My Dog, Romeo

My dog, Romeo My dog, Romeo, is the best pet anyone could have. He is beautiful and easy to care for. Playing with him is lots of fun. He always takes care of me. There isn't a better pet anywhere. Romeo is a beautiful tricolor Sheltie. He is mostly black with white and a bit of brown. Caring for him is easy because I simply have to make sure he has fresh water and food every day. I exercise him by throwing his toys. Romeo is a good pet because he is nice looking and doesn't require much care. Romeo is lots of fun to play with. He loves to play catch. He follows me around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot so I will kick it. He can catch just about anything, but his favorite is chasing a Frisbee. I really have fun playing with Romeo. Romeo takes care of me. He always follows me when I leave a room. When I am sitting on the couch he plops down right beside me. When we are outside in the woods he always makes sure that I keep up with the rest of the family. He always watches out for me. As you can see, Romeo is a great pet. I am proud of him and he doesn't require much care. Playing with him is always enjoyable. He watches over me and keeps me safe. Romeo is absolutely the best pet anyone could even have!

Treatments Of Frozen Shoulder Health And Social Care Essay

The term â€Å" Frozen Shoulder † was ab initio coined by Codman in the twelvemonth 1934. Before that Duplay in 1872, termed it as â€Å" Peri Arthritis † and the most recent Naviesar in 1945 labelled it as â€Å" Adhesive Capsulitis † ( Riyadh and Marwan 2007 ; Dias et Al. 2005 ) . It is defined as a upset in which the shoulder capsule and the connective tissue environing the glenohumeral articulation of the shoulder become inflamed and stiff. It grows together with unnatural sets of tissue called adhesions, greatly curtailing gesture and doing chronic hurting. Incidences of frozen shoulder are seen more in diabetic patients. Every twelvemonth 2 % instances of frozen shoulders are reported in US while 11 % happenings are found in single with diabetes every twelvemonth. About 40 % of patients developed frozen shoulder who were enduring from type – 1 diabetes ( Roy and Dahan 2009 ) . Most frequently there are no allied hurts or discernable cause. There are few patients who develop a frozen shoulder following a traumatic hurt to the shoulder but this is non the typical cause. Frozen shoulder is more common in people who are enduring from diabetes, thyroid jobs, bosom disease, shot, shoulder injury or surgery, station immobilisation etc. Frozen shoulder is rare under the age of 40 ; it typically strikes in the 5th and 6th decennary of life. The status occurs more normally in adult females than work forces F: M=1.4:1 ( Dias et al. 2005 ) . It may impact both shoulders either as at the same time or consecutive in every bit many as 16 % of patients ( Roy and Dahan 2009 ) . Harmonizing to Codman the three trademarks of frozen shoulder are insidious shoulder stiffness, terrible nocturnal hurting and near complete loss of inactive and active external rotary motion of the shoulder.The hurting is normally dull and hurting type. There are normally three phases of clinical presentation.Painful/Freezing phaseIt is badly painful phase in which the patient feels a perennial oncoming of chiefly nocturnal hurting. Patients do non comprehend any hurting during normal twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours activities but it may arouse with overhead activity or motion in utmost scope. This painful period stopping points for 2-9 months ( Walmsley et al 2009 ) .Frozen/Adhesive phasePatients feel same hurting as in stage 1 but it reduces a spot compare to stop deading phase. There is a celebrated capsular form progressive restriction in scope of gesture. Normal everyday activities are more badly affected. This phase lasts for 3 to 9 months ( Fitsialos et al. 1995 ) .Tha wing/Resolution phasePain in this phase bit by bit subsides, but restriction in scope of gesture increasingly increases over 1-2 old ages. Although around 40 % of patients have slight, unrelenting restriction in scope, merely 10 % may hold clinically singular long term functional restrictions ( Binder et al. 1984 ) . There are figure of intervention regimens established get downing from traditional interventions i.e. exercising therapy, galvanism, mobilisation to local infiltration of corticoids to surgical releases of the capsule, but the optimal direction of this status has been the topic of great argument, peculiarly because the status tends to decide spontaneously over months to old ages ( Carette et al. 2003 ; Dacre et Al. 1989 ) . So the focal point of this essay is on intervention modes of frozen shoulder i.e. either physical therapy or corticoids. Both are now widely used and besides researches related to its effectivity have been carried out in literature. So in the undermentioned subdivisions will be emphasizing on some of the plants done by research workers on the grade of effectivity of the two intercessions in handling frozen shoulder, along with the glance on future researches on the same. Before this will hold a brief mentality on the mechanism on which this therapy works.Mechanism of action – Corticosteroids and Exercise:Corticosteroids:From last 50 old ages steroids injections have been used for the intervention of a figure of musculoskeletal conditions. It has been proved that it is one of the cost effectual intervention besides ( Dacre et al. 1989 ) . Care should be taken while exposing persons for the steroids injection as the inauspicious effects is still an unsolved issue. Corticosteroids are fundamentally man-made parallels of the endocrine hydrocortisone. Cortisol in its physiological doses has a regulative consequence on glucose and protein metamorphosis and besides an anti-inflammatory consequence via action on polymorph and macrophage migration along with lymphocyte suppression. They prove to be an effectual anti- inflammatory drug by moving on cell atomic receptors in the control of mRNA synthesis on the production of proteins. This in bend has an consequence on the production of cytokines and other go-betweens of redness ( Saunders WB, 20 02 ) . It has been proposed that frozen shoulder or shoulder stiffness begins with an inflammatory stage, which is so followed by formation of cicatrix tissue. So the theoretical benefit of intra-articular steroid injection is that it inhibits this inflammatory stage and hence a pronounced lessening in the hurting ( Speed CA, 2003 ) . For this intent by and large in our pattern triamicinolone acetonide is used and it comes under class of medium authority drug, which carries a higher anti- inflammatory consequence along with a low degree of minerocorticoid consequence. Thus it helps in diminishing the hurting in the initial phases of frozen shoulder where hurting is the chief ailment and hence prevents farther stiffness from developing ( Saunders WB, 2002 ) . Its effectivity is mentioned and worked upon in literature. A survey conducted by Widiastuti and Sianturi ( 2004 ) compared the effectivity of unwritten vs. intra-articular triamicinolone injection and came to a decision that the subsequently provided faster betterment than the former path. Besides effectivity of steroids has been combined with exercising to accomplish a profound consequence on frozen shoulder and many other such conditions. Carette et Al. ( 2003 ) found that intra articular steroids injection in combination with exercising led to statistically notable betterment in compared to exert entirely. Ryans et Al. ( 2005 ) demonstrated in their survey that an intra-articular steroid injection was an effectual tool in bettering the shoulder related disablement which in combination with exercising plan led to an betterment in shoulder ranges 6 hebdomads following the intervention. These surveies will be discussed in item subsequently in this essay. So during the early stage of frozen shoulder where hurting is the chief concern and digesting physical therapy at this phase is about following to impossible, an intra- articular steroid injection might supply adequate alleviation for the patient to get down with an exercising plan.Exercises:Now, coming on to the effects of exercising so, physical therapy is by default the chief line of intervention for shoulder stiffness. As we know articulations require motion to remain healthy. A drawn-out period of inaction forces the joint to go stiffen and the next tissues to turn weaker. So an exercising plan that includes aerobic exercises, scope of gesture exercisings, power and strength preparation has benefits for the patients. Many patients who start an exercising plan, study less functional disablement and associated hurting ( Carette et al. 2003 ) A patient of frozen shoulder normally commences an exercising plan that includes chiefly active aided scope of gesture and soft inactive stretching exercisings ( Michlovitz et al. 2004 ) . There are a scope of combinations of exercising regimen used along with different signifiers of galvanism and massage techniques. Heat modes are by and large applied to the affected shoulder prior to the exercising and ice at the terminal of exercising. This regimen AIDSs in alleviating the uncomfortableness to an extent and hence improves the conformity with exercising. Prior to stretching it improves the musculotendinous tissue flexibleness ( Ruiz JO, 2009 ) . Now the reduced physical activity and shoulder immobilisation are of import factors of shoulder musculus wasting, reduced strength and endurance. The scope of gesture exercisings increases the sum of motion in a joint and musculus, beef uping exercisings helps in constructing the musculuss strength, while aerobic exercises helps in stabiliz ing and back uping the articulations ( Michlovitz et al. 2004, Ruiz JO, 2009 ) . Hakkinen et Al. ( 1998 ) in their survey proposed that betterment in shoulder musculus map might chiefly ensue from the nervous version taking topographic point due to the exercising preparation. It has besides been speculated that betterment in the intramuscular and intermuscular co-ordination, decreased shoulder hurting and shoulder musculus wasting along with an increased shoulder articulation mobility are all factors for betterment in shoulder musculus map in frozen shoulder patient after rehabilitation ( Jurgle et al. 2005 ) . It has besides been proved in a survey by Kibler et Al. ( 1998 ) that after an exercising plan, the shoulder muscles tends to go more free and elastic permitting chief motions in the shoulder girdle. Though it has been proved in certain surveies that rehabilitation entirely is non so effectual and in some instances it can really worsen the symptoms but physical therapy combined with other intervention regimens like steroids is decidedly a much better pick ( Jurgle et al. 2005 ; Carette et Al. 2003 )Effectiveness of Corticosteroid injections Vs. Physiotherapy intervention:Here will be foregrounding three surveies related to the above subject. Study one ( Van der Windt et Al. 1998 ) .The aim of this survey was to compare the efficaciousness of corticosteroid injection with physical therapy for the intervention of painful stiff shoulder. It was a randomised test carried out in a primary attention puting. They described painful stiff shoulder or capsular syndrome as a status that is characterized by a painful limitation of inactive scope of gesture, preponderantly of sidelong rotary motion and abduction. Based on the inclusion and exclusion standards there were 109 patients taking portion in the survey. Patients were indiscriminately allocated to 6 hebdomads of intervention. 53 took corticoid group while the remainder 56 were in the physical therapy group. Now intra-articular injections of 40mg Triamicinolone acetonide were given to the steroids group by trained general practicians utilizing the posterior path, three injections were given during the 6 hebdomads. Physiotherapy group received 12 Sessionss exercising of 30 proceedingss during which all patients received inactive joint mobilisation and exercising intervention. Besides ice, hot battalions and galvanism was used to pare down the hurting. The consequences were assessed at 3 and 7 hebdomads, with an extra follow up at 13, 26 and 52 hebdomads. The appraisal done at 13 and 52 hebdomads were by postal questionnaire and enclosed all primary result steps. Some of the appraisals were besides carried out by an perceiver blind to intervention allotment. The result steps were assessed in the signifier of Primary result steps where patients were asked to hit their advancement on a six point Likert graduated table, the hurting associated with their chief ailment and the badness of their hurting during twenty-four hours and dark on a 100mm ocular parallel graduated table and the functional disablement was evaluated with the shoulder disablement questionnaire, that consisted of 16 points on common state of affairs that may do shoulder hurting. The secondary result measured the limitation of mobility during inactive sidelong rotary motion and glenohumeral abduction with the aid of a digital inclinometer. The blind perceiver was aske d after each scrutiny to theorize which intercession the patient had been assigned to. The consequences were as follows, at the terminal of 7 hebdomads 40 ( 77 % ) out of 52patients exposed to injections were considered to be treated successfully as compared with 26 ( 46 % ) out of 56 treated with physical therapy ( difference between the groups were 31 % , 95 % assurance interval 14 % to 48 % ) . At appraisal at 26 and 52 hebdomads at that place was relatively little differentiation between the groups. So this randomized control test showed that corticoids injection were better compared to physiotherapy in footings of the success intervention, betterment in the scope of sidelong rotary motion, betterment in clinical badness and in alleviation of the major ailment, hurting and disablement. They proposed that the differences in the intercession group were chiefly due to the relatively faster alleviation of symptoms go oning in patients treated with injections. So injections may be preferred to physiotherapy in the initial intervention of painful stiff shoulder, but the physicians and patients should be cognizant of the mild but sometimes troubleshooting inauspicious reactions to corticoids that may happen. Similar to the above survey, Carette et Al. 2003 studied with an aim to mensurate the effectivity of a physical therapy intervention, intra-articular injection of corticoid, both the intervention combined and one group had merely placebo intervention of frozen shoulder. It was a placebo-controlled test. They recruited 93 patients and were randomized to one of the undermentioned 4 intervention groups: group-1 was applied steroid injection of Aristocort hexacetonide 40mg after 12 Sessionss of 1 hr supervised physical therapy which was performed under fluoroscopic counsel, given over a 4 hebdomad period ( combination group ) , group-2 had been given steroid injection entirely ( steroid group ) , group-3 had been given saline injection followed by supervised physical therapy ( physiotherapy group ) and group-4 had been used ( placebo group ) saline injection merely. All topics were asked to follow a simple place exercising plan. Two different Physiotherapy schemes were used for ague and chronic capsulitis. TENS, mobilisation, active ROM exercisings and ice application was used for the acute status while ultrasound, mobilisation, active and car assisted ROM exercisings, isometric strengthening exercisings and ice was used for the chronic 1. The patients were followed up at an interval of 6 hebdomads, 3 months, 6 months and 1 twelvemonth after randomisation. The primary result step was done by Shoulder Pain and Disability Index ( SPADI ) mark. The Short Form 36 ( SF-36 ) was used for general wellness measuring and the cosmopolitan goniometer was used to mensurate the active and inactive ROM. The response to intervention were: 6 hebdomads after the intervention the SPADI tonss had improved by ( average A ± SD ) 46.5 A ±- 5.0 in the combination group and 36.7 A ± 5.1 in the steroid group, which were significantly higher than the betterments of 22.2 A ± 4.8 observed in physical therapy group and 18.9 A ± 5.1 in the placebo group. In all the groups, scope of active and inactive gesture improved. There was a important risen in betterment of group-1 comparison to group-3. Group 1 and 2 had uninterrupted appreciably betterment in tonss of SPADI comparison to group 4 at 3 months. Group-3 and group-4 had non shown any i mportant difference at any of the follow up appraisal but it was found that at 3 months, gropu-3 had great sum of betterment in shoulder flexure scope of gesture. At 6 months following the intervention, there was no longer any important difference in SPADI tonss between the 4 groups. Active ROM was higher in steroid group than the placebo group. While at 12 months, the 4 group did non differ extensively in regard to any of the result steps. The consequences of this survey suggests that merely physical therapy intervention has limited consequence on joint scope of gesture and betterment is slow while combination of the steroid injection and physical therapy intervention improves shoulder scope of gesture at faster rate in frozen shoulder. The quality of this survey is good. The positive points of this survey are that it used valid inclusion and exclusion standards, injection disposal techniques, physical therapy intercessions all based on best grounds available. The restriction of this survey was that it had to be concluded early due to the troubles in enrolling patients who fitted the entry standards. Rest the concluding result perfectly mirrored the first survey with steroids holding a good consequence in the short term while physical therapy had limited consequence. Similar to the above survey, a recent survey was done by Ryans et Al. ( 2005 ) . They grouped the same patients as in above survey and gave triamicinolone ( 20mg ) and gave 8 Sessionss of standardised physical therapy and reviewed them at 6 and 16 hebdomads. Their outcome steps were based on Shoulder Disability Questionnaire ( SDQ ) mark, VAS for hurting appraisal, planetary disablement utilizing VAS and scope of inactive external rotary motion. They came up with the consequences that corticosteroid injection is effectual in bettering shoulder related disablement, and physical therapy is effectual in bettering the scope of motion in external rotary motion 6 hebdomads after intervention, but at the terminal of 16 hebdomads, the betterment was similar in every group with regard to all attendant steps. Though this survey used a really rigorous choice standards had used a placebo group and applied strict blinding, still they were merely able to track positive differences between interventions at 6 hebdomads compared to the old surveies. There were many losing informations in this survey by 16 hebdomads due to the deficiency of follow up of patients beyond 6 hebdomads. Besides there was no interaction noted between the two signifiers of intervention in any of the result step as was seen in the earlier surveies. So this survey is less likely a failure as compared to other surveies, it merely reinforced the grounds that corticosteroid injection is effectual for adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder in the short period of clip.Other Treatment Modalities:To handle the frozen shoulder many other progress intervention are used presents. Apart from physical therapy and intra-articular steroids the other proposed interventions are listed as follows: Traditionally unwritten and topical non-steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs are used, where necessary they are supplemented with different anodynes combination. This is chiefly prescribed in the painful freeze phases where hurting alleviation is the chief concern. However no randomised experiments that label the efficaciousness of NSAIDs in frozen shoulder are yet reported ( Dias et al. 2005 ) . Oral steroids is one of the proposed intervention for frozen shoulder in the initial phases, but as there were more inauspicious side effects, they should non be considered as everyday pattern for this status ( Buchbinder et al. 2004 ) . Suprascapular nervus blocks may turn out to be a powerful hurting stand-in, but non in motion Restoration and repeated joint dilatation may be so helpful in bettering the motion of the joint ( Dahan et al. 2000 ) . A different set of intervention is used in the adhesive stage, as the purpose here is non to alleviate merely hurting but stiffness is of more concern. Manipulation under anaesthesia is a intervention option in patients who are non able to bear the hurting and disablement connected with the status. This intervention is indicated merely if the functional disablement persists despite of proper conservative intervention for six months ( Hamdan and Al-Essa 2003 ) . Manipulation under anaesthesia helps to recover the scope of gesture and shoulder map within a period of 3 months. An arthroscopic release of the capsule is besides an advocated intervention. The plus point here in this intervention is it avoids the complication like break of the humerus as is common in use ( Dias et al. 2005 ) .Decision:In regard to the usage of this intervention option i.e. Physiotherapy and Corticosteroids farther high quality research is required, as there are still certain uncertainties which remains unreciprocated, like ; What dose precisely should be given ( 20 or 40mg ) for an effectual result? In which phase of frozen shoulder what intervention is best suited? How many injections should be administered for an optimal consequence? The path of administrating the injection, as in some surveies anterior path while in other buttocks or sidelong path has been preferred. How many hebdomads should the intervention be for an consequence to be prolonged? Therefore, a certain sum of information on these facets is still required. There is a literature on an on-going research by McDaid C ( 2010 ) , that is aimed at taking a broader position as compared to the old surveies that have focused on individual intervention and now they are happening out an overall effectual intervention regimen of the status. The undertaking will besides look into what intervention options are most cost-efficient. They will include all the patients of frozen shoulder undergoing steroid injection, physical therapies, arthrographic dilatation, use under anaesthesia and capsular release. The attack of alert waiting will besides be included and so they will seek to plot the patient attention tracts. So, to reason frozen shoulder is a most common musculoskeletal status, but no intervention has proved to be unequivocal. Though literature supports many signifiers of intervention, both operative and non operative, but this huge sum of information and conflicting nature of the grounds leads to confusion. All these interventions have possible advantages and disadvantages and as a wellness professional it becomes hard to follow grounds based thorough attack in the intervention of frozen shoulder. In the hereafter discoveries are anticipated that can take to the development of new intervention schemes and finally an improved result.

