Research Proposal on Consumer Decision Analysis Essay

Primary research objective To determine the factors influencing the consumer decision while buying fruit drinks in the age group 17-30 in the city of Pune. Secondary research objective †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To determine the product attributes influencing purchase decision of fruit drink brands. To determine the reasons for consuming various fruit drink brands. To determine the most preferred SKU(quantity) in fruit drink category. To determine the most preferred channel in the fruit drink category. Data which research plans to generate Factors influencing the choice of fruit drinks over other beverages. Factors influencing choice of a particular fruit drink brand. Factors influencing the choice of a particular channel in fruit drink category. Value of Information to Management This report aims to generate information on various factors influencing consumer decision while purchasing a fruit drink. Companies can utilise this information for identifying the awareness levels of their respective brands in the fruit drink category. Also companies can evaluate their positioning and promotion strategies based on the factors influencing the choice of a particular fruit drink brand. Companies can also utilise the factors influencing the choice of SKU for managing their portfolio of different SKUs in the fruit drink category. The information on factors influencing the choice of a channel can be used to focus on the growing channels and also in managing existing channels. This report also contains broad based trends on consumer profile, awareness levels, usage patterns and fruit drink category as a whole which can be utilised to make inferences about the future. Research Approach Data collection methods. a) Secondary Research External secondary data has been generated to obtain volume of sales regarding beverage markets, fruit drinks, each of the brands and the positioning of each of the brands. b) Survey Research †¢ †¢ †¢ Data was collected from candidates using questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed in colleges and people on the street. I distributed the questionnaires outside the shops to gather data from people who had come to visit there. I made an online questionnaire and circulated on the internet and gathered results from those. Measurement Instruments: †¢ The measurement instrument in the questionnaire was a five point Likert scale. †¢ †¢ †¢ Apart from details regarding their choice of drink for refreshment, their frequency of visits and the channels they choose, their spending patterns will also be mapped. The data was extracted and put in MS Excel. All the further analysis was then carried out using SPSS. The measurement was designed to get a fair idea about the various attributes and conducted factorial analysis of the important attributes. Samples The aim was to collect 100 samples for the analysis. The samples should be such that they are consumers of fruit drinks. I also tried to get an adequate ratio of men and women in the samples. The main demographics targeted were the younger age group as they are more health conscious and aware of such health drinks. Also I tried to focus more on the college going crowd and young professionals as they would be more interested in trying out new products and were more conscious. Buyers who have been consuming fruit drinks were better able to answer the questions regarding the influencing factors and the reasons for their consumption and purchase. The samples collected from internet have also been very valuable in the research. Analysis Techniques †¢ †¢ †¢ The analysis techniques used have been on SPSS and the tests were performed to ascertain the factors influencing the consumer decision while buying fruit drinks. Factor analysis was conducted to discern out of the 13 factors mainly which factors influence the buying habits of the consumers. Ultimately I identified 5 factors which mainly have an influence. I also conducted correlation tests to find out the various reasons for purchasing any particular brand of fruit drink. The main limitation is the sampling conducted. It was done in a random manner and no particular technique followed. In the first survey a greater number of college students have been surveyed. The data might not be representative of the entire population. Limitations: †¢ †¢ †¢ Various statistical techniques as learned have been implemented and conclusions as best possible have been drawn making few assumptions as and when required. Since no data was on interval or ratio scale it was not feasible to conduct Regression and ANOVA. Factor Analysis The Perceptual mapping for various factor recognized: Rotated Component Matrix(a) Component health and media convenience product features package design hygiene influence range_flavours 0. 112 -0. 069 0. 847 -0. 056 0. 033 availability 0. 011 0. 001 0. 82 0. 009 0. 042 brandambassador 0. 633 -0. 072 -0. 253 -0. 118 0. 3 visual_packg 0. 084 0. 072 0. 062 -0. 023 0. 872 price -0. 14 0. 003 0. 088 0. 691 0. 438 quantityavailable 0. 108 0. 643 0. 041 -0. 181 0. 06 promotionschemes -0. 08 0. 856 -0. 039 0. 172 -0. 032 packetcleanliness 0. 926 0. 004 0. 152 -0. 013 -0. 014 brandvalue -0. 116 0. 794 -0. 159 0. 125 -0. 028 nutritionvalue 0. 778 -0. 074 -0. 043 0. 067 -0. 088 flavour 0. 147 0. 118 -0. 113 0. 779 -0. 261 adfreq -0. 065 0. 8 0. 052 0. 046 0. 066 expirydate 0. 805 -0. 009 0. 244 0. 04 0. 043 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 6 iterations. The factors recognized after the factor analysis are as under: Factor 1: Health and Hygiene 1. Packet cleanliness 2. Nutrition Value 3. Expiry Date Factor 2: Media Influence 1. Promotion Schemes 2. Brand Value 3. AD Frequency Factor 3: Convenience 1. Range of flavors 2. Availability Factor 4: Product Features 1. Price 2. Flavor Factor 5: Package Design 1. Visual Packaging Attributes those were not important: 1. Brand Ambassador 2. Quantity Available †¢ The perceptual maps show the mapping of different factors in the minds of the customers and the association between them. The data was reduced from many attributes to 5 factors that have similar attributes. The various factors mapped according to the rotated results of factor analysis. The factors were given names based on the attributes in them. These factors were used to form the factor analysis where two factors were mapped on X and Y axis to know the relation between them. †¢ †¢ The factors help the company to know how the product is currently mapped in the customer’s mind. If a target consumer is focused upon then the factors can be changed and a different map can be formed. The attribute brand ambassador and package sizes available are not a major attribute in any of the factors. This justifies the fact that almost all the major fruit drinks are not endorsed by any of the big brand ambassador barring a few such as minute maid pulpy orange (Nikhil Chinappa ) . Also the variety of the package sizes available is not affecting the consumer decision while making a purchase for fruit drinks. †¢ CrossTabs 1. PURCHASE FREQUENCY VS SKU PREFERRED. Crosstab Count SKU 200 ml purchasefrequency 1-3 times 4-6 times more than 6 times rarely Total 25 15 7 11 58 300 ml 2 6 1 1 10 500 ml 5 6 4 5 20 1 litre 2 0 4 6 12 Total 34 27 16 23 100 Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Sig. (2Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases a. 19. 