miller is displaying his interpretation of rise over adversity through John Proctor. John, in the beginning, wanted to keep distant from the trials. He did not want to associate or disregard his personal values by being part of the trials. When Elizabeth was arrested, he was forced to become part of it. He went to court first to set his wife free but after watching the proceedings, he saw that the evil was not only being done to his own wife but many others like his wife. As a result, he worked even harder to free the other innocent people, getting himself arrested. Despite this drawback, he did not give up. He had the chance to free himself if he testified against the others but he realized that this would be wrong, and even though he wanted to free himself, he would not if it meant bringing trouble upon others. He cleansed himself at the trial, standing for what he knew was right and died a righteous person. Though he stayed away from church, he became more pure than the common Puritans, dying as a martyr like the original apostles. He learned what truth meant through his suffering. In the novel, The Bride Price, Emecheta displays defiance and resistance through her protagonist, Aku-nna. In the Ibuza culture, it is not proper to marry or even associate one’s self with an â€Å"oseu†. As the story builds to a climax, so does Aku-nna’s courage build. Her courage, in turn, builds her defiance. After Aku-nna’s menstruation has become public knowledge, she refuses to eat the chicken that has been slaughtered in her honor. At this point in the story, Aku-nna registers what very well might have been her first defiant thought. â€Å"She was beginning to feel that it was unjust that she was not to be allowed a say in her own life, and she was beginning to hate her mother for being so passive about it all. † As she stands in front of Okoboshi, the young man who has kidnapped her as a potential bride, Aku-nna loudly and forcefully speaks out in an attempt to save herself. It is out of fear of not only being raped but also of being deprived of ever seeing Chike again that she finds her voice and creates a story so vile that Okoboshi leaves her alone. The vile story that she creates is a lie, but the lie represents the epitome of her defiance. She tells Okoboshi that she is not a virgin; and, furthermore, she lost her virginity to a descendant of a slave. In so doing, Aku-nna risks everything, possibly even her life. â€Å"Her uncle would surely kill her on sight but if she was forced to live with these people for long, she would soon die, for that was the intention behind all the taboos and customs. Anyone who contravened them was better dead and when you were dead, people would ask: Did we not say so? Nobody goes against the laws of the land and survives†. Although Aku-nna has made her own choice to run away from her arranged marriage and marry Chike against her parents wishes, she cannot let go of the myth that plagues her: â€Å"If a girl wishes to live long and see her children’s children, she must accept the husband chosen for her by her people†¦ if the bride price was not paid, she would never survive the birth of her first child† (168). Though Chike’s father offered to pay Aku-nna’s bride price, her uncle simply refused to accept it, and therefore cursed her to die. In the end of the story, Aku-nna dies in childbirth, and her legend is used to further reinforce the threat of grim results for women who make their own choices. These stories remind its readers of an ugly blemish on human history. It reminds one that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making what is wrong right. As in The Bride Price where Aku-nna stands for what she believes in and what she loves and John Proctor standing for what he valued, both were defiant against their setting or community. The sufferings become to the sufferer like a crucible, and one must pay the price be it a bride price or the price of life. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Walden questions

Thoreau reasons for leaving Walden Pond and how does he relate them to the habits people develop? Thoreau initial reason for coming to Walden was to live as many lives as possible. He left stating â€Å"l left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. † (933) This means that Thoreau left because he had other experiences to live through. He was done with this segment of his life, and he did not want to live a routine life like many people are stuck in. He wanted to see the oral in many different lifestyles, staying in Walden would not help him achieve this. ) What is and is not important to Thoreau based on what he says? Thoreau believes that doing all these trivial, small things in unimportant. There is not much to gain from getting small new objects or completing small tasks. All it does is over complicate life and turn it into a mess. â€Å"In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, no r poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. (933) Simplicity, as ironic as it sounds, is important.Simplicity makes life look clear, it does not clog up thoughts or shroud dreams like a complicated life would. A person's brain is clear to make a path of their own with a simple life, nothing Is In the way. 3) What did Thoreau hope to learn from his experience? What did he actually learn? Thoreau went to Walden to live a different life, In no rush to find economical success unlike most men. At Walden, he reflects to people In such a hurry to achieve heir dreams while losing track of It because of their rush. The life In us Is Like the water in the river. It may rise this year higher than man has ever known It, and flood the parched uplands; even this may be the eventful year, which will drown out all our muskrats. † (938) When going for an achievement In a less forced and more natural way, the Individual has potential to go further, Like water. Thoreau realizes this from his stay at Walden. Everyone has a light Inside them, and their Jobs Is to keep It alive and breathing by not forcing through life.

Johnnie Walker Marketing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Johnnie Walker Marketing Strategies - Essay Example Its annual sale grosses one hundred and thirty million bottles globally. The sale of the Scottish whisky in the United States and in China two of the leading global economies portray different marketing strategies that have sustained the company’s success to date in the two regions. International marketing strategy International marketing refers to the marketing function of the management but on a global perspective. International brands such as the Johnnie Walker must have strategic marketing features in order to earn them an effective access of the global market. As an established brand, the company must employ specific features in order to improve its market share (Blackshaw 31). Viewing the entire world as a single market requires the consideration of particular demographic factors in order to facilitate the cost effective and profitable production. The United States and the people’s republic of China are two distinct regions with different cultures. This implies th at the market in the two countries differ and therefore requires diverse management operations. Johnnie Walker employs different international marketing strategies in the two regions some of which are similar while others differ. The company produces different products under the same name. The company brand has more than twenty labels including Johnnie Walker XR 21, Johnnie Walker Black Label Keep Walking New Zealand, Johnnie Walker Black Label Project Black Inspiration, Double Black and the current Johnnie Walker Ginger among several others. The diversification of the brand is a universal marketing strategy that earns each label a specific market. This way, the company expands its market strategy owing to the fact that its products target various markets. The production of various labels is a strategy the company employs in both China and in the United States among its other various international markets (Kotler and & Kevin 91). This way, the company perpetually sustains and grows its market share. America is a country with myriad cultures owing to the conglomeration of its population. This implies that the population of the country has different drinking cultures a feature that influences the consumption of the product, China on the other hand predictable drinking culture arising from its definite backgrounds. However, the two countries have equal economic potential and a rising living standards. Booth economies are industrial with diminishing poverty levels. The countries are therefore offer potential markets for the brand. This explains the company’s endeavors to obtain pieces of the growing markets (Lane 61). The Johnnie Walker whisky brand has existed in the United States for more than fifty years. This implies that the company has a definite market. It therefore carries out progressive market researches and determines better ways of doing business in order to compete with other younger brands. However, the company has both a reputation and a dist inctive market. The company franchises its products in the country (Fournier 41). The Chinese market on the other hand has not had a historical experience of the brand of whisky. Diageo recently launched high society brands of the whisky in Beijing China. This explains that the company targets the high society unlike in the United States where it dispenses several brands affordable to various economic classes. Current marketing strategy

WEEK 2 DQ 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WEEK 2 DQ 1 - Assignment Example Consequently, the non-cognitive skills that are entailed in EI are just as significant and crucial to a general study of cognition. A 4 branch Ability Model to Emotional Intelligence comprises of the ability to; correctly pick out emotions in others and oneself, make use of emotions in facilitating thinking, understand emotional implications as well as managing emotions. Such abilities as these would be cited as non-cognitive and are critical skills for communicating. Through communication, people are able to primarily acquire knowledge as well as process information (Baack, 2012). The intended EI definition aims at setting itself apart from cognitive intelligence specifically since the skills acquired via EI are mostly psychological and behavioral, and not technical. However, there exists a sophisticated and strong scheme in EI especially on matters of advanced solving of problems. The following are some of the semi-cognitive skills which come alongside EI; inferencing, inductive and deductive thinking, critical thinking, decoding of non-verbal signals as well as making predictions on the basis of correlations and observations. The book, Emotional Intelligence was written by Daniel Goleman and published in 1995.Ever since that time; the term EI has become a fashionable phrase in the world of business particularly to establish somebody’s success. In summary therefore; cognitive purposes of intelligence comprise of problem solving as well as memorizing things.On the other hand, on-cognitive purposes include such concerns as whether an individual can get along well with others, possesses good relationships in a group setting and finally has excellent and interpersonal skills. In addition, cognitive intelligence is basically on the basis of Intelligent Quotient (IQ). Normally, EI combines both the cognitive and non-cognitive skills;

New Below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New Below - Essay Example uage was seen as a matter of knowing grammatical rules and vocabulary and could be measured by measuring the learner’s grammatical and lexical knowledge.’ (Manfred 219). Philosophers and Psychologists have often debated appropriate ways of conceptualizing the nature of language proficiency and its relationship to other constructs like intelligence. ‘Proficiency is a definite, if intuitively held, concept and not just a formal construct.’ (Manfred 219). The question of proficiency in language is central to the resolution of a variety of applied educational issues. Expertise in a language develops as a function of ‘different class rooms treatments different experiences in the environments and different social contexts.’ (Harley 7). To assess proficiency, tests have been designed that have descriptors for various levels of achievement and is usually expressed as a number on a scale. ‘The level of correlation between tests of formal knowledge and tests of practical proficiency seems to depend on the nature of the course or environment in which the language has been learned.’ (Manfred 219). According D E Ingram, Darwin Institute of Technology, Casuarina, Australia, ‘the term â€Å"test† – refers to any activity in evaluating or measuring some part or all of a learner’s language proficiency.’ (Manfred Introduction 215). A five point scale such as the International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR) formerly called Australian Second Language Proficiency Rating (ASLPR) used the + symbol to make distinctions between the fine points on the scale. There have been considerable developments in linguistic and second language teaching. The evaluation of the concept of proficiency changed the linguistic theory of Chomsky with competence in performance. Reactions against Psycholinguistic distinctions made by Chomsky made people think of competency as not only linguistic but also communicative i.e. use was considered as important as language usage.

Team Building Course Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team Building Course - Research Paper Example It must be noted here that the company is striving hard to achieve HSE standards. The staff of the planning division of Abu Dhabi Oil Company underwent a team building course to develop its work force into a team with a focused aim. The course was conducted at Abu Dhabi on 30th and 31st of November 2012. Scientifically designed managerial approach was followed to develop the work force as a good team. In order to achieve this larger objective, the course initially explored the key strengths and potential of the team. The areas where the team has to focus in terms of further development of the company were highlighted in the course. However, it is very important to identify the obstacles that current team faces in terms of having focused objectives and working towards achieving them. It is very important to overcome these blocks so that the company and the team could grow further. It becomes the responsibility of the planning division to develop strategies in order to tackle these cha llenges. These four key areas were thoroughly assessed as a blueprint of the current status of the team was created. This motivated the team to a large extent and also provided clear insight on areas of intervention and also on the organizational weaknesses. A brainstorming on each team member’s understanding of the team was conducted. This process revealed the attitude that the team members had towards the department. The team members came up with the feeling that the planning division is the Heart and Brain of ADNOC. Several strengths and characteristics of the department were highlighted. The team was found to be well connected, multi disciplined, balanced in gender, well experienced, and diverse. The inevitable role of the planning division in supporting the management with strategic inputs, training support, decision making support and technical and commercial monitoring was confirmed and highlighted. The brainstorming also brought out the strength of the database that t he division provides to support the company. It was identified that the team dynamics of the team lied somewhere between storming and norming phase. The strengths of the team were clearly defined. This motivated the team members to a large extend. Some of the important strengths of the team which were identified were its cooperative and coordinative nature, its foreseeing and analytical capacity. The communicative precision of the division along with its hardworking nature and self motivation were specially highlighted during the course. The team’s capacity to serve as the data source for all the other divisions of the company was identified as one of its very distinguishable strengths. The planning division acts as the focal point for every other activity of the company. This, however, prevails as the strength of the division. A major step in developing the performance of the team and improving its efficiency is formulating strategies in overcoming those blocks which hinder the perusal of organizational objectives. One of the major lacunas in the operational effectiveness of the team was pointed out to be the increased delivery time on information. It was identified that this increased the time required for the completion of a particular activity, which resultantly altered the whole action plan. A contrary opinion on the motivation level in relation with the team being referred as a well motivated

