Ice Hockey and Lacrosse :: essays research papers

Ice Hockey and Lacrosse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Lacrosse and Ice hockey are two sports that share similar aspects. One example would be that they both require plenty of athletic prowess, as well as countless hours of training and practice to master. The high amount of contact in both sports enables a player to become both physically and mentally â€Å"tough†. Lacrosse has grown to its highest level of popularity it has ever reached over the last ten years. Ice hockey has seen a steady climb in its popularity over the past 25 years making it one of the most popular sports in not only Long Island, but all across the U.S. However, there are many differences as well, and we should not overlook the fact that there are plenty of distinctions between the two great sports. Many of which are the main reasons that these are obviously two separate sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The biggest similarity is the object of both games. To outscore the other team. The score is determined by points called goals. Ice hockey and lacrosse are contact sports. Opposing teams will try to â€Å"check† each other. This means that the teams are trying to literally knock the ball or puck out of possession of the other player. If a check becomes too violent, a penalty, which is another similarity between the two sports, will be called. Due to the aggressive nature of both sports, helmets and extensive padding are required to play without injury. Another thing they have in common is that the possession of the puck or ball is determined by a face-off. A face-off is when two opposing players battle for the puck or ball. Goalies are an essential part of both sports because the goalies are the last line of defense before the opposing team can score a goal. The goalie crease, in ice hockey as well as lacrosse, cannot be entered by any players because it gi ves the goalie an interference-free zone. Any goal scored by a team that is made from the goalie crease will not be counted. A final similarity would be that both sports have professional leagues. Ice hockey’s league is bigger than lacrosse, but they are both just as competitive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The biggest difference between ice hockey and lacrosse is the playing field. In hockey its ice, in lacrosse its grass. In addition to this would be the field dimensions. A lacrosse field is rectangular, while a hockey rink is oval.

The United States’ Lack of Mental Health Care Essay -- United States, h

About 75-80 million people in the United States are mentally ill to some extent (For the Mentally Ill, Finding Treatment Grows Harder). Many people are unaware of the treatments for the mentally ill and how few resources are available. Yes, if society looks from where society has come with the development of treatments, it has come a long ways. There is still more knowledge to be uncovered to ensure the United States gives the mentally ill care equal to what the United States gives the physically ill. Even though research has advanced immensely in the understanding of sanity vs. insanity, the United States needs to do more for those who are mentally ill through diagnosis and aid. â€Å"Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior† (Mayo Clinic). Mental disorders can happen many times through one’s life, but mental illness is classified as an ongoing problem with the symptoms that can affect the ability to perform normal day to day tasks (Mayo Clinic). Many people look at those afflicted with mental disorders as being crazy or clinically insane, while the reality is a problem many people live with on a daily basis with help from medications, psychologist visits, family, friends, help groups, and many other support systems. The lack of support available to mentally ill patients, the more that will refuse treatment and refuse to find help for their disorders. Many people who were born with mental disorders grow up knowing they have a problem, but people who develop them later in age don’t understand how to cope with it. In prehistory, the idea of a mental illness was challenging to comprehend. The people of these ancient times thought it was magical spirits o... ..."10 Mind-Boggling Psychiatric Treatments." Mental Floss http://mentalfloss.com/article/31489/10-mind-boggling-psychiatric-treatments Fields, Gary. "For Mentally Ill, Finding Treatment Grows Harder." Wall Street Journal 16 January 2014. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304281004579218204163263142 Mayo Clinic. 2014. 18 March 2014 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/basics/definition/con- 20033813 Society, British Psychology. Recent Advances in Understanding Mental Illness and Psychology Experiences. Leicester, 2000. http://www.schizophrenia.com/research/Rep03.pdf Thompson, Marie L. Mental Illness. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2007. University, Harvard. "The Prevalence and Treatment of Mental Illness Today." November 2005. http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Prevalence-and-treatment-of-mental-illness- today.htm

Essay --

The movie industry is a booming market during this century. 72/100 of americans go to the movies each year and there are millions of dollars made only on the price of a movie ticket alone. Pirating movies is a common action in the united states and around the world everyday but does this actually have an effect on the movie industry and profits? To answer this question, one must look at three aspects, the industries market, how easy it is to pirate movies and the laws against piracy. With these three aspects, the effect of pirating movies should become clear. Could a simple download have this big of an affect on an industry that makes millions a year in profits? First, does the industries market actually have an impact from piracy of movies? Supporters of stronger intellectual property enforcement like the men and women who proposed the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act bills in Congress claim that piracy of movies is a large issue in the United States. It is estimated that between $200 and $250 billion per year in losses to the united states economy. They also claimed that this causes a loss of 750,000 jobs in the united states. These estimates are wrong. A estimate of $58 billion, was produced by the Institute for Policy Innovation.Stopping Internet piracy may benefit filmmakers but only some filmmakers, and only some of the time. Scholars debate whether this piracy of movies has an affect everyday. This is one of the problem because it seems that it depends on what movie or how often someone would use an illegal site. A recent updated study by economists students at the Munich School of Management and Copenhagen Business School showed a drawing from nearly five years' worth of data. The students looked at box off... ... should soon come to a halt but instead this law is not enforced as well because with the privacy software on the internet, finding who is responsible for the start of a website or even streaming of a movie is very difficult. The pirating of movies does have an impact on filmmakers and the movie industry but if it took away enough money from the business the film makes and the industry would do more to enforce these laws. The industries market, how easy it is to pirate movies and the laws against piracy all contribute to the filmmakers and industries loss in money but the gains from each movie do not compare to the money that is made in the theaters. Once a movie has been successful in theatres, they should have enough money to not let pirating affect the industry. Pirating movies does affect the industry and is illegal but it does not have a significant effect.

