Antibiotic sensitivity Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Antibiotic sensitivity - Lab Report Example The third section contains the results generated from the lab report while the fourth section contains the discussions of the results generated herein. The last section has the conclusion on the overall matters discussed I the entire paper Antibiotic sensitivity is also referred to as the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria to a given antibiotics. Susceptibility tests are conducted, in laboratories, to investigate which antibiotics would be suitable for treating a bacterial infection in question (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, 2002; Lalitha, Manayani, Priya, Jesudason, Thomas, & Steinhoff, 1997). Various methods have been developed by scientists to help in testing for sensitivity/ susceptibility of bacteria to a given antibiotic. These methods include the CDS method (Murray, 1990), the Stokes method (Hiramatsu, Hanaki, Ino, Yabuta, Oguri, & Tenover, 1997), the E- test method (Lalitha, Manayani, Priya, Jesudason, Thomas, & Steinhoff, 1997), and Agar and Broth method (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002) among others. These methods can be categorized as quantitative methods (Hamilton-Miller & Shah, 2000), qualitative methods (Tait-Kamradt, Davies, Appelbaum, Depardieu, Courvalin, & al., 2000), automated susceptibility tests (Malbruny, Werno, Anderson, Murdoch, & Leclercq., 2004), newer non- automated susceptibility tests (Chu, Afzah-Shah, Huang, Palepou, & Lyon, 2001), and the molecular tests (Kirby, Sader, Walsh, & Jones, 2004). Each of the listed tests above is applicable in either of the two cases of bacterial resistance. Bacteria exhibit two kinds of resistance to antibiotics; these are the intrinsic resistance and the acquired resistance. Intrinsic resistance is a condition whereby the bacteria are naturally resistant to a given antibiotic even before its use. Acquired resistance, on the other hand, is acquired by

The social and historical influence Essay Example for Free

The social and historical influence Essay Look at the significance of chapter 5 to the novel as a way to focus on the relevance and effect of the writers use of language to describe setting and characters and what it shows about the social and historical influence? This novel is about an extremely intelligent doctor called Victor Frankenstein who used his knowledge of science to find a way of keeping people alive. Mary Shelleys plot must have been influenced by the changes that were happening around her in Britain during the early stages of the industrial revolution. Scientists at this time were investigating the meaning of life. They were using corpses in experiments. She appears to have a great understanding of the scientific discoveries of that time. Behind the writing is a deeper meaning. Mary Shelley is trying to show us how an addiction to anything is not natural and very often dangerous to our well-being and to our social and mental health. Chapter 5 is a crucial moment because this is when the monster is brought to life. Mary Shelleys opening sentence of chapter 5 is Dr Frankenstein telling us It was a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. He goes on to say It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes. The dismal setting contrasts with Dr Frankensteins expectation and anxiety he is feeling just moments before his creation is brought to life. This setting and events causes us to be alarmed and scared because we start imagining what it would be like to be in his position. He then tells us The monsters dull yellow eye opens and it begins to breathe. We would think that he is pleased that he has succeeded in what he set out to do but he straight away is horrified at his creation and what it has turned out to look like. He expresses his negative feelings many times, such as breathless horror and disgust filled my heart and the demonical corpse to which I had so miserably given life. This shows us that the social influence of looks was as great then as it still is in 2009. Dr Frankenstein is distraught about how his creation looks rather than thinking about the feat he has just achieved, I find it puzzling that he is shocked by its image only after the creature has been brought to life, even though he could have seen what it would look like when it was on the operating table. I believe that this shows Dr Frankenstein was so caught up by the science involved with making this being that he was blind to the obvious This is backed by him saying I had selected his features as beautiful this shows us he genuinely thought it was beautiful when it was being made. This chapter shows us that social influences are similar to that we experience today. Through out the novel Mary Shelly uses language to change the atmosphere. This is most present in chapter 5 in which the monster is born and Dr Frankensteins mood changes from a rather exited one to one of bitter disappointment and then again to cowardice before becoming rather animated at the arrival of Clerval. There is much emphasis on description. Dr Frankenstein describes in great detail the evening, the monster and his changing feelings towards his project. His language is often overdramatic and emotional. At length lassitude succeeded to tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness, here he is using descriptive words that would not commonly be used today, this reminds us that this novel was written in the 1800s. Shelley writing style is very catching. I believe this is because she isnt writing as a watcher but as a character. This gives us the best view because we know the characters feeling as well as knowing what they dont, this can leave the reader frustrated, worried, scared, and hopeful such as at the end of chapter five when Clerval arrives and Victor has his nervous breakdown. This is evident when victor imagines what could happen. Clerval asks My dear Victor, what, for Gods sake, is the matter? Do not laugh in that manner. How ill are you! What is the cause to all this? To which Victor replies Do not ask me, He can tell. Oh save me! Save me! All this while Frankenstein had been fighting an invisible monster, had Clerval known like us about the monster many people could have been saved. In conclusion I think Mary Shelley produced a novel that was frighteningly believable. I believe that this book shows us that social influence is massive and Shelley believed that one-day man would hold the meaning to life not God. 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 Mary Shelley section.

Mercury: A toxic poison Essay -- Chemistry Metal Papers

Mercury: A toxic poison No other metal better illustrates the diversity of effects caused by different chemical species than does mercury. On the basis of chemical speciation, there are three forms of mercury: elemental, inorganic, and organic compounds. The major source of mercury is the natural degassing of the earth's crust, including land areas, rivers, and the ocean, and this source is estimated to produce on the order of 2700 to 6000 tons per year. The total man made release into the atmosphere is about 2000 to 3000 tons, and it is difficult to assess what quantities of mercury come from human activities and what quantities from natural resources. Run-off into natural bodies of water may contain mercury from both anthropogenic and natural sources, so it is difficult to assess how much released into the atmosphere is from man made or natural sources. Nevertheless, mining, smelting, and industrial discharge have been factors in the environmental contamination in the past. For instance, it is estimated that loss in water effluent from chloralkali plants, one of the largest users of mercury, has been reduced to 99% in recent years. Industrial activities not directly employing mercury or mercury products give rise t o substantial quantities of this metal. Fossil fuel may contain as much as 1 ppm of mercury, and it is estimated that about 5000 tons of mercury per year may be emitted from burning coal, natural gas, and from the refining of petroleum products. Calculations based on the mercury content of the Greenland ice cap show an increase from the year 1900 to the present and suggest that the increment is related both to an increase in background levels of mercury in rainwater and to man made r... ...lbut, K.M., FASEB 1992, 6, 2472-2476. 19.Boyd, N.D., Benediktsson, H., Hooper, D.E., Vimy, M.J., American J. Physiology 1991, 261, R1010-R1014. 20.Molin, M. Bergman, B., Marklund, S.L., Schutz, A. Acta Odontol. Scand., 1990, 48, 89-202. 21.Summers, A.O., Wireman, J., Marshall, B., Antimicrob. Agents & Chemotheraoy, 1993, 37, 825-834. 22.Gilbert, M.P. and Summers, A.O., Plasmid, 1988, 20: 127-136. 23.Intercontinental Medical Statistics, Canada, 1992. 24.Cohen, M.L., Science, 1992, 257, 1050-1055. 25.Thompson, C.M., Markesbery, W.R., Ehmann, W.D., Vance D.E., Nerotoxicology, 1988, 9, 1-7. 26.Palkiewicz, P., Zwiers, H., Nuerochem. 1994, 62, 2049-2052. 27.Lundstrom, I.M.C., Int. J. Oral Surgery, 1983, 12, 1-9. 28.Austrian Minister of health, Austria to be amalgam free by the year 2000. FDI Dental World, March/April, 1993, page 6.