Was Mary Bloody or Misunderstood Essay

Mary became Queen of England in 1553, after she executed Lady Jane Grey. Source A, in the textbook, says that â€Å"There were bonfires and tables in every street and wine and beer and ale†, this is an account from the diary of a Londoner at the time Mary became Queen, and so it is quite reliable. Mary mistook this celebration to mean that the people of England were glad they had a Catholic Queen on the throne. So she set about trying to turn the country into a Catholic country. This did not settle well with the public and caused many Protestants to take an immediate disliking towards her. As Mary realised this she took to giving the death penalty to as many heretics as she could. Source A, on the sheet, say that â€Å"Women at their marketing, men at their daily trade†¦ all learned to know the sweet smell of burning flesh.† This was written by a historian in 1940 so it is not very reliable, however it does show that a lot of burnings took place. Source D, on the sheet, is written by D. Loades, a historian, in 1991 said that â€Å"Mary personally bears the responsibility for the death of nearly 300 heretics, but she also executed traitors more ruthlessly than either her father or her sister†A famous writer at the time, John Foxe, wrote about Mary I. He said that neither man, woman or child was spared from the cruel burnings at Mary’s hand. A section of his writing, including this information, is quoted in Source B; it was written in 1559, a year after Mary’s death, so it is more reliable than other sources. However even though it was written around Mary’s time, John Foxe was a Protestant so the information could be bias. Source E, on the sheet, written by a historian in 1990, says â€Å"The Bishop of Winchester had urged Mary to burn the heretics, but it was Mary who insisted on continuing even when it was obvious the cruel punishments were leading people to support the Protestants rather than turn to the Catholic religion.† If people weren’t listening and actually going against her, the Queen, then it would probably have annoyed her even more because she wouldn’t have had the control over the country she wanted. Therefore she might have increased the executions. Source F says that when Mary died â€Å"All the churches in London rang their bells and that night bonfires were lit and tables placed in the street and people ate drank andmade merry.† This was written by a Londoner at the time Mary died so it is a reliable source,  however he might have been Protestant which could have made the account bias. Many people thought Mary deserved the name ‘Bloody Mary’ but there was also people who thought she was just misunderstood. Source A is Mary speaking to her council in 1555, so it is very reliable, when she began the public executions â€Å"Concerning punishments of heretics, we think I ought to be done without rashness. The people must see that any condemned are treated fairly, so that they understand the truth.† I think she was saying that when they want to arrest somebody, or execute them, they should make sure they have the right facts and make sure it is the right person. This might make people think that she is being fair about who she arrests and why. When Mary married Philip of Spain, who was Catholic, England helped Spain in the war against France. The result of the war was the loss of the last place England owned on France-Calais. Now, historians agree that it was probably unavoidable, so that shows us that it was not Mary’s fault. This is a good example of how she was misunderstood because she was only trying to help her husband’s country. Source D is about this and was written in 1994 so the time is not near, however by then people will have had more information about the events following the situation. So it is quite a useful source. At the time of Mary’s death a poem was written about her: Her perfect life in all extremes Her patient heart did show For in this world she never found But doleful days and woe The poem is saying that Mary tried to be kind and patient but she was only repaid with unhappy days full of sorrow. It was written by an anonymous poet so it could be bias but it is written when she died so it is quite a useful source but not completely trustworthy. Source C points out that Mary benefited the country greatly by reforming the tax system, the Army and the Navy. This shows that Mary cared about the country and it’s welfare/condition so she wasn’t a horrible person to her people. Source E says â€Å"Lady Jane Grey and her husband were sentenced to death but Mary saved them and they were only executed after they were thought to be involved in Wyatt’s rebellion against Mary.† This source was written in 1964 by a historian so it is not useful for the time it was written but useful because  the historian would have had all the facts, however the person could have been bias. The source shows that Mary was a kind person and she wanted to help a friend who was in trouble. Source B says that it wasn’t only Mary that killed people, in Essex â€Å"between 17 and 24 people were hanged each year for common theft.† This was written by a historian in 1976 so it is quite a reliable source however the historian could be bias on the subject of Mary and whether she was bloody or misunderstood. Looking at equal evidence for both sides of the argument, I think that Mary is bloody. I think this because she has killed so, so many people just because t hey had a different opinion to her! Any person can take a dislike to somebody if they have a completely different view to them. However it takes a horrible person to go so far as to kill nearly 300 people just to try and get everybody to agree with you. Even when she knew it wasn’t working, and she was just turning people against her, she carried on. She does have some good points – for instance reforming the tax system, the Army and the Navy – however she should be doing things like that because she was the queen and she had to have responsibilities. But taking it so far was just evil. When she realised that she was just turning people away from Catholicism and towards Protestantism she should have held back and tried to turn the country toward Catholicism in a different and less murderous way. Overall I think that Mary I deserves the name Bloody Mary and that she was a terrible queen.