Determining The Longetivity Of E.Coli’s Gaining Resistance Ability: A Comparison Between The Bacteriophage T-4 And Antibiotic

The surfacing of a variety of drugs for resisting antibiotic for disease-inflicting bacteria has already been a big issue and at the same a vital dilemma in treating all types of human diseases. This immediately requires another option, a substitute way of providing therapy to the human diseases. It has been found in previous researches and experiments the wonders of having bacteriophages highly considered to be â€Å"healing viruses. † John MacGregor (2003) has brought up an intriguing issue regarding bacteriophages when he wrote his research article entitled â€Å"Set A Bug To Catch A Bug†.Apart from the title, his words were â€Å"As the power of antibiotic wanes, viruses that hijack bacteria and smash them into pieces could be the answer to our prayers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He explained in his article the possibilities of replacing antibiotics as the solution to a lot of virus-causing diseases including virus infections. Bacteriophages were first discovered by a British c hemist named E. H. Hankin. It was considered to be a virus in 1915 by Frederick Twort, a British bateriologisy. The occurrence of that first intrigue found by Dr.Hankin paved its way for more discoveries performed by a Canadian microbiologist named Felix d’Herelle. He agreed with Twort when he also considered it to be a virus and then later he named it as a â€Å"bacteriophage†. Upon his successful experimentations, he was confident that these bacteriophages will be very helpful and at the same time when he used them with the children who were almost dying dysentery at a hospital in Paris. The test solutions were distributed to every patient hoping that it will be effective, and fortunately, these cured the children for just one night.With D’Herelle’s primary success, the use of phage therapy was further studied. From then on, the advantages it provides were widely spread globally. These page therapies are utilized in a variety of ways. It can be taken or given topically, orally, can be injected, using enemas and aerosols. Diseases that were treated by this phage therapy included urinary tract infections, typhoid and cholera. The use of phage therapy slowly faded when AMA or the American Medical Association reported contradictory results of using phages. Antibiotic age came in when penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1982.Fleming’s discovery flourished for 20 years making the phage therapy out of sight. But still a lot of microbiologists became very attractive to what bacteriophages could provide medically, improving different aspects of health and curing more diseases. There was a time after the Communist era when phages were considered to be the â€Å"last resort† antibiotics when the decline for antibiotics took place. This was indeed an alarming situation worldwide. But this did not become hindrance in reviving the hidden attributes of bacteriophages.Bacteriophages are defined by Toronto, Funke and Ca se (2001) as viruses that host in bacteria and in bacterial cultures, they can be grown easily. This has been significant since bacteriophages are the main sources of multiplying viruses. How do bacteriophages multiply? The basic procedure in which multiplication of viruses happens is just the same as the other viruses and it is not affected by any means by which the entering and the exiting of a virus into a host cell differs. Most life cycles of a virus are difficult to understand but a bacteriophage is an exception.They are the easiest to be learned and be understood. Bacteriophages, also called â€Å"phages†, can be multiplied using two substitute processes. The first one is called the lytic cycle which leaves the host cell to a lysis or death. The second one is called the lysogenic cycle where the host cell lives. T-even bacteriophages such as T2, T4 and T6 are the phage types that are most studied. Using the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a host, with the use o f lytic cycle, multiplication of the T-even bacteriophages can be demonstrated easily from one process to another.There are 5 stages involved starting from attachment, penetration, biosynthesis, maturation and release. During the first stage, attachment, the particles of the bactriophage and the bacteria collide. A chemical connection occurs between the attachment site from the virus and the bacterial cells’ complementary receptor site. A chemically produced interaction from the connection enables bonds that are weak to be formed from the two sites by using their fibered tail ends. During the stage of penetration, DNA is being injected by the T-even bacteriophages into the bacterium after connecting occurs.This is done when an enzyme called the phage lysozyme is released by the tail of the bacteriophage which in turn destroys the walls of the bacterial cell. In the penetration process, the phage’s sheath tail contracts and the core of the tail enters the cell wall. If the core’s tip has already reached the plasma membrane, the DNA from the head of the bacteriophage will pass through the tail core, it will eventually enter the bacterial cell. During the stage of biosynthesis, the DNA of the bacteriophage will initiate synthesis direction of the components of the virus by the host cell.Once the components of the virus are being put in place and are brought together into virions, the maturation stage occurs. When the lyses of the host cell and the new virions have already been released, it is referred to as the release stage (Toronto, Funke and Case; 2001). Bacteriophages have been found to exhibit a lot of features. They are tested to be of big use with local infections in relation to poor supply of blood like diabetic ulcers and infections of the bone. Unlike antiobiotics, these phages were keenly observed to multiply inside their host cell which enables them to penetrate more deeply to the area being infected.Another distinguishing feature of phage therapies is its ability to inflict no allergies, resulting to a fewer side effects. Phage therapies in addition are easier and are cheaper to produce than antibiotics. On the other hand, bacteriophages have their limitations concerning their fatality once they have already killed the harmful bacteria. But these issues should not lower the hopes of the society depending on the future developments of phages. In an interview (Society for Gen. Micro. , 2008), they have shared that modern scientists and researchers have already found ways of prolonging the lifespan of viruses.This new and possible idea is by combining them chemically with polymers but still this is limiting since it will likely cause poisoning of the blood and is surely a big threat to one’s life. The main objective of this project is to determine the longetivity of the bacterium Escherichia coli’s gaining resistance ability