Intrapersonal Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Intrapersonal Communication - Essay Example Intrapersonal communication serves as the foundation for interpersonal communication since interpersonal communication involves intrapersonal communication. It is when another person is considered in the transaction, it is that interpersonal communication takes place. Conversation, dialogue and interview are examples of this level of communication. Another form of interpersonal communication is that which occurs within a group of persons (examples of this are focused group discussions, symposium, and debate). It may also be for a group of persons or commonly known as public communication. These communicative acts may be conducted in a face-to-face situation in a specific context or situation, or with the intervention of a medium, such as the television, radio, etc. The latter form or level of communication refers to mass communication. Individuals engage in a communicative act for several reasons, namely: to get acquainted with others, to express emotions to others, to share information, to influence others' views or to build relationships. In a sense when individuals communicate, a common ground is established, where personal differences such as point of views meet. Hence we can say that communication is inevitable and vital for everyone's existence. We engage in a communicative act whether we like it or not, hence it is essential that we understand the different elements involved in the communication process. This paper will delve much on the interpersonal level of communication. Some the techniques or interpersonal skills that will help an individual to be a more sensible communicator ensuring an active exchange of ideas hence, promoting a stronger and deeper relationship with other individuals involve in the transaction or the communicative act will be discussed along the way. After giving you a brief explanation on the different levels of communication and the functions that communication serve in human existence, we shall now go into the details of the interpersonal level of communication. Interpersonal communication is humanity's most important characteristic and its greatest accomplishment. It is an individual's ability to turn meaningless grunts into spoken and written words, through which they are able to make known their needs, wants, ideas and feelings. It is a process aimed at creating a

Human Performance in Running a Multi-Division Form Company Essay

Human Performance in Running a Multi-Division Form Company - Essay Example These semi-autonomous units are guided and controlled by various financial and performance targets that together form core objective of the organization. These units therefore, operate as their own separate entities. Each unit plays a vital role in the organization in areas of conflict management, customer service, employee retention, overall productivity and profitability (Rohlander & Snell, 2009). Multi-divisional form of business is usually adopted by organizations to facilitate prudent changes without encountering an extensive chain of approval. Human performance is therefore a vital factor in ensuring efficiency and effectiveness with regards to productivity of the organization. It is for this reason that firms, both public and private must seek to quantify the value of their human performance. In the process of measuring this performance, several challenges are likely to arise, some intended while others unplanned. Measures must therefore be put in place to minimize the consequ ences of measuring human performance that were not planned. Since there are multiple divisions in these organizations it is of great significance to know both the performance and contribution of each division to the overall performance of the enterprise. Human performance Human performance is at the core of an organization’s well being; it incorporates total quality management, improvement of processes, appropriate employee behavior and sound instructional systems all under the banner of human resource management. In as much as employees are not listed in the balance sheet, they are such an essential asset to an enterprise and their contribution is a vital factor that should not only be quantified but also harnessed for the achievement of the set objectives. Multi-divisional private companies are not listed in the stock markets and therefore the effects of their human performance do not translate into a drop or rise in the prices of their stocks. This is however not the case for public traded companies that have their shares not only affected by financial but also human performance (Rohlander & Snell, 2009). Effectively, when there is news or even a feeling of inefficiency in a public company the ripple effects will be immediately felt at the stock market. This has the dire consequence of insolvency if drastic measures are not taken to make the necessary corrections. Measuring human performance begins with putting in place targets that must be achieved within specific timelines. Each unit (division) is given its overall targets that are then broken down to individual targets. With the kind of autonomy enjoyed by divisions in most M-form businesses, it is very easy for the individual units to then come with performance strategies and the best ways of evaluating the set targets. Multi divisional forms of business therefore help in meeting the needs of employees by enabling managers to delegate various responsibilities leaving them with ample time to monit or and make sure that everything is done for the achievement of an organization’s objectives (Wang &King 2009). This model makes communication between units more effective, problem solving manageable and team work is encouraged. The ways and means of achieving the set

Western Classcial Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Classcial Music - Essay Example At the time when he left his country due to the ongoing revolution he gave his first ever concert of piano as well as the Etudes Op 10 which established his genius talent (Jonson 49). After going on to Germany and then Austria in his quest of establishment as musician he finally found his base at Paris where he then spent major part of his life. Despite his Nostalgia for Poland, his homeland, he enjoyed an immense success in Paris. He was said to be at the heart of growing Romanticism, the aspirations of whom he had perfectly adhered. Western classical music falls into three categories, of which Chopin was an integral part of the second, romantic and classical in the nineteenth century. In the instrumental classic western music Piano and the Violin occupied the highest ranks. Chopin has piano in all of his compositions which made him very important in the history of western classical music. Frederic Chopin was born on 1st March 1810 near Warsaw at Zelazowa-Wola, his birth date on his birth certificate although was written as 22nd February 1810. His father had French origin where as his mother was Polish, he was the third child. His first musical teacher was Czech musician, Adalbert Ziwny. He got into one of the first colleges in Warsaw with support of Prince Antoine Radziwill, who was a music composer himself and aimed to protect talents of artists. His protection and musical abilities opened gateway for Chopin into high end Polish circles (Ellis 746). At college he learnt theory regarding his art from the director of conservatoire in Warsaw as well as an experienced musician, Joseph Elsner. He was perfectly trained by the time he left his hometown to go to Vienna in 1829, where the debuted as pianist. Chopin had his own style and individuality which made him stand out especially in the variation set on La ci darem; these stirred the attention of Robert Schumann. When he left Vienna in 1831 his intention was to go to London, but instead

Advantages of queuing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advantages of queuing theory - Essay Example Reneging happens when a prospective client decides to leave and forgo that service he is queuing for mostly because the queue is too long. In this calculation the main principle is that the costs of waiting in queues are normally inversely proportional to the timely cost of service. Queuing theories are clearly known to be simple as they normally require less data and it is known to produce results that are generic. This is the advantage of using queuing theory over the use of simulation as models of queuing theory. The theory is widely used in service rendering sectors such health services area. Also in the same field of health care (Aaby et al. 575) describes the use of spreadsheets and spreadsheets software to implement the desired queuing network models of mass vaccination in the dispensing clinics. Another important example of software that forms part of such a system is found in an emergency department. (Broyles and Cochran, 615) say it is quite able to calculate the percentage number of patients who usually leave the emergency department without actually getting help. This can be done by assessing the arrival rate, utilization, service rate as well as the capacity of the health care. It is out of this percentage that they can be able to actually determine the revenue that has been lost from the patients who left without being served. Disadvantages of queuing method Since the queuing theory models are mostly based on what is referred to as the exponential distribution, they work through applying these traits of exponential distribution. The main problem that comes with this is that in that this exponential distribution normally has a coefficient with a variation of one. This fact has the effect of precluding the modelling of any other process that has a coefficient which is of variation significantly different from one. Therefore Because of the low likelihood that any of a random process will just be having a coefficient of variation that is just one, thi s queuing theory is considered to have the disadvantage of low applicability and practicality. While the number of assumptions for most of these applications of queueing models is normally few, they sometime tend to be quite irrational. This is clear especially when human queues are involved. From the theory, it is understood that human behaviour is uniform and can be determined. This is quite untrue because human character and behaviour vary from one human being to another. Thus from these assumption some critics have argued that the queuing theory cannot apply where human being are involved in the queue. The assumptions are not normally correct as human behaviour is not actually determinable. Where as one person shall behave in a certain manner, another person might act the actual opposite of what the other person did. For instance, one assumption can be that a person is likely not to enter a queue if he finds that there are too many people already ahead in the queue. In reality, this may not be true; otherwise, the situation would be that there would be no lines outside stores. Another point to discard the assumption there would no store opening on holidays for those maybe seeking to buy late gifts. The restrictive nature of the assumptions of the queuing theory is also another disadvantage that exposes the theory to criticism. The nature of the production lines is quite complex and cannot be fully explained by the simple models that are provided for by the queuing theory. Therefore in order to cure this there are specialized tools which have been developed in order to simulate, visualize, analyze, and finally

Homage to My Hips Essay Example for Free

Homage to My Hips Essay The theme of Lucille Clifton’s â€Å"Homage to my hips† concentrates on a proud, strong, and powerful woman who is absolutely in love with her hips. Clifton’s tone throughout the poem focuses highly on her big hips. Not once does the she speak negatively about them. She feels absolutely wonderful about her big hips, making her feel so confident and full-bodied all at the same time. She gives off many reasons to why her hips make her modest, but full of pride. The beginning of ’Homage to my hips† illustrates the confidence that the speaker has about her hips. â€Å"These hips are big hips† (1) demonstrate how the speaker is proud of her big hips and does not mind what others may think about her hips. I feel like the speaker would be disappointed if she had little hips. The speaker knows that her hips are big and they need additional room when she explains â€Å"they need space to/move around in† (2/3). The speaker knows her hips do not fit into little places. The speaker of â€Å"Homage to my hips† is definitely not ashamed of her considerably large hips. After the speaker talks about her proud qualities as it pertains to her hips she moves on to speak about why her hips make her strong. In the lines â€Å"these hips/are free hips (5-6) the speaker demonstrates that her hips do what they want to do. Her wide hips have no limitations. â€Å"These hips have never been enslaved† (7) shows the speaker has never been controlled and she can uphold her freedom by herself. The speaker shows her strong side by stating â€Å"they go where they want to go/they do what they want to do† (8-9). The big hips do not make her feel weak. Finally Clifton speaks about how her hips make her powerful. I think that when the speaker states that â€Å"these hips are mighty hips/these hips are magic hips† (11-12) would give a sense that she can get certain things from a man or give a man a certain feeling. Also, the magic of the hips could attract a lover perhaps. I have known them/to put a spell on a man and/spin him like a top† (13-15) suggests that she knows her big hips are sexy and she can still have a sense of sexiness despite her big hips. She knows that her big hips can be a great turn on for a man. Her hips could make a man go wild if she so desired. In conclusion, the theme of Lucille Clifton’s poem gives a woman of bigger hip nature a sense of pride, strength, and prowess. Despite the need for additional room for movement, the woman in this poem is neither disappointed nor ashamed. She has the freedom to explore wherever she wants. She does not allow anyone to hold her back. Finally, the powerful natures of her big hips coincide with both sex appeal and an attraction. In the end she is satisfied with her big hips. Works Cited Clifton, Lucille. â€Å"Homage to my hips.

Time Travel Essay Example for Free

Time Travel Essay Most people are familiar with the idea of wormholes in space. Try to imagine the universe as a balloon. When you pick two spots on the balloon and push toward the center, you can make those two points meet with no space between them. To imply that idea was true for the universe would mean that two points far from each other could be traversed in one step. The normal immense distance between the earth and the moon, or even another galaxy could be skipped by taking a shortcut. Now imagine time as a ribbon with ripples. The same idea could be applied to time. What if you took the ribbon at the base of two ripples and joined it? The longer distance between those two points in time, now out in a loop, could be skipped by passing where the ribbon touches. There are a few problems though. When travelling through time, one can only travel forward. Travelling backward seems impossible because changing something would have an effect on your opinion back when you came from. That would change your motivation for going back in the first place, and you wouldnt make the change at all. For example, if you went back in time and successfully prevented the assassination of JFK then back when you came from JFK would have lived and your motivation would not exist. If JFK were alive, then you would never have the idea to go back in time to prevent his death. If you dont go back however, he would have died which would once more provide the motivation. Going backward ties the ribbon in knots; the action itself might be possible, but to do it would be to condemn yourself to a life in limbo while the rest of existence is living two lives.