Digital Fortress Chapter 55-58

Chapter 55 â€Å"You're in my seat, asshole.† Becker lifted his head off his arms. Doesn't anyone speak Spanish in this damn country? Glaring down at him was a short, pimple-faced teenager with a shaved head. Half of his scalp was red and half was purple. He looked like an Easter egg. â€Å"I said you're in my seat, asshole.† â€Å"I heard you the first time,† Becker said, standing up. He was in no mood for a fight. It was time to go. â€Å"Where'd you put my bottles?† the kid snarled. There was a safety pin in his nose. Becker pointed to the beer bottles he'd set on the ground. â€Å"They were empty.† â€Å"They were my fuckin' empties!† â€Å"My apologies,† Becker said, and turned to go. The punk blocked his way. â€Å"Pick 'em up!† Becker blinked, not amused. â€Å"You're kidding, right?† He was a full foot taller and outweighed the kid by about fifty pounds. â€Å"Do I fuckin' look like I'm kidding?† Becker said nothing. â€Å"Pick 'em up!† The kid's voice cracked. Becker attempted to step around him, but the teenager blocked his way. â€Å"I said, fuckin' pick 'em up!† Stoned punks at nearby tables began turning to watch the excitement. â€Å"You don't want to do this, kid,† Becker said quietly. â€Å"I'm warning you!† The kid seethed. â€Å"This is my table! I come here every night. Now pick 'em up!† Becker's patience ran out. Wasn't he supposed to be in the Smokys with Susan? What was he doing in Spain arguing with a psychotic adolescent? Without warning, Becker caught the kid under the armpits, lifted him up, and slammed his rear end down on the table. â€Å"Look, you runny-nosed little runt. You're going to back off right now, or I'm going to rip that safety pin out of your nose and pin your mouth shut.† The kid's face went pale. Becker held him a moment, then he released his grip. Without taking his eyes off the frightened kid, Becker stooped down, picked up the bottles, and returned them to the table. â€Å"What do you say?† he asked. The kid was speechless. â€Å"You're welcome,† Becker snapped. This kid's a walking billboard for birth control. â€Å"Go to hell!† the kid yelled, now aware of his peers laughing at him. â€Å"Ass-wipe!† Becker didn't move. Something the kid had said suddenly registered. I come here every night. Becker wondered if maybe the kid could help him. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Becker said, â€Å"I didn't catch your name.† â€Å"Two-Tone,† he hissed, as if he were giving a death sentence. â€Å"Two-Tone?† Becker mused. â€Å"Let me guess†¦ because of your hair?† â€Å"No shit, Sherlock.† â€Å"Catchy name. Make that up yourself?† â€Å"Damn straight,† he said proudly. â€Å"I'm gonna patent it.† Becker scowled. â€Å"You mean trademark it?† The kid looked confused. â€Å"You'd need a trademark for a name,† Becker said. â€Å"Not a patent.† â€Å"Whatever!† the punk screamed in frustration. The motley assortment of drunken and drugged-out kids at the nearby tables were now in hysterics. Two-Tone stood up and sneered at Becker. â€Å"What the fuck do you want from me?† Becker thought a moment. I want you to wash your hair, cleanup your language, and get a job. Becker figured it was too much to ask on a first meeting. â€Å"I need some information,† he said. â€Å"Fuck you.† â€Å"I'm looking for someone.† â€Å"I ain't seen him.† â€Å"Haven't seen him,† Becker corrected as he flagged a passing waitress. He bought two Aguila beers and handed one to Two-Tone. The boy looked shocked. He took a swig of beer and eyed Becker warily. â€Å"You hitting on me, mister?† Becker smiled. â€Å"I'm looking for a girl.† Two-Tone let out a shrill laugh. â€Å"You sure as hell ain't gonna get any action dressed like that!† Becker frowned. â€Å"I'm not looking for action. I just need to talk to her. Maybe you could help me find her.† Two-Tone set down his beer. â€Å"You a cop?† Becker shook his head. The kid's eyes narrowed. â€Å"You look like a cop.† â€Å"Kid, I'm from Maryland. If I were a cop, I'd be a little out of my jurisdiction, don't you think?† The question seemed to stump him. â€Å"My name's David Becker.† Becker smiled and offered his hand across the table. The punk recoiled in disgust. â€Å"Back off, fag boy.† Becker retracted the hand. The kid sneered. â€Å"I'll help you, but it'll cost you.† Becker played along. â€Å"How much?† â€Å"A hundred bucks.† Becker frowned. â€Å"I've only got pesetas.† â€Å"Whatever! Make it a hundred pesetas.† Foreign currency exchange was obviously not one of Two-Tone's fortes; a hundred pesetas was about eighty-seven cents. â€Å"Deal,† Becker said, rapping his bottle on the table. The kid smiled for the first time. â€Å"Deal.† â€Å"Okay,† Becker continued in his hushed tone. â€Å"I figure the girl I'm looking for might hang out here. She's got red, white, and blue hair.† Two-Tone snorted. â€Å"It's Judas Taboo's anniversary. Everybody's got-â€Å" â€Å"She's also wearing a British flag T-shirt and has a skull pendant in one ear.† A faint look of recognition crossed Two-Tone's face. Becker saw it and felt a surge of hope. But a moment later Two-Tone's expression turned stern. He slammed his bottle down and grabbed Becker's shirt. â€Å"She's Eduardo's, you asshole! I'd watch it! You touch her, and he'll kill you!† Chapter 56 Midge Milken prowled angrily into the conference room across from her office. In addition to the thirty-two foot mahogany table with the NSA seal inlaid in black cherry and walnut, the conference room contained three Marion Pike watercolors, a Boston fern, a marble wet bar, and of course, the requisite Sparklett's water cooler. Midge helped herself to a glass of water, hoping it might calm her nerves. As she sipped at the liquid, she gazed across at the window. The moonlight was filtering through the open venetian blind and playing on the grain of the table. She'd always thought this would make a nicer director's office than Fontaine's current location on the front of the building. Rather than looking out over the NSA parking lot, the conference room looked out over an impressive array of NSA outbuildings-including the Crypto dome, a high-tech island floating separate from the main building on three wooded acres. Purposefully situated behind the natural cover of a grove of maples, Crypto was difficult to see from most windows in the NSA complex, but the view from the directorial suite was perfect. To Midge the conference room seemed the perfect vantage point for a king to survey his domain. She had suggested once that Fontaine move his office, but the director had simply replied, â€Å"Not on the rear.† Fontaine was not a man to be found on the back end of anything. Midge pulled apart the blinds. She stared out at the hills. Sighing ruefully, she let her eyes fall toward the spot where Crypto stood. Midge had always felt comforted by the sight of the Crypto dome-a glowing beacon regardless of the hour. But tonight, as she gazed out, there was no comfort. Instead she found herself staring into a void. As she pressed her face to the glass, she was gripped by a wild, girlish panic. Below her there was nothing but blackness. Crypto had disappeared! Chapter 57 The Crypto bathrooms had no windows, and the darkness surrounding Susan Fletcher was absolute. She stood dead still for a moment trying to get her bearings, acutely aware of the growing sense of panic gripping her body. The horrible cry from the ventilation shaft seemed to hang all around her. Despite her effort to fight off a rising sense of dread, fear swept across her flesh and took control. In a flurry of involuntary motion, Susan found herself groping wildly across stall doors and sinks. Disoriented, she spun through the blackness with her hands out in front of her and tried to picture the room. She knocked over a garbage can and found herself against a tiled wall. Following the wall with her hand, she scrambled toward the exit and fumbled for the door handle. She pulled it open and stumbled out onto the Crypto floor. There she froze for a second time. The Crypto floor looked nothing like it had just moments ago. TRANSLTR was a gray silhouette against the faint twilight coming in through the dome. All of the overhead lighting was dead. Not even the electronic keypads on the doors were glowing. As Susan's eyes became accustomed to the dark, she saw that the only light in Crypto was coming through the open trapdoor-a faint red glow from the utility lighting below. She moved toward it. There was the faint smell of ozone in the air. When she made it to the trapdoor, she peered into the hole. The freon vents were still belching swirling mist through the redness, and from the higher-pitched drone of the generators, Susan knew Crypto was running on backup power. Through the mist she could make out Strathmore standing on the platform below. He was leaning over the railing and staring into the depths of TRANSLTR's rumbling shaft. â€Å"Commander!† There was no response. Susan eased onto the ladder. The hot air from below rushed in under her skirt. The rungs were slippery with condensation. She set herself down on the grated landing. â€Å"Commander?† Strathmore did not turn. He continued staring down with a blank look of shock, as if in a trance. Susan followed his gaze over the banister. For a moment she could see nothing except wisps of steam. Then suddenly she saw it. A figure. Six stories below. It appeared briefly in the billows of steam. There it was again. A tangled mass of twisted limbs. Lying ninety feet below them, Phil Chartrukian was sprawled across the sharp iron fins of the main generator. His body was darkened and burned. His fall had shorted out Crypto's main power supply. But the most chilling image of all was not of Chartrukian but of someone else, another body, halfway down the long staircase, crouched, hiding in the shadows. The muscular frame was unmistakable. It was Greg Hale. Chapter 58 The punk screamed at Becker, â€Å"Megan belongs to my friend Eduardo! You stay away from her!† â€Å"Where is she?† Becker's heart was racing out of control. â€Å"Fuck you!† â€Å"It's an emergency!† Becker snapped. He grabbed the kid's sleeve. â€Å"She's got a ring that belongs tome. I'll pay her for it! A lot!† Two-Tone stopped dead and burst into hysterics. â€Å"You mean that ugly, gold piece of shit is yours?† Becker's eyes widened. â€Å"You've seen it?† Two-Tone nodded coyly. â€Å"Where is it?† Becker demanded. â€Å"No clue.† Two-Tone chuckled. â€Å"Megan was up here trying to hock it.† â€Å"She was trying to sell it?† â€Å"Don't worry, man, she didn't have any luck. You've got shitty taste in jewelry.† â€Å"Are you sure nobody bought it?† â€Å"Are you shitting me? For four hundred bucks? I told her I'd give her fifty, but she wanted more. She was trying to buy a plane ticket-standby.† Becker felt the blood drain from his face. â€Å"Whereto?† â€Å"Fuckin' Connecticut,† Two-tone snapped. â€Å"Eddie's bummin'.† â€Å"Connecticut?† â€Å"Shit, yeah. Going back to Mommy and Daddy's mansion in the burbs. Hated her Spanish homestay family. Three Spic brothers always hitting on her. No fucking hot water.† Becker felt a knot rise in his throat. â€Å"When is she leaving?† Two-Tone looked up. â€Å"When?† He laughed. â€Å"She's long gone by now. Went to the airport hours ago. Best spot to hock the ring-rich tourists and shit. Once she got the cash, she was flying out.† A dull nausea swept through Becker's gut. This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? He stood a long moment. â€Å"What's her last name?† Two-Tone pondered the question and shrugged. â€Å"What flight was she taking?† â€Å"She said something about the Roach Coach.† â€Å"Roach Coach?† â€Å"Yeah. Weekend red-eye-Seville, Madrid, La Guardia. That's what they call it. College kids take it 'cause it's cheap. Guess they sit in back and smoke roaches.† Great. Becker groaned, running a hand through his hair. â€Å"What time did it leave?† â€Å"Two a.m. sharp, every Saturday night. She's somewhere over the Atlantic by now.† Becker checked his watch. It read 1:45 p.m. He turned to Two-Tone, confused. â€Å"You said it's a two a.m. flight?† The punk nodded, laughing. â€Å"Looks like you're fucked, ol' man.† Becker pointed angrily to his watch. â€Å"But it's only quarter to two!† Two-Tone eyed the watch, apparently puzzled. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned.† he laughed. â€Å"I'm usually not this buzzed till four a.m.!† â€Å"What's the fastest way to the airport?† Becker snapped. â€Å"Taxi stand out front.† Becker grabbed a 1,000-peseta note from his pocket and stuff edit in Two-Tone's hand. â€Å"Hey, man, thanks!† the punk called after him. â€Å"If you see Megan, tell her I said hi!† But Becker was already gone. Two-Tone sighed and staggered back toward the dance floor. He was too drunk to notice the man in wire-rim glasses following him. Outside, Becker scanned the parking lot for a taxi. There was none. He ran over to a stocky bouncer. â€Å"Taxi!† The bouncer shook his head. â€Å"Demasiado temprano. Too early.† Too early? Becker swore. It's two o'clock in the morning! â€Å"Pidame uno! Call me one!† The man pulled out a walkie-talkie. He said a few words and then signed off. â€Å"Veinte minutos,† he offered. â€Å"Twenty minutes?!† Becker demanded. â€Å"Y elautobus?† The bouncer shrugged. â€Å"Forty-five minutos.† Becker threw up his hands. Perfect! The sound of a small engine turned Becker's head. It sounded like a chainsaw. A big kid and his chain-clad date pulled into the parking lot on an old Vespa 250 motorcycle. The girl's skirt had blown high on her thighs. She didn't seem to notice. Becker dashed over. I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought. I hate motorcycles. He yelled to the driver. â€Å"I'll pay you ten thousand pesetas to take me to the airport!† The kid ignored him and killed the engine. â€Å"Twenty thousand!† Becker blurted. â€Å"I need to get to the airport!† The kid looked up. â€Å"Scusi?† He was Italian. â€Å"Aeroporto! Per favore. Sulla Vespa! Venti mille pesete!† The Italian eyed his crummy, little bike and laughed. â€Å"Venti mille pesete? La Vespa?† â€Å"Cinquanta mille! Fifty thousand!† Becker offered. It was about four hundred dollars. The Italian laughed doubtfully. â€Å"Dov'e la plata? Where's the cash?† Becker pulled five 10,000-peseta notes from his pocket and held them out. The Italian looked at the money and then at his girlfriend. The girl grabbed the cash and stuffed it in her blouse. â€Å"Grazie!† the Italian beamed. He tossed Becker the keys to his Vespa. Then he grabbed his girlfriend's hand, and they ran off laughing into the building. â€Å"Aspetta!† Becker yelled. â€Å"Wait! I wanted a ride!†