Mrk #1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mrk #1 - Essay Example Finally, a key aspect of any relationship is that it is balanced; one side does not hold all the power. Aspects that tend to cause problems in relationship include incompatible personalities and one person depending totally on the other person. 2. In this situation, I would let the incident go because the salesperson is consistent with hitting sales objectives. If I was to reprimand him, then it may adversely affect his performance, and this would not benefit the company. While other salespeople have a right to be concerned, I would trust the judgment of the employee who sensed that a large order was possible. However, I would remind this particular salesperson about the companys stated guidelines for customer entertainment expenses and give him a warning. I would tell him that another incident like this could potentially land him in hot water, so he needs to be a little bit more selective next time when he feels that he is close to finalizing a deal with a major

Cervical Cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus Essay

Cervical Cancer and the Human Papilloma Virus - Essay Example Most of these cancers stem from infection with the human papillomavirus, although other host factors affect neoplastic progression following initial infection. Compared with other gynecologic malignancies, cervical cancer develops in a younger population of women. Thus, screening for this neoplasia with Pap smear sampling typically begins in adolescence or young adulthood. Most early cancers are asymptomatic, whereas symptoms of advancing cervical cancer may include bleeding, watery discharge, and signs associated with venous, lymphatic, neural, or ureteral compression. Diagnosis of cervical cancer usually follows colposcopic examination and histologic evaluation of cervical biopsies. Worldwide, cervical cancer is common, and ranks second among all malignancies for women (Parkin, 2005). In 2002, an estimated 493,000 new cases were identified globally and 274,000 deaths were recorded. In general, higher incidences are found in developing countries, and these countries contribute 83 percent of reported cases annually. Economically advantaged countries have significantly lower cervical cancer rates, and add only 3.6 percent of new cancers. This incidence disparity highlights successes achieved by cervical cancer screening programs in which Papanicolaou (Pap) smears are regularly obtained. There is considerable variation of incidences, screening, diagnosis, and treatment statistics throughout the world, but the trend of the disease is considered to be resulting mainly from financial and cultural characteristics affecting access to screening and treatment. The age at which cervical cancer develops is in general earlier than that of other gynecologic malignancies, and the median age at diagnosis ranges from 40 to 59 years. In women aged 20 to 39 years, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths. There are data that indicate the cervical cancer is a preventable disease, and in developed countries, such as, in the United States, where well established screening programmes exist, it is estimated that 30% of cervical cancer cases will occur in women who have never had a Pap test. In developing countries, this percentage approaches 60%. It is a matter to be reckoned that in spite of these statistics, the worldwide incidence of invasive disease is decreasing, and cervical cancer is being diagnosed earlier, leading to better survival rates. Worldwide data indicate that the mean age for cervical cancer is 47 years, and the distribution of cases is bimodal, with peaks at 35 to 39 years and 60 to 64 years of age. Risk Factors There are numerous risk factors for cervical cancer: young age at first intercourse (

Is Kitsch always ironic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Is Kitsch always ironic - Essay Example All the above descriptions of Kitsch should be regarded as just part of a greater framework. More specifically, Kitsch can be related with various aspects of modern life with a special reference to art (as already explained above). Current paper examines a particular aspect of Kitsch: Irony. This sense is mostly related with Kitsch as part of the art trends within a particular society. In other words, the relationship between Kitsch and Irony could be developed mainly in the greater field of art. Towards this direction, it is suggested by Hjort et al. (1997, 229) that ‘the very notion of "taste" in art necessitates the existence of "bad taste" and, consequently, bad art; but bad art comes in many varieties and is subject to different kinds of objections; there is sheer technical incompetence, just to begin with (although artistic inability as such is much less fatal than it used to be)’. The above descriptions of Kitsch could be considered as valid only if referring to a rt; in other parts of social and political life Kitsch would be considered to take different format in accordance with the conditions applied on each particular area. As already mentioned above, Kitsch can have many different aspects. In accordance with a definition given by the Dictionary of Art (London, 1998) ‘â€Å"Kitsch† has sometimes been used (for example, by Harold Rosenberg) to refer to virtually any form of popular art or entertainment, especially when sentimental; but though much popular art is cheap and crude, it is at least direct and unpretentious’. In accordance with the above, it is stated by Calinescu (1987, 260) that ‘seen as a lie, a kitsch work implies a close relationship and even a collaboration of sorts between the kitsch-artist and the kitsch-man; the latter wants to be "beautifully" lied to and the former is willing to play the game in exchange for financial gain;

Strategic Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Management and Leadership - Essay Example It generally involves an organization’s objectives, mission, and vision. Strategic management is a fragmentary process that controls and evaluates the business and industries in which the organization is involved (Koteen, 1997). Moreover, it assesses the strategy of the competitors in order to set the goals and objectives. On the other hand, strategic leadership offers vision and direction for the success and growth of an organization. In order to deal successfully with the change, each and every executive need the strategic tools and skills for both strategy implementation and strategy formulation. For the purpose of the study Sony Corporation has been selected. The study will explain and discuss the strategic reasons behind the success story of Sony Corporation. Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic products for the professional and consumer market globally. Son y Corporation is a leading and successful business unit. It is the parent company of Sony Group (Chang, 2011). The organization is engaged in business practices through four operating segments, such as Electronics, Music, Motion Pictures and Financial Services. However, in order to achieve the objective of the study, key reasons behind the success of Sony Corporation have been highlighted. ... The organization has able to fulfill the narrow demand of modern people. The success of Sony Corporation can be measured through the introduction of a new innovative product and technology within the particular products (Trott, 2008). The product fame and achievements of Sony Corporation can be measured and estimated from the survey reports that are being extracted by the media houses. Sony Corporation has been ranked top 10 in the list of top 20 global brands. The relocation of electronic services has significantly raised the market of Sony Corporation by implementing its innovative strategies in business practices considering the global business area. People have also felt that the price range of Sony Corporation’s basic product is very much reasonable and the products are superior in quality. Several innovative electronic goods, such as Laptops, Mobiles, Walk-mans, TVs and many more are the successful products of Sony (Muhlbacher, Lehis and Dahringer, 2006). The quality of the products that are being manufactured by Sony Corporation is getting better and better in every year. More significantly, the innovative and creative product attributes of Sony is creating a huge brand awareness and large customer base in the global market place. Sony is one of the leading brands within this kind of product segment. As the price of the products is reasonable and the services are adequate enough, therefore, Sony Corporation gave the impression to retain its existing customers and acquire new upcoming potential customers with it. It helped the organization to maximize its business profit and stabilize the revenue of the organization. The corporation is implementing several new product and

English Topic on 'CONFLICT' comparing two micro fiction Essay

English Topic on 'CONFLICT' comparing two micro fiction - Essay Example She then goes on to describe what the neighbor would hear, and what she would think: â€Å"I would say to myself how glad I was not to be her, not to be sounding the way she is sounding, with a voice like her voice and an opinion like her opinion†. From this, the reader can infer that this person does not like how she sounds when she talks to this man, and perhaps she does not even like herself. The conflict is thus internal, precisely in being who she is. The conflict in this story is psychological, and we are not given the reasons why the neighbor would not like to be her upon hearing her voice and her opinions. The narrator in fact stipulates that the neighbor would not like what she hears, and would be glad not to be her. One can say that this is a sort of projection upon the neighbor of the narrator’s own dislike of herself when she talks to this man. The dilemma is thus in this woman’s ambivalence between liking herself and not liking However, all of this up to this point has been stipulated on the supposition that she were not herself, i.e. that she were not who she was. She resolves this conflict by saying: â€Å"But I cannot hear myself from below, as a neighbor, I cannot hear how I ought not to sound, I cannot be glad I am not her, as I would be if I could hear her.† Thus, to hear herself as a neighbor, from below, is an impossibility, as she is â€Å"not her†, meaning the neighbor, because she is herself, and she cannot put herself in the neighbor’s shoes and not like herself. The conflict is resolved in the final sentence: â€Å"Then again, since I am her, I am not sorry to be here, up above, where I cannot hear her as a neighbor, where I cannot say to myself, as I would have to, from below, how glad I am not to be her.† Given that this imaginary situation is an impossibility, the conflict is simply resolved by this

Quantitative Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative Review - Article Example One child from the household was randomly selected. Adolescents fulfilling the diagnostic criteria as well as having number of symptoms one or more standard deviation above mean were entitled to be having a psychiatric disorder. Proportional risks of unfavorable adolescent outcomes and confidence intervals at 95% were calculated for every depressive diagnosis, psychiatric diagnosis, anxiety diagnosis, substance abuse diagnosis and disruptive diagnosis. The outcomes revealed that the adolescents with anxiety, depressive, disruptive and substance abuse disorder were found to be 2.86-2.91 times more likely to experience failure in completing secondary school education as compared with young adults without psychiatric disorders. Young adults with disruptive disorders were found to be 4.04 (1.96–8.32) times more probably to get in difficulty with police during early adulthood as compared to those without disruptive disorders. The positive prognostic value of every psychiatric disorder measure for not completing school was greater in the lowest SES stratum and for adolescents criminal involvement was greater for boys. The combination of age, gender, symptom counts and social class within a logistical regression model conceded 87% specificity and 89% sensitivity at p≠¥0.13 cut off for forecasting succeeding school non-completion. Future criminal involvement on the other hand when tested at the optimum cutoff value yielded 76% specificity and 75% sensitivity (Vander et al., 2002). Going through the given study a novel technique of utilizing various symptoms of psychiatric disorders for predicting not completing school education and the involvement of adolescents in criminal behavior was analyzed. The overall model used was significant and required professional skills to handle as the sample was quite large. However since the study involved two areas of similar geography, it can be expanded to geographical units