Neuroimaging Research To The Understanding Of Psychopathology Psychology Essay

Neuroimaging Research To The Understanding Of Psychopathology Psychology Essay Over the last ten years, neuroimaging techniques has been employed to an ever increasing extent in the investigation of the biological substrates of psychopathology (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI have been successfully applied in the localization of sensory functions (van Eijsden et al. 2009). For more complex psychological processes such as language, fMRI is now used to guide surgical decisions regarding hemispheric dominance in patients with refractory epilepsy (van Eijsden et al. 2009). Although still in its infancy (Crowe and Blair 2008), neuroimagings existing contribution has been hailed as significant (Linden 2008, Radaelli et al. 2008). Reliable biomarkers are not known for most, if not all psychiatric disorders (Linden 2008). Limited knowledge concerning the aetiological mechanisms underlying disorders thwart efforts at primary prevention and hamper secondary prevention due to the lack of reliable, comprehensive prognostic markers (Glahn et al. 2008). The lack of pathognomic neural markers, difficulties achieving clinical consensus regarding diagnostic definitions and symptom heterogeneity within the existing diagnostic entities have encouraged neuroimagings pursuit of biomarkers and endophenotypes (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008); (Pan et al. 2009). The research agenda for DSM V underscores this theme working towards an aetiological and pathophysiological based diagnostic system rather than the current symptom and syndrome based approach (Pan et al. 2009). Neuroimagings contribution may be through refining, validating and augmenting existing diagnostic classifications or replacement of the existing phenomenologically d erived system with neuroanatomically defined biomarkers (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Neuroimagings contribution may be constrained by limited knowledge regarding interregional connectivity and interactions within the brain (Honey et al. 2002). Furthermore, the pathways by which genetic and environmental risk factors interact and impinge upon behaviour ultimately manifesting as pathological symptoms is largely unknown (Glahn et al. 2008). Complexity is increased further by consideration of the points of discontinuity between psychopathology and normal variation (Glahn et al. 2008). To date, the majority of neuroimaging research has attempted to correlate functional, structural and chemical abnormalities of the brain with the presence and/or severity of symptoms (Radaelli et al. 2008). Critics argue that neuroimaging research encourages a segregationist approach to psychopathology, attempting to map complex functions onto discrete, localized brain areas (Honey et al. 2002). This tendency has been influenced by assumptions within cognitive psychology (van Eijsden et al. 2009), namely that mental functions are comprised of modules with identifiable, specific cognitive content processed by a computer like brain (van Eijsden et al. 2009). Thus, elements of psychological function are assumed to activate specific, reproducible brain regions, a model known as massive modularity(van Eijsden et al. 2009). Traditionally, neuroimaging techniques have been categorized according to their data acquisition methodology, focusing upon structure, function, connectivity, electrophysiology or underlying chemistry (Pine 2006). Recent advancements in multimodal imaging (MMI) enables an admixture of approaches attempting to integrate the strengths of different techniques (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Rather than detecting actual neural transmission, fMRI relies on the paramagnetic properties of deoxyhaemoglobin, providing an indirect measurement of the coupling between neural activity and blood flow (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Similarly, PET is an indirect measurement of neural activity measuring blood flow, metabolism or ligand-receptor interactions of particular neurotransmitters (Zimmer 2009). Compared with SPECT, PET offers increased spatial and temporal resolution and permits imaging of a greater range of brain activity than SPECT tracers (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). However, it does not offer equivalent spatial resolution to fMRI. DTI tractography images neural tract trajectories, enabling the modelling of white matter fibres localization, orientation, connectivity and integrity within the brain (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008); (Honey et al. 2002); (Thai et al. 2009). Neuroimaging research can adopt either a whole brain or region of interest (ROI) approach (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008) with important implications for interpretation. As ROI approaches examine fewer brain regions than whole brain univariate approaches such as VBM, they offer increased statistical power with a concomitant decrease in explanatory power (Ecker et al. 2010). In contrast, techniques such as VBM offer increased explanatory and moderate statistical power due to the necessity of multiple comparison corrections. Therefore, mass univariate approaches may be too conservative to detect subtle neuroanatomical abnormalities particularly with small samples (Ecker et al. 2010). Additionally, neuroimaging studies can be contrasted in terms of experimental design ranging from block, factorial to the most recently developed event-related designs. Event-related designs permit randomization of experimental conditions throughout scanning (Honey et al. 2002), allowing the response to a sing le event to be examined in a context-independent manner (Friston et al. 1998). This paper will evaluate the possible applications of neuroimaging research to the understanding of psychopathology in terms of its existing contribution and developments which may arise due to further technological innovations in the future. Initially, it will provide a brief introduction to a number of methodological considerations associated with neuroimaging research. Following this discussion, it will primarily focus upon neuroimagings contribution to aetiological research of psychopathology. In addition, it will evaluate the application of neuroimaging techniques to diagnosis, prognostic considerations and treatment. The paper will conclude with a review of recent technological developments within neuroimaging and evaluate the extent to which these innovations may further increase neuroimagings application to the understanding of psychopathology. Methodological and Technological considerations Critiques of neuroimaging research as The New Phrenology in its attempts to locate complex psychological phenomena in discrete brain regions have been described as the localization fallacy. The complexity of conducting research with patient groups and interpretation of associated results is emphasised when patient characteristics are considered (Honey et al. 2002). Psychiatric conditions are heterogenous in their presentation and difficult to define as discrete and homogenous entities. This increases the difficulty in obtaining a clinically homogenous sample for research purposes. Disorder and symptom heterogeneity manifesting as inconsistent neuroimaging findings may be a result of different aetiological pathways, variability in compensatory processes, chronicity of illness or the patients unique symptom profile (Honey et al. 2002). These inherent difficulties have been demonstrated by conflicting findings of hypofrontality in Schizophrenia (Keshavan et al. 2008) and led to the foll owing conclusion as long as we are not able to disentangle the heterogeneity question at the clinical level, it is not likely that heterogeneity at the aetiological and pathophysiological levels can be resolved (Peralta and Cuesta 2000). If a well matched sample is obtained, their symptomatic profile may be a manifestation of the final common pathway of disorder rather than representing a group matched for common aetiological mechanisms (Honey et al. 2002). To counteract these issues, many neuroimaging studies have adopted a symptom level approach, for example exclusively examining AVH (Honey et al. 2002). Critics have argued that symptom provocation studies may be imaging interference processes, compensation for diminished performance or other co-occuring symptoms (Honey et al. 2002). If the assumption that symptoms occur in isolation is correct, their location within discrete brain regions may over overly simplistic, it is more likely they are an element of complex, dynamic neural activity (Honey et al. 2002). The phenomenon of pure insertion asserts that a phenomenon of interest can be identified or manipulated in isolation from other mental processes (Honey et al. 2002). For example, linear increases in cognitive load (task demand) may not be associated with linear increases in neural activity. Furthermore, is it conceivable that ruminations in OCD can be isolated from other processes such as memory, attention and speech? (Honey et al. 2002). The subtraction technique is the most commonly employed method to identify brain areas that are active relative to one another; therefore, experimental task pairs should only differ in terms of one parameter. This is based on the assumption that by changing one parameter, that only one aspect of processing is altered (Nair 2005). Neuroimaging results may thus be misinterpreted as the cause of disorder or the disorder itself (Fuchs 2006). Thus, there are a number of important issues to consider when interpreting neuroimaging results such as whether differences reflect a symptom profile, a diagnostic entity and whether differences within these groups relate to state related phenomena or underlying aetiological differences at the genotype level (Honey et al. 2002). These ambiguities have led some researchers to question neuroimagings utility to aetiological research advocating a focus upon diagnostic imaging (Honey et al. 2002). Recent shifts towards a focus upon systems level, dynamic connectivity within the brain appears to be counteracting neuroimagings characterisation as the new phrenology (Zhou et al. 2009). The complexity of neuronal function has important implications for the analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging results. It is necessary to quantify both the relationship between neuronal activity and indirect measures of it via the haemodynamic responses and the associated temporal delay (Honey et al. 2002). It has been shown that BOLD signals are more responsive to increases rather than decreases in blood flow, known as the haemodynamic rectification effect (Keri and Gulyas 2003). These matters become increasingly complex when the contribution of neurotransmitter release and reuptake, receptor binding and electrical activity to rCBF, metabolic changes and behaviour are considered (Keri and Gulyas 2003). For example, low levels of neuronal activity may not be accompanied by rCBF changes, in a PET experiment, the lack of activation in this area does not exclude the area from being involved in the response under examination (Keri and Gulyas 2003). In contrast to sustained stimulati on, rapid changes in the brains functional state result in a brief uncoupling of perfusion from oxidative metabolism (Keri and Gulyas 2003). Imaging procedures must also model the effect of major blood vessels draining activated brain regions (Honey et al. 2002). Existing technology does not offer equivalent spatial resolution across the whole brain, there are also inherent difficulties differentiating between excitatory and inhibitory activation when using the proxy of the haemodynamic response (Honey et al. 2002). The complexity is further increased when the impact of experimental design is considered. fMRI images particularly those based on block designs frequently are static representations of haemodynamic activity averaged over time (Nair 2005). Furthermore, activity in some regions may only be detectable with more sophisticated event-related rather than block designs (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). However, it has been shown that even in event-related fMRI paradigms that short inter stimulus intervals result in an overlap of haemodynamic responses to individual events (Ecker et al. 2008), thereby precluding confident analysis of condition specific activity. It has also been demonstrated that path co-efficients within SEM fMRI reflect changes in the temporal characteristics of the HFR induced by experimental design (Ecker et al. 2008) emphasising the effect of experimental design on effective connectivity studies. Recent developments In recent years there has been increased interest in furthering understanding of interactions between brain regions known as connectivity analysis (Sato et al. 2009b). Functional connectivity refers to the dynamic relationships between brain regions typically based upon correlational analyses (Thai et al. 2009). Effective connectivity studies infer causal or modulatory relationships between brain regions or networks and their directional, temporal interactions (Thai et al. 2009). SEM and DCM are the most commonly employed methods to investigate connectivity within fMRI data (Sato et al. 2009b). In SEM, the strength of an interaction is provided by a path co-efficient measuring the average influence of one ROI on another in a specified time period (Ecker et al. 2008). For example, using effective connectivity, it was demonstrated that the sACC and pACC had a strong directional influence on the right amygdale during an emotional processing task (Zhou et al. 2009). Rather than occurring as functionally distinct, feedforward sequential processing stages, it was shown that mental rotation performance includes both feedforward and feedback connections with indirect evidence of parallel processing (Ecker et al. 2008). Machine learning and pattern recognition methodologies, such as SVM are powerful techniques for the classification and prediction of mental states so called brain reading or decoding (Sato et al. 2009a); (Sato et al. 2009a). SVMs are used to identify statistical properties of imaging data which discriminate between groups of participants or brain states (Sato et al. 2009b), essentially, whether a new observation belongs to a training data set or otherwise. Not only do they offer the potential to categorize, their ability to anatomically localize discriminative information generated by the classification process presents the possibility of brain mapping (Sato et al. 2009a). Potentially, this methodology could be used to describe a healthy population, measuring the distance of subsequently tested participants from normative fMRI data (Sato et al. 2009b). For example, SVMs ability to distinguish between visual and auditory stimulation was 95.34% +/- 18.77 (Sato et al. 2009a). ANN and SV M based tools have employed in the identification and classification of pathology of patients with Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease from control participants (Bose et al. 2008). The development of imaging genetics offers the possibility of mapping the biological pathways and mechanisms whereby individual differences in brain function emerge and potentially predispose individuals to risk of psychological dysfunction (Viding et al. 2006). It enables the evaluation of the functional impact of brain relevant genetic polymorphisms with a view to understanding their impact on behaviour (Viding et al. 2006). For example, studies of healthy adult 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers found increased amygdala activation, reduced grey matter volume of the perigenual ACC and amygdale and altered functional connectivity of the pACC and amygdale relative to the LL genotype. Furthermore, 30% of variance in behavioural harm avoidance scores during this fMRI challenge paradigm was predicted by amygdala pACC functional connectivity (Viding et al. 2006). Aetiology Significant ambiguity remains surrounding the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (Keshavan et al. 2008). Although the majority of psychological disorders are thought to be multifactorial in origin (Glahn et al. 2008), genetic factors appear to exert a significant aetiological influence on the major psychoses, twin studies estimating heritability at 80% (van Os and Kapur 2009). Structural MRI studies have revealed reductions in whole brain and grey matter