in two different viral invaders: the bacteriophage T-4 and an antibiotic . At the end of this project, results should report a comparison between these two, answering which has the longest and the most effective invading mechanism. B. METHODS AND PROCEDURES (EXPERIMENT PROTOCOL)Throughout the following procedures of this project, a strict Aseptic Technique will be used. During the whole duration of the experiment, a strict technique called the Aseptic Technique will be applied. According to a web article research, written by Hauswirth and Sherk (2007), they defined the aseptic technique as an accumulation of unique practices acquired and a set of processes undergone whose conditions are carefully controlled with an objective of minimizing pathogen contamination. In any type of clinical setting, the technique is used to maximize and stabilize pathogenic organisms’ absence.Its main goal is to simply protect a patient from infection and cease any possible spreading to other body parts. Prevention of infections are not achieved simply by sanitizing or disinfecting. In about more than 27 million surgical operations, surgical sites are the third most prone to more hospital infections prolonging, in effect, the hospital stay of the patient and at the same time, hospital bills become so expensive. The estimate was according to CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Hauswirth and Sherk, 2007).The main objective of performing this experiment is to identify the required length of time for a common bacterium called Escherichia coli (E. coli) to achieve its maximum log phase growth. When these cells have already arrived in its expression of maximum amount of bacteriophage receptors, it will eventually lead to an immediate vulnerability to infection. The bacterium E. coli must always be utilized at this stage of growth all through out the procedures to be able to achieve desirable results upon comparing of two different experiments.In beginning the procedures of the experiment, first, an overnight growth of culture will be prep ared to be able to supply the growth curve with inoculum. The growth of the culture will be done in a shaking incubator with a temperature of 37 degrees Centigrade. The culture preparation will also be dependent on what culture is available, its slope, its colony or plate, and inoculate broth of the culture. Second, a 1 ml of culture that will be prepared overnight and a 99 ml of inoculate nutrient broth (NB) will be taken and will be placed in a flask that is sterilized and flat-bottomed type.Through a process called resuspension, a sterilized tube containing a sample of 5 ml will be gently swirled, will be collected and will be marked Time Zero. The sterilized flat-bottomed flask will be placed inside the shaking incubator. Third, samples containing 5 ml each will be collected at a per hour interval. This will be done for 8 consecutive 8 hours and will be marked Time 1, Time 2, Time 3, Time 4 . . . Time 8. All samples will be stored at +4 degrees Centigrade. Fourth, the remains of the culture that has been prepared overnight will be left for one more night.At exactly 9 am the next day, a last sample of the culture remains will be collected. Fifth, from a sample of 400 nm and another sample of 450 nm, the OD of each sample will be measured. The LB or NB will be used but will be left blank if necessary. If in case, the OD will exceed 1. 0, both sample 1 and sample 2 that were used in LB and NB will be diluted and will be read for the second time. Sixth, the strict aseptic technique will be used in preparing for colony counts in each sample. The amount of workable cells (per ml) will be identified.Seventh, plotting will be done. A growth curve will be plotted and both the cell number and time will be involved in doing this. Eighth, another growth curve will be plotted. This time cell number and OD will be involved in the plotting. Ninth, the required time to reach the midway of the log phase growth will be identified. In doing this, cells within the time length , identified prior to the succeeding experiment, will be grown. Tenth and last step of these experiment procedures, the connection between the cells and the OD will be analyzed.All results acquired all through out the process of this experiment will be recorded and will be evaluated accordingly. References: Hauswirth, K. & Sherk, S. D. (2007) Aseptic Technique [Internet]. Available from < http://www. surgeryencyclopedia. com/A-Ce/Aseptic-Technique. html> [Accessed 8 May 2008] Tortora, Funke & Case (2001) Microbiology: An Introduction. 7th ed. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc. Craigie, J. (2002) The Significance and Applications of Bacteriophage in Bacteriological and Virus Research [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 8 May 2008]

Most Dangerous Game with the Lottery Essay

The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson portray the common theme that people remain indifferent to cruelty until they are the recipients of it. Both stories show that when the darker side of human nature centers on itself, evil prevails showing how man is innately evil and that convictions and morals can be compromised by circumstance. Both authors show that through both societal standards and learned behavior, many injustices and cruelties can be accepted as normal behavior. In The Most Dangerous Game, Connell describes Rainsford, the protagonist, as a renowned hunter. Connell uses the opening conversation between Rainsford and Whitney, Rainsford’s companion on the yacht, to enlighten the reader to Rainsford’s attitude of indifference concerning the prey that he hunts. As fate would have it, Rainsford is marooned on an island where he meets another hunter, General Zaroff. As the story progresses, Rainsford begins to see the faà §ade of civility disappear and the real nature of the General come to surface. The General explains how hunting  man is the logical progression of their art and that they are actually kindred souls. Rainsford is appalled by the comparison of their two natures and clings to the moral high ground. That is until the General forces Rainsford to now become the prey. Rainsford, now the prey, calls upon not only his vast knowledge and experience of the hunt but also his primeval instinct of survival. Connell takes the reader through many twists and turns giving hope for Rainsford around each corner only to take it away. Due to the cunningness and resourcefulness of Rainsford, the General is given literally the best hunt of his life. In the end, Rainsford outsmarts the General and kills him in the end. In The Lottery, Jackson gently weaves the reader into what seems at first to be a typical small farming community with a special event taking place. Jackson portrays how the event had lost most of its pomp and circumstance over time and that many of the townspeople wer e there out of tradition. The protagonist, Mrs. Hutchinson, is