Australian Federal Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australian Federal Elections - Essay Example Put another way, the winning candidate is the "most preferred". An electoral system is biased by the absence of universal adult suffrage that would represent a kind of bias, and most the notion of "one vote, one value" should be implemented in order to avoid a further potential source of bias. The non-partisan bias means is non-proportional representation i.e., differences between the proportion of votes obtained by a party and the proportion of seats won by it. In the Australian context, such bias is most important in the House of Representatives, although even in the Senate a party could obtain 10 percent or more of the vote without winning a seat (depending on the preferences of other parties). This is an example of what is sometimes called a minor party bias. This type of bias is even more obvious in the House of Representatives. In 1998 the National Party obtained 16 seats (10. 8 per cent of the total) with only 5.7 per cent of the first preference vote. There are two chief differences between the situations of the Nationals and the two other parties: the first is that the National's vote is more geographically concentrated and the second is the fact that the Nationals' and Liberals' preferences mainly go to each other. The rewarding of geographic concentration is an essential feature of electoral systems which use single-member districts; it was, of course, a fundamental reason for originally using single-member districts i.e., to provide representation for the electors of a particular area. Many people would still argue in favour of this, despite the growth of strong parties to reduce the strength of link between the elected representative and the district, and also despite communication systems being much faster and more extensive than in the 19th Century. Thus, in 1998, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party obtained no seats despite obtaining 8.4 per cent of the first preference votes. So, here it may be easily pointed out that the non-partisan type of bias arises as a consequence of the type of electoral system used and would apply equally to any party which has important consequences. The another systemic, non-partisan "winner's hunts" as quantified by the cube law has simply a reflection of and is not evidence of bias in drawing boundaries. The "winner's bonus" factor in Australia, known as the cube law which says that in a two-party, single-member electoral system with equal numbers of votes in each district, tile numbers of seats won by the two parties will be roughly in the ratio of the cube of their vote proportions. Single-member systems have another form of non-partisan bias, one which is often referred to as leading to a "winner's bonus". The winning party will generally obtain a larger percentage of seats than it does of votes; this is non-partisan because it usually applies to whichever party wins an election. It is actually a feature of single-member systems which a number of people find very desirable, because it tends to lead to

Try to apply kenneth waltz's three images to the origins of the cold Article

Try to apply kenneth waltz's three images to the origins of the cold war and analyze which image considerations were more important in the development of the cold war - Article Example On the one hand, Stalin as Soviet ruler tried his best to control more territories within the borders of his huge country through the supporting of Communism there. In fact, we know that countries like Poland and Hungary joined Soviet camp after these actions. On another hand, Truman’s doctrine and Marshall’s plan appeared in response to these actions from Soviet people. In particular, these Americans created thinking of Soviet expansion as the threat for USA. As a result of these misunderstandings between Soviet and American leaders, we deal with Cold War. Secondly, Waltz stresses on the differences between states as the background of conflict in the world. In fact, he distinguishes â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† states, based on their willingness to break the global peace. In context of the Cold War, Truman’s doctrine openly discussed the necessity to involve in domestic affairs of foreign countries. In other words, USA appeared as the â€Å"bad state,† because it wanted the conflict to start. However, Soviet Union had the same intention but did not show it openly. In particular, Soviet leaders considered democratic USA as ideological â€Å"bad state† based on capitalism in contrast to â€Å"good† communism. This ideological struggle led to the appearance of the Cold War. Finally, Waltz concentrates on anarchy within international relations as the source of war. In this part, he considers both individual and state behavior as an outcome of prevailing logic of thinking about the world. Because of this, establishment of any international institutions to manage global conflicts will never be successful. Since states are rational and use their own interest to guide their behavior in international system, the appearance of the Cold War was inevitable. In 1945, both Soviet Union and USA had an interest to become the world leader after

International and domestic air transportation services Essay Example for Free

International and domestic air transportation services Essay Introduction The Qantas group operates international and domestic air transportation services for leisure and business traveling, freight and logistics services .It is also provides support activities including information technology, catering ground handling, engineering and maintenance. Qantas with its dual strategy brand Jetstar flies now to more than 173 destinations in 42 countries and operates a fleet of 246 aircraft. The objective of this airline is to operate a 20-strong airbus 380 fleet by 2015.The group is also a part of the world global marketing and code-sharing alliance, which consists of 11 leading airlines. Qantas’ stakeholders are its shareholders, employees, customer, business partners and the community. Indirect stakeholders include the media, governments and non-government organizations. They all have a major influence on the business, its strategy and therefore its performance. It is to mention that Qantas group is in the unique position of having two outstanding and well established brands in both the premium and low fares categories with Qantas and Jetstar, which makes it a magnitude rival for Singapore Airlines. The headquarters of Qantas is located in New South Wales, Australia. It is split up into three main branches which include the Flying business, flying services Businesses and the Associated Services. All departments of this group have focused on one goal and that’s nothing except ensuring high quality service in most efficient way. But they long term purpose is to operate the world’s best premium airline, Qantas, and the world’s best low fare s carrier, Jetstar. Body Comprehensive Porters 5 forces analysis Nowadays, Porter’s Five Forces model is the most important force which affects the Airline industry, especially because the market is completely saturated. There are more service providers than needed in both local as well as international markets (GreenBb, 2008). The airlines continuously compete against each other in terms of customer services, technology, prices, in-flight entertainment, and many more areas (GreenBb, 2008). Actually, Porter’s Model is a business strategy tool which is used to analyze the competitiveness and attractiveness of the airline industry of which Qantas operates. It is considered as an important part of planning tool set (Kawatra, 2013).Its analysis consists of 5 fundamental competitive forces: The rivalry among existing players: Medium to High Qantas is faced with competition within the domestic airline industry in Australia from Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways and international competition from all major airline operators including British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa (all three airline operators are national flagship carriers). The fierce rivalry has resulted in high cost of competition, lower profits and slow market growth. Bargaining power of Suppliers: Medium The main factors which determine the bargaining power of suppliers include switching costs, substitute suppliers, threat of backward and forward integration and supplier concentration. The airline supplier market for aircrafts is very concentrated as there are two main suppliers, Boeing and Airbus. Their bargaining power is high in this industry (GreenBb, 2008). This restricts Qantas, along with its competitors, from exercising control over their suppliers to generate higher profit. Threat of Substitutes: Low The threat of alternative solution to international airline travel is somehow limited. However, the threat for domestic airline travel includes train, bus or car travel which is determinants of money, preference, time and convenience of the traveller. The ease of switching to a substitute increases competition (xiamichael, 2012). Hence, when switching cost is relatively low, the competition becomes higher and price becomes even more important. The airline industry is very competitive and as a result, profit margins are usually low. Also, the bargaining of the supplier is very high which undermines companies in the airline industry to exercise control over their supplier. With high entry cost, new competition into the international airline market is very low. Qantas can continue to dominate this market while still competing with domestic market using the Frequent Flyer programme increase loyal customer. Threat of new entry: Low In the world today, the airline industry is so saturated that there is hardly space for a newcomer even to squeeze its way in. The biggest for this is the cost of entry. The high cost of buying and leasing aircraft; operational activities including safety and security measures, customer service and manpower; makes the airline industry one of the most expensive industries (Q.G). Other barriers to entry which will prohibit new comers into the airline industry include Government restrictions and the brand name of existing airlines. Brand name recognition and frequent fliers point also play a role in the airline industry. An airline with a strong brand name and incentives can often attract a customer even if its prices are higher. On the other hand, a newcomer could just enter this saturated market easier with a completely new concept or technology (GreenBb, 2008). Bargaining power of Buyer: Medium to Decline The bargaining power of buyers is another force that can affect the competitive position of a company. The airline industry is very competitive as they are competing for the same passengers and switching cost between airline operators is low. As a result, the buyer power is high in this industry. There are various choices presented to customers; which usually means brand loyalty or price is the main factors when selecting an airline (Q.G). Buyers for Qantas include business travelers, leisure travelers, and travel agents. In fact, they demand value for every dollar spent, therefore they expect more and more from the airline. Qantas has the frequent flyer program which rewards loyal customers and increases switching costs for a passenger selecting a rival airline operator. Add to this, the technology developments help the Qantas to reduce the buyer power (xiamichael, 2012). Conclusion The airline industry is very competitive and as a result, profit margins are usually low. Also, the bargaining of the supplier is very high which undermines companies in the airline industry to exercise control over their supplier. With high entry cost, new competition intothe international airline market is very low. Qantas can continue to dominate this market while still competing with domestic market using the Frequent Flyer program increase loyal customer. Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| Threat Rating| Key Rational| Rivalry Among Existing Competitors | Degree of seller concentration?| Y-H| There are more airline companies as compared to the customers’ requirement, that’s why this market is saturated.| Y-H| Top class air lines are also now focusing on the lower price to gain maximum market share.E.g. Qantas has initiated jet star. | Rate of industry growth?| Y-H| Yes, it’s growing but the substitute factors also make it very hard to maintain that growth rate. And also there is Lack of diversification| Y-H| In future It would be same as it is according to today’s forecasting.| Significant cost differences among firms?| Y-H| Major costs and expenses are same but it depend on the destination airline is operating.| Y-H| Same trend will continue.| Excess capacity?| Y-H| There is immense competition in airline industry that leads to excessive capacity as compared to demand. | Y-H| Customers’ growth will be overcome by the competitors’ competition. | Degree of product differentiation among sellers? | Y-M| Qantas has both high cost carrier as well as low cost carrier.| Y-L| Innovation and technology will lead to new opportunities to the airline industry.| Brand loyalty to existing sellers?| Y-H| There is no brand loyalty by the customer because of price competition in the industry.| Y-H| Same trend Will Remain as it is.| Buyers’ costs of switching from one competitor to another?| Y-H| Just one click for changing the airline from thei r computer screen.Most of customers change the airline on the bases of price factor| Y-H| No change in near future.| Strengths of exit barriers?| Y-H| because of high capital cost for equipment (air planes) and other facilities there would be a huge waste.| Y-M| Some factor like technology might help to reduce the cost| Can firms adjust prices quickly?| Y-H| Of course with considering price strategies they would adjust.| Y-H| Same costing strategies.| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Threats of New Entrants | Significant economies of scale? | Y-M| It would cost a lot to buy/lease an aircraft| Y-H| The costs of buying or leasing aircrafts are decreasing. | Importance of reputation or established brand in purchase decision?| Y-H| The competition is based on price| Y-H| The competition is based on price| Entrants’ access to distribution channels?| Y-H| High accessibility to lots of websites and application would make it much easier and also There are flight centers and travel agencies| Y-H| With the fast growing technology it will open even more doors through the accessibility to distribution channels| Entrants’ access to technology/know how?| Y-M| professional courses which could make it possible to learn how to use the technology| Y-L| The number of skilled labor would decrease| Entrants’ access to favorable location?| Y-H| All the firms operate from airports.| Y-H| All firms operating from airports.| Government protection of incumbents?| Y-M| There should be some government regulation But it still going to be attainable| Y-L| More regulation would be needed in order to make the environment more secure and safe| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Pressure From Substitutes | Availability of close substitutes?| Y-M| Tele conference, online chats and VOIP could replace the be exactly at the place Also for short distances it could be replaced with railways, buses, personal transportation.But still it could be the best choice for long distance and international traveling and also the fastest way.| Y-H| Their impact becomes significant when the speed advantage of aircraft becomes less important| Price-value characteristics of substitutes?| Y-M| They are all the same, even sometimes it could cost more| Y-H| Substitutes’ costs will decrease while airline costs are relatively fixed.| Availability of close complements?| Y-M| Frequent flyer programs, hotels, and tour packages| Y-M| Complements environment would be limited| Price-value characteristics of complements?| Y-M| The prices are reasonable but there are alternatives than going after packages and loyalty programs| Y-M| -| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Power of Suppliers | Is Suppliers’ industry more concentrated than industry it sells to?| Y-H| Suppliers such aircraft and engine producers are consider as oligopoly | Y-M| There will be more supplier| Few substitutes for suppliers’ input?| Y-H| There would not be that much substitution for the suppliers| Y-M| There will be more supplier| Do firms in industry make relationship-specific investments to support transactions with specific suppliers?| Y-H| Airport services are concentrated in the small area of air ports but low changing costs.| Y-H| Same Trends expected.| Are suppliers able to price discriminate among prospective customers according to ability/willingness to pay for input?| Y-H| With a high competitive industry and the limited suppliers and fixed regulations price discrimination threat is highly expected.| Y-M| More manufacturers/service providers are expected.| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Power of Buyers | Is industry buyers more concentrated than the industry it purchases from?| Y-H| Because there is a very competitive industry price discrimination mostly happens | Y-M| There will be more supplier.| Do buyers purchase in large volumes? Does a buyer’s purchase volume represent large fraction of typical seller’s sales revenue?| Y-H| There would be a high scale of supply and low scale of demand with the buyer’s market| Y-H| There would be a high scale of supply and low scale of demand with the buyer’s market| Can buyers find substitutes for industry’s product?| Y-H| Separate transactions | Y-H| With more transactions expected but still not enough for a high volume purchases. | Are prices in the market negotiated between buyers and sellers on each individual transaction or do sellers â€Å"post’ a â€Å"take-it-or-leave it price† that applies to all transactions?| Y-H| Websites increased the price transparency | Y-H| Same trends expected.| Bibliography GreenBb. (2008). Industry Analysis. Kawatra, P. (2013, january). Porters Five Forces Model. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/course-notes/Porters-Five-Forces-Model-1340484.html. Q.G. (n.d.). The Qantas group international and domestic air transportation services. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/the-qantas-group-international-and-domestic-air-transportation-services-management-essay.php. xiamichael. (2012, June). Qantas 5 Forces. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Qantas-5-Forces-1021718.html.