117a 20. 380 8. 109 100 df 9 9 1 sided) . 024 . 016 . 004 10 cells (62. 5%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1. 60. Since p value is less than alpha i. e. .05 (95% confidence level), therefore h0 is rejected. This shows that there is high association between purchase frequency and SKU or quantity packs. This is an indication of the fact that people preferring smaller SKUs usually purchase more as compared to others. Thus high association between purchase frequency and SKU (pack sizes ) is established . 2. PURCHASE FREQUENCY VS GENDER purchasefrequency * gender Crosstabulation Count gender male purchasefrequency 1-3 times 4-6 times more than 6 times rarely Total 19 18 12 17 66 female 15 9 4 6 34 Total 34 27 16 23 100 Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Sig. (2Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 2. 776a 2. 776 2. 387 100 df 3 3 1 sided) . 428 . 427 . 122 a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 5. 44. Since p value is greater than alpha i. e. o. 05 (95% confidence level), therefore there is no association between purchase frequency and gender. 3. CHOICE OF CHANNEL VS FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF CHANNEL channel * reasonforchannel Crosstabulation Count reasonforchannel Pricing channel Retail store Supermarket Cineplex Restaurants Travel Pan shops Others Total 4 4 1 1 1 0 1 12 Ambience 8 6 0 3 2 2 0 21 Nearness 23 6 0 1 1 0 0 31 Service 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Display 13 6 2 3 1 0 0 25 Reputation 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 Occasion 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 Total 54 23 5 9 5 2 2 100. Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Sig. (2Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 68. 211a 50. 165 1. 108 100 df 36 36 1 sided) . 001 . 059 . 293 a. 43 cells (87. 8%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 02. Here p value is less than alpha i. e. 0. 05 (95% confidence level) therefore Ho is rejected. This shows that there is high association between choice of channel and factors affecting the choice of channel. This gives an indication such that those people who consider availability and nearness as their factor affecting the choice of channel might prefer buying fruit drink from retail stores or grocery stores. Thus a high association is established. CROSSTABS OF PURCHASE FREQUENCY VS REASONS FOR HAVING FRUIT DRINKS I conducted crosstabs of purchase frequency with the scores /ranking given by various respondents to the various reasons for drinking fruit drinks such as socialisation, refreshment, enjoyment, mental lift, attitude, basic thirst, taste etc. out of all these crosstabs association was found between two cases. The two cases have been given below: 1. PURCHASE FREQUENCY VS REFRESHMENT purchasefrequency * refreshment Crosstabulation Count refreshment neither agree nor strongly disagree purchasefrequency 1-3 times 4-6 times more than 6 times rarely Total 20 18 9 8 55 disagree 7 6 7 12 32 disagree 5 0 0 2 7 agree 2 1 0 1 4 strongly agree 0 2 0 0 2 Total 34 27 16 23 100 Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Sig. (2Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 20. 628a 23. 332 . 108 100 df 12 12 1 sided) . 056 . 025 . 742 a. 12 cells (60. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 32. Since p value is less than alpha (95% confidence level) thus there is high association between refreshment purpose and purchase frequency. This might be an indication of the fact that people drinking fruit drinks for refreshment purpose generally buy more as compared to others. PURCHASE FREQUENCY VS BASIC THIRST purchasefrequency * basicthirst Crosstabulation Count basicthirst neither agree nor strongly disagree purchasefrequency 1-3 times 4-6 times more than 6 times rarely Total 6 11 3 11 31 disagree 15 6 9 9 39 disagree 7 6 0 2 15 agree 5 4 4 0 13 strongly agree 1 0 0 1 2 Total 34 27 16 23 100. Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Sig. (2Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 20. 262a 26. 177 4. 223 100 df 12 12 1 sided) . 062 . 010 . 040 a. 12 cells (60. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 32. Since p value is less than alpha (95%) therefore there is high association between purchase frequency and basic thirst /filling purpose. This might be an indication of the fact that people drinking fruit drinks for basic thirst / filling purpose generally buy more as compared to others. Correlation Correlation of the various brands (i. e. Appy, Real, Tropicana etc) was done with various reasons for drinking such as refreshment, enjoyment, vitality, mental lift etc. I tried to identify the various reasons that are correlated with various brands . This activity basically helped us in identifying the perception and connotations of people towards various fruit drink brands. Following are some of the inferences that I established after conducting the correlation analysis. 1. There was a significant correlation between brand Real and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Health †¢ Enjoyment †¢ Attitude 2. There was a significant correlation between brand Tropicana and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Health †¢ Enjoyment 3. There was a significant correlation between brand Maaza and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Attitude 4. There was a no correlation between brand Slice and the various reasons for drinking. 