introduced in the middle of the story, rushing up to the crowd commenting how she had almost forgotten what day it was. As the names in the box are read, the heads of household robotically accept their papers. When the papers are revealed, Bill Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson’s husband, discloses he has drawn the back dot. Mrs. Hutchinson’s demeanor now changes from nonchalant to seriousness as she protests that it wasn’t a fair drawing. Now as the Hutchinson family draws another paper from the box, Mrs. Hutchinson fatefully draws the black dot. The townspeople then began to pick up stones from the pile as Mrs. Hutchinson pleads with them that it isn’t fair. The townspeople then converge on her, stoning her. Both writers arrive at the same two-part conclusion although taking different routes. Connell shows at first how Rainsford is indifferent to the game that he hunts merely for pride. Jackson likewise shows the nonchalantness of Mrs. Hutchinson to the lottery and it’s repercussions at the beginning of the ceremony. Only with the introduction of dire circumstances to both characters do they begin to examine what at one time they would have considered one of their core beliefs. Both authors then confirm that the evil nature of man is more natural of a path to take than a moral one. Connell shows this by ending the story with Rainsford sleeping in the General’s bed, leaving the question for the reader if Rainsford has now become the General. Jackson also confirms this by telling how even the small child of the Hutchinson’s is given stones  to throw at his mother. In comparison of both stories the authors convey that man is inherently evil and that choices made based on societal standards, traditions, and learned behavior may not be the morally correct choice. This confirms the passage of Scripture from Jeremiah 17:9, â€Å"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?† (KJV) Man’s very essence is that of evil and selfishness.

Business Case Study – Cctv

Case Study – Extreme CCTV (all details discussed in this case study have been taken from the Extreme CCTV case study as presented in Cases of entrepreneurship: the venture creation process (Morse & Mitchell, 2005)) Student Name: Katrina BinottoStudent Number: S3172726 Course: BUSM 2367 – Business Enterprise One 1. If you were Jack Gin, what would you do: acquire Derwent Systems, based in Newcastle, UK, to extend its reach into Europe, or focus on the IPO? When assessing if Jack Gin should acquire Derwent Systems or focus on IPO it is would be best suggested to undertake a review of the attractiveness and competitive position of the proposed acquisition. One method of doing this is through the use of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix. This matrix assesses the competitive position of the business in its current form, and the aspects of the proposed businesses, against their respective market attractiveness. (Robbins, et al. 2009) The BCG considered businesses in terms of a Cash Cow, Star, Problem Child or Dog. The case study tells us that Extreme CCTV is a growing company with specialized products that produce positive cash flow for the business, which makes it a Cash Cow. Derwent, although they had difficulties with cash flow at the current time, have a specific product base and have a recognized brand name, which sits this business in the Problem Child area of the Matrix. In order to develop a business which could become a star, Derwent would be able to provide the brand and provide recognition, and Extreme is able to provide the business the necessary cash flow to achieve a possible Star business. Therefore I believe that Jack Gin should invest into Derwent Systems as it will allow the acquisition of a recognized product with the ability to sustain positive cash flows assisting in long term sustainability of the business. 2. Briefly outline the risks associated with your recommendation and how the company could manage these risks. There are risks associated both with acquisition and passing the opportunity; Not Acquiring Derwent †¢Will lose access to a high quality high performing product †¢May risk market saturation Ability to provide competitive pricing structure for current product range should competitors produce the same products Acquisition Risks †¢Cash flow – does Extreme have enough cash flow to support Derwent requirements in the short term †¢Change management issues in merging businesses and associated staff cultural issues †¢If competitors are already engaging in the market Extreme is trying to break into – do they have a marke t dominance †¢Geographical issues – managing businesses on two sides of the globe †¢Globalisation and workforce diversity issues 3. List the benefits, and why you believe they outweigh the risks Increased market share †¢Ability to offer the market more products †¢Acquiring the good will of Derwent customers †¢The additional Intellectual property from Derwent research and development †¢Additional staff and their knowledge and experiences †¢Ability to proposed more competitive pricing structures as inputs may be cheaper as business will have greater turn over and thus may be able to purchase components in bulk †¢Economies of scale – not only for tangible inputs but labour inputs †¢Increased borrowing power with the merger of two businesses – increased assets. 4. Analyse Extreme CCTV’s competitive landscape using Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces consist of the following; †¢Supplier Power oThis component could be considered as high as with a larger volume of component turnover Derwent could access better trading terms and stronger relationships with suppliers. This would result in more reliable and competitive supply of components and with good relationship management, such as ensuring on time invoice payment, Derwent may be able to become a ‘preferred’ creditor. †¢Consumer Power oQuality would be at the forefront of the consumer’s requirements and thus this component would be considered very high. Without reliable quality products Derwent would allow competitors access to their market, reducing their cash flows and product sales. †¢Substitutes oThere are very few substitutes to CCTV. Any alternative products do not provide the same level of quality or access to the same features provided by Extreme (and Derwent) products, thus this factor is considered low. †¢New Entrants oThe possibility of new entrants into the market is low due to the fact that a number of businesses are already participating in the market, and any new entrants would need a large capital, for research and development and product development. Rivalry oIt is possible that Pelco may merge with other competitors, such as Silent Witness, and their new competitive power would be unknown at this time. Therefore this would be considered a medium risk as neither the new market nor the strategic direction of any competitors is known. 