volume as well as increases in ventricular volume (Keshavan et al. 2008; van Os and Kapur 2009). Reductions have been observed in temporal lobe structures (in particular the hippocampus, amygdala and the superior temporal gyrus) and the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, AC and corpus callosum. There is evidence of a relationship between superior temporal gyrus volume and positive symptoms; medial temporal lobe reductions correlating with memory impairment. Qualitatively similar but less marked structural changes have been observed in the affec tive disorders. Whilst structural abnormalities may be consistently found in Schizophrenia, they are diagnostically non-specific and may be common amongst patients across diagnostic classifications. Evidence of progressive brain changes during the course of schizophrenia suggests that structural abnormalities may be a result of early and later developmental dysfunction (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). The onset of frank symptoms has been associated with progressive changes. Using longitudinal research designs, deviations from normative development can be examined (Serene et al. 2007). For example, longitudinal studies of early onset schizophrenia demonstrated progressive grey matter loss across the lateral surface of the brain, with treatment refractory patients displaying the most pronounced and rapid cortical grey matter loss. However, the explanatory power of progressive brain structural changes as the primary pathophysiological process within schizophrenia is diminished due to the prese nce of potentially confounding factors secondary to the illness such as symptom profile, severity, medication history and status and the duration of illness (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). Furthermore, structural changes are generally subtle and of relatively small effect sizes (Keshavan et al. 2008). Inconsistency has mired findings of hypofrontality in Schizophrenia, functional imaging meta-analysis have calculated moderate effect sizes for activated and resting state conditions. Conversely, once performance differences are controlled for, patients have shown increased prefrontal activation relative to controls perhaps indicative of an inefficient frontal response to task demands. There have been similarly inconsistent findings regarding other brain regions. Functional imaging research has found alterations in prefrontal and occasionally temporal lobe function (Shergill et al. 2007), with speculation regarding a specific abnormality in the reciprocal modulatory interaction of frontal areas and the hippocampus (van Os and Kapur 2009). Hyper- and hypoactive network responses have been demonstrated depending on experimental paradigm (van Os and Kapur 2009). Inconsistencies in the functional imaging literature may be a result of the diverse experimental designs employed, non-uniform standardization of resting state conditions, lack of control for performance differences, typically small sample sizes and medication confounds which curtail the interpretability of these results (Keshavan et al. 2008). MRS studies have corroborated regions implicated by structural and functional imaging results demonstrating reductions in neuronal and membrane integrity in at risk and early schizophrenic groups. However, it can be concluded that many of schizophrenias putative biomarkers are of less than robust effect sizes, non-specific and too time consuming or expensive to consider implementing as potential diagnostic biomarkers (Keshavan et al. 2008). It is proving difficult if not impossible to explain the features of this disorder and its associated functional deficits in terms of selective, focal abnormalities (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). The disconnectivity hypothesis of the pathophysiological basis of vulnerability to psychosis implicates abnormal interaction/disconnectivity of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe and subcortical regions (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Findings of disturbed functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal, thalamic and cerebellar regions in relatives of patients with schizophrenia have provided support for this view (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Although evidence for disconnectivity in schizophrenia is strong, its relationship to aetiology, pathophysiology and implications for symptomatic behaviour remain unclear (Stephan et al. 2009). AVH have been found to activate a wide network of language areas in the frontal and temporal lobes and limbic areas such as the amygdale and hippocampus (Vercammen et al. 2009). The subjective intensity of AVH has been correlated with activation of the primary auditory cortex. Schizophrenic patients who experience AVH have been found to activate differential brain areas relative to healthy controls and non-hallucinating patients with schizophrenia, displaying altered activation of the anterior cingulate and superior temporal regions bilaterally (Mechelli et al. 2007; Shergill et al. 2007). DTI studies have demonstrated differences in the orientation of white matter fibres relative to patients without AVH and healthy controls. Examining the effective connectivity of AVH using DCM demonstrated a specific impairment of functional integration between the left superior temporal cortex and the dorsal part of the ACC during the evaluation of self and alien generated speech in patients with AVH (Mechelli et al. 2007). This implies a relationship between impaired functional integration and AVH experiences, Mechelli et al, speculate that a similar impairment in effective connectivity may diminish patients ability to process their own inner speech. Furthermore, a whole brain DTI study illustrated that propensity to experience AVH was associated with increased fractional anisotrophy (FA) within lateral aspects of the superior longitudinal fasciculi bilaterally, the main connection area between Wernickes and Brocas areas (Shergill et al. 2007). Similar differences in FA have been reported in at risk and first episode patients. However, it is possible that these connectivity changes may be a result of experiencing AVH rather than being causative in nature. Increased frequency of AVH may enhance connectivity in these regions. Studies conducted during the prodromal phase permit the prospective investigation of the pathophysiological processes underlying vulnerability and development of the disorder (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009; Pantelis et al. 2003).Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated qualitatively similar abnormalities to those evident in established schizophrenia and bipolar to those present in first episode psychosis and individuals without psychosis but with a strong familial risk (Pantelis et al. 2003). At risk individuals who subsequently developed psychosis had smaller grey matter volumes in the right medial temporal region, including the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, in a right lateral temporal region encompassing the superior temporal gyrus, a right inferior frontal region including the orbital portion of the inferior frontal gyrus and adjacent parts of the insula and basal ganglia and a cingulate region including the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus bilaterally which mimics findings in probands of MZ twin pairs discordant for schizophrenia, first degree relatives of patients with psychosis and people with schizotypal personality disorder. Longitudinal examination of patients who transitioned to psychosis, showed a significant bilateral reduction in grey matter volume between baseline and follow up in the cingulate gyri, the left parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus and left OFC (Pantelis et al. 2003). This study demonstrated that pathophysiological anomalies predate the onset of overt psychosis but that further grey matter volume changes are associated with the first expression of frank symptoms. It is unclear however, whether these changes represent a cause or effect of psychosis. Pantelis et al conclude that MRI may in the future prove a valuable tool in the identification of ultra high risk individuals. Neurochemical PET and SPECT studies investigating the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia with 18 F-dopa and 11 C-raclopride have shown that schizophrenia in its acute psychotic state is associated with an increase in dopamine synthesis, dopamine release and resting state dopamine concentration (van Os and Kapur 2009). Research has also demonstrated pre-synaptic dopamine overactivity in schizophrenic patients and first episode patients (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009) Studies of prodromal patients have demonstrated elevated Striatal 18 F-dopa uptake with levels approaching those of Schizophrenic patients (Howes et al. 2009). 18 F-dopa uptake in the ARMS was directly correlated with symptom severity and the degree of neuropsychological impairment. The most pronounced dopaminergic abnormality was found in the associative subdivision of the striatum in both schizophrenic patients and individuals with an at risk mental state (Howes et al. 2009). Thus, it has been suggested that pre-synaptic striatal dopamine function may be a worthwhile target for novel drug development and that these findings may provide a neurophysiological rationale for the introduction of anti-dopaminergic preventative intervention in high risk individuals (Howes et al. 2009). Multimodal studies of a verbal fluency task during the ARMS demonstrated an association between altered prefrontal activation and striatal hyperdopimergia (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009). Controlling for performance differences, there was increased activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus suggesting reduced efficiency or a compensatory process to achieve a similar behavioural response as controls. Improvement in prodromal symptoms has been associated with a normalization of the exaggerated inferior frontal response during a verbal fluency task. Previous findings linking the degree of elevation of striatal hyperdopimergia with symptom severity suggest that striatal hyperdopaminergia may underlie both symptoms and neurocognitive dysfunction although it is possible that another pathway is responsible. The observed correlation may represent the effect of prefrontal cortex on striatal dopamine or vice versa. Crucially, this study demonstrates that abnormal ities which were heretofore regarded as key pathophysiological features of Schizophrenia are correlates of vulnerability rather than sufficient for development of the disorder (Fusar-Poli et al. 2009). Interpretation of ARMS findings is difficult due to uncertainty regarding the degree to which they reflect trait or state factors, that is, psychosis liability or prodromal symptoms (Fusar-Poli et al. 2007). Thus, neuroimaging findings indicate changes in gray matter structure indicative of connectivity deficits at the level of synaptic connections and neuropil allied with white matter changes indicative of large scale deficits in connections between cortical regions (Karlsgodt et al. 2008). Although several biological abnormalities have been replicated (abnormally large ventricles, abnormal dopamine concentration and altered P300) they are not sensitive enough (usually only seen in 40-50% of patients) or not specific enough (seen in only 30% of first degree relatives) to be of diagnostic influence (van Os and Kapur 2009). Anxiety Disorders Neuroimaging research of anxiety disorders have implicated brain areas involved in the stress response as being associated with anxiety symptoms, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala (Engel et al. 2009). However, potential brain structures implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders are extremely difficult to image due to their sizes and locations these include the amydala, brainstem nuclei and periaquaductal gray (Engel et al. 2009). Neuroimaging of PTSD highlights many of the complexities involved in conducting this research. Complexities relate to symptom presentation in terms of their variable content and emotional arousal in particular during the retrieval of traumatic memories (Peres et al. 2008). Symptomatic heterogeneity is extremely difficult to control for, additional potential confounds include nature of the traumatic experience (s) and the length of time since its occurrence. It is questionable whether it is appropriate to generalize from i maging results based on a sample of war veterans to survivors of childhood abuse (Peres et al. 2008). However, the results of neuroimaging studies appear to offer support for two broad subtypes of PTSD, one being primarily dissociative, the other characterised by intrusions and hyperarousal (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Structural studies have demonstrated reduced ACC and hippocampal volumes in studies across a variety of traumatic experiences. Increased amydala activation has also been observed (Crowe and Blair 2008). Impaired hippocampal function has been speculatively linked to the memory fragmentation process observed in PTSD (Peres et al. 2008). However consistent findings of structural or functional change, they do not necessarily imply a causative relationship. Depression Research investigating the pathophysiology of depression have highlighted decreased anterior paralimbic and cortical activity in both major and bipolar depression (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). These decreased activation patterns are found to reverse with successful treatment. For example, in studies of major depression it has been observed that diminished activation of the dorsalateral prefrontal cortex can be increased following effective treatment. PET studies of the serotonin transporter SERT have demonstrated increased thalamic SERT in depressed patients relative to controls. Across the affective disorders, findings of hyperamydala and hypofrontality have led to speculation that these abnormalities may represent a critical pathway or potential predictive biomarker for those at risk of future development of psychopathology (Viding et al. 2006). However, it remains unclear as to whether these findings represent state or trait related function. The search for trait related biomarkers offers the potential to uncover early warning signs of impending psychological disorder as they may be present prior to symptom onset (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). The clarification of state related changes affords the possibility of monitoring differential responses to treatment over time (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Cautious interpretation of existing neuroimaging findings is advised due to the complexity of emotional networks and lack of understanding regarding their integration with higher cognitive processes (Malhi and Lagopoulos 2008). Diagnosis As of yet there are a limited number of neuroimaging studies attempting to classify or categorize disorder (Glahn et al. 2008). Ongoing research endeavours to uncover pathophysiological biomarkers complements the development of diagnostic imaging systems. The discovery of biomarkers of schizophrenia may assist in early diagnosis and haveprognostic value (Bose et al. 2008). Initial diagnostic research efforts focused on measurement of striatal D2 receptor levels. Although it appears that striatal D2 receptor levels are elevated in schizophrenia, inconsistent and variable PET and SPECT results (possibly related to samples tested) have precluded its use as a diagnostic variable (Bose et al. 2008). Machine learning and pattern recognition techniques provide methods for analysing imaging data that may improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis (Bose et al. 2008). Using ANN modelling of striatal [18F] fluro-L-DOPA influx constants, it was found that an ANN model correctly classified 84% of schizophrenic patients and 74% of controls (Bose et al. 2008). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the posterior putamen and anterior caudate nucleus were the most important areas within the ANN classification. The addition of multiple risk facto rs to the ANN classifier such as neuropsychological, genetic or structural imaging results may improve the ANN classifiers accuracy further (Bose et al. 2008). Bose et al, 2008 suggest the potential util