5. There was a significant correlation between brand Appy and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Socialising 6. There was a significant correlation between brand Frooti and the following reasons for drinking: †¢ Taste †¢ Mental lift 7. There was a significant correlation between brand Mangola and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Taste †¢ Mental lift 8. There was a significant correlation between brand Pulpy Orange and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Attitude 9. There was a significant correlation between brand Twister and the following reasons for drinking: †¢ Taste †¢ Mental lift 10. There was a significant correlation between brand Others (ex. Lehberry etc.) and the following reasons for drinking : †¢ Attitude †¢ Basic thirst Conclusion On the basis of the data collected and the tests conducted I have arrived at the following conclusions: With the help of correlation I was able to identify the attributes that consumers associate with the various fruit drinks and which in turn drive their purchase decision for the same. For example Tropicana is associated with health and enjoyment whereas Appy is associated with socialising. These reflect the perceptions of the various fruit drinks in the mind of the consumers. The crosstab between purchase frequency and SKU showed that those purchasing smaller SKU’s purchase more frequently as compared to those who purchased a 500ml or 1litre. On the other hand there is no impact of gender on purchasing frequency for fruit drinks. There is a high association between the channels preferred and the factors affecting these channels. The most important factor came out to be location or nearness of the channel. There is also a high association between purchase frequency and reasons for consuming fruit drinks such as refreshment and fulfilling basic thirst. In factor analysis I found out 5 factors which mainly have an impact on the purchase of a fruit drink. There were two factors which did not have any significant impact. Also, I found out that the most preferred channel for purchase in retail stores. The most preferred SKU is 200ml packs which could be due to convenience. The most preferred drink is Frooti followed by Tropicana and Real. Annexure Perceptual Maps: 1. Health & Hygiene Vs Media Influence 0. 778 health and hygiene -0. 08 0. 926 -0. 116 0. 778 -0. 065 0. 805 media/external influence 0. 856 0. 004 0. 794 -0. 074 0. 8 -0. 009.promotionschemes packetcleanliness brandvalue nutritionvalue adfreq expirydate 2. Health & Hygiene Vs Convenience health and hygiene range_flavours availability packetcleanlines s nutritionvalue expirydate 0. 112 0. 011 0. 926 0. 778 0. 805 convenience 0. 847 0. 82 0. 152 -0. 043 0. 244 3. Health & Hygiene Vs Product Features health and hygiene price packetcleanlines s nutritionvalue flavour expirydate -0. 14 0. 926 0. 778 0. 147 0. 805 product features 0. 691 -0. 013 0. 067 0. 779 0. 04 4. Media Influence Vs Convenience media influence range_flavours availability -0. 069 0. 001 convenience 0. 847 0. 82.promotionschemes brandvalue adfreq 0. 856 0. 794 0. 8 -0. 039 -0. 159 0. 052 5. Media Influence Vs Product Features media influence price promotionscheme s brandvalue flavour adfreq 0. 003 0. 856 0. 794 0. 118 0. 8 product features 0. 691 0. 172 0. 125 0. 779 0. 046 6. Convenience Vs Product Feature convenience range_flavours availability price flavour 0. 847 0. 82 0. 088 -0. 113 product features -0. 056 0. 009 0. 691 0. 779 7. Health & Hygiene Vs Package Design visual_packg packetcleanline ss nutritionvalue expirydate health and package hygiene design 0. 084 0. 872 0. 926 -0. 014 0. 778 0. 805 -0. 088 0. 043 8. Media Influence Vs Package Design media/external package influence design visual_packg 0. 072 0. 872 promotionscheme 0. 856 -0. 032 s brandvalue 0. 794 -0. 028 adfreq 0. 8 0. 066 9. Convenience Vs Package Design range_flavou rs convenience package design 0. 847 0. 033 availability visual_packg 0. 82 0. 062 0. 042 0. 872 10. Product features Vs Package design product features visual_pack g price flavour -0. 023 0. 691 0. 779 package design 0. 872 0. 438 -0. 261 Questionnaire: QUESTIONNAIRE 1. Whom do you buy fruit drinks for? (Tick one) a) Myself b) Family c) Children d) Institutional purposes / social occasions 2. a) b) c) d) 3. a) b) c) d) How often do you have a fruit drink? 1-3 times a week 4-6 times a week More than 6 times a week Rarely (fortnightly ) What quantity do you usually prefer to buy? 200-250 ml (Tetrapak) 300 ml 500 ml bottle 1 litre 4. Through which medium did you come to know about your preferred fruit drink brand? a) Hoardings and banners b) Newspaper and magazines c) TV/radio d) Word of mouth e) Others †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5. Do the following reasons influence your consumption of fruit drinks? Strongly Disagree Neither Agree disagree agree nor REASONS disagree For social occasions / entertainment It acts as a refreshment. Strongly Agree It provides enjoyment It tastes very good It satisfies my basic thirst and is filling I feel a sense of well being after consuming it It gives me vitality and energy It relaxes me mentally It reflects my attitude 6. Rank the following fruit drinks from 1 to 5, with 1 being least preferred and 5 being most preferred: a) Real †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ b) Tropicana †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ c) Maaza †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ d) Slice †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ e) Appy †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ f) Frooti †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ g) Mangola †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ h) Pulpy orange †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ i) Twister †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ j) Others †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7. How important are the following factors for purchasing a fruit drink? FACTORS Very less Less No important important Influenc e Important Very Important Flavor No. of flavors Availability and Convenience Price Cleanliness of packet/ not damaged Manufacturing date /expiry date Frequency of advertisement Brand ambassador Nutritional value/ calorie content Brand value /brand name SKUs available Promotion schemes/discounts Visual appeal of packaging 8. Which is your most preferred channel for purchasing a fruit drink? a) Retail store/grocery store b) Supermarket/hypermarket c) Cineplex d) Pan shop/kiosks e) Restaurants f) Travel g) Others†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9. a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) Which is the most important characteristic for choosing the channel? Pricing Ambience Location/ nearness Service Display /merchandising Reputation Occasion Others Personal Details 1. Age a) b) c) d) 17-20 21-24 25-28 29 and above 2. Gender: a) Male b) Female 3. Education a) b) c) d) e) High school Undergraduate Graduate Postgraduate Others.