Danone History Essay

1.history: The original company bearing the corporate name was founded in 1919 by Isaac Carasso, a Spanish physician of Greek origin, in Barcelona. In 1923, he came up with a unique treatment for patient with digestive problems and he developed a product that he distributed though pharmacies and drug stores, and which soon became a big success-yoghurt. The factory was named Danone, a Catalan diminutive of the name of his first son, Daniel Carasso. Ten years later, the company moved from Spain to neighboring France and the first French factory was built. In 1949, the yoghurt was firstly packaged in a glass can. In 1951, this glass package replaced the porcelain can which was used before and because of this change the yoghurt became more popular and very common in diary healthy alimentation. In 1968, Danone was firstly announced in TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZNtHoM6ZQ Some years later, they extended their brand by producing â€Å"petit suise† (1972), â€Å"Natillas† (1974) and also the first non-fat (1985). In 1988, Danone commercialized â€Å"Bio Yoghurt†, which nowadays helps us with digestive matters. In 1992, Danone was the main sponsor of the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games which added more popularity to the company. One year later, Danone Institute was born. The aim of this institute is to improve the citizen nutrition habits. In 1995, Danone continued extending its brand by incorporating Actimel, which supposed a revolution in the alimentary world due to its purpose of defense. In 1998, Danone was the official sponsor of France football world championship. 2 years later, they create the official website of Danone: www.Danone.es. In 2004, Danone commercialized â€Å"Danacol†, a product which aim is to reduce cholesterol in a simple and efficient way. Danone launched a campaign in order to encourage families to lead a healthy lifestyle :†Danone Family†. In 2006, Danone started producing soya yoghurts 100 % vegetal. DANONE NOWADAYS†¦ Since 1998, Groupe DANONE has been organised in three business divisions worldwide which, in 2004, represented more than 97% of its consolidated sales: Fresh Dairy Products which groups together yoghurts, desserts and infant foods represent about 50% of the Groupe’s consolidated sales,  Beverages, essentially packaged water, which represent about 25% of consolidated sales and Biscuits and Cereal products, which represent about 22% of consolidated sales. The motors of this supported growth are: a strong health/ well-being positioning, at the heart of concerns of consumers and new consumption opportunities (times or places) combined with the dynamism of the growth of emerging countries. This focus on 3 dynamic categories allows the company to have a determining strategic asset at its disposal to continue to display a growth rate that is higher than the average in the sector. 2.Internationalization: Balanced geographical presence Today nearly 31% of the company’s sales are on emerging markets. This brings Danone close to its target, which is to do 40% of business on emerging markets and 60% in developed countries – a balanced presence that means they benefit from both the high potential of developing economies and the steady demand of more mature markets. In recent years, Group DANONE has built up strong positions on emerging markets to take the number-one place in each of their three core businesses. This successful international expansion rewards a strategy focusing on a limited number of countries, selected for their growth potential, where Danone has the size to achieve significant economies of scale. Products within the reach of most consumers, high-profile brands, and effective, wide-ranging distribution for sales close to consumers are the essential components of our model for profitable growth on emerging markets, which we sum up as affordability, awareness and availability. In Western Europe, too, Group DANONE can look forward to continued, steady growth, building on strengths that include well-established positions. World leadership built on local strength In each of its business lines Danone is a world leader, which gives it a clear competitive advantage in terms of marketing expertise, industrial efficiency, breadth of product ranges and R&D. And in each case, world leadership is built on strong number one positions on local markets, enabling the company to forge both close ties to consumers and balanced, long-term relationships with major retailers., unrivalled familiarity with  local consumers, and a recognized capacity for effective innovation http://www.danone.com/en/company/global-presence.html 3.INTERNAL CHACARTERISTICS: VALUES/FUNCTIONS/ SWOT: -Strengths- In this part of the SWOT analysis we will focus on the strengths of the company. * Brand loyalty Danone disposes of an excellent background which, along with the consumer’s product perception creates this brand loyalty which allows the demand to be inelastic. Therefore Danone guarantees its sells stability. (falta rollo) * Innovation thanks to Danone Institute, this company is able to invest on a regular basis, in R&D, obtaining from it new product lines which fulfill consumer’s needs. * Distribution channels Since the beginnings Danone reaches daily every single supermarket in every corner of the world thanks to its perfectly adapted transportation system which maintains all the products fresh and ready to be consumed. * Danone has a perfect flow of information inside the company. Information travels perfectly, up and down the hierarchical pyramid. Departments have coordination policies in order to take the maximum profit of their resources. This philosophy gives a chance to creativity and allows to improve current product lines as well as to launch new ones. -Weaknesses- * Danone depends basically on daily products. We consider that if the company really wants to keep growing and becoming one of the multinational leaders, it should diversify its income sources. * A main problem Danone has, when willing to grow by exporting outside the EU is that its products are fresh and with a short caducity period. Therefore, if the company wants to take good positioning in foreign markets, it must invest in new facilities. Another option would be to create new product ranges of non-refrigerated yogurts which caducity periods are longer. -Opportunities- Danone Vitalinea has a strong presence in the fat free yoghurt market. Its 56% market share gives Danone the opportunity to invest in R&D in order to launch to the market new fat free products and sell them to the same  consumers. Taking advantage of the increasing personal image concern, Vitalinea should be one of the strongest ranges of Danone Yoghurts, in order to properly supply the latent demand. Some segments of the population are not a target for Danone, and this should change. Danone should be a brand that consumers would buy every time they go to the store. Danone should be a brand that every family should have at home. The way to achieve it is to differentiate its products by offering special flavours and innovative possibilities. The consumer needs to know that Danone is the only brand that can offer the more specialized products, without forgetting about health, quality and price. -Threats- Danone Vitalinea is facing a market where too many products are offered to the different costumers. As we know, Danone Vitalinea has a 56% yoghurt market share, but competitors actually fight for the rest 44%. Danone offers quality products with high prices and competitors offer lower prices for the same type of products. This means that the consumer should receive a big added value when deciding to buy a Danone product. This market is plenty of imported products from other countries that accomplish with health and quality standards that Danone offers. The critical point is that they offer it at a lower price and if consumers decide to change Danone for another cheaper imported brand and they like it, Danone will definitely loose these consumers.