Impact of the Olympic Games on Tourism

Impact of the Olympic Games on Tourism The potential contribution of the 2012 Olympic Games to tourism Abstract With budgets for the hosting of the Olympic Games often requiring significant upward revision before final costs are calculated there has been an increasing level of concern about the areas of benefits that these events bring to the host cities and nations. Much of this concern is focused upon the tourism benefits. Using three previous Olympic events together with the staging of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester as case studies, this research seeks to ascertain whether the predicted tourism benefit from hosting the 2012 Olympic Games can realistically be achieved or if they are simply estimates raised in an effort to justify the huge capital investment required to stage the games. The results of the case study into the three Olympic events show mixed results in terms of reality matching expectations. In particular, the area of concern in all of these events has been the failure of the cities to see a continuation of improvement to employment. However, the Manchester case study produced a positive result on all counts of tourism benefits, including employment. What makes this event different from the others is that the organisers in this case concentrated a considerable amount of effort on developing a sustainable legacy programme. The committee responsible for this programme have treated it as a separate project and this has enabled the focus of achieving benefits to be maintained. It is considered that if the LOCOG incorporates the positive aspects of this research into their Olympic planning it will be able to achieve the estimated expectations. 1.  Introduction In March 2005, four months before bid for the 2012 Olympic Games was won by London, the UK government extended the budget for this event from  £2.4 billion to  £9.35 billion, a nearly fourfold increase (BBC News 2005). In justifying this enormous increase in costs and echoing the comments of other Olympic cities in the past, the UK government and 2012 Olympic organisers have said there will be ongoing economic benefits resulting from the event being held in London. It has been suggested that many of these benefits will accrue to the tourism and hospitality sector. In support of this comment the organisers, LOCOG[1] (2007) and ODA[2], point to the fact that it is increasing hotel accommodation in the London area and, in addition, providing a number of new sporting and cultural facilities that will be available for use in the future, attracting continual leisure and tourism activities. Furthermore, it is stated the increase in tourists during the event will have the effect of increasing subsequent tourist visits to London and the UK as a whole as well as their impact during the event itself. These moves are also expected to have a positive long term impact upon tourism businesses and employment in the area. However, reports into the results of tourism benefits achieved from previous events of this nature show a different view (Madden 2002) and suggest that the claims being made by the LOCOG and other stakeholders might be optimistic. It is the resolution of this dichotomy of opinions that forms the focus for this paper. The aim of this research is to assess whether the pre-event claims being made by the 2012 Olympic organisers, which are supported by research conducted by independent researchers (Blake 2005 and Oxford Economics 2007) will bring tourism benefits to London and the UK. These will be measured against three factors, these being tourism numbers and financial benefit, hotel occupancy, and tourism and hospitality employment levels. 1.1. Aims and objectives In order to address the issues focused upon within this study, the following research question being resolved is: Whether the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games in London will provide the City and the UK tourism industry with potential benefits both during and post the event. To provide a framework and direction aimed at addressing this question, two main objectives have also been set. London 2012 Olympic Games legacy There will be a detailed and critical analysis of the intended legacy of the Games which will also examine the supporting evidence. Previous event results For comparison purposes post event reports on three significant previous events of a similar nature will be presented and evaluated. 1.2. Overview Following this introduction, section two provides an overview of the data collection method used. In section three the findings will be presented and discussed before the study is brought to a conclusion in section four, where appropriate recommendations will be made. 2.  Methodology Due to the limitations in terms of time, cost and geographical location, it has been decided that the appropriate research method to be used for this research will rely upon the collection of data from secondary sources. These will include information collected from the official 2012 Olympic websites of the LOCOG (2007) and other related stakeholders as well as independent research conducted by academics and other tourism stakeholders. Other resources have also been used, including publications available from bookshops and libraries and journal articles. Similar resource locations have been relied upon for the collection of data relating to the comparative events. Although it is sometimes perceived that there are limitations to the secondary data collection approach in this case it was considered that the depth of previous and immediate research is sufficiently robust to add value to the findings of this study. For example, sufficient academic and practical research material is available to be able to provide a direct comparison between the intentions of the 2012 Olympic Games legacy expectations and the actual results that have been achieved from previous events, including those held within the UK and in other international locations. 3.  Discussion of research findings In all events apart from the London 2012 the research conducted for this study has included the examination of the legacy claimed to result from hosting special events by the organisers and the findings from subsequent research and reviews conducted by various academic and tourism stakeholders. For ease of reference this section of the research has been divided into relevant segments. The findings of the research are presented within the first three segments and these are followed by a discussion, analysis and evaluation of these findings that will provide a conclusion to the research question. 3.1.  London 2012 Olympic Games legacy In their official legacy for the games, the London 2012 Olympic organisers have highlighted several benefits that they expect to result from hosting the games. In relation to the tourism sector, these can be identified in the following six key areas according to the LOCOG (2007), all of which are considered to have longer term benefits that will accrue to the hospitality and tourism sectors. Accommodation Included within the infrastructure costs of the games is the construction of an additional 15,000 hotel rooms, increasing current accommodation in the London area by around 15%. Employment It is anticipated that the event will require a significant increase in the numbers of persons employed within the tourism sector. This increase is expected to occur across a range of areas including hotels, restaurants and bars and other destination and attraction facilities. Numbers of tourists With 9 million tickets being printed for the games, added to the participating teams, their support staff and the international media attendance, it is expected that in excess of 10 million tourists will be attracted to London during the course of the event. Sporting facilities Of the sporting facilities being built for the games five of these will be made available for tourism, sporting and leisure use post the games themselves. Infrastructure Improvements are being made to transportation links and a regeneration programme for areas of London will be taking place, thus making these places more attractive to tourists. Destinations and attractions The creation of a new Olympic Park, which in addition to recreational facilities will have areas dedicated to the creation of natural wildlife habitats, is designed to add to the attraction of London as a tourist destination. 3.2.  Findings of anticipated tourism benefits of the 2012 Olympic Games Several studies have been commissioned and conducted in an attempt to evaluate and predict the economic benefit that will result from London’s hosting of the Olympic Games. Having considered these studies, it has been decided that those most appropriate to this study are the study conducted by Oxford Economics (2007) and Blake (2005). In both cases the central determinates of expectations have been used. The findings of the Oxford Economics (2007) study were based upon a comparison of the results studied from fifteen previous events of the same nature. The results suggested that the net tourism gain in financial terms during the years from 2007- 2017 will be  £2.09 billion, of which  £1.47 (70.33%) will be directly attributable to London. In analysing this result, the following can be drawn from these figures when compared between the pre-games; event and post event periods (figure 1). Figure 1 Tourism financial benefits Benefit Pre-Games Games Post games London Percentage 17% 35% 48% UK Percentage 15% 31% 54% London Fiscal  £249.9 million  £514.5 million  £ 705.6 million RUK Fiscal  £ 63.6 million  £133.4 million  £ 423.0 million UK fiscal  £313.5 million  £647.9 million  £1128.6 million Data source: Oxford Economics (2007) These results are largely supported by the research conducted by Adam Blake (2005) who, by using a combination of prediction methods, also agrees that although there is a small rise in pre-games spending the major benefits are attributable to the year of the event and the subsequent period. However, in addition to the financial statistics Blake’s research also provides statistical information in respect of the three main issues being studied within this paper. For example, in terms of the increase in tourist numbers because of the event it is anticipated within this research that the following changes in percentage terms would be achieved (figure 2) over and above the anticipated growth in this area. With regard to the increased numbers of full time employment position created, Blake (2005) also anticipates that this will increase because of the games, particularly within the following areas (see figure 3). Figure 3 increase in FTE Sector 2005-2011 Pre-Games 2012 Games 2013-2016 Post games Sports Facilities -302 4,361 708 Hotels 2,554 1,686 2,972 Bars 2,094 952 2,359 Land Transport 292 3,057 -701 Air Transport 661 191 745 Visitor attractions -11 1,062 -40 Therefore, it is concluded by both of the studies examined that the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games by London will produce positive and lasting tourism benefits for both the city itself and the country as a whole. 3.3  Findings from previous similar events For comparison purposes, four previous events have been used within this research. These include three prior Olympic Games held in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) and the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester in 2002. To provide a detailed analysis of the tourism benefits in the case of the four the research has been concentrated upon analysing the statistical returns for the six years prior to the event, the year of the event and the four subsequent years. In terms of timescale this therefore will relate to the 12 year period being used for estimations by the researchers into the tourism benefits of the London Olympic Games event (Blake 2005) and therefore is anticipated to produce a reasonable set of comparatives. Atlanta 1996 The 1996 Olympic Games, hosted by Atlanta, also saw its financial cost rise from a budgeted $1.7 to over $2 billion, which equated to a 30% increase (Humphreys and Plummer 2003), much of which increase (70%) had to be funded from the public purse. Tourism numbers and their spending in Georgia during the year of the Atlanta Olympic Games increased by approximately $1.5 billion, achieving a record $14.7 billion in 1996, which was a considerable increase upon the previous seven years results. However, this revenue fell back in the following three years and only exceeded the 1996 record in 2000 when revenues reached $15.5 billion. Tourism numbers for the state of Georgia also increased during 1996 and 1997 as a direct result of the games. In the subsequent years however, as Engle (1999) research indicated, this did not resolve itself into longer term benefits, due partly to the fact that the city of Atlanta lost a considerable amount of business convention tourism. This has affected hotel occupancy post the games event, which has remained static at 64% throughout the twelve year period. In terms of the tourism benefit for employment, the result in this case was that in the 77,000 additional jobs anticipated were created as estimated by the year of the games. However, a considerable percentage of these were short-term positions and less than half that number remained long-term (Engle 1999). Nevertheless, this does show a positive benefit to the community. Sydney 2000 In real terms the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 cost twice as much as its predecessor, with even the estimated budget of $4 billion (Madden 2002, p.9) being exceeded when the actual costs were computed. The tourism benefits relating to the numbers of tourists and their spending in this instance can only be identified for Australia as a whole[3]. These show that the numbers of tourists grew from just under 5.8 million in 1994 to 8.672 million in the year 2000, an increase of 47.33% during the period, nearly a quarter of which was achieved in the year of the games being staged. In the four years subsequent to this time there has been a further increase in tourism of 14.24%. All of the increase was achieved in 2004 following three years that showed a total drop of 2.39%. However, in terms of revenue impact, the statistics show that tourism spends has fallen in the twelve year period by around 2%. These results have been reflected in the rate of growth of hotel occupancy, which has seen a similar pattern of growth during the period under review (Arthur Andersen 2000). However, one are of concern relative to potential tourism benefits from the Sydney games is the poor performance of employment. Despite a rapid growth in this area in the years leading up to the games, post the event there has been a sharp reversal of this trend (figure 4), with the New South Wales showing the sharpest fall. Two other issues that have detracted from the tourism benefits of the Sydney 2000 games include the fact that the city has still not managed to make some of the facilities pay for themselves, which has left the authorities with a bill of around $46 million per annum (Owen 2005). Secondly, although during the year of the games tourism spend increased in the areas and for the businesses located close to the facilities, those not within the immediate vicinity suffered a loss in revenues during 2000 (Owen 2005). These costs are seldom accounted for by bid organisers and promoters but they do have an impact of the profitability levels for the tourism and hospitality sectors. These results show that the legacy of the Sydney games has been mixed in terms of the subsequent tourism benefits that it has brought to the city and the country. Athens 2004 The cost of the Athens Olympic Games again doubled against the previous games (Associated Press 2004). However, in this case there was a mitigating circumstances as these were the first games to be held post the 9/11 event, which led to additional security costs totalling $1.5 billion, a factor that is becoming increasingly important at events of this nature ((Baade and Matheson. 