The Giant Panda Conservation Project

Although pandas are highly regarded and have a relatively low number of natural predators, they are an endangered species. Humans have severely threatened the panda's existence also so that now there are fewer than 1,600 of them left in the wild. This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China (WWF, 2013). The bear also is of special importance to the World Wildlife Fund. The panda has been WWF's logo since its founding in 1961. This paper will examine the effectiveness of, and problems related to, the giant panda conservation efforts. The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 26 to 84 pounds of it every day. China’s Yangtze Basin region, which holds the panda’s primary habitat, is the geographic and economic heart of this booming country. An increasing number of roads and railroads are being created throughout the forest, which isolates panda populations and prevents mating. Forest destruction also reduces pandas’ ability to access the bamboo they need to survive. The Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves. However, only around 61 per cent of the country’s panda population is protected by these reserves. With the help of conservation organizations and other groups, they have protected more than 45 per cent of the last mountainous regions, equaling over 6,000 square miles of mountain and forest terrain known to be inhabited by wild pandas. They have also set aside corridors of new bamboo for their protection from domesticated animal grazing, and human interference (International, 2013). Chengdu is known for being the hometown of the giant panda. Back in 1987, when it became apparent that pandas were seriously endangered in the wild, the Chinese created the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Starting with just six pandas from the wild, they’ve successfully bred more than 100 pandas. The work done at Chengdu and other breeding centers costs millions of dollars a year. Experts believe that of all species in the world, the giant panda is the one species in which the most money is being invested in to save. This has lead some conservationists to argue that too much is being spent to save the giant panda. â€Å"I think we have to make tough choices,† British wildlife expert, Chris Packham, said. â€Å"I think that, ultimately, we have to be pragmatic as well as sentimental. You know, we can't allow our heart to rule our conservation head†¦ and if we channel this much into just one species, then many others which could be far better helped, many others not just species, but communities and ecosystems, could be better protected at the expense of one fluffy, cuddly bear† (Snow, 2013). Packham is in the minority here, but more and more scientists are starting to agree with him. The Chinese government has had much success in educating the public about the future of the giant panda, by setting in place protection against poaching, and even gun control for the reserves. By educating the public, more and more pandas have been brought to the Research Center for recovery and medical care due to injuries or illness. Logging has been banned in the reserves and the bamboo corridors. The roads providing access to the reserves are also being patrolled to help prevent anyone entering without express authority, for the care or study of the environment or the pandas. However, as Packham states, â€Å"Pandas are extraordinarily expensive to keep going. We spend millions and millions of pounds on pretty much this one species, and few others, when we know that the best thing we could do would be to look after the world's biodiversity hotspots with greater care. † His way of thinking is that without a habitat, there is nothing to work with. His suggestion is that we take all the cash we spend on pandas and buy rainforests with it. He realizes that it is the natural response to want to spend money and time on the panda because they are so cute and cuddly. They just pull at peoples' heart strings because of their appearance. The pandas are symbolic of what he refers to as single-species conservation: i. e. , a focus on one animal. This approach began in the 1970s with Save the Tiger, Save the Panda, Save the Whale, and so on, and it is now out of date. His belief is that pandas have had a valuable role in raising the profile of conservation, but perhaps ‘had' is the right word. Panda conservationists say that the panda is a flagship species. But we're also conserving Chinese forests, where there are many other species. As long as this conservation works, Mr. Packham states that he is all for it. But some species are stronger than others. The panda is not a strong species of bear in his opinion. It has gone herbivorous and eats a type of food that isn't ll that nutritious, and so is dying out little by little. It is susceptible to various diseases and, up until recently, has been almost impossible to breed in captivity. This species also has a very limited area of habitation, which is decreasing, since the Chinese population keeps finding ways to use their land. While Mr. Packham's points are valid, it seems he ignores the fact that pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests where they roam by spreading seeds and facilit ating growth of vegetation. Also, in the Yangtze Basin where pandas live, the forests are home to wildlife such as dwarf blue sheep, multi-colored pheasants and other endangered species, including the golden monkey, and various birds that are not found anywhere else in the world (WWF, 2013), making the panda a very effective flag ship species, which is something that Packham himself stated was worth preserving. One belief is that large animals can be extremely useful in the cause for conservation. Smaller creatures often don't need a big habitat to live in, so in conservation terms, it's better to strive to save something further up the food chain. By doing this, you are protecting a much larger area, which will also include the smaller animals. Pandas are a good example for the messages you want to put out on habitat conservation. We associate Borneo with the orangutans, the southern oceans with the blue whale, and the North with polar bears. So it is with China and the panda bears (Snow, 2013). Many revere the panda bear and their preservation is important to the Chinese culture. People respond to their situation, which does make a difference. References Benedictus, L. (2009). Should pandas be left to face extinction? | Environment | The Guardian. Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian. Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/23/panda-extinction-chris-packham International, C. (2013). Threats to Pandas. Conservation International. Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.conservation.org/learn/biodiversity/species/profiles/pandas/pandas/overview/Pages/threats.aspx Snow, K. (2013). Are giant pandas worth saving? – Rock Center with Brian Williams. Rock Center with Brian Williams.

My story-writing to describe: The blade glistened in the moonlight, and the air chilled against my skin

The blade glistened in the moonlight, and the air chilled against my skin. It was time. Slash: the blade was now red, deep red. My second kill was a lot easier than the first, but it's not over. The body is starting to smell now, I guess I should leave, then I can tell you why I killed for the second time tonight, and the second time in my life. I'm back in my car I need to visit someone, I can smell the blood on my clothes, it's a dark night the air is heavy the moons gone now, only the broken street lamps to show me the way, but it will do, it will have to do. So now I'll explain what's going on and why I killed someone. I started the day like any other and went to work like normal, but when I got home, something was wrong, I couldn't hear my kids shouting and playing like they normally do, in fact I couldn't hear anything just a dead silence. Something was wrong. I could feel it in the air. I opened the door and instantly I knew something was wrong and nothing was how it should be. Lucas and Jake weren't shouting and playing as they normally are and my beautiful wife Brooke wasn't here to welcome me home. I walked carefully through the entrance hall into the living room and then I saw it something I'll never forget till the day I die, my wife and kids on the floor dead in a pool of blood, their faces so pure and honest, what's going on who could have done this, who would do this, which sick people would brutally murder unarmed children. I could hear something in the other room. I took out the baton that was in my pocket and followed the sound. I walked into another room and saw someone crawling on the floor. Covered with blood everywhere it was my neighbour Nathan badly wounded but definitely still alive. I walked towards him: he looked bad. Maybe I should have tried help him but I needed to know who had done this first. Before he died, he told me one name and an address. I gathered my things and covered my family I took each one to their bedrooms and laid them there, I then took a knife I had in my drawer and pocketed it. After finishing in my house I left and headed straight to the address I was given; 24 Ashten Park. I hadn't been to the road before so it took me some time to get there but in the end it wasn't too far away and I arrived at my location. That was three hours ago, it seems so long ago that I found the address and the name. When I found the name after beating it out of him he told me who had helped him and who had hired him in the murder so after dealing with him I left again with vengeance strong in my heart and straight away found his accomplice. I killed him too. That's my story so far now I'm on my way to my brother I wont be able to get revenge on my own, my target is too big, this is a two man job. When I killed the first murderer he told me who he worked for, a local guy known for his dodgy dealings, and he's my target but he's sure to have protection so I need to get help, here I am, number 1 the Valley home to my only brother. My brother, Jason is three years younger than me and similar to me in many ways. But unlike me he has no children or a wife, or I should say what I used to be like, now I have nothing. I can't believe this is happening to me I'm just a normal guy with a normal job with a normal family. We're driving towards vengeance I knew my brother would help me, as soon as I explained the situation he picked up a knife and was ready to go. While we're driving to our final destination I'm wondering why did all this happen? Why my family? Why me? Maybe ill find out why but really now all I want is revenge. We are nearly there I can feel my blood pumping in my veins, my heart beating so fast. My hands are trembling, shaking but I must get my act together you can't kill when you're shaking. We're finally here I can see the hangout. Time to go. I'm walking towards the building with my brother we're going to go behind the back we need to be silent so that no one hears us. I can smell the stench of these backstreets. It's disgusting. I can see the dirt and filth that lives, around here, but really it doesn't concern me. I only have one thing on my mind; revenge. I am at the door. I can hear noises inside. All I have to do is pick the lock with my knife and I'm in. There done it I'm going in, the room is quite dark and there is a thick must in the air. The sound I heard is from another room; this one is empty. It's an abandoned room with dirt and dust everywhere a torn up couch on the side and a bed in the corner, I dread to think what might have happened in here. Damn it, someone saw me and now his shouting and I can hear running footsteps and a door opening, but not to meet me there running outside I need to go after them. My car is fast I'm sure I can catch them I'm getting into my car and stepping on the gas, I never thought I'd ever be chasing a filthy thug to kill him but that's what I've come to. I'm a couple cars behind them but I can't think of a way to get them off the road. I need to get closer. They are so close I can see the guys in the car. There are two of them and both must be killed. Its time to do what must be done. Smash! I drove my car into theirs but they're not stopping. Smash! Again and again I drive my car into theirs and finally their car stops and two men get out, my brother and I get out of my car and take out our knives. They do the same. I realize this might be the last thing I ever do so I must succeed and I must kill them. ‘You killed my family. Now come here and suffer' ‘Do you know that your family screamed, begging for their lives, especially your youngest. Do you know why I killed them'? A large smile was on the thugs face as he spoke. ‘ Because I was in the mood for some fun.' He ran towards the thug blade out and aimed straight for the heart. The thug took his blade and tried to parry off his attack but it didn't work. The thug was on the floor, his blood pouring out onto the stone floor. He was surely dead. As this was happening, the thugs' friend had walked quietly towards the car and had pulled out a gun behind his back. He then jumped into his car, aimed his barrel, shot and then drove off. I never thought it would end like this well at least I got my revenge I'm now at peace ready to move on. Wow so this is what it feels like to take a bullet to the chest, not quiet what I imagined but painful enough. ‘No you cant die you're my only brother, I love you, breathe please breathe.' cried Jason, who now had him in his arms. But it was no use. He was dead. Now it was Jason's turn for vengeance. I know a number plate and that's good enough for me I will get vengeance for my brother. Now my story begins.