Emily Dickinson - Continuing Enigma

Emily Dickinson - Continuing Enigma Known for:  inventive poetry, mostly published after her deathOccupation:  poetDates:  December 10, 1830 - May 15, 1886Also known as:  Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, E.D Emily Dickinson, whose odd and inventive poems helped to initiate modern poetry, is a continuing enigma.   Only ten of her poems were published in her lifetime. We know of her work only because her sister and two of her long-time friends brought them to public attention. Most of the poems we have were written in just six years, between 1858 and 1864. She bound them into small volumes she called fascicles, and forty of these were found in her room at her death. She also shared poems with friends in letters. From the few drafts of letters that were not destroyed, at her instruction, when she died, its apparent that she worked on each letter as a piece of artwork in itself, often picking phrases that shed used years before. Sometimes she changed little, sometimes she changed a lot. Its hard to even tell for sure what a poem by Dickinson really is, because she changed and edited and reworked so many, writing them differently to different correspondents. Emily Dickinson Biography Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father and mother were both what we would today call distant. Her brother, Austin, was bossy but ineffective; her sister, Lavinia, never married, and lived with Emily and was protective of the much shyer Emily. Emily at School While signs of her introspective and introverted nature were apparent early, she traveled from home to attend Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, an institution of higher education founded by Mary Lyons. Lyons was a pioneer in womens education, and envisioned Mount Holyoke as training young women for active roles in life. She saw that many women could be trained as missionary teachers, especially to bring the Christian message to American Indians. A religious crisis seems to have been behind young Emilys decision to leave Mount Holyoke after a year, as she found herself unable to fully accept the religious orientation of those at the school. But beyond religious differences, Emily also apparently found the social life at Mount Holyoke difficult. Withdrawn Into Writing Emily Dickinson returned home to Amherst. She traveled a few times after that once, notably, to Washington, DC, with her father during a term he served in the U.S. Congress. But gradually, she withdrew into her writing and her home, and became reclusive. She began to wear dresses exclusively in white. In her later years, she did not leave her homes property, living in her home and garden. Her writing did include letters to many friends, and while she became more eccentric about visitors and correspondence as she aged, she had many visitors: women like Helen Hunt Jackson, a popular writer of the time, among them. She shared letters with friends and family, even those who lived nearby and could visit easily. Emily Dickinsons Relationships From the evidence, Emily Dickinson fell in love with several men over time, though apparently never even considered marriage. Her close friend, Susan Huntington, later married Emilys brother Austin, and Susan and Austin Dickinson moved to a home next door. Emily and Susan exchanged ardent and passionate letters over many years; scholars are divided today on the nature of the relationship. (Some say that the passionate language between women was simply an acceptable norm between friends in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; others find evidence that the Emily/Susan friendship was a lesbian relationship. I find the evidence ambiguous at best.) Mabel Loomis Todd, a descendent of John and Priscilla Alden of Plymouth colony, moved to Amherst in 1881 when her astronomer husband, David Peck Todd, was appointed to the faculty of Amherst College. Mabel was twenty-five at the time. Both the Todds became friends of Austin and Susan in fact, Austin and Mabel had an affair. Through Susan and Austin, Mabel met Lavinia and Emily. Met Emily is not exactly the right description: they never met face-to-face. Mabel Todd read and was impressed by some of Emilys poems, read to her by Susan. Later, Mabel and Emily exchanged some letters, and Emily occasionally invited Mabel to play music for her while Emily observed out of sight. When Emily died in 1886, Lavinia invited Todd to attempt to edit and publish the poems Lavinia had discovered in manuscript form. A Young Contributor and Her Friend The story of Emily Dickinsons poems, with their interesting relationship to womens history, is highlighted by the most fertile period of Emily Dickinsons writing, the early 1860s. A key character in this story is better known in American history for his support of abolition, woman suffrage, and transcendentalist religion: Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Hes also known in history as the commander of a regiment of black troops in the American Civil War; for this accomplishment he proudly used the title Colonel Higginson to the end of his life. He was the minister at the wedding of Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell, at which he read their statement renouncing any strictures that the law placed on the woman when she married, and stating why Stone would keep her last name rather than assuming Blackwells. Higginson was part of the American literary Renaissance known as the Transcendentalist movement. He was already an recognized writer when he published in 1862, in The Atlantic Monthly, a short notice titled Letter to a Young Contributor. In this notice, he solicited young men and women to submit their work, adding, every editor is always hungering and thirsting after novelties. Higginson told the story later (in The Atlantic Monthly, after her death), that on April 16, 1862, he picked up a letter at the post office. Opening it, he found a handwriting so peculiar that it seemed as if the writer might have taken her first lessons by studying the famous fossil bird-tracks in the museum of that college town. It began with these words: Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? With that letter began a decades-long correspondence that ended only at her death. Higginson, in their long friendship (they seem only to have met in person once or twice, it was mostly by mail), urged her not to publish her poetry. Why? He doesnt say, at least not clearly. My own guess? He expected that her poems would be considered too odd by the general public to be accepted as she wrote them. And he also concluded that she would not be amenable to the changes that he thought necessary to make the poems acceptable. Fortunately for literary history, the story doesnt end there. Editing Emily After Emily Dickinson died, her sister, Lavinia, contacted two friends of Emilys when she discovered the forty fascicles in Emilys rooms: Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. First Todd began to work on the editing; then Higginson joined her, persuaded by Lavinia. Together, they reworked the poems for publication. Over some years, they published three volumes of Emily Dickinsons poems. The extensive editing changes they made regularized Emilys odd spellings, word usage, and especially punctuation. Emily Dickinson was, for instance, very fond of dashes. Yet the Todd/Higginson volumes have included few of them. Todd was sole editor of the third volume of poems, but kept to the editing principles theyd worked out together. Higginson and Todd were likely correct in their judgment, that the public could not accept the poems as they were. The daughter of Austin and Susan Dickinson, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, published her own edition of Emily Dickinsons poems in 1914. It remained until the 1950s, when Thomas Johnson un-edited Dickinsons poetry, for the general public to experience her poems more as shed written them, and as her correspondents had received them. He compared versions in the fascicles, in her many remaining letters, and published his own edition of 1,775 poems. He also edited and published a volume of Dickinson letters, themselves literary gems. More recently, William Shurr has edited a volume of new poems, by gleaning poetic and prose fragments from Dickinsons letters. Today, scholars still discuss and argue over the paradoxes and ambiguities of Dickinsons life and work. Her work is now included in the humanities education of most American students. Her place in the history of American literature is secure, even if the enigma of her life is still mysterious.. Family Father: Edward Dickinson (treasurer of Amherst College, state legislator, U.S. Congressman)Mother: Emily NorcrossTwo siblings: William Austin 1829-1895, Lavinia 1833-1899 Education Amherst Academy (seven years)Mount Holyoke Female Seminary  (one year)

Are There Grants with No Strings

Are There Grants with No Strings One of the most common questions that FundsforWriters receives is where can someone find a grant to self-publish a book, ninety percent of the time their first book. No mention of genre, where the author lives, the purpose of the book, or why anyone would want to fund such a book, much less read it. They just want the money with nobody asking questions and no strings attached. There is no such grant for that purpose, anywhere. Just like every publisher publishes certain genre, every agent prefers certain writing, and every magazine emphases certain topics, grants have their niche as well. And most of the time it has absolutely nothing to do with whether your pockets are empty and you are in need of money. To apply and receive a grant, you have to understand the grantintimately. 1) Why does the grant even exist? 2) What does the grant provider hope to accomplish 3) What does the grant provider want in return for giving out grants to applicants? 4) What do you have to prove to the grant provider to show you are kindred spirits? 5) What are the qualifying requirements in terms of your experience, residency, age, gender, nationality, financial status, publishing history, or plans for the future? Are you beginning to see more clearly how grants are handled? A grant provider wants to create its own legacy. It wants to be remembered for having made the world a better place. Your job is to prove to them that There is no grant for you to get a book published. You must have grander plans than that for not only your book but yourself. For no strings money, consider crowdfunding at Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com. Now . . . does that make more sense?

Lord Charles Cornwallis, American Revolution Commander

Lord Charles Cornwallis, American Revolution Commander Charles Cornwallis (December 31, 1738–October 5, 1805), was a British peer, a Member of the House of Lords and the 2nd Earl of Cornwallis, who was a trusted member of the English government. Cornwallis was sent to America to manage the military aspects of colonial government, and despite losing there, he was subsequently sent to India and Ireland to do the same. Fast Facts: Lord Charles Cornwallis Known For: Military leader for the British in the American Revolution, other military responsibilities for British colonies of India and IrelandBorn: December 31, 1738 in London, EnglandParents: Charles, 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife Elizabeth TownshendDied: October 5, 1805 in Ghazipur, IndiaEducation: Eton, Clare College at Cambridge, military school in Turin, ItalySpouse: Jemima Tullekin JonesChildren: Mary, Charles (2nd Marquess Cornwallis) Early Life Charles Cornwallis was born at Grosvenor Square, London on December 31, 1738, the eldest son of Charles, 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife Elizabeth Townshend. Well-connected, Cornwallis mother was a niece of Sir Robert Walpole while his uncle, Frederick Cornwallis, served as Archbishop of Canterbury (1768–1783). Another uncle, Edward Cornwallis, established Halifax, Nova Scotia and attained the rank of lieutenant general in the British Army. After receiving his early education at Eton, Cornwallis graduated from Clare College at Cambridge. Unlike many wealthy young men of the time, Cornwallis elected to enter the military rather than pursue a life of leisure. After purchasing a commission as an ensign in the 1st Foot Guards on December 8, 1757, Cornwallis quickly distanced himself from other aristocratic officers by actively studying military science. This saw him spend time learning from Prussian officers and attending the military academy at Turin, Italy. Early Military Career In Geneva when the Seven Years War commenced, Cornwallis attempted to return from the continent but was unable to rejoin his unit before it departed Britain. Learning of this while in Cologne, he secured a position as a staff officer to Lieutenant General  John Manners, Marquess of Granby. Taking part in the Battle of Minden (August 1, 1759), he then purchased a captains commission in the 85th Regiment of Foot. Two years later, he fought with the 11th Foot at the Battle of Villinghausen (July 15-16, 1761) and was cited for bravery. The next year, Cornwallis, now a lieutenant colonel, saw further action at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal (June 24, 1762). Parliament and Personal Life While abroad during the war, Cornwallis was elected to the House of Commons representing the village of Eye in Suffolk. Returning to Britain in 1762 following the death of his father, he assumed the title of Charles, 2nd Earl Cornwallis and in November took his seat in the House of Lords. A Whig, he soon became a protege of future prime minister Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham. While in the House of Lords, Cornwallis was sympathetic toward the American colonies and was one of a small number of peers who voted against the Stamp and Intolerable Acts. He received command of the 33rd Regiment of Foot in 1766. In 1768, Cornwallis fell in love and married Jemima Tullekin Jones, the daughter of untitled Colonel James Jones. Settling in Culford, Suffolk, the marriage produced a daughter, Mary, and a son, Charles. Stepping back from the military to raise his family, Cornwallis served on the Kings Privy Council (1770) and as a Constable of the Tower of London (1771). With war in America beginning, Cornwallis was promoted to major general by King George III in 1775 despite his earlier criticism of the governments colonial policies. American Revolution Immediately offering himself for service, and despite the extreme objections of his wife, Cornwallis received orders to leave for America in late 1775. Given command of a 2,500-man force from Ireland, he encountered a string of logistical difficulties which delayed its departure. Finally putting to sea in February 1776, Cornwallis and his men endured a storm-filled crossing before rendezvousing with Major General Henry Clintons force, which was tasked with taking Charleston, South Carolina. Made Clintons deputy, he took part in the failed attempt on the city. With the repulse, Clinton and Cornwallis sailed north to join  General William Howes army outside of New York City. Fighting in the North Cornwallis played a key role in Howes capture of New York City that summer and fall and his men were frequently at the head of the British advance. In late 1776, Cornwallis was preparing to return to England for the winter but was forced to stay to deal with General George Washingtons army after the American victory at Trenton. Marching south, Cornwallis unsuccessfully attacked Washington and later had his rearguard defeated at Princeton (January 3, 1777). Though Cornwallis was now serving directly under Howe, Clinton blamed him for the defeat at Princeton, increasing tensions between the two commanders. The next year, Cornwallis led the key flanking maneuver that defeated Washington at the Battle of the Brandywine (September 11, 1777) and starred in the victory at Germantown (October 4, 1777). Following his capture of Fort Mercer in November, Cornwallis finally returned to England. His time at home was short however, as he rejoined the army in America, now led by Clinton, in 1779. That summer, Clinton decided to abandon Philadelphia and return to New York. While the army marched north, it was attacked by Washington at Monmouth Court House. Leading the British counterattack, Cornwallis drove back the Americans until being stopped by the main body of Washingtons army. That fall Cornwallis again returned home, this time to care for his ailing wife. Following her death on February 14, 1779, Cornwallis re-devoted himself to the military and took command of British forces in the southern American colonies. Aided by Clinton, he captured Charleston in May 1780. The Southern Campaign With Charleston taken, Cornwallis moved to subjugate the countryside. Marching inland, he routed an American army under Major General Horatio Gates at Camden in August and pushed up into North Carolina. Following the defeat of British Loyalist forces at Kings Mountain on October 7, Cornwallis withdrew back to South Carolina. Throughout the Southern Campaign, Cornwallis and his subordinates, such as Banastre Tarleton, were criticized for their harsh treatment of the civilian population. While Cornwallis was able to defeat conventional American forces in the South, he was plagued by guerrilla raids on his supply lines. On December 2, 1780, Major General Nathaniel Greene took command of American forces in the South. After splitting his force, one detachment, under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, routed Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781). Stunned, Cornwallis began pursuing Greene north. After reuniting his army, Greene was able to escape over the Dan River. The two finally met on March 15, 1781, at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. In heavy fighting, Cornwallis won a costly victory, forcing Greene to retreat. With his army battered, Cornwallis opted to continue the war in Virginia. Late that summer, Cornwallis received orders to locate and fortify a base for the Royal Navy on the Virginia coast. Selecting Yorktown, his army began building fortifications. Seeing an opportunity, Washington raced south with his army to lay siege to Yorktown. Cornwallis hoped to be relieved by Clinton or removed by the Royal Navy, however after the French naval victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake he was trapped with no choice but to fight. After enduring a three-week siege, he was forced to surrender his 7,500-man army, effectively ending the American Revolution. Later Career Cornwallis sailed home as a prisoner of war on parole, and on the way, the ship was captured by a French privateer. Cornwallis eventually reached London on January 22, 1782, but he did not secure his complete freedom until the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783. He found that no one blamed him for the loss of the American colony, and, as early as the summer of 1782, he was offered the role of governor-general of India, then a colony of Great Britain. Politics delayed his acceptance- in part his own requirements to have a military role rather than a strictly political one- and in the interim, he made a fruitless diplomatic mission to Prussia to meet with Frederick the Great about a possible alliance with England. Cornwallis finally accepted the post of governor-general of India on February 23, 1786, and arrived in Madras in August. During his tenure, he proved an able administrator and a gifted reformer. While in India, his forces defeated the famed Tipu Sultan. At the end of his first term, he was made 1st Marquess Cornwallis and returned to England in 1794. He was engaged in a small way in the French Revolution and named master of the ordinance. In 1798, he was dispatched to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant and Commander-in-Chief of the  Royal Irish Army. After putting down an Irish rebellion, he aided in passing the Act of Union, which united the English and Irish Parliaments. Death and Legacy Resigning from the army in 1801, Cornwallis was again sent to India four years later. His second term proved short, though, as he grew ill and died in Ghazipur, capital of the Varanasi kingdom, on October 5, 1805, only two months after arriving. He is buried there, with his monument overlooking the Ganges River. Cornwallis was a British aristocrat and a member of Englands House of Lords, seemed sympathetic at times toward the American colonists, and opposed many of the Tory governments policies that offended them. But as a supporter of the status quo and a man of strong character and inflexible principles, he was trusted to aid in suppressing the rebellion in his post in America. Despite his losses there, he was sent to do the same in India and Ireland.