5. Analyse the opportunity using the First Screening Guide INDUSTRY ANALYS IS †¢What is the industry that addresses this market? oCCTV equipment †¢Number of competitors ?Pelco ?Silent Witness †¢Relative size of competitors oNo one competitors having a majority share in the market, which was highly fragmented. Pelco – in Extreme CCTV’s market space, from Southern California oSilent Witness – Canadian public company, worldwide networks with good growths since 1995. MARKET ANALYSIS †¢Is there a need? oIndustry had decided that CCTV use is a vital part of their overall security strategy and have experienced significant benefits oThese benefits in specialized markets, such as government agencies and correctional facilities are not being taken up by the more generalized business and consumer market. †¢Customers? oThere is clear demand for this product in government agencies, correctional facilities, and casinos proven by sales to date. More generalized usage of CCTV over time due to perceived and perhaps real reducti on of crime that has been experienced where CCTV is in use. †¢What value do you add? oThe value added service be provided would be; ?Integrated Day Night Cameras – superb performance ?Product Differentiation – a perceived distinct edge by major distributors †¢Product Life oThe product life expected from this service would be durable, as once the set up was established and trust built with customer they would be very unlikely to ‘try’ a competitor’s product. The security provided and reputation created by Extreme would see more at stake for the consumer and unless motivated by other means, such as additional services or major discounting, they would be reluctant to try another service. †¢What is the current market structure? oThe major competitors in this industry are: ?Pelco, and ?Silent Witness. oFollowing are features of services already provided; ?Pelco – provides similar products to Extreme, but at this time does not have the market reputation nor or they able provide a holistic product range as they are not able to provide an integrated camera. Silent Witness – have a product range that is able to operation in varied operating conditions, but also do not currently provide a product that allows the quality of night vision recording. †¢What is the proposed market size? oThe industry currently serves the following markets: ?Families, ?Singles, and ?Couples of any age group. †¢What is the market’s gr owth potential? oThe potential market available for this service is substantial, although it may be difficult to accurately predict. ?Gin feels that although the market is expanding he is unsure how far it will grow and what may drive this growth. Key drivers for the growth would be the increasing acceptance of CCTV usage and the merge of technologies to strengthen the security features of the products. †¢What would be the proposed cost structure? oExtreme’s proposed product offering would be to provide Derwent products under the Derwent branding, but integrate the results of their research and development which had lead to the development of the even illuminator (UF500) with Extreme’s day/night camera. This would provide a unique product to the market. Pricing for this unique product could be set above the ‘standard’ products and the pricing structure may allow scope to support ongoing research and development investments with a set portion of the pr ofit against these products dedicated to this purpose. Advertising this to the customer may encourage their increased investment in the products Extreme would provide in general. THE NUMBERS †¢Profits after tax? oCurrently Derwent profits after tax have been reducing, from $292,570 in 1998 to $159,111 in 2000. oExtreme has been experiencing good financial growth since its first year of trading in 1997. It could be considered that after Derwent acquisition that profits after tax would still be positive and in fact do have a chance of growth if the market response to the integrated product is strong. †¢Time to break even? oIt Gin purchased Derwent for $2. 6 million is would take approximately 4 years for Extreme to break even against this purchase. This is assuming that their annual profits are approximately $692,000 remains constant and that all other factors such as pay scale and in direct costs remain constant. †¢Time to positive cash? Positive cash flow would take s ome time longer than the estimated 4 years for break even. oWith the development of the desired product and ensuring its marketing and strategic placement would manage it would be possible to achieve positive cash flow very soon after breaking even. †¢ROI Potential? oThe return on investment potential is able to be seen in this business idea, but the level of ROI achievable is not able to be determined at this time as market demand is unreliable at this time. †¢Capital Requirements? oExtreme would require capital investment, through financing, to acquire Derwent. The asset base of Derwent, quoted in 2000 as being $2,353,113 in their financial statements, would provide a significant base for sourcing this finance. When considered as a whole business, i. e. Derwent and Extreme, there would be adequate assets to secure finance to complete the acquisition. The consideration needed by Gin would be the businesses ability to service this size of loan as part of normal operations. †¢Exit Mechanism? oPossible exist strategy would be to sell off the Derwent part of the company should Gin be unable to operate this part of the business. oShould t require a more significant exit from the market then Extreme could sell components and intellectual property to competitors. †¢Value? oStrategic value of the business would be high when established. It would have a solid loyal client base, established branding and market reputation. It would be able to achieve market differentiation needed to provide some assurance of long term sustainability in the market. CAN YOU AFFORD TO PLAY? †¢Production Costs? oProduction costs would differ between operating locations, i. e. Derwent and Extreme factories, as input costs may differ due to the differing localities, i. . Northern America and UK. oEconomies of scale could be achieved in bulk purchase of inputs; however the logistical issues associated with movement of stock between geographic locations may actually inc rease costs should this strategy be employed. This would have to be carefully considered. †¢Marketing Costs? oAs the market in North America currently does not appreciate the Derwent product it would be critical to demonstrate through marketing the benefits that there products, and Extreme’s on trying to enter the market, would have for them. Encouraging distributors and consumers to try the product would be critical in being able to ‘break’ into the market. †¢Distribution Costs? oDistribution costs needed to be considered would be movement of input components, where are the distributors and their clients, and