A World without Oil Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A World without Oil - Research Paper Example Our reliance on motor vehicles would make us look for alternative solutions such as electric cars, which are few or converting vehicles that function on natural gas. Following this, a world without oil would dictate the need to replace the oil based infrastructures with new technologies and new sources of energy. The World would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource. Everything would be local, small farming communities, homes with wood-burning stoves, no more international business, and office places. To some extent, the world would be a better place free from pollution as oil is the major attribute of pollution. Lastly, a world without oil would mean the development of other forms of energy as mentioned previously. With this in mind, the aim of this paper is to discuss how a world without oil would be like. Miller (8) believes that, a world without oil would affect transportation and there would be a dramatic increase of prices for goods and services. This is because civilization and agribusiness depends on large machines that use oil in production and transportation. Insect repellent and fertilizers require oil gas during distribution and production process. When oil is not available, there would be an increase costs on agribusiness as there would be an increasing prices of pesticides and fertilizers, which would result to increase of food prices. Lack of oil would result to small farming communities, as many would lack resources that augment better farming. As discussed by Nakaya (12) indicates that, most of farming activities heavily depend on oil for better harvest, efficient marketing, and distribution. Lack of oil would lead to poor farming and many farmers would fail to meet their expectations. To Miller (25), agriculture is best appealing when there is efficient marketing and transporting at affordable prices. Resourceful transportation is indispensable for successful agricultural marketing. As mentioned, lack of oil would resul t to poor transportation and thus, farmers will be disadvantaged when selling their crops. Expensive services would lead to small farming due to the net profit acquired from the investment. Still, unavailability of oil would cause impassable, infrequent, and slow transport services and this would lead to losses of crops such as fresh vegetable, milk, or tea. There would be low investment on farming, as many farmers would suffer losses. According to McCage (19), the nature of transportation strongly influences the pattern of global business. Trade is usually chocked off by poor transport and in turn affected by underlying factors such as geographical barriers and distance. Oil is fundamental in transportation and its unavailability would deteriorate economic growth. Air transport that heavily depends on oil would responsibly reduce international trading, as traders would lack means to transport commodities. This would have effect on development as many countries would not have the op portunity to trade with other countries. There would be geographical barriers, as many would lack means of transportation. From the above assumption, one can argue that much of transportation depends on oil and therefore its unavailability may deteriorate transportation. Although there may be substitutes, they may not be in quantities needed to maintain the road system (Ross 19). Rose continues to argue that, the world would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource

Alternative cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alternative cinema - Essay Example The film Stranger Than Paradise can be subdivided into three parts namely; present or ‘new world’, ‘a year later’ and ‘paradise.’ The film is a depiction of America through a foreign perspective see image 1. Willie the main character in the film speaks in English while responding to Aunt Lotte, who speaks in Hungarian (Andrew, 1999). He persuades Lotte to speak in English an indication that foreigners are not yet ready to give up their identity. Each part of the film can be said to reflect the stages that a foreigner undergoes in America. The film is shot in black and white backgrounds making the film unique since it seems to break away from the normal rule in filming see image 2. Each scene of the film is one take and after every take the screen cuts to black for a moment prior to the commencement of another take. The ‘takes are static shots, and other follows the characters. Each ‘take’ exhibits repeated emotionless sensatio n. The film can clearly bring out the emotions of the character. The film devises a new way whereby real lives and emotions of the characters are observed without confusing the audience. The ambient sounds in the scenes that persist even after the cuts to black and the beginning of ‘takes with silence do not deter the in bringing out the emotions of the characters. In the film Stranger Than Paradise, the effect of simplification is applied in the formal way the story is narrated as opposed to applying the idea to physical objects (Blume & Forster, 2006). The scenes are presented in a simple manner but chronological presentation and frequently independent from each other. The presentation involves the selected moments eliminating the bigger part of the theatrical action. The acting part of the film is very critical. In this order, every shot becomes a masterpiece. Selection or elimination through cutting cannot improve the performance. If a mistake

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example It is a fact that Natureview is the main player in the natural food channel with a market share of 24%; however, in order to raise $20 million revenue by the end of 2001, the company has to re-strategize and increase its sales and output if it is to use this channel. The $13 million the company accrued in 2000 is not sufficient enough to offset its debt and may lead to absorption of the company by a larger firm. The second option of entering the supermarket channel has both merits and demerits. The main advantage of this channel is that products will be sold at lower prices than in natural food retail shops due to less number of middlemen in the supply chain. Lower prices lead to higher demand and ultimately higher returns. Furthermore, supermarkets take stocks in bulk than wholesalers in the natural food channel who take small quantities and break them further to distribute them to small retailers. On the other hand, Natureview would be forced to pay $10000 slotting fee per SKU for each retail chain. This means that the company may be forced to pay millions of dollars to be able to distribute throughout the country. In addition, the manufacturer will also have to incur marketing, advertising and trade promotion expenses including hiring of marketing personnel. Under this channel, the small scale manufacturer will be forced to expand its production to meet the high demand in the supermarkets. The first option would be to expand six of the best selling 8-oz brands to one or two selected supermarket channels in the region. The second option would be to expand four SKUs of 32-oz size nationally. The third option would be to introduce two SKUs of the multi-pack line into the natural foods channel specifically for children. The first option would yield higher returns for the company as the 8-oz brands are the most popular among consumers. However, for this option to be viable Natureview has to meet the