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summery - Essay Example (Richardson) Most of the people believe that teachers are reluctant in implementing changes in their teaching strategies because they feel threatened, defensive, and perhaps rushed when somebody demands change in their methods. In fact teachers undertake change voluntarily, following their sense of what their students need and what is working. Voluntary change is what teachers actually do in their classrooms; it does not necessarily lead to exemplary teaching (Richardson) The induction teacher’s and experienced teacher’s approach to the change management may be different. The induction teachers experienced more change in their beliefs than their practices, whereas experienced teachers demonstrated more change in their practices than their beliefs. (Luft,p. 531) The experienced teachers always have a strong belief in the traditional methods of teaching; but they were forced to change their practices because of the external pressure from the authorities. On the other hand, the induction teachers may not have much practical experiences and their beliefs also may not be adequate. So they will be more flexible as far as change in beliefs is concerned. â€Å"If all teachers make decisions autonomously, the schooling of an individual student could be quite incoherent and ineffective. This, too, suggests that help, direction, or encouragement provided to staff rather than to individuals could be necessary to promote change that is valuable to the learner† (Richardson) Beliefs are critical when it comes to understanding a teacher’s practice. For example, two mathematics teachers with similar knowledge may taught in different ways. Understanding of beliefs was more useful in predicting teachers’ classroom decisions (Luft & Roehrig p.40) Institutions cannot behave like a market place where all the deals were based on competitions and bargaining. It should be functioned in a

Ontology Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ontology Concept - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that ontology concept discusses the existence of cabbages and apples. For example, Douglas Adams uses his Madagascar experiences to explain how the concept of evolution. Further, ontology focuses on why the above categories exist. Specifically, ontology delves into the reasons why dogs, cats, humans and other animals were placed into our material world. Next, the study of ontology includes determining the significant purpose of the existence of vegetables, fruits, and other plants. Answering the first ontology topic, the person’s describing the physical features and actions shows the existence of the dog, cat, human or other animals. Hearing an animal that barks definitely shows the dog exists. Seeing the animal’s long hair Seeing an animal that has two arms, two legs and speaks Spanish shows a human exists. Seeing an animal gallop indicates the existence of the horse. Next, ontology zeroes in on the reasons for the existence of the above living things. Observing the dog will show that the dog exists to ward off the cat’s intrusion into the dog owner’s home. Likewise, the dog exists to safeguard the dog owner’s car from trespassing thieves. Observing the cat in its own free environment shows the cat exists to eat rats and mice. Eating the rats and mice reduces the pests’ population. With lesser population, people are assured of lesser rodent attacks. Delving into ontology’s existence topic, authentic thinker Albert Camus espoused the philosophical concept of Existentialism. Existentialism states that each individual uses his or her existence or experiences as the basis for generating the individual’s own philosophies, values, and concepts. People use their preferred philosophies, values, and concepts to add meaning to their existence. Further, different individuals go through different paths add meaning to their lives. A hungry individual can generate meaning in hi s life. First, the individual observes how another person cooks food. Next, the individual uses the observation to cook the individual’s food.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 26

Summary - Essay Example However, many people have questioned the reality of the zero-hours working arrangement concept. To start with, there have been serious concerns about the zero-hours work arrangement. Firstly, there was a serious problem with the arrangement considering the requirement for employees to be present at work premises. Some employers only paid for the time that workers were actively working. This was a problem because this arrangement favored the employers only since employees could do nothing with the unpaid time that was spend at the employers premises (CIPDa, 2013). This problem was solved through legal regulations leading to the reduction of zero-hours work arrangement. However, the concept of zero-hours working contract has been shown to develop popularity in the recent years. Secondly, there has been a concern about employment rights and benefits to the employees working under the zero-hours work arrangement. Under this arrangement, many employees are not entitled to benefits such as work service on retirement. Finally, there is a concern about financial insecurity for the employees under this system. This is because there are a lot of uncertainties considering the fact that workers get paid for work done only when they get an opportunity to work. Interestingly, zero-hours contracts, like other forms of casual work contracts, involves transfer of risks between the employers and employees. However, it is worth pointing out that employers also take some form of risk in these types of arrangements because employees may not be available at the time of need (CIPD, 2013). This is in contrast to the permanent forms of employment contracts where there is mutual agreement between the employer and employee depending on the bargaining powers of each party. On the other hand, leaders express different opinions concerning the Zero-hours contracts work arrangement. This is evidenced by the different feedbacks from leaders interviewed in the BBC News. During the

Corporate strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate strategy - Assignment Example The constant need to venture into new markets and the pressure to judiciously utilize resources drives businesses to shape their corporate strategies and business objectives accordingly. The marketplace drives corporate decision making with regard to mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, reorganizations and closures. There could be a number of different factors that prompt businesses to enter into new markets and locations, expand operations and enter into new business relationships. These factors include fast paced changes in tools and technologies, shift in consumer behavior or encountering uncontrollable factors, such as natural calamities and wars. In this era of globalization, mergers and acquisitions is one of the widely used modes of business growth and expansion for several companies. A significant reason for this is that the similarity in competencies among companies competing in the same marketplace promotes the betterment of financial performance, enhance competitive advantage, take advantage of innovative business opportunities and make an entry into newer markets and locations. However, mergers and acquisitions do not assure the organization of growth, development and success. The fact remains that a merger or acquisition can yield positive results for the acquiring company only if it is able to successfully manage the acquired business and transform it to ensure that it is line with the long-term organizational objectives (Haspeslagh and Jemison, 1991). A key element in the merger/acquisition process is the selection of the correct business that will be acquired. This process of selection is critical to the success of the acquisition, and requires deliberation, discussion and effective decision making. The main reason why organizations enter into new partnerships is to take maximum advantage of opportunities, such as entry into new markets and geographical locations, better access to cutting

Informal Class Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informal Class Assessment - Essay Example Likewise, in the employment information, not one shares similar work. On the other hand, in terms of interests, there were three who are fond of sports; one is into hiking; two loves reading (but on different facets); one loves travelling; two are into volunteer work, and one is into art, as well as modeling. Even other noted information was vastly diverse. Due to the diversity of the group in educational background, line of employment, and interests, the topics that could be of interest to the batch could be current events, especially one that is controversial in nature; or a general topic that could appeal to all: food, health, love, or relationships, to name a few. These suggested topics could be tackled with enough authoritative research and by establishing a thesis statement to determine which point of view or contention one would propose. For instance, a current controversial topic on gun ban or gun control could be a subject of discussion based on the amount of current news articles written on the subject. One could even solicit their respective views on the subject regarding their preference for gun ban or gun control and signify one’s stance. The topic of food could also be interesting in terms of arguing whether American society has manifested a food dilemma in terms of exhibiting increasing trends on obesity despite being health conscious on nutritional contents of the food Americans regularly eat. This topic could also lead to health concerns, especially trying to determine whether advertisements pose more threats for the children in promoting food items that endanger their health. As such, despite the disparities in educational backgrounds, employment experiences, interests or hobbies, and plans for the future, there are different interesting topics that one have thought of which could spur the interest of the class as the potential