2002a, p.5). Athens has seen mixed results in terms of the tourism benefits culminating from the games. In terms of the tourism numbers in the year subsequent to the games this showed a rise of 10%. (Hubbard 2005). However, other subsequent reports reveal that the facilities constructed for the games have not been made full use of in the past four years (Hersh 2008), leaving the country’s tourism sector in a position where it has not capitalised upon the impact of the event. Nevertheless, in terms of the revenue received from tourism in Greece, in the four years from 2000 to 2004, this rose from $17.7 billion to $29.6 billion, an increase of over 67% for the period. This has resulted in an increase in hotel occupancy during the same period. However, like other of the case study cities, there has not been a marked improvement in the levels of employment in the tourism industry experienced since 2000. Therefore, it would appear that some of the tourism benefits from the Athens Olympics have centred solely on the year of the event whilst others have had an extended lifespan. Manchester 2002 The last major international sporting event to be held in the UK was the Commonwealth games in Manchester in 2002. In regards to cost the budget and eventual cost of this event was insignificant when compared with the Olympic Games but, at around  £80 million it is still an investment that is expected to produce a positive return in relation to tourism benefits for the area. The Manchester Commonwealth Games legacy programme anticipated that the games would produce the following benefits for tourism in the area (Ecotec 2007): 300,000 new visitors a year spending  £18 million in the local economy Increase in mid-range hotel accommodation 6,400 new jobs According to recent reports (Ottewell 2006) tourism in Manchester has seen a significant growth in the past eight years, which reflects the benefit that hosting the Commonwealth Games has brought to the area. Visitor numbers have risen from 79 million to 94 million between 2000 and 2005 and tourism spend has seen a growth to a level of  £3.92 billion ( £3.05 billion in 2000). Furthermore, in terms of tourism related employment, this figure has also risen to 59,046 in 2005 (51,704 in 2000), an increase of 7,342. When these figures are compared with the estimates that were produced as part of the original bid calculations it is apparent that in all areas the expectations have been exceeded. This shows that the city has certainly benefitted from the legacy programme that used a considerable element of the capital budget set aside for the games has had the desired effect and produced the required returns (Eurotec 2007). The positive result achieved in this instance is further evidenced by a statement given by one of the games organisers in 2007. â€Å"We estimated that  £22m in business benefits across the northwest derived from the Games at the time,† says Rosin. â€Å"There was  £2.7m added value for every  £1m invested. There has been investment in the financial sectors, in the city centre and in particular in east Manchester. Associated retail development and the creation of employment for local people in this area can be directly attributed to the Commonwealth Games† (Editorial (2007). These results have occurred despite the fact that in other areas of the economy, including the GDP, Manchester has seen less of an improvement (Ecotec 2007). 3.4.  Discussion Perhaps the most important aspect of the findings to note is that, from the time of the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, the cost of hosting this four year event has escalated at an ever increasing rate. In fact, as the following graph shows (figure 4) the capital investment has doubled on every occasion, including the latest event in Bejjing in 2008. Despite the fact that in most cases a proportion of the costs can be defrayed as a result of sales of media coverage and sponsorship, valued at in excess of $1 billion per event (CBS 1988), this cost escalation does mean that the expectation in regards to the return achieved on this investment has also risen. In other words the benefits, including those enjoyed by the tourism sector, need to have shown significant improvements. However, if the cost of the London Olympic Games in 2012 does not escalate from its current costs of around  £9 billion, it will not only be the first time the games cost have reduced since 1996 but also its return expectations will be lower. Nevertheless, when the expectations of the LOCOG (2007) and other researchers (Blake 2005) are considered against the actual results that have attached to the three previous Olympic Games events being used as comparisons, it is apparent that there are concerns that the London organisers need to consider. In particular, two issues seem to be a recurring problem during the years following the games. The first of these is the use and capitalisation of the sporting venues. In the cases of both Sydney and Athens these have proved difficult to make economically viable post the event. The second issue is tourism employment. In all three Olympic Games case studies, this area of benefits does not seem to have continued to any great extent post the games. However, the result of the Manchester experience has shown that there can be tourism benefits in all of the major areas that have formed the focus of this study. In this city tourism numbers, tourist spend, hotel occupancy and employment have all seen continued growth both at the time of the Commonwealth Games and during the subsequent three years. One of the major differences between this case and the others is that a considerable amount of the investment raised for the games was directed into a definitive legacy programme, which was treated as a separate project and aimed to be an ongoing process rather than culminating in 2002. 3.5.  Summary and evaluation One of the difficulties of evaluating a research issue of this nature is that it is impossible to perform an exact comparison as each event takes place during a different chronological period. For example, an issue that can be said to significant alter the results would be the economic position of the country and other countries during the timescale being evaluated. Furthermore, the detailed statistics in each case is kept in a differing format which adds to the analytical difficulties. However, by accessing and comparing the information relating to each case study from a range of previous researches it is considered that the information and findings presented have been able to be appropriately verified and can therefore be considered reliable. Therefore, although studies by other researchers (Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002) and Gratton and Henry (2001)) have indicated that the Games have not impacted upon following years GDP as a whole, it is considered that this has been due to other economic factors and not relevant to the benefits or otherwise of tourism. 4.  Conclusion and recommendations The research question set at the commencement of this research sought to determine: Whether the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games in London will provide the City and the UK tourism industry with potential benefits both during and post the event. Despite the limitations of the research conducted for this paper, this being restricted to five sporting events that have occurred within the past twelve years, it is considered that, with certain provisions, the response to this question is that the hosting of the 2012 Olympic games can produce potential tourism benefits for London and UK both during and in the years following the event. Whilst the comment of Baade and Matheson (2002, p.98) that the evidence suggests that the economic impact of the Olympics is transitory, onetime changes rather than a steady-state change, is concurred with to a certain extent, it must be tempered with the fact that in certain areas of tourism benefits have been achieved. The poor results they refer to is more due to lack of planning and management by the organisers rather than any external forces or influences. In this respect therefore, it is important to provide the following recommendations to the organisers of the London Olympic Games that should be considered if they wish to achieve a successful and sustainable outcome for the tourism industry. 4.1.  Recommendations In essence recommendations being made can be determined within two main areas, these being related to the planning and execution stages. Planning An essential element of the planning for Olympic Games events is to take notice of the research that has been conducted For example, in this instance the research conducted into the three games that have been used as case studies within this research have all identified areas where improvements might have been made, both at the planning stage and subsequently. Furthermore, research into the Manchester sporting event has shown the benefit of have an identifiable and robust legacy programme which, to a certain extent, should operate independently of the event itself and continue into following years. This position has provided dividends for the Manchester tourism industry that have surpassed the expectations. Execution Secondly, the execution of the legacy strategy is important. All aspects of the post event period have to be meticulously planned and implemented within the required timescale, which as the Greek tourism minister indicated, includes the immediate six or seven months post the games (Hersh 2008), as this is a critical time to build foundations for future success. 4.2.  Summary If the London organisers learn from the lessons of past events and particularly take on board the successes that have been achieved in Manchester, there is no reason why the games should not produce a series of lasting benefits for the London and UK tourism sectors. References Arthur Andersen (2000) â€Å"The Sydney Olympic Performance Survey: The Sydney Olympic Games on the Australian Hotel Industry,† Mimeograph, November 2000, pp.1-7. Associated Press (2004). Games cost Athens over $8.5 Billion. Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5761646/ (Accessed 23 December 2008) Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002). Bidding for the Olympics: Fools Gold? In Transatlantic Sport, edited by Barros, Ibrahim, and Szymanski. Edward Elgar Publishing. New York, US. Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002a). Mega-Sporting Events in Dveloping Nations: Playing the Way to Prosperity. Available from: http://www.williams.edu/Economics/wp/mathesonprosperity.pdf (Accessed 23 December 2008) BBC News (2005). London plan at a glance. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/london_2012/4025027.stm (Accessed 22 December 2008) Blake, A (2005). The Economic Impact of the London 2012 Olympics. Nottingham University Business School, Nottingham, UK CBS (1998). Television, sponsorship revenue could top $800 million. CBS Sportsline wire reports. Available from: http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/news/feb98/revenue2398.htm (Accessed 24 December 2008) Ecotec (2007) An Evaluation of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme. Available from: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Evaluation_of_Commonwealth_Games_Legacy_programme.pdf (Accessed 23 December 2008) Engle. S.M (1999). The Olympic Legacy in Atlanta. University of New South Wales Law Journal. Vol. 38 Fizel, John., Gustafson, Elizabeth and Hadley, Lawrence (1999). Sports Economics: Current Research. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Fort, Rodney D and Fizel, John (2004). International Sports Economics. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Hersh, P (2008). Athens post-Olympic Legacy: Empty spaces, unsightly venues, uncertain tomorrow. Chicargo Tribune, Chicago, US Hubbard, A (2005). Olympic Games: Athens’ legacy bigger than the pounds 7 billion bill. The Independent, London, UK Gratton, Chris and Henry, Ian (2001) Sport in the City: The Role of Sport in Economic and Social Regeneration. Routledge. London, UK Humphreys, Jeffrey L and Plummer, Michael K (2003). The economic impact of hosting the 1996 summer Olympics. Available from: http://www.selig.uga.edu/forecast/olympics/OLYMTEXT.HTM (Accessed 22 December 2008) Humphreys, Jeffrey M. and Michael K. Plummer (1995). The Economic Impact of Hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Atlanta, US. LOCOG (2007). UK Olympics: Our plans. London 2012. Available from: http://www.london2012.com/plans/index.php (Accessed 28 December 2008) Madden, John R