would there be a ‘head office’ hierarchy set up or would the two arms of the Extreme business, i. e. Derwent and Extreme, be seen as equals in the company structure and thus have equal responsibilities and distribution strategies would be determined by each location instead of a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Prices? †¢Pricing structure would need to be competitive with other competitors where product services and capacity is similar, where there are distinct difference between what the competitor can offer and what the new Extreme business could provide the market then the ability to charge inflated prices, limited to the value perceived by the consumer, would be would become available. These potential increase profit margins on specific products could be used either as investment into research and development or to minimise the cost of borrowing. It would be dependent on any marketing strategy that would be linked with the pricing structure. †¢Costs? oBulk buying where possible would represent the best way to minimize costs for this business and achieve any economies of scale. †¢Distribution Channels? oIt would be seen that existing distribution channels to be used to promote and sell the products. As the attractiveness of the product became greater then new distribution channels would open. oAn alternative distribution would be to use the companies own resources. The staff would have the background knowledge on the development of the products and the strategic missions and values of the business and would be able to communicate these as part of their marketing strategy. †¢Barriers to Entry? oEntry into this market at this time is favorable as there are not many competitors and Extreme already holds product differentiation with its current product range. oThe ability to merge research and development from the two businesses would provide a great opportunity to emerging markets globally. †¢Legal/Contractual/Intellectual Property. There are definite intellectual property issues with this merger and then management of research and development results through this business and the proposed merger. oLegal contracts and possible supply and logistic contracts would need to be facilitated to provide opportunity for efficiencies. †¢Contacts and Networks? oContracts and networks already in place for both businesses would be used in the fi rst instance, and then with increase attractiveness of produce new networks and contacts would be developed. It is also evident within the case study that participation at trade shows would provide key opportunities to expand current networks. THE MANAGEMENT TEAM †¢The Extreme structure would remain in its current form. With the proposed retirement of Duffy, Gin would need to find an appropriate management team to continue operations of the Derwent arm of the business. FATAL FLAW/RISK †¢Existence of a Fatal Flaw oThere are possible fatal flaws in this proposal; ?Cost of borrowing required capital to acquire Derwent. ?Ability to establish a suitable management team to continue Derwent operations. ?The need to establish two geographical locations for operations the logistical issues that this may create. Staff culture issues and how Derwent staff would be received and integrate with Extreme employees. †¢Risk? oThere is a risk in this proposal in that the cost of capital required to start up the business may be prohibitive to entering the market, although the use of a merger with a business that has established distribution channels and market would reduce this risk overall. BIBLIOGRAPHY †¢Morse, Eric A, a nd Ronald K Mitchell. Cases in entrepreneurship: the venture creation process. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2005. †¢Robbins, S, R Bergman, I Stagg, and M Coulter. Management. 5th . Pearson Australia, 2009.

The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995: How Special Is It?

Cabatos 1 Lawdemhar T. Cabatos Ms. Louyzza Maria Victoria H. Vasquez English 10 21 March 2013 The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995: How Special Is It? Approved on February 24, 1995, the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, the â€Å"act providing for the legal framework and mechanisms for the creation, operation, administration, and coordination of special economic zones in the Philippines, creating for this purpose, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and for other purposes,† took effect on the very day President Fidel Valdez Ramos imprinted his signature on the bill (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916).It is the government? s declared policy to materialize state policies and provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Section 20, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states, â€Å"The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments† and Section 12 of Article XII declares that â€Å"The State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino labor, domestic materials and locally produced goods, and adopt measures that help make them competitive,† (â€Å"The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines†). By virtue of Republic Act No. 916, the Philippine government hopes to fulfill the mandates of its constitution. Before we deal on how special Republic Act No. 7916 really is, what are special economic zones (SEZs)? Defined in Republic Act No. 7916, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or ECOZONES are â€Å"selected areas with highly developed or which have the potential to be Cabatos 2 developed into agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers. An ECOZONE may contain any or all of the following: industrial estates (IEs), export processing zones (EPZs), free trade zones, and tourist/recreational centers. The law defines an industrial estate (IE) as â€Å"a tract of land subdivi ded and developed according to a comprehensive plan under a unified continuous management and with provisions for basic infrastructure and utilities, with or without pre-built standard factory buildings and community facilities for the use of the community of industries. † An export processing zone (EPZ) is â€Å"a specialized industrial estate located physically and/or administratively outside customs territory, predominantly oriented to export production. A free trade zone is â€Å"an isolated policed area adjacent to a port of entry (as a seaport) and/or airport where imported goods may be unloaded for immediate transshipment or stored, repacked, sorted, mixed, or otherwise manipulated without being subject to import duties† (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). For years, industrialization has been centered in key cities – the National Capital Region for Luzon, Cebu for Visayas and Davao and Cagayan de Oro for Mindanao – leaving other regions trailin g behind the Philippine industrialization scheme.Thus, special economic zones, as stated in the objectives of