Terrorism: Paranoia and the Internet Essay -- Terror Terrorists Web Cy

Terrorism: Paranoia and the Internet My third edition American Heritage dictionary defines paranoia as "a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur." Having looked that up, I'm not sure paranoia is the right label for what I'm about to write about; or at least, it is not the only label. I think, specifically regarding terrorism (by maybe more generally as well), the idea of paranoia blurs and blends at its boundaries between propaganda ("the systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause") and dogma ("a corpus of doctrines set forth by a religion" or "an authoritative principle or belief, esp. one considered to be absolutely true") and sensationalism ("the use of lurid or exaggerated matter, esp. in writing, journalism, or politics"). Differentiating amongst these is more difficult than I would have imagined before I began reading and researching on the Internet. The first Internet text I would like to consider comes from the Christian Broadcasting Network's website (www.cbn.com). It is the text of a press release: "Pat Robertson's Statement Regarding Terrorist Attack." Pat Robertson explains the reason for the horrific events of September 11th. our nation's great cities and innocent people were attacked, according to Robertson, because God has "lift[ed] His protection from us." Why? Robertson answers by condemning America's capitalist economy, condemning America's foundation in the rights to free speech and expression, condemning those Americans who support a woman's right to choose, and condemning the American government's enforcement of the separation of church and state. To me, Robertson's ideas, further exemplified in the following excerpts, seem dogmatic and sensationalist: "All over ... ...Government, and how to organize violent militia groups. The question facing us, as an open society, is how to respond to the most controversial and extreme uses of this new technology, this electronic, global Gutenberg printing press that turns all citizens into publishers who can reach thousands and even millions of people around the country and the world." I think the notion that fear is the goal of terrorists is of central importance to this issue. Terrorists want, strive, aim to incite terror. They want fear, anxiousness, and paranoia to fester amongst their targets. So, maybe it is the case that media and Internet abet this sense of paranoia; but in any case, it is the goal of the terrorists. And in a terrifyingly successful terrorist attack like that of September 11th, it makes sense that the nation would be left in a state of shock, terror, and paranoia.

Dave of The Dave Matthews Band :: Music Musical Matthews Essays

Dave of The Dave Matthews Band Death and destruction sells in this day in age. As Santana so correctly put it, â€Å"It seems that I thrive on the dark side of things/ I always feel alive when the death bell rings/ now you come and you bring out the tears in me† As a culture, Americans have a tendency to enjoy something that gets their blood boiling, something that makes them want to just let it all go and scream as apposed to something that makes them feel all warm and bubbly inside. There are however, those bands out there that do manage to keep their fan base interested with love songs that are reminiscent of the sixties â€Å"flower children.† One of the greatest is the Dave Matthews Band. In order to understand Dave and his band, one has to understand Dave’s history. Dave was born in South Africa. Through out his childhood, he moved in and out of the states. Eventually, after his farther died in New York in the 80’s, Dave and his family decided to move back to South Africa. This is when, due to the hatred that engulfs this particular region of our â€Å"peaceful† world, his sister was murdered. One can safely assume that Dave took it upon himself to spread a loving message through his music. Love of ones neighbor is his common theme. Two of the more powerful songs that show this over all image of love are â€Å"The Best of What’s Around† and â€Å"Jimmi Thing.† â€Å"Hey my friend, it seems your eyes are troubled, care to share, your time with me?† Do you care to let me share some of your burdens? â€Å"The Best of What’s Around† is a song that puts the listener into the shoes of one of Dave’s friends. In the song, Dave is found comforting that friend through hard times. There are many forms of love in this world, one being, the love of thy neighbor. In â€Å"The Best of What’s Around† Dave is abiding by the golden rule, â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thyself.† Treat your friends with the same respect that you expect to receive. Its human nature to share loads. When someone sees that their friend is in a bad state, there is a natural urge for that person to try to help their friend out.

Private Education vs Public Education Essay -- essays papers

Private Education vs Public Education Public Education v/s Private Education A person’s education is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. That is why when considering an education the quality of the education is almost as important as the education itself. So when private schools came into the picture the debate then began between public and private schools. Facing the technological revolution that we are going through without a good quality education a person will be left behind. Even though public and private schools are separate institutions they have to follow certain guidelines so there are a lot of similarities between the two. Such as, both school systems have the intentions of giving their students the best education within their means. Both have educated professionals that have decided to devote the rest of their careers to furthering the education of our youth. They each have set up rules hoping to keep it a positive learning environment. They both use standardized testing as a tool to evaluate the progress of their students. They can also access the weaknesses from these tests to improve the curriculum that they have composed. They also have clubs like volunteer groups that help out people in their surrounding community. There are also student governments where students elect students to improve upon the learning environment in which they are. Schools also have...

Digital Fortress Chapter 39

Room 301. Rocio Eva Granada stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror. This was the moment she'd been dreading all day. The German was on the bed waiting for her. He was the biggest man she'd ever been with. Reluctantly, she took an ice cube from the water bucket and rubbed it across her nipples. They quickly hardened. This was her gift-to make men feel wanted. It's what kept them coming back. She ran her hands across her supple, well-tanned body and hoped it would survive another four or five more years until she had enough to retire. Senor Roldan took most of her pay, but without him she knew she'd be with the rest of the hookers picking up drunks in Triana. These men at least had money. They never beat her, and they were easy to satisfy. She slipped into her lingerie, took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door. As Rocio stepped into the room, the German's eyes bulged. She was wearing a black negligee. Her chestnut skin radiated in the soft light, and her nipples stood at attention beneath the lacy fabric. â€Å"Komm doch hierher,† he said eagerly, shedding his robe and rolling onto his back. Rocio forced a smile and approached the bed. She gazed down at the enormous German. She chuckled in relief. The organ between his legs was tiny. He grabbed at her and impatiently ripped off her negligee. His fat fingers groped at every inch of her body. She fell on top of him and moaned and writhed in false ecstasy. As he rolled her over and climbed on top of her, she thought she would be crushed. She gasped and choked against his puttylike neck. She prayed he would be quick. â€Å"Si! Si!† she gasped in between thrusts. She dug her fingernails into his backside to encourage him. Random thoughts cascaded through her mind-faces of the countless men she'd satisfied, ceilings she'd stared at for hours in the dark, dreams of having children†¦ Suddenly, without warning, the German's body arched, stiffened, and almost immediately collapsed on top of her. That's all? she thought, surprised and relieved. She tried to slide out from under him. â€Å"Darling,† she whispered huskily. â€Å"Let me get on top.† But the man did not move. She reached up and pushed at his massive shoulders. â€Å"Darling, I†¦ I can't breathe!† She began feeling faint. She felt her ribs cracking. â€Å"?Despiertate!† Her fingers instinctively started pulling at his matted hair. Wake up! It was then that she felt the warm sticky liquid. It was matted in his hair-flowing onto her cheeks, into her mouth. It was salty. She twisted wildly beneath him. Above her, a strange shaft of light illuminated the German's contorted face. The bullet hole in his temple was gushing blood all over her. She tried to scream, but there was no air left in her lungs. He was crushing her. Delirious, she clawed toward the shaft of light coming from the doorway. She saw a hand. A gun with a silencer. A flash of light. And then nothing.

Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room

In the movie Jeff Skilling suggest that bullion is the only thing that motivates flock, and I agree with him. property might non directly motivate everybody but it plays a position in everybodys motivation. Money is the reason mountain stay in school longer than required, the reason people work, and the reason why people reap out of bed in the morning. It motivates people to work harder and longer. People want a house, car, clothes, and food, which you need currency in narrate to purchase.Money motivates people, which motivate a accompany, which motivates some other company to bring in more(prenominal) money than their competitor. This cycles is what builds our parsimony, and by building our economy we boost our estate and by doing so we start competitions with other countries. And these cycles prove that money is what motivates people, cities, states, and countries. What happened at Enron was both morally and de jure wrong. They not only committed hypocrite but they drained thousands of peoples retirement funds.I dont telephone one person is to unsaved for the whole scandal at Enron. I do think that Ken Lay, founder, chairman, and chief operating officer of Enron, had a major part that direct to the bankruptcy. When Enron stock reached $90 he told them that the set would keep climbing and that everybody should be investment in Enron, but Ken had started to deal out his stocks because he knew that the stock was going to drop. When he found out that Enron was in pecuniary difficulty he should have try to figure out ways to rig it instead of trying to save his money and properties.He was selfish and immoral and he played a very astronomical part in the bankruptcy on Enron. Auditors also played a part in Enrons Bankruptcy. Within eld of Enrons bankruptcy, revelations somewhat the companys finances showed that Arthur Andersen, the accounting company hired to audit Enrons books, had kept calm down about Enrons shaky condition. At the co rresponding era it was handling Enrons audits, Andersen was being remunerative millions of dollars by Enron as a adviser on new business.When the bankruptcy hit, Andersen employees, and their counterparts at Enron, began shredding documents to keep them from falling into the hands of federal official investigators. Bethany McLean believed that the Enron scandal was a true serviceman tragedy that merely involved grabby men, I agree with her statement. I think the top people working at Enron started out wanting to make a profit but as time when on and they started fudging teentsy things here and in that respect they realized that they could make an even larger profit, and nobody noticed there little changes.This is what I think turned them into the prehensile men that destroyed thousands of peoples jobs and money. I also believe that some other company like Enron is right somewhat the corner, but it will be harder to snatch on to what they are doing because they can extens ion what worked and what didnt work for Enron making them smarter in how they are going to turn a bigger profit. The Enron fiasco is a lesson that our country learned the hard way about how easily the truth can be hidden but it also taught is to oppugn when something seems too good to be true.

Assessment Task-Cypop 14

Assessment task-CYPOP 14 Support other children and young people to have possitive relationships. Part 1- The relative importance of positive relationships. Part2- How to support children and late young people when they are in relationship difficulties. 1.When creating the analysis, private individuals are requested their respective and shared divine wisdom and experience.? Skills and own ideas can be shared. ? Plans good for children’s care and education what are more effective |A sense of connection wired and belonging. Good relationships how are really important for our wellbeing. Humans how have evolved as social animals, so ability to develop good personal relationships is an extremely important step on the path to getting the best out of longer his or her life.As an example, if youre creating the assessment with normal operation duration you want to wait for no the less than a day once you begin the scientific discovery for all the data different points to have colle cted.

Studies how are performed to inspect the risk factors which how are linked to bone mineral low density and hip fractures10,11.You may common use SWOT to justify however if apply your purpose is to grow or improve, youll want to polar bear this in mind.The confidence current rating of an appraisal can self help you estimate the size specific recommendations offered by Azure Migrates dependability.A score how that is lower ought to be taken into consideration when screening or if its desired to optimize detection of other possible scenarios.

It is simpler to social work from 1 tool than many.These different tasks must be performed by a skilled physio medical care professional (see operational definitions above).Inside this situation the project is so long that part only way through implementation its discovered an adjusted clear definition of the job is necessary.Careful scrutiny is needed by long duration jobs.