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay The financial markets are the pivotal function of a modern economy. By aiming towards an increased level of integration, there will be a more efficient allocation of economic resources and long term economic performance (European Commission, 2005). It has therefore been the EUs policy to complete a single market in financial services (being a crucial part of the Lisbon Economic Process  [1]  ) for addressing EUs global competitiveness. Since the economic crash and subsequent global crisis there have been calls for closer monitoring of the financial system and better EU coordination. With the failure of the Lisbon Strategy outlined in 2000 (Wyplosz, 2010), many parties has urged a relook at the model particularly with the global economic crisis afflicting the EU. With the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008, there has been no shortage of politicians rushing to describe what is to be done differently in the financial sector in future (Dullien Herr, 2010). The financial crisis has made it clear that the financial markets are in clear need of reforms and a far more effective regulation to govern the future growth of the financial markets in the EU. While the topic has now focused on the Eurozone crisis, the financial market regulation at both national and EU level, has been experiencing a great deal of changes for which some of the important areas of the EU market regulation, ongoing process and most significant plans evaluated. The strength and confidence in financial markets will need to be re-established as pointed out by the Director General (2010). The European Commission has presented several draft directives that is undergoing evaluation by the decision making bodies around Europe. Unlike the US, the EU has had several attempts in harmonising the financial markets (through the Lisbon Process) albeit not entirely successful. While all the financial institutions in Europe are very closely linked to each other, there has been a lack of a uniform basic regulation for financial supervision as national governments tend to pursue those which is in the best interest of their country rather than the region. This therefore allowed institutions from neighbouring countries to enter into risky transactions in those markets with tight supervision but greater access of capital. The European Commissions directives are now letting several of the directives be considered for legislative purposes. Higher capital requirements for banks. Establishment of an European ratings agency that independently evaluate securities of issuers. New rules for Derivatives Trading and Securitisation Creation of a European System for Financial Supervision with a Risk Board being set up alongside those issues mandatory instructions to national supervisory authorities. This however will be a challenge to the EU as such measures would potentially affect the sovereignty of individual national governments to pursue internal policies, something which several European nations are not willing to give in as seen in the Greek crisis. Such directives are not expected to be introduced by end 2010 with expectations gathering that these directives themselves will be watered down from its original form making it toothless for enforcement purposes (Dullien Herr, 2010). Business Cycles Despite coming out of the recession in the 3rd Quarter of 2009 (European Commission, 2010), confidence in the industry is relatively low despite the positive growth generated compared to 2008. Current momentum suggest that recovery of economic activity will continue in coming months although the European Commission has cautioned on the fragility state (European Commission, 2010) [Insert Graph 2] Consumer sector wise, confidence improved from its decline in May 2010 with unemployment fears receding and a generally positive optimism on the general economic situation. This however remains below the long term average which reflect the cautious sentiment adopted by consumers. [Insert Graph 3] Beyond the rebound, recovery is proving to be slower than in past cases. The EU, like other developed economies will struggle with its aftermath for some time in the future (European Commission, 2010) Savings Rate Savings rate are generally higher amongst several EU nations as compared to US household in general (Harvey, 2004). There has been a decline in recent years as per researcher Tina Aridas (2010) from the Global Finance Magazine, the magazine hasd stated that between 2007 and 2008, the European Unions household saving rate was lower than in the euro area, due mainly to the low saving rates in the UK and the Baltic countries. The US saving rate was low compared with both the EU and the euro area. With the passing of the worst effects of the global crisis from 2008, EU households are again faced with the Euro confidence crisis that constraints the regions ability to recover faster than other regions (as it struggles to with unemployment, high deficits and generally bearish economic prospects outlook) (IMF, 2010). The general household will now need to brace themselves for further cuts in income as major EU member nations embarks on tough public spending cuts (Traynor, 2010). Recovery Eur opean economies are expected to be gradual and uneven as most of the savings gain from budgets cuts is utilised for loan repayment for the past debts incurred. SOCIAL Demographics Based on the latest 2008 projections done by the Commission of the European Communities (EUR-LEX), the EU is facing unprecedented changes in the populations. This development would represent a challenge for the governments to review and adapt existing policies as it continues to shape the social structure of the EU population. Demographic ageing, i.e. the increase in the proportion of older people, is above all the result of significant economic, social and medical progress giving EU citizens the opportunity to live a long life in comfort and security which is not without precedent in the regions history (EUR-LEX, 2006). This has become one of the main challenges for the EU as the following demographic trends observed throughout the member countries with various magnitudes. Fertility rate: Fertility rate at the last estimates for 2008 by EUR-LEX stands at just over 1.5 children with a growth forecast 1.57 by 2030 (2009, p.21). In all EU countries, the fertility rate would likely remain below the natural replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman that is needed in order for each generation to replace itself. A period of slow growth and in most cases- actual decline in the population of working age in the region will constraint countries ability to grow from within (due to human capital constraint). Mortality rate: The Life expectancy has been rising steadily since the 20th Century, with an increase of two and a half years per decade in the countries around the world holding the record of highest life expectancy (EUR-LEX, 2008). The EU projects that life expectancy for male would increase by 8.5 years over the projection period, from 76 Years originally in 2008 to 84.5 by 2060 (EUR-LEX, 2009). For the female, life expectancy at birth would increase by 6.9 years, from 82.1 in 2008 to 89 in 2060, marking a narrowing life expectancy gap between both genders. Most of these increases in life expectancy itself (from birth) will come from recent EU member states (Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia etc). Children in the EU today will face a high chance of living to their 80s or 90s in the long term especially if they are from Western Europe with mid-high socio-economic status. Net Migration: Migration already plays a predominant role in population growth today: in many Member States, the size of net migration determines whether the population still grows or has entered a stage of decline (EUR-LEX, 2009). Annual net inflows to the EU are assumed to total 59 million people, of which the bulk (46.2 million) would be concentrated in the euro area. The trend according to the EUR-LEX study, assumes that this will decelerate over the projection period, falling from about 1,680,000 people in 2008 (equivalent to 0.33% of the EU population) to 980,000 by 2020 and thereafter to some 800,000 people by 2060 (0.16% of the EU population). Interviews conducted with respondent concur with the migration trend noting that the continued need for foreign talent to drive further economic growth in the EU. It is therefore only a matter of time for EU to work towards a harmonised migration policy for its member states to consider for ensuring a sustainable growth between its own EU citizens with those from outside non-EU countries. Net migration flows are assumed to be concentrated in a few destination countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Making full use of the global labour supply through net migration will be increasingly important and requires ensuring that immigrants are effectively integrated into the EUs economy and society for today and the future. Education Education and training have an important place in the Lisbon strategy for jobs and growth (European Commission, 2009). EUR-LEX studies expect that the ratio of children and young people to the working-age population will shrink over the coming decade. Nonetheless, the education and training systems in the EU are generally improving. The EU benchmark  [2]  on mathematics, science and technology graduates was already reached before 2005. New growth has been registered in maths, science and technology graduates which were more than the original target set. Although good, benchmarks on early school leaving, completion of upper secondary education and lifelong learning were the opposite with literacy rate amongst young children on the decline. The respective countries will now need more effective national effective to address this fall. Entrepreneurial Spirit The Commission defines Entrepreneurship as the mind set and process [needed] to create and develop economic activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound management, within a new or an existing organisation (EurActiv.Com, 2004). SMEs are considered the backbone of the European economy, providing jobs for millions of European citizens and are the basis for economic innovation. Back in 2004, conditions for SMEs and start-up companies are not as favorable in the EU as they are in the US making entrepreneurial initiative and risk-taking less developed. EU citizens are almost evenly divided in their preference for being self-employed or having employee status with many still preferring the comfort of being a salaried employee (European Commission, 2009). In general results showed that from 2007 to 2009, EU citizens view on entrepreneurs are mixed with almost all countries more likely to agree that entrepreneurs are only concerned with profit or that they exploi ted other peoples work to their own benefit. The population in general prefer to either save the money or use it to buy a house or to repay their mortgage rather embark on risk taking ventures that threaten their way of life. The high level of migrants from countries to particularly wealthy EU Member States will however serve to showcase the entrepreneurial spirit in the economy. As many arrive with the intention of making a better life for themselves and their families, the majority of the SMEs arising comes mainly from this group of people, there will certainly be no lack of such entrepreneurial spirit in the EU in the near future. Lifestyle changes Recent evidence shows that in industrialised countries people do not only enjoy longer life expectancy, but they are also experiencing better health conditions in old age due to both healthier lifestyles and more effective pharmaceuticals allowing people with chronic diseases to control the adverse effects of illness (European Commission, 2009). The continuing improvements of the populations healthy ageing in the EU reflect the desire for a sustainable lifestyles, healthy environment amongst the people moving forward. With the Maastrich Treaty, the explicit mentioning of public health as an area of competence of the EU reinforces the expectation that having a sustainable, healthy lifestyle will be the way forward for the EU. Clearly, pharmaceutical drugs (patent or otherwise) will continue to provide a vital service to the EU population. Changing household and family trends need to be taken into account as the number of low income, single parent families increases. As a result of the higher involvement of woman in the work force (either due to higher education or contribute to existing family income), the economic crisis along with the spending cuts instituted at present is expected to create a more prudent, budget oriented household as the situation forces families to rein in their spending for essentials. Healthy lifestyles will become a more viable daily practice as a preventive measure against sickness as compared to incurring medical bills in the household due to illness. Social Mobility A simple meaning on the term social mobility refers to the degree to which an individual or groups status is able to change in terms of position in the social hierarchy. Population with the greatest access to education and adopting a more tolerant, if not more open attitude towards the society will tend to experience a higher level of social improvement (Blanden et al, 2005). Historically, the EU social mobility are mixed based on Blandens research study (2005) and Breen (2004) as countries like the UK and Ireland seen as generally more rigid with any mobility associated with parental income and educational attainment. Over the years since the formation of the EU, the mass migration of citizens with different social background has presented a difficulty task in further upgrading their mobility within the society. With the economic crisis, the younger generations in EU member states will now struggle to scale upward especially with the loss of family income and limited government supp ort marking a risk that any cycle of poverty that an individual household will face is repeated. This is more so as essential cost such as health care becomes more costly towards a household attempts toward improving living standards while aiming to scale towards a better way of life for themselves. Altitude towards generics vs patented drugs Our interview with Dr. [David Lu] and subsequent research revealed that the acceptance of generic drug by patients throughout EU are different. Since the mid-1990s, dispensing of generic drugs has been largely different amongst member states of the EU with countries like UK, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands having a wide acceptance of generic medicines dispensed in its healthcare system (WHO, 1997) as compare to France, Italy and Belgium. Based on our discussion, these were due to the perception build in patients mind on the generics effectiveness and reimbursement incentives given to doctors and pharmacists for sale of these products. This has remained a barrier by many in the generic business towards successfully penetrating the market. Researchers have pointed out on the need for a harmonised pricing mechanism to help generics manufacturers obtain higher market share (Burgermeister,2006). All interviewees are however, sceptical of such standardisation and are in agreement that such step by the EU will be unlikely owing to the different political, social and cultural environment that EU members