the law, are created to promote rural industrialization by transforming selected areas in the country into highly developed industrial, commercial and financial centers thereby promoting flow of both foreign and local investors and generating employment opportunities for the area? s labor force and ultimately supporting the government? s effort to reduce unemployment (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). Economic zones are also thought to promote balanced growth by providing jobs especially to rural areas.Employment generation by special economic zones, in theory, bridges the poverty gap among social classes and balances the regional income inequality among regions (Clarete and Veron). Cabatos 3 To promote the flow of local and foreign investors into special economic zones, the law provides special incentives to enterprises located in special economic zones, including exemp tions from taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code. The law states that no taxes, local or national, shall be imposed on business enterprises operating within the ECOZONES.Instead, five percent (5%) of the gross income within the ECOZONE shall be remitted to the national government. Incentives are also given to enterprises located in export processing zones (EPZs) and free trade zones. Special permits for the importation of capital equipment and raw materials that are not subject to duties, taxes and other import restrictions are given to these businesses (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). Through giving prospective investors tax incentives, the government aims to reel in foreign investors and urge local investors to establish businesses in special economic zones.Prior to the establishment of special economic zones in the Philippines, other Asian countries have already created special economic zones with the goal of attracting foreign direct investment, easing extensive u nemployment, supporting a wider economic improvement policy, and as experimental laboratories and test economies for the application of new policies and approaches (Farole and Akinci). Studies have been conducted in recent years to look into the cost-to-benefit ratio and economic and social impacts of policies enacted for the creation of special economic zones in these countries.In China, for example, the Third Plenum of the 11th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party adopted the Open Door Policy in 1978 and in 1980, four municipalities in two provinces were designated as special economic zones, opening China to global contact and influences. Almost immediately, the four special economic zones accounted for 59. 8% of the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China. Since then, the SEZs continued to result in high rates of Cabatos 4 economic growth in China (Yeung, Lee and Kee).Analysis on the economic statistics of Chinese municipalities from 1978 to 2007 showed how special econ omic zones benefit the economy of China. Special economic zones increase per capita municipal foreign direct investment by 58% in foreign-invested and export-oriented industrial enterprises. Further analysis on the statistics also showed that the special economic zones increased municipal foreign owned capital stock while keeping the domestic capital and investment at a competitive level.Special economic zones also bring more advanced technology and increased total factor productivity by 0. 6% (Wang). Despite the economic benefits special economic zones have brought to China, several cases have turned up showing unsuccessful implementation of special economic zones in several countries. Quite a number of zones have become „white elephants? , zones that resulted in an industry taking advantage of tax breaks and incentives but are unable to generate substantial employment or export returns (Farole and Akinci).Similar to the SEZs, Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) have been est ablished in South Africa. However, unlike the impressive performance of special economic zones in other countries which transformed their economies into tiger economies, IDZs in South Africa have failed to sufficiently attract foreign investments or compete internationally (Altbeker, McKeown and Bernstein). In India, the designation of special economic zones has generated and constantly increased employment in regions where special economic zones are established. Figures may seem large, but when employment enerated by special economic zones in India is analyzed on a national level, special economic zones in India accounted for only less than one percent (1%) of the total manufacturing employment since their establishment in 1966 (Aggarwal). Cabatos 5 In the Philippines, special economic zones have already been established even before the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 became a law. It was in 1923 that the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines first conceptualized the creation of export processing zones or special economic zones.By 1967 the first export processing zone, the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ) was established by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 66 of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Since then, several others have been established including two of the country? s major special economic zones – the Clark Special Economic Zone and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (Mallari and Padilla). The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 was the government? s response to the call of rural industrialization of the 1993-1998 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan.In pursuit for the aim of dispersing the industrialization scheme outside the National Capital Region, the government developed special economic zones through its Philippines 2000 program (Mallari and Padilla). With the SEZs? goal of promoting the flow of investments and generation of employment, studies have been conducted focusing on three of the major special economic zones in the country, the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ), the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, to look into the benefits and drawbacks of creating these special economic zones to Philippine economy and society.Looking into the working conditions of the Bataan Export Processing Zone, survey results have shown that majority of the labor force was composed of female workers, accounting for seventy-four percent (74%) of the total workforce, 67% of which are young or are 24 years old and below. Moreover, workers have been found to be well-educated relative to the job they have been hired for in the Bataan Export Processing Zone. Sixty percent (60%) had finished high school education and 16% pursued a post-secondary education (Mallari and Padilla). Cabatos 6 Significant difference in the wage of male and female workers was lso observed. Female workers