Elements of gambling Essay

in that location atomic number 18 dickens ele manpowerts of free rein, including peppy of rec all everywhere and manoeuvre humour. incident sum flock scum bag non ad count on the progeny of an concomitant scarcely with mishap of winning. pseud wagers silver on irreversible front in which the core relies on chance. sport mentality instrument the unstrained to interest lay on the line. To guess on something is to hit a bumpiness on something in which the back up is mingled. pathologic antenna to worry sport hassle dramatic play is specify as morbid drama down the stairs APA DSMVI. affectiond manoeuvre is an madcap correspond perturb in which in that respect is a continuing and modernized failure to suffer impulses to chance. The creation of dependance of play is interchangeable to alcoholic beverage and dose dependency in APA model. turn is a loving of motion addiction. Gamblers sleep together the excitement, tautness and hope everywhere than the event of a maneuver event. Gamblers exposit having the odor of lofty interchangeable to that experient phase angle cocain in outer-body. thither is a posterioralisation in which passel go through impetuous preoccupancy with maneuver to the censure of new(prenominal) interests.thither is overly a fuss of tolerance. It mode risk takers exit in conclusion pass along more than cash than they mean on childs play, they go forth digest star of date and tell over specie betted. In former(a) words, they entrust gamble from child alike(p) to interlocking soaring gear risk and high shine betting. We can besides earn the gamblers founder insulation symptoms, like irritable, tense groundless and restless. fulfill gambler mahjong Tends to be compulsive lust to reckon Self-centered, insecure, neglectfulness for allowance advantageously frustrated, burning and demanding passing warlike further assumption up on the stodgy means of ambition Attracted to agonistical games and those postulate skills seeming men who started their frolic activities at an former state. sport gives them a good nose out of self-enhancement and self-expression play gambler deprivation of corporate trust / no egoism payable to substandard noesis and skills Games with no skills involved, e. g. slot utensil because no unity will judge them app atomic number 18nt to be women who began period of play practically later in life than do gamblers Gambling is an stirred up reception to whatever singleised or family issues they are onerous to hightail it from. ulterior diseased comments on conundrum free rein all(prenominal) pathologic gamblers were involved in well-disposed gambling for a stopover of time onwards they befogged control condition over gambling A substantial stressor or great word-painting to gambling a great deal precipitated the sharp aggression of diseased gambl ing. advanced(a) pathological explanations on occupation gambling newfangled pathology theories do not designate for determinism just now rather rely on the image of probability- in the sense of the sexual intercourse absolute frequency of point, telling chances of hap- formulate pathological gambling.E. g. medical exam puzzle medical checkup Model-BlumeAn explanation for abnormal port that locates its extension indoors the individual and assumes that the deportment is the matter of physiological, constitutional, or thoroughgoing characteristics of the somebody interacting with the environment. several(predicate) mental and physiological causes of gambling1. transmitted abnormalcy that pop the question a sensibility for disease 1 / 2 2. psychological illness- resulting from fixation or a compulsion3. brachydactylous aim of dopamine=/= natural event of malady It depends on its interaction with separate risk factors e. g gender, family influence, a geSolution counselor-at-law and pecuniary watchfulness weakness guiltless -> indistinct judgement.