Corporate strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate strategy - Assignment Example The constant need to venture into new markets and the pressure to judiciously utilize resources drives businesses to shape their corporate strategies and business objectives accordingly. The marketplace drives corporate decision making with regard to mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, reorganizations and closures. There could be a number of different factors that prompt businesses to enter into new markets and locations, expand operations and enter into new business relationships. These factors include fast paced changes in tools and technologies, shift in consumer behavior or encountering uncontrollable factors, such as natural calamities and wars. In this era of globalization, mergers and acquisitions is one of the widely used modes of business growth and expansion for several companies. A significant reason for this is that the similarity in competencies among companies competing in the same marketplace promotes the betterment of financial performance, enhance competitive advantage, take advantage of innovative business opportunities and make an entry into newer markets and locations. However, mergers and acquisitions do not assure the organization of growth, development and success. The fact remains that a merger or acquisition can yield positive results for the acquiring company only if it is able to successfully manage the acquired business and transform it to ensure that it is line with the long-term organizational objectives (Haspeslagh and Jemison, 1991). A key element in the merger/acquisition process is the selection of the correct business that will be acquired. This process of selection is critical to the success of the acquisition, and requires deliberation, discussion and effective decision making. The main reason why organizations enter into new partnerships is to take maximum advantage of opportunities, such as entry into new markets and geographical locations, better access to cutting

Cancer effectiveness of drugs in its treatment Essay

Cancer effectiveness of drugs in its treatment - Essay Example If an association has been drawn between tumour and cancer; then a benign tumour has no relation with cancer but a malignant tumour sooner or later leads to cancer. Scientific research has revealed that genetic predisposition, oestrogen exposure for women, ionising and ultraviolet radiation, exposure to carcinogenic chemicals and foods, smoking tobacco, taking alcohol, unhealthy diet and presence of free radicals are some of the causes that are believed to be spreading this deadly disease among us. Since prevention is always considered as a better option to cure, hence a series of events that might result in lower risk of getting exposed to cancer should also be taken account of. Taking notice of previous cases of cancer in a family does not directly translate into the same for the successors, but they can resort to regular check up to avoid any late detection of cancer. It has been found that probability of cancer among a woman having baby before 35 is less. Reduction of exposure to sun or other rays such as X – rays and using protective cloths while facing them is a helpful mean to reduce the chances of this disease. Absolute no to tobacco and alcohol will certainly result in less number of cancer cases. Taking vitamin C and green vegetables also help to reduce the risk of cancer. Among the different types of cancer treatments six of them have gained popularity and success over the years. The following paragraph provides a brief discussion of these alternatives before moving into a detailed analysis of drug use in combating cancer. Since chemotherapy also uses drugs to combat cancer, hence for this part it is left beyond the realm of the discussion. Radiation is used vividly against cancer. Ionised radiation destroys cancer cells and prevents them from further growing. When surgery is adopted s a possible cure to cancer, the cancerous cells or parts are surgically removed from the body. In recent times laser is often used to perform these surgeries replacing the conventional method that had been followed before. As it has been found that certain hormones are responsible for the growth of cancerous cells in body, hence doctors often resorts to hormone therapy to bring back the balance within the body that will eventually stop the growth of malignant cancerous cells. Recently a more radical way to fight cancer is in discussion and followed at some places as well. This is known as Biological or Immunotherapy where the inherent immune system of the body is reinforced so that it can prevent the cancerous infection o r fight back this deadly disease. Some doctors have even moved a step further to consider medical disciplines like homeopathy and acupuncture as a possible solution to this life taking disease (â€Å"What is Cancer?†). After the brief discussion of various other means to combat cancer let us concentrate of the possibilities of drugs to prevent cancer. The most widely known use of drugs against cancer is chemotherapy. In chemotherapy specific drugs are used that destroys cancer cells by putting an end to their immense growth rate. It is given to the patient either through intravenous injections or through oral medicines. It follows a cyclic pattern and often the patient is given rest for sometime after the administration of a specific course of medicine. Uses of anti cancer drugs have their own limitations. First of all since it

Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Mice and Men Essay There are a number of characters in Of Mice and Men who have dreams of a better life. These characters include George, Lennie and Candy, who dream of a farm of their own, and Curleys wife, who dreams of becoming a glamorous Hollywood actress. In this essay I will discuss their dreams and the effects on the novels characters when their dreams are unfulfilled. The central characters in Of Mice and Men are George and Lennie. Their dream is introduced to the reader in the first chapter, OK. Someday were gonna get the jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs and An live off the fatta the lan, Lennie shouted. An have rabbits. George and Lennies dream is to leave behind their lives as travelling workers and have a place of their own where they can settle down. For Lennie the dream of living on their own farm is closely connected to looking after rabbits. Perhaps this is because the only way that Lennie can actually relate to the dream is through the idea of something practical and touchable which relates to his tactile qualities. Clearly, the material aspect of owning his own land means very little to Lennie. At the start of the novel we learn that Lennie likes to pet soft things, like mice and rabbits. It is this trait that eventually leads to Lennies downfall when he tries to smooth Curleys wifes soft hair. However, for George the dream of the farm has other benefits. Firstly, George can see the practical, economic advantage of owning their own place. If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, Id have my own little place, an Id be bringin in my own crops, stead of doin all the work and not getting what comes up outta the ground. Yet it is not just the practical benefits of owning a farm that attract George to this dream. We learn that George has no family I aint got no people, and it seems as though the dream of a farm also represents the notion of home to George. An wed keep a few pigeons to go flyin around the winmill like they done when I was a kid Wed jus live there. Wed belong there. So, for George, the dream of a farm offers a psychological antidote to his rootless, travelling life and gives him a sense of belonging. Another attraction of the farm dream is that it gives George the promise of some sense of control and autonomy in his life. In his conversation with Candy about owning a farm, George says: Spose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing. Old Candy nodded in appreciation of the idea. Wed just go to her, George said. We wouldnt ask nobody if we could. Jus say Well go to her, an we would. This shows how powerless George feels in his life and how much power employers exercised over their workers at that time. Another example of George and Lennies powerlessness is shown after Lennies fight with Curley, the bosss son; when Georges immediate concern is that they will be canned or dismissed. However, in this situation, they retain their jobs because Slim steps in and persuades Curley to say he got his hand caught in a machine. In Chapter 2 when George and Lennie discuss their dream they are overheard by Candy, the old swamper. Candy is immediately swept up with the idea of owning their own farm and offers his savings to them to make the dream come true. At this point in the novel it seems as if the dream could actually become a reality. They fell into silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. George said reverently, Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her. His eyes were full of wonder. What is interesting is that at this point in the novel the dream of the farm actually moves from being a pipe dream which will probably never happen, to an achievable goal which is actually within their grasp. It is Candys involvement that makes this change take place. Although Candy shares Georges reasons for wanting a farm, there is also an extra dimension for Candy wanting to live on their own place. We get the sense that Candy feels redundant, useless and vulnerable because he is old and has lost his hand. Candy feels uneasy about his future: Theyll can me purty soon. Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk houses theyll put me on the county. So for Candy the dream of the farm means independence nobody could can us, because in his present situation he is entirely dependent on the bosss tolerance and charity. In the novel, this is partially demonstrated by Carlson shooting Candys dog earlier that evening. In an echo of Candys own situation of the ranch, Carlson, without much pity or concern, shoots Candys dog because he is old and it is inconvenient to keep him because of the smell. It is not hard to imagine that Candy feels there is a parallel between his own situation and his dogs. Candys attachment to the dream of their own farm is demonstrated in Chapter 5 when he realises that all hopes of the dream have come crashing down when he discovers Curleys wifes dead body: You God damn tramp, he said viciously. You done it, dint you? I spose youre glad. Everbody knowed youd mess things up If they was a circus or a baseball game we would of went to her Never ast nobodys say so.