are. Generic drug manufacturers will need to continue tailoring different marketing strategies to increase patients trust in their products accordingly and not adopt a standard approach for the member states if it intends to compete effectively for the market share. TECHNOLOGY Recent Technology Developments: In this modern age, the pace of technological changes is accelerating at a rapid pace. The generic drug industry is of no exception with the following technological factors that currently in the limelight. Internet The further rapid expansion of the internet to new retail lines such as online pharmacies or also known as mail-order pharmacy has enabled patients to consider a cheaper alternative to purchase medicines. Such services would tend to promote generic alternatives through offering of price and product range comparativeness when patients access their websites. Whilst the cost and convenience aspects have long been an attractive feature for the online aspect of this business, several worrying factors have emerged as a result. Counterfeit medicine This problem was first addressed in 1985 (Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, 2010) in the World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting with experts. With the explosion of e-commerce from the year 2000, the problem has increased substantially with the magnitude difficult to access due to the variety of the information sources available (WHO, 2010). While the European Commission proposed several features to be present on the medicines (i.e. mass serialisation, seals etc) (British Generics Association, 2010), counterfeit medicine remains a growing threat. Currently, counterfeiters tend to focus on expensive patented drugs rather than generics but as global acceptance on online purchasing increases, counterfeit drugs are increasingly being detected in the supply chain marking a issue of concern for generic manufacturers as any products discovered as counterfeit can easily harm patient confidence in the generic brand besides endangering lifes. As over 50% of the medicines purchased online are f ound to be counterfeit (WHO, 2010), monitoring of counterfeit drugs particularly those purchase from cyberspace has become a necessity for the pharmaceutical industry. Patient Data Protection Usage of online purchasing for medicines by patients on illegitimate sites has resulted in the risk of private and personal health information being disclosed publicly to unscrupulous operators (Berstein, 1999). The issue of spamming has become a major concern for most internet users as likewise for the sick and vulnerable patients that choose to source cheaper medication which in this case, is the generic drugs available. Private health and financial information (i.e. credit card numbers) can be compromised to criminals that puts the pharmaceutical companies with bad publicity should anything occurs. New Products and Research Development (RD) Expenditure Increasingly, the RD spending by the pharmaceutical industry has been on a decline forcing leading drug manufacturers to rely on existing lines of drugs for revenue generation (Kollewe, 2010). Based on a report by CMR International disclosed in The Guardian newspaper, the level of RD spending had slipped by 0.3% in 2009 following a 6.6% drop in 2008, marking an increasingly difficult period as leading pharmaceutical companies shows only 7% of sales originating from new drug launched in the past 5 years. A decline in the success rates for new drugs to be introduced into the market is a major factor as the industry faces a patent cliff  [3]   for which generic manufacturers will increasingly benefit. In recognition of this, pharmaceutical groups have embarked on MA routes with smaller firms, joint development with academic institutions / commercial competitors for new drugs while reducing costs incurring activity. Introduction of blockbuster drugs such as Pfizers Lipitor has been s tagnant with generic drug makers from India and China crowding the pharmaceutical scene making it tougher to incur healthy margins that finances RD expenditures for future drugs. Preventive Healthcare As stated in an interview with Ms Angela Farrell (2010), preventive healthcare would a normal trend as medical cost continues to increase. As with having more elderly people in the population anywhere now in the EU at present, the prevalence of chronic and serious medical conditions remains on the rise. It is therefore no surprise that this becomes an area for further focus by the state government that seeks to control its existing healthcare budget (Hewitt Associates, 2010). Unlike the US healthcare system, EU states adopts a universal provision of heath care with at least, the basic terms of heath care, provided free to its citizens (Przywara, 2010). Therefore the WHO has pointed out that if not successfully prevented and managed, they will become the most expensive problems faced by our health care systems (WHO, 2010). Because several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are linked by common preventable risk factors, healthca re authorities around the world (including EU) has found it more cost-effective to put preventive practices into action rather than continue with responsive-oriented healthcare. Other than providing information, education, programmes and support to those in risk-groups and the general population, Ms Angela has provided us several useful insights into the other developments in this segment. Genomics testing Since the discovery of DNA and the associated study of it, this has been marked as one of the major breakthroughs in genetic testing (Amgen Scholars, 2009). Utilising technological advances over the years, genomics testing allows for a more-accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases and therefore facilitates early treatment at an earlier stage. It also provides patients with both an understanding of possible risks for certain diseases and possible preventive measures long before the diseases even forms within a humans body. Genomics testing in Europe however, suffers from a lack of widespread acceptance as compared to the US (Ramanathan, 2008) owing to the protection laws governing the genetic data obtained from such test. The processing of genetic data in Europe has been subjected to stronger protection as provided in the in the Directive 95/46/EC and the national laws of the EU member states implementing it (Ramanathan, 2008). However, as EU residents healthcare cost mounts, the develo pment of an integrated knowledge base combining the insights of sciences, humanities and social sciences will be required to inform policy and to plan for the rational implementation of new healthcare services. EU health communities has recognised the benefits of genomics testing for healthcare prevention with the need for a strong integrated, interdisciplinary European links to manage the sheer volume and complexity of this emerging genomic knowledge, and the speed of technological development (EUPHA, 2010). The EU themselves has viewed genomics in a more positive manner as seen in one of its main theme for the Sixth Framework Programme (that funds research work on genomic studies on diseases) to exploit this knowledge to human health besides economy growth benefit (CORDIS, 2009). Genomics testing will continue to grow as more benefits are uncovered from researchers in the EU with long term plans by the EC being provided towards nurturing such growth. There are multiple benefits for both pharmaceutical and generic makers as pointed out by Philips et al (2004). According to the research carried out, genomics is likely to provide a multitude of new drug targets, enable the development of drugs that avoid problematic genetic variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, and increase the development of preventive interventions for patients identified as being at higher risk for future disease (Philips et al, 2004, p.428). Interviewee, Ms Angela has pointed out the interest of many in the medical field to create a more targeted form of treatment. Genomics allows this as it allow drug therapies with greater efficiency and safety, which of course leads to higher price due to the added value it brings to patients. Genetic profiling in patients enrolled during the early testing phase for drugs will allow for shorter testing time that can increased approval chances with the health authorities. Drugs that previously were unsuccessful can be re-exam ined by targeting them to patients with specific genetic profiles i.e. niche drugs. Generic drug makers will eventually benefit as such avenues open wider markets for patients upon expiry of patents or if possible, spurn development of niche drugs rather than reliance on original drug makers. Drug delivery system An area that has become increasingly popular within the pharmaceutical industry based on interviews with Ms Angela and Mr. Gregor. It is reported that at present, failure of drugs clinical trial are mainly through the failure to deliver the compounds to the area it is needed most without going through some interaction with the human body along the way (Cientifica,2007). It is therefore considered a very valuable and important development for any technology that enables direct delivery of drug compounds without triggering any or no side-effects on the patients. One of the EU market focus is currently on the nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery system for patients. While there are delivery system using laser, injection, spray being practiced, nano particles are receiving particular attention owing to more development going on in this field. Drug development is a very costly affair for patent holders especially with the decline of new drugs being uncovered each year. Many new scale biot ech companies have become acquisition targets owing to keen interest towards this subject. The future of nanotechnology is in a completely uncharted territory. It is almost impossible to predict everything that nanoscience will bring to the world considering that this is such a young science field today (Nanogloss, 2009). The field however is viewed as a revolutionary advancement but potentially controversial with its ability to bring materials to life. Religious and ethical issues aside, scientist are hoping that the further understanding of this technology would contribute towards improving population heathcare globally in future. If successful, pharmaceutical companies would view it as its next line of income as existing drug making expertise dry up. Biotechnology With 20% of new drugs launched from market each year derive from biotechnology (EFPIA, 2009), the biotechnology field has long been a promising development for the medical and healthcare purpose. Areas such as pharmacogenomics, nanotechnology, stem cells and gene therapy are becoming part a growing emphasis by medical professions. With a vision of improving design and production of drugs within a humans genetic makeup, this has become a new alternative for medicine as previous reliance on convention drugs (through use of chemical reactions) for treating illness have become scarce and increasingly difficult to produce. Using biomedicine, which create drugs based on the living molecules that are associated with specific genes and diseases, EU scientists under the JRC-EU  [4]  in 2007 has pointed out encouraging responds towards treatment of genetically inherited diseases such as hepatitis B, cancer and diabetes. JRC further pointed out the human medicine and heathcare are the most prominent field for modern biotechnology with a high share of publications and patents targeted towards this sector (2007). The direct and indirect elements of RD works for biotechnology would add towards EUs GVA  [5]  and improving state of heath for EU citizens as part of the context of the ECs objective of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion (JRC-EU, 2007, p.5). Numerous researches suggest that biotechnology can offer patients more and better healthcare choices. The biomedical healthcare industry is viewed as the pharmaceutical industrys external RD centre and source of product innovation (EMCC, 2005). However, the strength of the biomedical healthcare industry differs widely between European countries. As of 2003, the UK is considered to have the most mature industry as compared to other EU states (EMCC, 2005) but this has narrowed as other EU states nurtures their own industry. This is due to availability of more resources (both human and capital) increases over the years. At this time, there has been a lack of attempts towards producing generic versions of the biotechnology drugs. Many of these drugs are very expensive because they are so difficult to produce owing to complex molecules involved (Montgomery, 2009). Furthermore, regulatory guidelines are still lacking on existing bio-medicines due to the different arrangement governing both the US and EU member states (Manley, 2006). However as expertise and experience continue to grow (especially with the campaign by EGAs biosimilar drugs), it would be a matter of time before biotechnology because part of the patient healthcare in the EU and the world. Incremental Disruptive technologies To practitioners in the drug industry, incremental (or sustainable) technologies will come in form of mostly new drugs for an existing class with similar action mechanism but differ in features such as, therapeutic profile, metabolism, adverse effects, dosing schedules, delivery systems, for example (GSK, 2008). Incremental technologies are this sense, is seen as innovation capacity, which is according to Wertheimer Santella, the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry (2009). The current issue surrounding this subject matter has largely pertained to criticism that the developments of me-too  [6]   drugs were time wasting and a drag of existing resources (RD, money etc) towards fleecing unsuspecting consumers (Wertheimer Santella, 2009) particularly as the patented drugs life is ending. Generic manufacturers in the US and Europe has been particularly vocal towards this practice as it alleges pharmaceutical companies uses this to extend patent lifespan through introduction of small changes that deprives generic manufacturers access to such drugs (and therefore an anti-competitive practice). It is therefore a contentious issue as both individual corporations such as GSK and its trade representative in EU, EFPIA contin ues to debate this publicly and with the European Commission. Other incremental technologies that serve to complement the medical drug industry arises from rapidly improving testing, diagnostic, and other technologies (Brill Robbins, 2005) which allows better and more targeted drugs in the heath care sector thus ensuring the continued relevance of conventional medical drugs in the market. Disruptive Technology here is both a worry for patented and generic manufacturers as witnessed by the continued interest in biotechnology as the new alternative in medical discovery. With the continued dearth in significant creation of blockbuster drugs from conventional pharmaceutical research, EU policy makers has continued to show further interest in biomedicine thru policy development initiatives such as funding (EFB, 2010). Pharmaceutical giants too, has gradually increased RD capacity in this field with many companies embarking on MA activities with existing biomedical companies (i.e. Pfizers acquisition of Wyeth) besides growing internal re