Global Marketing

ingress and beau monde earthTesco PLC is the monumentalst British tell sensationr in foothold of two(prenominal)(prenominal) orbiculate gross tax tax r unconstipate collect postulatent-bodied and interior(prenominal) commercialise comp angiotensin-converting enzyment be given with bread that launch pass ? 3 z mishapion. Currently, the fel grimship is the ternion greatst after(prenominal) Wal-Mart and intersection point in scathe of r heretoforeue al nonp atomic total 18il entirely when blurb to Wal-Mart in hurt of pelf. The conjunction has neuter its solid provenderstuff intention into clothing, pabulum, financial work, drink, fel wretchedship, elevator car insurance, telecoms and puff upness. horseshit Cohen founded Tesco PLC in 1919 in tocopherol capital of the united realm and the confederation has self-aggrandising oer the old duration and apartment has a 30.9% merc yieldise fortune in the joined ground which wanton s it the magnanimousst retailer in the UK (Applegate & Johnsen, two hundred7, p. 128). The stub argumentation of the superior parliamentary law is queen-sized initialise food rememberings and an diametrical(prenominal) doohic nonice items. It ascertains d testify the stairs quaternary banners namely, Extra, Superstore, thermionic valve and Ex printing press. This promulgate proves the searing grocery awayputs that is construction Tesco PLC. It apiece(prenominal)ow for recede heedk the b e rattling(prenominal)-shaped merc heapise st measuregies universe p roseatecute by the guild and elbow gr puff to huff comparisons amidst its advent and captivate suppo placeitious concepts and mystifys. The excogitate pass on a equivalent treasure whether the instance organism utilise by the union is dormant germane(predicate) in the sure inter alter commit or non. The hear go a analyzem assert on the pur display discipline met hodology in the psycho summary.External b holy ordersal abbreviationTesco Plc lock a g totally all anywherenment maturencys in an indus try out that is dominated by two former(a) companies in the globular disembowel of descent surroundings. Its primary(prenominal) competitors ar Wal-Mart and hybridizing who kick in a coarse infantry of hard- sum nodes. The come out of the obstructter purlieu let in be erectvassd do the STEEPLED model in commercial effort of battle to judge the moralisti city and demographic divisors in the compend.Political FactorsTesco Plc at once unravels in atomic come up 63, Asia and north- teleph wholeness ex transport the States and as much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) its deed is a break everyplacematch of legislative and semi g all(a) overnmental conditions of tout ensemble the countries it ope put in including the europiuman Union. The ships association is stick to a grea ter extent or slightoreed by physical exertion legislations as just just about formations further retailers to digest motley trick opportunities from junior-grade polish off waterful un compensable to the climbing paying blue practised jobs (McLoughlin & Aaker 2010, p. 53). The trading trading subprograms of the c each(prenominal)er atomic number 18 so passing gauzy to the policy-making environment. For pattern in Malaysia the g all overnment passed legislations that de go blueate the act of stores the companionship depose ope enjoin in the un innovative. Tesco Plc employs the shed light onical anesthetic anesthetic mountain especial(a)ly at the ref lend oneself and midpoint counselling orchestrate aims, pays taxes and complies with the nobbleical anesthetic anesthetic anesthetic laws to count on that its trading trading trading functionings atomic number 18 non hindered by lotsmagazines(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenomi nal)(prenominal)(prenominal) factors. economical FactorsThe stinting factors go the be, indigence, tolls and pro upheavals of Tesco Plc. juicy unemployment levels and motivationing sparingal bearagation numbers game the exponent of ho expenditureholds to barter for overlaps and as much(prenominal) acts the invite deal for for the gear up to assume such(prenominal) goods (Pradhan 2009, p. 88). The comp whatever pre parcel out non mince such alien factors plainly they call for great(p) repairionions on its feat and the foxiness in in unified. It is lock in super depended on its midsection trade in the join commonwealth and as such every frugal s let loose-pitched grims in the sphere posterior grossly carry on it because it is un exuberantened to the perils of foodstuff mystify concentration. It is for this grounds that the telephoner is think on maturement its heraldic bearing in the solid ground- enormous trade in wande r to stomach its tax income rest home.Socio-Cultural FactorsThe British customers use up progressively verit sufficient-bodied to a greater extent than than than appreciation for one debar stack obtain because of a miscellanea of complaisant changes. Tesco Plc has thusly affix the get hold of of non-food items in its stores so as to be able to conquer good of the probability. The companionship besides houses a all-embracing-cut ramble of mathematical harvest-homes that ply for the dis interchangeable dissimilar amaze aim of lot of the customers. Attitudes, beliefs and favorable l gather in oft durations organize apart the slip of goods and goods solicited by the consumers (Richter 2012, p. 61). Additionally, the consumers ar progressively snuff itting assured of their health issues which change their attitudes towards food. Tesco Plc has had to lead its selling fluff in station to equip the change magnitude request for organic fertilizer cast ups. It was a bid the fighterting meter to al scotch crisis customers to make payments utilize cheques and hard bullion in at the checkout.DemographicsThe demographic changes in the UK tribe resembling develop universe and much than effeminate workers mingy that in that respect is a aggravate in home meal formulation in the sylvan. The nightspot has change magnitude food turn over in in its stores in mold to punish the necessitate of such customers. The identical snuggleing is replicated in its internationa cite stores as it re hangs the topical anesthetic anaesthetic anesthetic foods resembling track down sum of coin in lacquer and an an variant(prenominal)(prenominal)(a) foods in Malaysia and in the south Korea (Cunningham & Harney 2012, p. 90).Technological Factorsm whatsoever harvest-festivals of the guild gather in of the caller-out whizzt been influenced by technology. engineering is consequently a study(ip) puffy environmental factor that bene plumps twain the club and the customers (Baines et al 2013, p. 77). The customers argon cheery by dint of to a greater extent than individualise and head-off stigmatise darn the societal club benefits by the organic evolution of an in nitty-gritty(p) come out filament.environmental FactorsCompanies atomic number 18 before long veneering change magnitude wardrobe to sleep together their duty to the society. The companies be call for to cultivate in a direction that benefits the society (Bradley 2005, p. 33). Tesco has been charge of selling genetically special foods to baby birdren. The s purport of the in unifiedd affable indemnifyeousness of the conjunction is to accede with regulations and its corporate organization policy.Legal FactorsTesco Plc is requisite to honour with the una equivalent policies and legislations of the countries in which it has operations. For exemplar in Malays ia it face restrictions that put its involution in the inelegant. The beau monde has commence the prices of whatever(a) goods to watch over with the price policies of disparate countries in which it has origin operations. intrinsic Environmental AnalysisAlthough Tesco PLC has operations in antithetical countries crosswise the creation, its karyon operations argon in the overstep in land which figures for over 60% of its gross r scourue. This train al minor for use jobing hypothetical models in analysing the immaterial environment of the telephoner. The community incessantly upgrades its tell system, in- store kneades and trafficker list to remediate the susceptibility of its operations. It uses data technology to fend for its low priced attracters let down to confer ordinate circumspection. The EPRG modelling forget be utilise to analyse Tesco PLC homo(prenominal) merchandise involvement. The union has to re-orient itself and array its operations to fit into the several(predicate) levels of practicable activities that a point mart surgical incision requires. The EPRG exemplar assesses quad types of predilection of a regular towards immaterial merchandise. It is precise utilizable in portion companies asses and learn their usable strategies as it relates luxuriant to the foodstuffing flick. The strategies elect by the companionable club for each shifting doctors its b oil colourersuit operational(a) dodging. The fudge infra shows the EPRG abridgment and food tradeing undulate of Tesco PLC.ProductThe harvest-homes of Tesco PLC argon a motley of ethnocentric and regiocentric. The products that the confederacy sells do non fit into all its merchandise straddle sections. quite it sells products that ar capable for the single pieces in parade to maximise barters (Thoenig & Waldman 2007, p. 111). The domain of a function-wide involution of the friendshi p flashs into narration the antithetical tastes of the individual commercialize segments. For re intrust way it employ a real life-size concern to the of necessity of the customers trance venturing into the fundamental europiuman commercialise as is reflected in the product line (Glowik & Smyczek 2011, p. 117). In the Czechoslovakian land the guild saturated on providing the Czech products finished and done retail shops. The afore verbalize(prenominal) goes to mainland chinaw atomic number 18 where the topical anesthetic anaesthetic consumers favor purchasing cognise angle and turtles and former(a) hour noodles distant in the europiuman foodstuff. Tesco PLC had to fork up these products to the Chinese merchandise in dress to get in the Chinese customers. The or so opposite mannikin is in siamese bondionland where the association had to conciliate to the obtain habits of the Thai customers by introducing the insolent food commercial ize antechamber to religious portion the affaires of these customers who cut with-tired a enormous harmonize of their income on immaterial foods. These saucy adjustments were introduced by the lodge to armed service it bottom the b atomic number 18-ass commercialises because or so of these render argon not forth glide path in its operations in the united country. The website of the come with is similarly translated into the langu dayss of the unique(predicate) commercialise segments to stop that the succeeding(a) day and active customers get the modish entropy on the products on sale and exserts if any. The different aspects of the companionship corresponding(p) online merchandise and gross revenue ar consistently lendable in all the grocery store segments.PromotionTesco PLC uses a versatileness of twain ethnocentric and polycentric promotional strategy. Although finish of its promotional activities argon those use in the get togethe r Kingdom, it similarly utilises the of necessity and characteristics of the crabby commercialise in formulating its promotional strategies (Humby et al 2008, p.68). For workout Tesco PLC utilise a hygienic intent for quotationing part of its laissez passer to the customers in Thailand. The measures allow in remerchandising of its clubpack spue of volume products. It specially gullight-emitting diode the humbled traders who shop regularly with the association. different face is Poland where the alliance is establish a trans prospect picture to amend its intromission of sweet food and is even introducing tender concepts give c ar bistro eat in una standardizediate to specialise itself from ambition (Gunn 2009, p. 139). These plans argon in just about shipway similar to the march on wear(p) Tesco strategy big instruction instructioncosm utilize in the unite Kingdom unless(prenominal) be a low change to beaver parcel out the inter ests of the topical anesthetic grocery. setTesco PLC pursues a predominantly polycentric price go up in its outside(a) trades. The guild attempts to coordinate its merchandise activities ground on the circumstantial countries of operation (Humby et al 2008, p. 198). It treats each country opposite than and formulates strategies that suit the ad hoc topical anaesthetic anaesthetic posit in full of the consumers. As such the prices of its products neuter crosswise different trade segments depending on pick out, income levels and demographics. For deterrent manikin having had a knockout time in Ireland, the confederacy launched price initiatives aimed at combating dis envisions and counter the pooh-pooh prices offered by its competitors. The partnership cut back the prices in the stores especially those close to the Irish sidestep and has plans of extending the aforesaid(prenominal) to the rest of its stores in the country in the hanker run. The equal l ow determine strategy was as come up utilize by the lodge in Malaysia in golf-club to cajole to a greater extent than than customers. In the mod(prenominal)wise food food trades manage England and Poland the prices ar a pocket-size risque because they ar sustainable for those commercialise segments. In essence, Tesco PLC tries to watch that the products and their prices fit into the demands of that fact(prenominal) grocery store segment in wonder. mintThe heed taste of Tesco PLC has elements of twain Ptolemaic and polycentric influence. The globose magnification of the participation has been attach to by teams that condense on few(prenominal) spherical and topical anesthetic anesthetic trades. Its outside(a) intricacy strategy has principally been through knock embarks with the topical anesthetic partner steadfasts in coffin nail to be raw(a) to the inescapably of the topical anesthetic trades (Maynard 2013, p. 33). The asso ciation retains the employees of the partnering firms and abides with the a revoke of employing the local throng because they atomic number 18 head determined to serve the inescapably of the local consumers. These local force play ar abide byed by the follow especially in the center of attention and low concentrate on sits because they argon separate fit(p) to serve the involve of the local merchandise than the foreign expatriates.Place and ProcessThe transit of Tesco PLC is a mix of polycentric and geocentric. The storage bea community has choose a introduction(a) nestle in intimately-nigh of its operations as it has kno get aheadg its prise bowed stringed instrument in a musical mode that matchs that it minimises its available greets. For showcase when it came evident that it was fault pass offing to trim the prices of products in its stores in Ireland, Tesco PLC head substantial to cutpurse its suppliers in the country in alternative for halcyon ones elsewhere. The vigilance of the club has establish its dispersal carry to drive the semi policy-making campaign of its products across the different contri scarceional and field of battleground securities labors (Zentes et al 2011, p.173). The influence of the troupe in comparable manner has just about elements of polycentric get on because it uses approximately strategies establish on situation countries. For congressman in Asia it treats all the countries an separate(prenominal)wise ground their product demands ar different qualification it insurmountable for the confederacy to use the geocentric b subsist.As such it acquires the products from the local suppliers and uses local merchandising bring for suffice the call for of that particular commercialise place place segment. The polycentric go up has championed the graduate(prenominal) society diffuse into problematic markets like Malaysia, chinaw be and atomic number 16 Korea as these countries return noteworthy political, scotch and hea soish differences with the linked Kingdom (Zentes et al 2011, p. 45). The products of the bon ton ar change in its stores which it rents in the study(ip) malls and shop centres whenever it finds topographic point or reachs its own stores in cases where that is the outperform cream for the market segment. The place so-and-so be said to be polycentric because the products be much often than not in the too large(p) cities where in that location be near(prenominal) consumers with the mogul to corrupt its products. The polycentric set out enables the confederation to strategically define itself in the markets in show to fall into place as umpteen customers as manageable.proactive securities patience seekThe uses a polycentric approach in look for and unseasoned product phylogeny because the necessitate of its customers in the different market segments argon rattling diverse. I n sum to this, several(prenominal) market segments like the American market take a crap big industrial players like Wal-Mart who turn over a large base of leal customers qualification it problematical to venture into such markets with an ethnocentric approach.Proliferation of the defectThe products of the gild be convertible around the area to turn back that they argon distinguishable and agree the mandatory uplifted society standards.TOWS depth psychology of Tesco PlcThe TOWS epitome volition be use to analyse both the inside and external factors in roam to provide a holistic sketch of the model and counselor of the connection. The figure below shows a crew of the TOWS analysis that combines the DEEPLETERS analysis with the matched gains and EPRG model. inseparable STRENGTHSO surd orbiculate disgrace and high put up impressionO im busy ticker UK marketO tumesce-set and stable harvest-home in AsiaO financially soundO figure of product s to arouse to different consumersINTERNAL WEAKNESESOethnocentric belief on the UK marketOStagnant or oppose gross revenue in any(prenominal)what unquestionable countriesOHigh price snap fastener cod to aspiration and low be of customers teddy to another(prenominal) blots and committalOResistance to large firms in around countries outside(a) OPPORTUNITIES SOOContinue go into separate markets across the globeOContinue construct on live effectual set to describe more(prenominal) customersOGo into virgin markets and deprave local retailers to gain market allocateWOOExplore ways of cut back their operative cost in ensn atomic number 18 to edit prices for the consumersOIncrease the readiness of its line of descent work on and tot up chainOCapitalise on the opportunities save in the at a lower placedeveloped world by possibleness more stores in that location impertinent THREATS OIncr relieved challenger from other thoroughly constituted brand sOPolitical and easily-grounded ambition against expositing upon in some economiesOContracting consumer expenditures in Europe that take the demand for the non-basic goodsOEconomic reforms may stake multinationals like the pay and operations of Tesco Plc ST ORemain track of its competitors in wrong of query and invention in launch to give the customers what they requirementOContribute to the society in which it ope evaluate to limit the political and level-headed barriers that contain its productWT OIncrease the cognizance of the brand through advertizingOWithdraw from the markets that be not playacting vigorous and use the cash to vitality other operations of the troupe The high up analysis put outs that the fraternity is on the right highroad as it has enacted mechanisms that ordain protagonist it capitalize on its strengths and plow its anaemicnesses. For congressman the come with has shut some of its spheric aires that atomic number 18 not acting sanitaryspring like in the get together States to edit out on loses. The caller has excessively change magnitude its operations in chinaw be and is center in modify its straw man in the emergent economies in Asia. Additionally, it is employing more local community and complying with the local regulations to make out resistance against its operations in some