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Political Science - Essay Example Of all the demands of these young revolutionaries, the recurrent theme among those protesting in every nation, was ethical accountability in public life, and transparency in governance and justice. These revolutions refuted the repeated claim of Arab rulers, that their people were not ready for democracy; only proving once again that people everywhere desire dignity and freedom of choice. The common thread that runs through the activists, be it Neila Chaabane of Tunisia, Wael Ghonim of Egypt, Mohammed Nabbous of Libya, Razan Ghazzawi of Syria or Bushra al Mugtari of Yemen; is that they are ordinary young men and women who seized a momentous opportunity to change the history of their nations, through a display of courage and mental strength that defied the rulers who for long had oppressed their people. Chaabane is a law professor who braved death threats in order to put paid to the tyranny of Tunisia’s ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Other Tunisians followed her example to help in institution building in Tunisia. Wael Ghonim used the tools of social networking to advocate freedom for victims of state brutality in Egypt. His views about revolutionary struggles proved crucial in uniting his fellow Egyptians to participate in a freedom struggle that succeeded in overthrowing Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. In Libya, it was a young journalist Mohammed Nabbous, wh o set up an independent TV station to inform people of the atrocities being committed on civilians in Benghazi. Unfortunately he had to pay the price for his audacity in standing up to Muammar Gaddafi. Razan Ghazzawi, a Syrian blogger managed to mobilise the masses through her facebook and twitter posts in the ongoing uprising against the rule of Bashar al-Assad, till she was arrested along with other rights activists. Young and dynamic Yemeni activists Tawakkul Karman, and Bushra al Mugtari persist against mighty odds in their

My Position on the FDA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Position on the FDA - Essay Example While debates continue, on risks associated with the GMO use to human health, questions continue to arise as to whether FDA should take action in assessing the risks of these foods, in isolation and separately from GM foods and require labeling of food items, to have consumers informed, about the presence of GM ingredients, to enable them to make purchase decisions accordingly. I strongly feel that FDA played a significant role in approving the GMO for the reasons that thorough research and testing is done to ensure that these products are safe for both human and animal consumption. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States is charged with a number of duties and one of such is protection of the public health through assuring the efficiency, safety and security of medical devices, cosmetics, biological products, food supply together with human and veterinary drugs. FDA is a federal agency that deals with the regulation of GMO products among other agencies, which include the United States Department of Agriculture (â€Å"USDA†) and the Environmental Protection Agency (â€Å"EPA†). The FDA policy leaves the duty of ensuring food safety entirely to the manufacturer or producer. So the company to assert the safety of an item meant for consumption and not any independent review team. The health of the prospective consumers will, therefore, be left at the mercy of companies or manufacturers that could just be interested in maximizing turnover while treating with little regard the need for the GMO foods to meet certain health standards. The FDA guidance to industry issued in 1997 did cover voluntary consultation procedures, though it still depended, upon the product’s developer, to offer safety data. At present, there is no regulatory scheme for the GM foods to confirm their safety for human consumption. There is an increasing use of chemical herbicides, which are poisonous and engineered particularly for killing plant life.  

Organization Study Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organization Study Project - Research Paper Example Due to our expertise in water and sanitation as a researcher, we were called by the organization to study the loop holes of the organization and also to carry out the assessment of the ongoing running project by the NGO. The NGO was running the project of installing hand pumps for the Afghan refugees which is the largest Afghan refugee’s camp in Pakistan, located in Haripur. Due to this team work and collaboration, it was quiet easy to sort out the locations from where the water sample was to be taken because the NGO already knew the sites, so we just needed to travel along with them and take out the water sample from different areas and bring them back to our university. Before going for field work, we had a group discussion with the community mobilizer of the NGO, he told us about the situation and conditions of the project and about the success of the project. The NGO was recently working on phase 2 of the project, and in phase 1 it provided the hand pumps and the flush toi lets to the community. Recently in the phase 2 they were covering two union councils of the Haripur in which 18 hand pumps was the target. First twenty years, this NGO served afghan refugee community (which is the highest community of Afghans in Pakistan located in Haripur). This NGO developed a water user association in which they provides the community management skills to the people and the aim is to develop linkage of the local people with the authorities. For this task of the provision of the hand pumps and the flush toilets, the NGO worked as a community need based assessment and started to work, employing the local people for the physical force, and also taken 20 percent share from the local people. Since 8-9 months the activities has been ceased but management team is still there to monitor. To make the investment sustainable the NGO links the organization to the government. It worked on the basis of gross root institutional development which is directly proportional to the development. The NGO also made the district health board for the local community. The NGO also conducted health and hygiene sessions for the local awareness and community management skills training program. The community mobilization process included the need assessment, realization, and conceptualization. In the management skill training involved the process of consultation, gain and confidence and future vision. FIELD ANALYSIS: During the field analysis, we collected the sample from the water sources and put them in the labeled glass bottles and keep the lid tight. The sample bottles were pre sterilized to avoid the contamination. As the precautionary measure it was important that to close the bottle lids as soon as the water was put in the bottle, this was to avoid the air contamination in the samples and it was done according to the precautionary measures. SURVEY SITES: There were 18 different sampling sites from where the water sample was required to be collected. But due to la ck of time we collected the water samples from ten different sites. All the water sampling sites were located in two union councils. WATERSAMPLING: The water sample was collected and kept in a bag that was specially designed to keep the water sample cool. Each water sample consisted of 50 ml sample. Also each water sample was labeled with a black marker followed by the name of the area and the