The Growth Of The Takaful Industry Economics Essay

The Growth Of The Takaful Industry Economics Essay Takaful is derived from an Arabic word â€Å"Kafala† which means mutual guarantee, whereby a group of participants agree to mutually guarantee among themselves against a defined loss. This simple concept of takaful is the foundation of the takaful business, which is the present Shariah-compliant insurance Takaful is â€Å"a scheme based on brotherhood, solidarity and mutual assistance which provides for mutual financial aid and assistance to the participants in case of need whereby the participants mutually agree to contribute for that purpose† The contemporary jurists acknowledge that the foundation of Takaful was laid down in the system of â€Å"Aaqilah†, which was an arrangement of mutual help or indemnification customary in some tribes at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Takaful provides solidarity in respect of any tragedy in human life and loss to the business or property. The elements present in the conventional insurance viz; Gharar (uncertainty), Riba (interest) and Maisir (gambling) are against the tenets of Islam. Muslim Scholars do not object to insurance per se but only to certain weaknesses in the insurance contract (which weaknesses render the insurance contracts fasid). It is for this reason, 1972 Fatwa by National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs of Malaysia that life insurance is not lawful as it contains gharar, Maisir and riba. Hence, takaful tries to remove all these facets present in the conventional insurance and works within the guidelines of Shariah. The concept of tabarru makes the transaction permissible and valid according to Islamic law. It changes the basis of contract from an exchange contract (muawadat) which is bilateral in nature, to a charitable contract, which is unilateral. 2.0 Takaful Industry overview Globally, the takaful industry has been growing rapidly, appealing to both Muslims and non-Muslims. Currently, there are more than 110 takaful operators worldwide. As per the Ernst Youngs World Takaful Report 2009, global Takaful contributions have risen to $3.4bn in 2007 as compared to $2.5bn in 2006 (36% Growth). The new projections for 2012 for Takaful Market are US$ 7.7 bn and US$ 11.0 bn by 2015. Saudi Arabia was the biggest market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with contributions totaling USD 1.7 bn in 2007, and Malaysia the largest takaful market in Southeast Asia with contributions of USD 800 mn. Malaysia has achieved significant milestones in the development of its takaful industry. With the enactment of the Takaful Act 1984, the first takaful company was established in 1985. Since then, the industry has been gaining momentum and increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to Malaysias overall Islamic financial system. There are currently eight takaful operators and two re-takaful operators, with five foreign participations from the UK, Bahrain, Germany and Japan. These takaful operators conduct both domestic and foreign currency business. 2.1 Current Trends and Future prospects With the expanding demographics of Islamic countries and that of the Islamic population globally, the prospect of takaful looks promising. The Accounting Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) has been playing a key role in framing and reviewing the regulatory standards governing takaful companies. With improved standards of living and increasing awareness of Takaful, the market is expected to see steady growth in per capita spend on Takaful premiums and also in terms of market share in comparison with conventional insurance. 2.2 Strategic Issues and Challenges With projected growth as described above, the industry will experience much change. As with all new product offerings, success will depend on several factors, both internal and external. Highlighted below are a number of strategic issues and challenges that providers will contend with as the industry expands. Distribution Challenges New entrants should create synergies that can be used to leverage existing distribution channels, banc-Takaful and strategic alliances across geographies. This will also enable the operators to increase premium volumes to improve profitability; a key factor in surviving the ‘start-up years. Developing Innovative Products Developing attractive and competitive products that meet diverse customer needs will be a major challenge for Takaful operators. Though Takaful operators cater to a very specific and presently unsatisfied market, they still need to create product offerings that are as sophisticated and innovative as their conventional competitors. Improving Marketing and Branding Tactics The present brand value of Takaful is relatively limited particularly in non-Islamic countries. Analysts have suggested that Takaful has enormous potential for Islamic and non-Islamic populations, offering an ‘ethical insurance alternative. Experts also propose that Takaful can potentially be a useful mechanism for poverty alleviation. Raising the Standards in Customer Service As the industry grows and becomes more competitive, building customer service skills and developing best practices will become increasingly important. At present, general customer service standards are average among Takaful providers, relative to their conventional counterparts. IT Solutions for Takaful Issues such as innovative product development, time to market, servicing of policies and claims within acceptable time lines, accuracy of calculations, cost containment, and improvement in service standards can all be facilitated by the implementation of robust and flexible IT solutions. Takaful compliant IT solutions serve an important purpose from a regulatory compliance standpoint and can help operators avoid susceptibility to unfavourable regulatory decisions and the possibility of increased regulatory compliance costs. 3.0 Takaful Models A takaful model depicts the relationship between the company and the participants. Based on the nature of relationship between the company and the participants, there are various models like Wakalah (agency) Model, Mudarabah Model and the combination of agency and Mudarabah models. In Mudarabah model that is practiced mainly in the Asia Pacific region, the policyholders get profit on their part of funds only if Takaful Company earns profit. The sharing basis is determined in advance and is a function of the developmental stage and earnings of the Company. In Wakalahmodel, the surplus of policyholders funds investments net of the management fee or expenses goes to the policyholders. The shareholders charge Wakalah fee from contributions that covers most of the expenses. In order to give incentive for good governance, management fee is related to the level of performance. 4.0 Takaful Categories 4.1 General takaful The general takaful provides protection on a short-term basis, normally covering a period of one year. It commonly provides protection for property loss or damage, liability arising from damage. In general Takaful, the company raises a fund, which called as ‘tabarru fund or account, where the participants pay to the fund. The company will invest the remainder of the fund after deducting the operational cost of the scheme. Any profit or return from the investment will be returned back to the fund. If there is any participant who faced loss or damage to his property or belonging, then the particular participant will be compensated from this fund. 4.2 Family takaful The family takaful is a combination of protection and long-term savings, usually covering a period of more than one year. It provides benefits if the insured is inflicted by a tragedy as well as potential profits. Risks covered include premature death, illness and permanent disability, and regular income during retirement. 5.0Shariah issues in Takaful: As is the case with any industry in its nascent stages, the takaful industry too is facing its own set of teething problems. Whenever we go to conferences (or) read the literature and article related to takaful, the general and the most common allegation (or) complaint is that, â€Å"Inconsistency in the interpretations of certain Shariah rules or standards is said to be an issue of the Takaful Industry†.Some of the commonly discussed Shariah issues relating to takaful are: which is the right model to follow?, who are the real owners of the takaful fund?, the methodology and the process to be adopted to share the surplus between the participants, the issue of hibah (gift) in a takaful policy, the issue of insurable interest and whether underwriting in concordant with the principles of maqaasid as-Shariah etc. So, let us analyse these issues in the light of Shariah to understand the arguments for and against each of these issues to get a clear idea on the issue. Finally, we will also try to analyze if the issue of inconsistency is as serious as it is being projected and what are the areas which need to be standardized, if at all it is required. 6.0 Issue #1: The dilemma of choosing the right takaful model In many of the takaful conferences and literature available, the question that is manifested is regarding the different takaful models existing in the world market. Some people express a desire towards a standardisation of takaful products as this will avoid confusion, facilitate regulation etc. Before we analyze the pros and cons of this thought, let us understand the modus operandi of the mudarabah model. Some people, usually criticize the mudarabah model since the operator too shares the underwriting surplus which should ideally belong to the participant. 6.1The modus operandi of the mudarabah model Generally, many Takaful companies (especially those using the Mudaraba principle) claim that their operations are based on the concept of mutual or co-operative insurance as approved by the Muslim jurists. This claim is on the basis that: They receive the premium or contribution from the insured on the basis of the Mudaraba principle, whereby the company becomes the entrepreneur (Mudarib) and the insured party the capital provider (Rab al-Mal). The insured party agrees to donate a certain percentage (or in some cases as in General Takaful the whole of the amount paid) of the premium/contribution to a special fund used to pay compensation or benefits to contributors. Any surplus left in the fund after settlement of all claims is shared by the company and the insured as profit in a ratio as agreed in the contract. An insured party who has received compensation, the amount of which is greater than what he could have received as a share of the surplus had he made no claim, is not entitled to share such a surplus. The company uses normal actuarial principles to calculate risk and premium. 6.2The industry practice Until recently, the Mudaraba model adopted by Malaysian takaful operators refers to profit as the underwriting surplus, which is the excess of premiums over claims, plus investment returns. This arrangement marks a departure from the original Mudaraba model, which will entitle the takaful operator a ratio in the investment returns, without sharing in the underwriting surplus. The modified Mudaraba model justified the sharing of the underwriting surplus on the grounds that such an arrangement would allow takaful operators to withstand competition and avoid overpricing, which may eventually sway takaful participants from takaful, and be attracted to conventional insurance, with all its non-Shariah compliant elements. This is further justified by the fact that there is nothing haram in sharing the underwriting surplus, in the view of the absence of any textual or general Shariah principle disapproving such a practice. 6.3Modes of surplus distribution Generally the surplus which is generated after paying all the claims and other expenses is distributed in the following ways. Pro-rata mode: Whether the surplus is underwriting surplus plus profit or underwriting surplus only, it is distributed in proportion to the premium paid by the participants, without differentiating between claimable and non-claimable accounts. Selective mode: This mode tends to indemnify non-claimable accounts only. Takaful operators tend to deprive claimable accounts, so that they become more prudent in the future. 0ff-setting mode: This mode tends to offset the rate of underwriting surplus from the amount claimed. This is applicable only on accounts whose underwriting surplus less than the claims. If the underwriting surplus is equal or more than the claims, then the participant does not share in the surplus. 6.4Do Takaful models need to converge? While the positive desire towards a standardisation of takaful products to avoid confusion, facilitate regulation etc, are welcome, the other side of the coin is that takaful is an Islamic phenomenon and should be viewed through the prism of fiqh and socio-cultural context. We should realise that takaful per se is not a product, and thus should not be equated with insurance. It is described as a system, rather than a product, which aims at the joint-guarantee between the contributors in a risk-covering scheme. We should not lose focus of the source of the inspiration of takaful. It is primarily to spread a risk to alleviate financial burden when it inflicts a person in a spirit of humanism. Unlike in the past, presently money is contributed in advance. This element of philanthropy should also be reflected in takaful to differentiate it with insurance, which is a pure tug of war between maximising premium to be paid and minimising the compensation to be paid. If one adulterates the spirit of takaful and treats it as a pure standardised commercial venture then the Shariah spirit may be lost. The different models in fact create a space to reactivate the juristic acumen. For any legal system to survive, especially in an era of globalisation and universalism, one should allow the system to evolve. This evolution is in turn influenced by many external factors such as politics, schools of law, tax implication etc, which differ from country to country. For instance, many multinational banks offer different home financing products in different jurisdictions. May be in one country Ijarah (lease) will best suit everybody while in another country the Murabaha (differed payment). This shows the versatility of Islamic law. The same spirit should prevail for takaful. One cannot replicate these products on the basis of Islamic law and then try to standardize the Islamic products developed on the premise of conventional products. This should not be the case, a change in mind set is required because Islamic financial products should have its own features ultimately. Standardization is good in a way as it brings in more certainty. However, one should ponder on Imam Maliks attitude towards standardization of Islamic law when Ibn Muqaffa asked the caliph of that time to standardize Islamic law. But he refused on the basis that the jurisprudence developed by other imams also had their proofs from Shariah. Hence one cannot accept only Maliki school of law. In other words Islamic law must preserve its legal elasticity. By standardizing Islamic finance one will lose the legal beauty inherent in Shariah. Therefore by accommodating various models different branch of fiqh is revived. 