were given a lower basic wage relative to that of male workers. Furthermore, one-third of the employees were paid below the minimum wage for the Bataan region. Despite the uneven and insufficient wages of workers, laborers sill work six days per week. A quarter of the labor force worked for 60 hours and 5% worked for more than 70 hours per week, where 46% worked overtime. The study reported that the working hours of workers per week in the Bataan Export Processing Zone were greater than the standard working hours of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week (Mallari and Padilla).In conclusion, the Bataan Export Processing Zone was observed to have failed in creating sufficient opportunities of employment for the labor force in Mariveles, Bataan because of the limited capacity of enterprises to absorb the ever-increasing supply of labor in the area. The BEPZ, despite being momentarily able to generate adequate employment opportunities, has not catalyzed the growth of other economic activities in the region (Mallari and Padilla). The Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone were creat ed by virtue of Republic Act No. 227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992. The act aimed to convert Clark and Subic U. S. military bases, together with their extensions and substations, into productive civilian and economic use of lands through the establishment of special economic zones (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7227). Similar to the performance of the Bataan Export Processing Zone, the Clark Special Economic Zone, despite having been able to continuously expand employment opportunities in Pampanga and increased the value of exports, has not proven to have generated substantial employment.The thousands of job opportunities provided for the labor supply in Pampanga is not significant in proportion with total employment of Pampanga (Mallari and Padilla). Cabatos 7 A study on the decisive factors in establishing enterprises in Subic concludes that investors opt to create businesses in Subic because of competitively-priced raw materials and the abundance of skilled and literate labor force (Go and Tatad). Add the incentives given to these enterprises and you get a multi-million dollar business enterprise booming in profit while compromising the benefits and quality of their labor force.How special then is the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 and its SEZs? We recall that the goal for the enactment of this law and the creation of special economic zones is to take the Philippine industrialization scheme outside of Metro Manila, promote rural industrialization and the spur of economic activity in less urbanized regions, generate employment and ease the regional income inequality and the poverty gap among social classes. However, there seems to be a mishap, not on the law but on the implementation of the law.In policy, special economic zones promote balanced growth by spreading the industrialization in rural regions and SEZs are indisputably effective in promoting foreign and local investments in areas where they are located. Although S EZs have been established outside the National Capital Region, it is evident that a large number of these SEZs, especially the largest and most dynamic ones have been established in areas proximate to NCR and still leaving behind Visayas and Mindanao in the economic progress of Luzon.There have been improvements in the national regional income inequality but are largely due to changes in inequality between top ranking regions in Luzon (Clarete and Veron). Just how special is it then? Cabatos 8 China and other Asian countries have done it. Why haven? t we? Is it because of the law? No. It is because of the poor system that we have, a system driven by money and stained by corruption. And unless we start the change to a cleaner, more efficient and a better system, „special? would only be in the name of Republic Act No. 7916, not on Philippine society. Cabatos 9 Works Cited Aggarwal, Aradhna. Impact of Special Economic Zones on Employment, Poverty and Human Development. † Wo rking Paper. Indian Council for Reserch on International Economic Relations. May 2007. Web. 15 March 2013 Alejandro, Ethel P. and Roselie B. Tubeo. Clark Special Economic Zone: An Assessment of Costs and Benefits. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, October 1998. Print. Altbeker, Antony, Katie McKeown and Ann Bernstein. â€Å"Special Economic Zones: Lessons for South Africa from international evidence and local. † Centre for Development and Enterprise Round Table.Johannesburg, South Africa: The Centre for Development and Enterprise, June 2012. Web. 15 March 2013 Anderson, Eric Moltzau. Economic Implications of Clark and Subic. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, September 1996. Print. Beltran, Barbara and Ma. Lumen B. Isleta. The Establishment of Industrial Estates in the Philippines: an Inquiry into the Impact of Bataan Export Processing Zone on the Philippine Economy. Quezon City: Univ ersity of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, 18 March 1981. Print. Clarete, Kenneth Jordan M. nd Alvin F. Veron. Economic Zones and the Regional Income Inequality in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics, April 2009. Print. Cabatos 10 Farole, Thomas and Gokhan Akinci. Special Economic Zones: Progress, Emerging Challenges and Future Directions. Washington DC: The World Bank. 2011. Web. 16 March 2013 Go, Marie Fleurdeliz Uy and Maria Raissa Cantero Tatad. A Case Study on Foreign Investment in Philippine Special Economic Zones: The Analysis of the Factors Significant to Foreign Firms Investing in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, March 1995. Print. Inciong, Leslie M. and Ma. Joy Kathleen U. Rabago. An Evaluation of the Economic Performance of Two Hybrid Ecozones: Subic Bay Freeport and Calabarzon Growth Network. Quezon City: University of the P hilippines Diliman – School of Economics, 16 October 1998. Print. Mallari, Christine Mae G. and Mary Prudence H. Padilla. Employment Generation and Working Condition at Clark Special Economic Zone. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, 2000. Print. â€Å"Republic Act No. 7227. † 13 March 1992.Philippine Bases Conversion and Development Authority. 20 March 2013. Web. 20 March 2013 â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916. † 24 February 1995. Official Gazette. Web. 11 March 2013. â€Å"The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines . † 11 February 1987. Official Gazette. Web. 11 March 2013 Cabatos 11 Wang, Jin. â€Å"The Economic Impact of Special Economic Zones: Evidence from Chinese Municipalities. † Job Market Paper. London School of Economics. November 2009. Web. 13 March 2013 Yeung, Yue-man, Joanna Lee and Gordon Kee. China's Special Economic Zones at 30. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 2009. Web. 19 March 2013.