Eng essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eng 2 - Essay Example Their intention is to showcase their masculinity; thus, they put on T-shirts and flex their muscles. The photographers comprise people who are preoccupied with taking photos. It seems they are fascinated by their progress in gaining muscles. Indeed, they constantly look at themselves in the mirrors, and even spend most of their time taking photos rather than exercising. The newbies consist of people whose main goal is to observe others exercise. They rarely work out. However, in some cases, they can engage in light exercises. The novices comprise people who are out to learn new things. They listen carefully to their trainers, and even ask many questions. I consider myself a member of this group. Lastly, the businessmen consist of people who work in professional organizations and come to the gym to exercise. They can be identified easily from the number of calls they receive. Apart from categorizing gym attendees, I also discovered that people go to the gym for various reasons other than to exercise. For instance, the beauty queens, a group of young ladies who put on heavy make-ups, go specifically to grace the venue. They do not go to exercise. In fact, from their dressing, one can tell that they are not interested in exercises at the gym. Indeed, they dress as if they are attending a party. On the other hand, there is a group I call the chatterboxes. The group comprises people who go to the gym specifically to gossip; they do not exercise. Lastly, there are the date-seekers. They are groups of men who go for girls, particularly for dating. In fact, they go for the beauty queens. Although I do not consider gyms the best places to find girls to date, the group makes an attendee’s visit enjoyable. My visit to the gym was also made enjoyable by other people and the way they used the equipment. It was interesting to watch people strain while using the gym equipment. Some of the equipment included treadmills, elliptical

APPENDIX F Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

APPENDIX F - Assignment Example Write an equation that illustrates this situation. Use the same variables you used in part a. c) Use the equations from part a and b of this exercise as a system of equations. Use substitution to determine how many of each type of floor plan is available. Describe the steps you used to solve the problem. For part B: The x-axis intercept will be when y=0 or when x= 0 and for y-axis intercept will be when x= 0 , it will be at y = 0 This implies the straight line will be passing through point (0,0) mathematically called the origin. a) The sales representative here tells you they also have two floor plans available, but they only have 38 homes available. Write an equation that illustrates the situation. Use x and y to denote floor plan #1 and floor plan #2 respectively. b) The representative tells you that floor plan #1 sells for $175,000 and floor plan #2 sells for $200,000. She also mentions that all the available houses combined are worth $7,200,000. Write an equation that illustrates this situation. Use the same variables you used in part a. 3. You recently started the paperwork to purchase your new home, and you were just notified that you can move into the house in 2 weeks. You decide to hire a moving company, but are unsure which company to choose. You search online and are interested in contacting two companies, Heavy Lifters and Quick Move, to discuss their rates. Heavy Lifting charges an $80 fee plus $35 per hour. Quick Move charges $55 per hour with no additional fees. Answer: Let us tabulate the calculated cost of hiring against the required hours: Then graph for the range is drawn using MS Excel. The graph shows that after we cross the threshold of four hours and go above it in requirement, then the heavy Lifters offer a better