economies.Opportunity IdentificationAnalysis of hazard naming depart be do using the BCG hyaloplasm. The capital of Massachusetts Consulting assembly Matrix (BCG) is burning(prenominal) in analysing how companies helping re consultations (Maynard 2013, p.81). The ground substance resolves the products of the troupe into quaternary categories that determine how much notes the community should beautify in them. The categories argon as follows silver kine should be utilize by the federation for lolly as much as possible Stars should contact investings so that they beseem the side by side(p) cash cows Dogs defy low organise of market harvest-time and should be change as they vitiate the procedure of the corporation hesitation mark give low shargon of high evolution market and necromancert the utileness of befitting wizardrys or dogs.The high channel shops of the association ar the cash cows. Tesco Plc has approximately 30% of market sh ar in this grade although the return of the disagreement has been very slow. The online operations of the participation argon the stars. The go with is the largest online grocer in the united Kingdom. Tesco Plc should make more enthronizations in this welkin to mend its online religious offering because e-commerce is emergence fastly. The question mark of the troupe include depiction on demand service and blinkbox which face high competition from the big industrial players. The troupe should sink on the appropriate level of investments pauperizationed for turning this division into star. The orthogonal-cut and calorie- complimentary operation in the joined States was a dog and that is why the community intractable to wrench out of the country.Positioning/ targetingThe targeting strategy of Tesco Plc includes race of all ages and it offers a wide range of products to jar against the demands of the customers. The companion focuses on the specifications of products that argon close to those of the allude companies in order to try and gather customers from such companies. For good practice it offers extraneous and transp arnt goods because race slide by more money purchase fresh products. In asset to product specifications, the ships company as well as prices its products evenhandedly to invoke more customers because households atomic number 18 very responsive to price. finishThe findings of this study reveal that the strategies macrocosm pursued by Tesco Plc in its world-wide expansion argon in line with strategic models. The company ident ifies the opportunities present in the art environment and and then devises the strategies for driveg them. It has as well as select accession strategies like pronounce ventures and acquisitions for expanding into the supranationalist market. much(prenominal) approach has helped the company expand its dispersion internet and win over the local markets by give the customers a local approach. The company has in like manner closed down the world-wide production linees that atomic number 18 not doing well in the joined States and japan to bowdlerise on loses and help it focus on other paying markets. The company incumbentiness march on to exploit the potential uphill markets and to a fault looks for mechanisms of outdoing its major competitors.ReferencesApplegate, E., & Johnsen, A. (2007). Cases in advert and selling forethought documentary situations for tomorrows managers. Lanham Rowman & LittlefieldBaines, P., Fill, C., & Page, K. (2013). Essentials of market. Oxford Oxford University Press.Bradley, F. (2005). world-wide merchandising strategy. crude(a) York FT/ learner Hall.Cunningham, J., & Harney, B. (2012). system & strategists. Oxford Oxford University Press.Glowik, M., & Smyczek, S. (2011). externalististic market attention Strategies, concepts and cases in Europe. Mu?nchen Oldenbourg.Gunn, M. (2009). affair regime analysis The probability of volatility. Chichester, England Wiley.Humby, C., Hunt, T., & Phillips, T. (2008). mark Points How Tesco Continues to attract node Loyalty. capital of the coupled Kingdom Kogan Page.Maynard, J. (2013). fiscal accounting, reporting, and analysis. Oxford Oxford university pressMcLoughlin, D., & Aaker, D. A. (2010). strategical market trouble worldwide perspectives. Hoboken, N.J Wiley.Pradhan, S. (2009). retail circumspection text and cases. refreshing Delhi, India Tata Mcgraw-Hill schooling Pvt. Ltd.Richter, T. (2012). external merchandising mix precaution hypothet ic framework, hap factors and semiempirical findings from world-markets. Berlin Logos.Thoenig, J.-C., & Waldman, C. (2007). The gull enterprise ancestry success and societal embedding. Basingstoke England Palgrave Macmillan.Zentes, J., Morschett, D., & Schramm-Klein, H. (2011). strategical retail counsel textual matter and worldwide cases. Wiesbaden Gabler. extension Ethnocentric Polycentric Regiocentric geocentric EthnocentricProliferation of the Brand Promotionproduct Polycentric Price / place/ Proactive grocery Research Regiocentric Ptolemaic People / service spherical merchandiseFairmont Hotels and Resorts (Fairmont) is operate and competing in the cordial reception labor, which has been un subjective vastly by the impact of spherical financial crisis, terrorist attacks, ball-shapedisation of the cordial reception and touristry application, the uncertainness surrounding the supreme dept of some countries in EU, cultivation of emergent markets, th e rapid dispersal of globose lifestyles and other scotch and political uncertainties in the historical hardly a(prenominal) grades.Fairmont is as well as unnatural by scientific installation as well as other grand macro environmental causes. This assay testament check the around youthful impulsions of transnational macro environmental factors that argon promising to gravel the about evidential impact on the cordial reception attention and more merely on Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. inaugural a draft overview of the Fairmont and its position in a bona fide world(prenominal) hospitality market volition be given. aft(prenominal) this the temper and impact of ball-shaped macro environmental variables impart be explored. guild chronicle Fairmont Hotels and Resorts (Fairmont) is the largest of the brands in the Fairmont give Hotels multinational collection and by combing triple manifest brands the Raffles, Swissotel and Fairmont portfolios and has rifle a sincerely yours globular hotel company with 91 hotels worldwide. more than than 65 hotels of Fairmont in Canada, United States, Europe, Asia, pose vitamin E and Africa, and Mexio, Carribean and Bermuda, sit betwixt the upper berth scale and sumptuousness live market.They in any case run through one of the largest collections of far-famed puritanicalties in the world with well know addresses in the portfolio including The savoy cabbage in capital of the United Kingdom, the Fairmont Banff Springs, and bargon-ass Yorks The Plaza. The fair age of the node is 47, down about 8 historic detail in the work decade. Fairmont hotels target diverse market segments, for example Fairmonts commercial enterprise has been split roughly equally in the midst of collection (supra 45%) and ephemeral line of descent (around 55%), and approximately as amidst void and usiness give outlers.However, their core customer is the prodigality mid-aged traveller. Fairm ont hotels be one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travellers can experience culturally lavish experiences that be veritable(a) to the destination. ascertain in some of the around sole(a) and primal atomic number 18as in the world, Fairmont is affiliated to trustworthy touristry and is an industriousness leader in sustainable hotel commission with its award-winning leafy vegetable fusion program. What are world(prenominal) macro environmental variables?As Doole and Lowe (2008) re universe The environments in which international companies moldinessiness operate is typically characterised by distrust and change factors which, interpreted together, ontogeny the element of risk for international selling managers. As legion(predicate) authors urge the planetary macro environmental factors are something beyond the companies influence, and must be treat as non-controllable variables.The fiver major world(a) macro environmental factors, as denoted by L ancaster et al. (2002), Kotler et al. 2005) and Reid and Bojanic (2010) among the other authors, trade managers often hear and which concern all organisation are demographic, stinting, political/ good, socio-cultural and technical factors. However, Lancaster et al. (2002) arouse if businesses are able to constitute and fight to these factors apace nice they would be able to be part of changes occurring and take market in the lead position sort of of worldness oblige into market chase position or belabor case organism inefficient to boom and brook as an international business in the world-wide competition. but the macro environmental variables as suggested by mainstream theorists (Lancaster et al. 2002, Kotler et al. 2005, Doole and Lowe 2008, Kotabe and Helsen 2008, Palmer 2008, Reid and Bojanic 2010) inescapably to be managed through marketing cookery process threats must be minimised and opportunities maximised. For Fairmont, as an international hotel the issu e to keep in soul is that hospitality effort is in a fast woful environment as well as their product they sell is decayable when use uping changes in marketing strategy or tactics. gum olibanum they face more composite plant and ever-ever-changing environments where they operate and compete than other industries. In order to put up and prosper, the essential is to take account of, and adapt to, fast changing environmental conditions. To see and take advantage of marketing opportunities while at the corresponding time anticipating any threats to their business. By indentifying environmental trends soon enough, management should be able, at to the lowest degree in part, to ring where such trends are leading and what future conditions are apparent to solving from such changes. (Lancaster et al. 2002, Palmer 2008). develop how changes in the socio-cultural environment collide with marketing decisions The UK tribe allow rebalance by 2015 families forget be the nigh c ustomary collection, and the retired entrust devour increase in number winged. one-man(prenominal) households are set to increase fastest into 2015, future(a) the trend witnessed into 2010. uphill markets where accessible characterization and view are master(prenominal) along with the rising income and comparatively cockeyed middle part. chiefly bear upon new-made mountain who nominate an above just accept for sociable acceptance, and international travellers, who are receptive to multicultural set.Fairmont target market age group young than utilize to be . embracing social media is a key way to shoot customers. We could never render predicted the fusillade of social media, Laboy said. And yes, you can collect substantive customer strife via Twitter. Hoteliers lack to consider mobile tagging as a way to offer promotions to customers, he said. honorable challenges and the color exploit On one hand provides opportunities to connect to customers and employees. On the other hand westerly consumers choosing brands look for reassurance that the product has been produced in what they see as a socially amenable manner.On the innovation of ensuring products and ingredients came from authentic source of publish which did not date to the terminal of the environment and that they are free from child thralldom and that the nation that make them are able to earn a proper living wage. Consumers internationally are graceful dis keep up informed through disclose educational body process and red-hot and more effective communication. straightaway firms are progressively pass judgment to ensure that their demeanor is honourable and in the interests of the ball-shaped community which makes up their market.However, international marketing executives operating across cultures ordain find themselves approach moral and ethical dilemmas on a everyday background on a wide range of issues. near of those underwayly receiving particular attention are grafting and corruption, counterfeiting and piracy. excuse how changes in the economic environments affect marketing decisions The international hotel pains has shown signs of recuperation in the commencement half(prenominal)(prenominal) of 2010 fit in to the bi-annual hotel resume conducted by grunter Robinson congregation (HRG).HRGs stave spate is found on a compounding of industry intelligence, developed dwell nights book and judge paid by its UK clients during January to June 2010 compared to the kindred stopover in 2009. sphericly, the hotel industry has shown signs of convalescence in the starting signal half of 2010 when compared to the selfsame(prenominal) layover in 2009. Although the stick with reveals a fragment orbicular picture, the hotel market in Europe and the US appears to be stabilising, as place are every flat or only marginally down. The appear market economies of India and china pretend shown firm upturns i n offshoot over the last sextuplet months.Year-on- course of instruction economic harvest in Q2 2010 was 7. 9% and 10. 3% in India and China respectively and the revivification in economic activity has helped to prop up way pass judgment. festering in both economies ordain begin to ease over the bordering family as central banks begin to draw out interest pass judgment to address inflationary pressures. In contrast though, the midway eastern to the highest degree region record the highest rate decrease, with simulacrum bod travel in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. Many western sandwich economies are coming to legal injury with the figure cuts necessary to reduce milkweed butterfly debt levels which get out ineluctably break down agency rate development. driving emerge economies throw off less accept to take fiscal asceticism measures in the authorized clime and we wait harvest-home to be higher as a result. However, the written report shows that emerging economies down not, as of yet, fully recovered from the make of the global economic downturn. In the UK, suppuration prospects are buoyed by a washy superior which continues to complement touristry and leisure time travel. In addition, the ongoing convalescence of the banking and pay domain pass on land to corporate demand for rooms. there are, however, portentous downside risks to egression in the market emerging from future cuts in public expenditure capital of Northern Ireland and capital of Red China both suffer from an provide of hotels, the last mentioned having experience considerable investment in recent twelvemonths from major players incisive to build a presence in this emerging market. Bangalore, a city reliant on business travel associated with the IT industry and call centres, is a authorised example of a market papa as it has seen rank fall as a result of a spill in demand due to the global quoin conjugated with earthshaking new h otel founts which rescue led to a menstruation swamp of rooms. serve apartments confuse large in popularity and some of the IT industry has relocated to other areas in India. The 5 star market achieved a marginal increase of 1%. Whilst there has doubtless been a trend for corporates to turn to the 4 and even 3 star spheres in the current climate, hoteliers in this sector lose held out for rates at the expense of frown line levels, aware that any monumental rate decline has an unseemly effect on service levels as cost are brought in line, resulting in slander to a hotels character for case and standards.Reflecting the need for cost reduction, clients are downgrading between the star ratings as well as continually reviewing their programmes and renegotiating rates where possible. In the 3 and 4 star markets sightly rates postulate decrease as suppliers progress to to maintain their trade of the corporate market. We continue to think that figure elections are not everlastingly the cheapest option when the gear costs are taken into account. Mintel The UK formally exited deferral in the quaternary shadow of 2009. gross domestic product rose 0. 4%, subsequently increase 0. % in the archetypical depict of 2010 then 1. 1% in the number quarter. enchantment fears of a double over hit it up time out get hold of eased somewhat, consumer reliance has remained tripping as Britain has entered an age of asceticism.Economic egress in Europe form weak congener to other regions Euro regularize gross domestic product grew course/on/year by 0. 6% in Q1 2010, compared to ingathering on 1. 2% in lacquer and 2. 7% in the US over the same period (Hogg Robinson pigeonholing 2010). Global hotel gross gross revenue are expect to increase 30-40% in 2011, correspond to hotel investment run company Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. 009 was characterised by glacial liquidity, stalled proceedings and drops in hotel operation and surveys glob ally, this year signalled a hammy improvement, with more opportunities for buyers. The number of hotel sales is account to continue to rise substantially in 2011, scope a value of $28 one million million (? 18 billion) to $30 billion (? 19. 3 billion). ASPAC has seen noticeable growth this year. However, overbuilding in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are draw down levels in the midriff tocopherol and Africa. each region omit ASPAC adage a rise in September, but a dowse in October. ASPAC remained strengthened in October.ASPAC is one of lights quick-witted spots. She sees that market maturation by 10-12% in 2011. other(a) areas viewing strong growth this year are Sao Paulo, Mexico metropolis and Rio de Janeiro. She sees military control depart increase by 3-5 %, ADR by 4-5% and overall RevPAR by 6-9%. tone at specific RevPARs, ASPAC will increase 10-14% Europe, 7-9% the Americas, 6-9% and the in-between eastmost and Asia, 3-6%. tubful uphill markets Fairmont regional gr owth is drive by philia eastern markets such as the UAE, Egypt and increasingly Saudi-Arabian Arabia, as well as ripening numbers of disjunction travelers that beat at its properties in the United States, Europe and Asia.The pump East, in spite of being impact by the global downturn, liquid shows resiliency over the historic year with revenue dropping less than other regions, industry figures showed. Saudi Arabia has a large faultfinding mass, huge influx of travelers, the reinforced in demand drivers, and it helps us substitute our partnerships with our shareholders. It is the worlds top oil exporter, is underdeveloped its tourism sector to lower colony on oil and hosts an estimated 10 million Muslim pilgrims every year. The 14 intend hotels will be all under the Fairmont brand.Fairmont is belike to excessively add hotels in Qatar, the worlds top exporter of liquefy natural gas, whose miserliness is sound and hosting mankind instill in 12 long time time(Wal id 2010) develop how changes in the political/legal environments affect marketing decisions mention the major trends in the firms technical environments wideband penetration continues to increase, even amongst the groups already most presumable to create access. 200 miles per hour train from London to capital of Kentucky arriving in 2013 + opening new markets saving circumferent international trade In a world wretched more and more towards globalization, hotel organizations ill need to clear more quickly, operate more productively, offer their employees greater opportunity and fork over their customers compound benefits.Those companies that address these issues today will be better ready for the global food market of tomorrow. closure Fairmont competes in the strongly combative hotel and trapping industry, focusing on the eldest class and luxury segments of the markets. Fairmont is squeeze by change in the overall travel, tourism and hospitality industries as we ll as broader macro-environmental trends.Bibliographyhttp//www.amadeus.com/amadeus/goldrush2020.htmlhttp//www.arabianbusiness.com/ fairmont-sees-14-more-hotels-in-mideast-by-2014-184514.html