7.0 Issue #2:The issue of surplus distribution The most critical issue in takaful is the issue of surplus distribution. Being a taawuni instrument to provide a mutual guarantee for possible risks, surplus arises as an issue of what to do with it if such risks are dealt with through risk transfer or indemnification. A recorded surplus at the end of the financial year of a particular takaful operator is an issue that invokes both Shariah and legal scrutiny. As far as surplus distribution is concerned, two juristic views have surfaced and dominated the takaful industry in the Middle East and Malaysia. The first one categorically prohibits the sharing of the underwriting surplus between the takaful operator and the participants, but the other view validates the sharing, based on ratios that differ according to the line of products offered. The opponents of sharing the underwriting surplus back their contention by decisions taken by highly acclaimed institutions, such as AAOIFI, whose standard on takaful reads: â€Å"The Takaful operator does not share in the (underwriting surplus)†. The AAIOFI Standard on takaful states: â€Å"The underwriting surplus and its returns, less expenses, and payment of claims, remain the property (milk) of the policyholders, which is the distributable surplus. This is not applied in commercial insurance, where the premiums become the property of the (insurance) company, by virtue of contract and acquisition, which would make it revenue and a profit for commercial insurance† This statement by AAOIFI raises the issue of ownership claimed on the premium paid. On one hand, the participant has donated the premium as tabarru, hence, losing title over it, as prescribed by the rules of hibah in the Shariah, but on the other hand, he still holds claim over it in the form of getting the whole underwriting surplus or a part thereof. Hence, let us analyse the ownership issue element in hibah and the extent of its Shariah compliancy. There are a number of jurists who emphasized that pure hibah leads the wahib to relinquish his ownership over the object of hibah. Ibn Qudamah asserts that â€Å"al-hibah tamalik†- a hibah which requires the wahib to enable the beneficiary to claim title of the object of hibah. Al Imam al- Shirazi points out that â€Å"Al-hibah tamlik bighayri ‘iwadd â€Å"- a hibah which enables the beneficiary to own the object of hibah without an exchange. In such a case, the juristic implications of hibah, as Ibn Nujaym al- Hanafi asserts, will be the transfer of hibah to the beneficiary, entitling him to hold title over the object of hibah (thubut al-Milk lil mawhubi lahu). Generally speaking, the Shafi‟is view hibah as transferring the ownership of an asset without exchange during ones lifetime, on a voluntary basis. The other mazahib (schools of jurisprudence) refer to the same meaning, with a special emphasis on the element of â€Å"no exchange†, i.e.: bi ghayri ‘Iwadd. This transfer of ownership would be effective, either by way of acquisition (qabd) on the part of the beneficiary, which is the view of the Shafi‟is and Hanafis, or by way of ijab and qabul (offer and acceptance),, which is the view of the Malikis. This juristic approach is an evidence that tabarru requires the relinquishing of ownership over the object of hibah. Since the latter entitles tamlik to the beneficiary, we can rightly say that the mutabarri (donor) does not hold any legal right or claim over the asset donated. Having said so, the takaful operators are at liberty to stipulate conditions on how the underwriting surplus should be distributed, invoking the doctrine of shurut (conditions) in contracts, as articulated in Islamic jurisprudence. The only shroud of right that the donor may still enjoy to hold title of his hibah is when he donates it in exchange for a counter value, a principle known as â€Å"hibah al-thawab† Contemporary scholars like al-Qurdaghi are of the view that the principle of hibah al-thawab (a gift for on exchange) is a good premise to justify the confinement of surplus to the participants only. It is true that some of the Prophetic hadiths referring to hibah al-thawab have secured some right of ownership to the donors after donation. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: â€Å"The donor holds an exclusive right of ownership over his hibah, provided he is not rewarded for it†. This hadith is the only piece evidence attesting to a conditional ownership of the hibah by the wahib, allowing him to retract his hibah if he is not rewarded or satisfied with the reward. However, as clearly understood from the hadith, this evidence only gives conditional retraction of the same gift, not a surplus of it. In the case of Islamic insurance (takaful), this hadith is not applicable to surplus distribution, rather it is about retraction of hibah. Another hadeeth which is given as an argument for confining the surplus distribution to the participants only is the hadith of Nahd/Nihd. It has been mentioned in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, (Book of Sharikah) that â€Å"Muslims did not see any harm in Nahd†. The latter, as Ibn Hajar explains, is â€Å"The allocation of a fund in proportion to the number of participants (in the fund)†. Although this arrangement was more useful and practical in journeys to provide mutual coverage of expenses, it has been viewed as a mechanism to transfer risks, whether in a journey or otherwise. After citing the same hadith, the appendix of AAOIFI Standard on Takaful provides an explanation to Ibn Hajar‟s definition of Nahd. The Standard states that Ibn Hajars definition of Nahd refers to the underwriting surplus, which should be redistributed to the participants, so that it could be used in another journey. Revising Ibn Hajars view in his Fath al-Bari, it can be hardly understood that Ibn Hajars definition and explanation of Nahd does not refer in any way to surplus redistribution to the same participants. The hadith, is thus, completely silent about surplus, opening the doors for ijtihad to be exercised, in view of the maqasid al-Shariahand general Islamic financial principles. Another issue raised by those who oppose the sharing of surplus to the takaful operator is that Sharing in the underwriting surplus is a kind of taking peoples property unjustly. This contention is held by prominent scholars like Hussein Hamid Hassan and Al-Qurgaghi. The contention seems to go beyond the accepted parameters of justice. Although there could be plausible grounds for such a view, in light of the practices of some takaful operators that seize the lions share of the underwriting surplus, there should not be any shred of doubt that, in light of our earlier juristic analysis, sharing the underwriting surplus is Shariah-compliant as long as it falls within the parameters of accepted conditions (shurut), as well as the principle of the rida (satisfaction), featuring such contracts. With the existence of sound regulatory framework that caps the percentage of the distributable surplus, takaful operators will not be in a position to take peoples property unjustly. 8.0 Issue #3: Distribution of death benefit in family takaful Another Shariah issue (or) concern raised is in family takaful on to whom should be the death benefit is paid after the death of the participant. One group of scholars and Takaful operators say that it should be given entirely given to the beneficiary as in the case of conventional insurance and the other group feels that the beneficiary should act as a executor of the deceased and the benefit should be distributed to the legal heirs of the deceased. So, let us analyse the arguments put forth by the two sides in the light of Shariah. 8.1The concept of mal in the light of Takaful benefit The Arabic word mÄ l, or property, originates from the root word mawala that literally means to finance. ZuhaylÄ « defines mal literally as being anything a man owns that is in his actual possession and this includes corporeal and usufruct. The classification of mÄ l by Dr. Muhammad Daud Bakar, which is suitable to the modern context, appears to adopt the majoritys definition. According to him, mÄ l or property can be classified into three types: Tangible assets like landed property, present items and stock including Islamic bonds that are asset-based such as ijÄ rah, musyÄ rakah and mudarabah bonds. Intangible assets such as copyright and royalty, trade name, trademark etc Financial rights (haqq mÄ liyy) such as rights to receive (receivable) that include Islamic bonds, deferred dowry maintenance, right to damages, the right to takaful compensation, etc. In the modern application, takaful benefit is also treated as mal (property). According to Sec.2 Takaful Act 1984, takaful benefit includes any benefit, pecuniary or not which is secured by a takaful certificate, and â€Å"pay† and other expressions. In family takaful, there are two accounts, namely the Participant Account and the Special Participant Account. The premium is paid into both accounts based on a ratio agreed by the takaful operator and the participant. The Participant Account is considered to be the deposit account of the participant whereas the Special Account is for the sole purpose of making donations. When a participant dies, there is no question regarding the heritability of the money in the Participant Account as it is part of the deceaseds estate. However, the money payable by the takaful operator taken from the Special Participant Account for the death benefit is still questionable. It is a standard practice in Malaysia that the payment of the money by the takaful operator to the nominee appointed by the deceased participant is subsequently distributed among the participants legal heirs in accordance with the farÄ `id law. The distribution of the proceeds among the legal heirs of the deceased participant has seemingly become standard practice in Malaysia. Section 65(1) of the Malaysian Takaful Act, 1984 stipulates that the payment of takaful benefits is made to the proper claimant. Section 65(4) explains that the ‘proper claimant is a person who claims to be entitled to the sum in question as executor of the deceased or who claims to be entitled to that sum under the relevant law. 8.2The concept of ownership in Takaful benefit Islamic law provides four legitimate means for acquiring absolute ownership[13]: (i) The contract of exchange such as trading and leasing contracts, and unilateral contracts such as wasiyyah, hibah and waqf, (ii) the replacement, or khalafiyyah, i.e. inheritance, the payment of diyyah and compensation, (iii) the control over permissible things such as fish in the sea and birds in the sky and (iv) The growth and the production of things owned such as eggs, milk, etc. Takaful benefit falls under the second part of the first category, i.e. unilateral contract (tabarruat). It could be contended that without the participation of the policyholder, the takaful operator would never pay the money. In other words, it is the contract entered into by the policyholder for family takaful, which generates the benefits. This contention is based on the fact that ones effort becomes a justification for ownership. As a result, the money is divisible among the heirs of the policyholder according to the law of farÄ `id. 8.3The takaful benefit to sole beneficiary vs. to the legal heirs Takaful contracts realize the obligation upon the company to pay. They do not create wealth in the insureds ownership, but rather they create an obligation to ease the burden suffered due to the losses of fellow participants. The participants contribution is his or her donation for the good of others, not for himself. The proceeds payable belong to the fund of the participants, not the takaful operator. Therefore, even though it is the deceaseds effort, the money is more appropriately to be regarded as an obligation upon the takaful tabarru fund to pay on behalf of other participant as financial assistance to the insureds family in case of death. This is the importance of considering a legal and financial entity for the fund. This monetary obligation is directly based on the agreement or promises of mutual assistance stated in the contract. In other words, the tabarru fund managed by the takaful operator on behalf of the participants agrees to pay the proceeds, and the matter of to whom they are paid should be freely and totally left to the agreement or the stipulation made by the policyholder to the company. This is similar with the condition made by the performer of wakf as he stipulated condition is binding. The primary objective of takaful is to provide financial assistance to the participants family. If the payment is payable strictly only to the heirs of the participants or insured, it implies that it is the property of the deceased. If this is so, the money is subject to the fulfilment of certain rights that must be carried out before distribution to the heirs, such as the payment of burial expenses, the deceaseds debts. This would mean that the compensation is not being used to ease the burden of the family but rather it seems that other fellow participants are under an obligation to settle the debts of the dead participants. In this regard, the creditors would have prior rights over the participants dependants. The dependants would only receive the benefits after the creditors claims have been satisfied. As such, inserting a clause legally and strictly imposing a duty on the appointed nominee to distribute the money among the legal heirs of the dead participant seems to contradict the objective of both the takaful. Inserting such a clause as currently practiced in Malaysia is not based on valid arguments. Furthermore, by considering it an estate for inheritance purposes, the takaful and insurance activity becomes a source of income. This is contradictory to the purpose of takaful i.e. mutual cooperation to ease a burden. Interestingly there are a number of contemporary fatwas allowing the distribution of takaful benefit to a particular beneficiary which is the common practice in the conventional insurance. The SAC of Bank Negara in its 34 meeting held on 21st April 2003 resolved: Takaful Benefit can be used for hibah since it is the right of the participants. Therefore the participants should be allowed to exercise their rights according to their choice as long as it does not contradict with Shariah. The status of hibah in takaful plan does not change into will (wasiah) since this type of hibah is a conditional hibah, in which the hibah is an offer to the recipient of hibah for only a specified period. In the context of takaful, the takaful benefit is both associated with the death of the participant as well as maturity of the certificate. If the participant remains alive on maturity, the takaful benefit is owned by the participant but of he dies within such period, then hibah shall be executed. A participant has the right to revoke the hibah before the maturity date because conditional hibah is only deemed to be completed after delivery is made (qabd). The Participant has the right to revoke the hibah to one party and transfer it to other parties or terminate the takaful participation if the recipient of hibah dies before maturity The takaful denomination form has to be standardized and must stipulate clearly the status of the nominee either as a beneficiary or an executor (wasi) or a trustee