The Basics of Interpersonal Relationships Essay Example for Free

The Basics of Interpersonal Relationships Essay After considering your request for advice on interpersonal communications I have come to the decision that the information I have learned in my communications class could be beneficial for a young, recently engaged couple. Addressing the most important points could be useful, especially now that you both have decided to take your relationship to the next level. I have learned in this class that having good communication skills benefits everyone and that it is particularly important in building a stronger and more successful marriage. Although we communicate without giving it much thought, not everyone has the proper skills to communicate well so I have selected five areas of interpersonal communication which I will pass on to you in this letter. The skills I consider to be most crucial in achieving a long and happy marriage are, principles and misconceptions, self-concept, gender and cultural differences, nonverbal communication and last but most importantly, listening. There are many communication skills necessary to ensure a successful relationship, and when it comes to effective interpersonal communications there are many aspects of communicating that we need to remember. Communication and the way we communicate is said to be what separates us from our animal cousins. It is defined as â€Å"a process by which we share ideas of information with other people† (cited in Sole, p.5). Whether it is verbal or nonverbal, communication is the most important aspect of building a lasting relationship. Principles and Misconceptions To begin with I would like to explain a little about the principles and misconceptions in terms of interpersonal communications. It is necessary to mention that â€Å"Communication is not simply the exchange of words and information; it is the means through which we share knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people†¦the way people connect with other people†¦and it is these interactions that create the meaning and richness of life† (Cited in Sole, preface). Linguists who have studied the basis of the human language believe that the human language uses symbols such as words, pictures or objects to represent something else. It has been agreed upon that certain communications symbols stand for certain sounds or written combination of letters to equate to a particular object (Sole, 2011). Because the meaning of a word can conger up different images for everyone it is crucial, that when communicating with others, that there is a shared understanding of the meaning of the words to eliminate any misconceptions for either the person speaking or the person listening. Improving your interpersonal verbal communication skills enables one to be better understood and results in fewer miscommunications. Let me stress at this time that it is imperative that you take the time to get feedback when having a conversation in  order to make sure that the other person understands exactly what you are saying. Although it has been thought that good communication skills between loved ones are strong, recent studies show that couples are often times no better at communicating with one another than they are with strangers. I recently read an article that was published in U.S. News World Report in January of 2011 on communication, as it pertains to close relationships. The outcome of a study done by professors Kenneth Savitsky and Nicholas Epley offers valid examples of common miscommunications with couples. . As the study co-author Epley points out â€Å"Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight (Epley, 2011). Many of us tend to assume that those we care about will be able to interpret the information we are offering without needing clarification. Well, this does not always happen. Effectively translating and conveying information while being sensitive to other people’s feelings is a skill. Even though communicating is often times complex, with continuous practice we can avoid the misunderstandings that can lead to problems in our personal lives. Having affective interpersonal communication skills can be the beginning; the initial step for bot h of you toward a mutual understanding which can lead to a successful relationship (Sole, 2011). Another important aspect of interpersonal communication that I would like to share with you is that of self-concept, which can be described as a complicated process that involves our gaining self-awareness, or in simpler terms, self-concept has to do with how we see ourselves as well as how others see us. It develops as a child and with the proper guidance can develop into a healthy image of one’s self. On the other hand negativity can also affect how we see ourselves (Sole, 2011). A child who grows up with positive reinforcement is more likely to be a confident individual who possesses the ability to converse in a more effective manner. It is here that I would like to disclose to you some personal information that will show how vital self-concept is. I was the product of a broken home. Now, you may argue that this is not unusual, but you should keep in mind that I grew up in the sixties; divorce was not as common as it is today. I was raised by a verbally abusive mother and suffered for a number of years as a young adult from low self-esteem, and as I have learned from taking this class, low self-esteem leads to insecurity and a lack of confidence. I worked for years to reverse the damage that was done. I was well into my thirties before I had gained the confidence necessary to build a good relationship. Since the psychological concepts of self relates to interpersonal communications in many ways, this is a critical factor in communications, not only how it affects the way we interact with others, but how they interact with us. In the textbook, Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication written by Kathy Sole (2011), she notes that, not only is self-concept learned, it is changeable. It is developed through interaction with other. In other words, self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem not only define who we are, but govern relationship quality. Having a positive self-concept leads to positive self-image, this in turn ensures a more positive feeling of self-esteem (Sole, 2011). Gender and Cultural Differences From here we can start to access other problem areas that couples are confronted with such as gender and cultural differences. Gender and cultural differences is an area that many couples have difficulty with at one time or another. I am sure that you have noticed the diversity that exists when comparing the way men and women carry on a conversation. Even though we all want to connect to others there are distinct contrasts; not only is the language different between men and women but facial expression and body language are different as well. Words are interpreted differently. This can be said for cultural differences too. Generally speaking though, both men and women can be nurturing, sentimental and even aggressive. The afore mentioned emotions, as well as how we perceive each other and nonverbal communication, all go hand-in hand when striving to achieve effective interpersonal communications. Nonverbal communication It is surprising how much can be communicated without uttering a single word, or what is called nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication can relay a message through a frown, a cold stare, or even shrugging your shoulders. Nonverbal  communications (the process of communicating by sending wordless messages) can time and again lead to being misunderstood. Nonverbal communications encompasses not only body language, but facial expressions, and can even convey communications simply by how we choose to dress. Since very few gestures are universal, there is often times moments of awkwardness (Miczo, Segrin, Allspach , 2001). What we consider perfectly acceptable may offend a person from other cultures and some messages we send via nonverbal communication are done so unconsciously. When we use nonverbal communications we are substituting those gestures instead of using words and sometimes nonverbal messages are misunderstood (Sole, 2011). This type of communication is often times misinterpreted. For example, there was an instance when I was much younger that I found myself at a social gathering with not only friends, but people I had not yet met. It was at this function that one of the men in the group was telling us of an incident that he had recently experienced. Because I smiled and laughed in, what he considered to be, all of the appropriate places he took this to mean that I was interested in him. It was embarrassing for me because that was not the case; I was simply being a polite listener. So you can see from my experience, our nonverbal communication is as important as the words we choose in communicating with another individual or group of individuals. Remember that having an emotional discussion with someone and using the wrong hand gestures and/or facial expressions might cause a person to misinterpret or misunderstand what you are actually trying to convey to them. Listening Last but not least, and often times one of the most overlooked issue when discussing interpersonal communication, and what I feel to be the most important part of successful communication for couples, is listening. I am sure you have found yourself at times not giving your full attention when someone is speaking to you. A lack of motivation is often times the culprit. We all have a tendency to start thinking about other things if the speaker is not holding our attention, I am including myself, but to be a good listener ensures, that given all of the information, you will be able to offer a valid response. In order to relate to others it is important to listen to what they have to say. Even though we have been taught from childhood various skills such as reading and writing, one skill that is often overlooked is listening. Most of us feel that we are good listeners, but most of us are guilty of only hearing not listening. Listening is essential to the success of a compatible and long lasting relationship, but let me add that bad habits in regards to listening can be changed. Communication is the very means by which we share not only our ideas, but our thoughts and feelings with others In summing up the information that I have provided you with, it is my hope that the facts laid out in this letter will help you avoid the pitfalls of conversation that plague many couples. Remember Sam and Katie, that it is not how often you converse, but more the quality of your conversations with each other and that to be a good listener it is imperative that you make every attempt to give the conversation your full attention. It is  my hope that providing you both with information to build a lasting relationship through good communications will ensure a long and happy life together. Congratulations again to both of you. Keep in mind that there are other important aspects when it comes to communicating effectively, but I have shared with both of you essential information regarding what I consider to be five of the most significant areas that often effect good communication in a relationship. â€Å"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions of affect other people.† -Jim Rohn, Author and motivational speaker (1930-2009),. Your friend, Billie References: Close relationships sometimes mask poor communication. (2011, January 24). U.S. News World,1. doi: 2270370592 Miczo, N., Segrin, C., Allspach, L. E. (2001). Relationship between nonverbal sensitivity, encoding, and relational satisfaction. Communication Reports, 14(1), 39-48. Retrieved July 28, 2012, from Research Library. Document ID: 72022836. Preston, P. (2005). Nonverbal communication: Do you really say what you mean? Journal of Healthcare Management, 50(2), 83-6. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global. Document ID: 814698921 Schoenberg, N. (2011, January 17). Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in happy marriages. McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Retrieved from ProQuest Newsstand. Document ID: 2240370261 Sole, K., (2011). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (https://content.ashford.edu) Sprecher, S., Hendrick, S. S. (2004, December). Self-disclosure in intimate relationships: Associations with individual and relationship characteristics over time. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(6), 857-877. doi:224670343

Development of Insulin using Recombinant DNA Technologies

Development of Insulin using Recombinant DNA Technologies Alistair Jones The use of biotechnology within medicine; diabetes and development of insulin using recombinant DNA technologies Abstract Proteins act as a catalyst for metabolic reactions and responsible for inter and intracellular reactions and signalling events essential for life(Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009) Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with numerous aetiologies; it can be defined by chronic hyperglycaemia which will cause an effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This detrimental effect is from the lack of insulin action, insulin secretion or a combination of them both. Diabetes causes long term damage, dysfunction and failure of a range of major organs. (Consulation, 1999) Through the use of clinical administration missing proteins can be sourced from external sources to reach normal concentrations within the tissular or systemic level. As a number of important studies have all confirmed the importance of the use of strengthened insulin treatment for the reduction and minimisation of long term diabetic complications; it is of great importance and pharmaceutical value that huma n proteins can be sourced (Lindholm, 2002) Through the use of biochemical and genetic knowledge the production of insulin has become available and this industrial scale of therapeutic protein production is the first true application of recombinant DNA technology. (Swartz, 2001, Walsh, 2003) E.coli can be considered as the first microorganism for the production of proteins and is primarily used for genetic modification, cloning and small-scale production for research purposes. Many historical developments within molecular genetics and microbial physiology have been based within this species which has results in a collection of both information and molecular tools. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009) Discussion Proteins act as a catalyst for metabolic reactions and responsible for inter and intracellular reactions and signalling events essential for life; consequently , a deficiency in the production of polypeptides or production of non-functional of relevant proteins will derive in pathologies which can range from mild to severe (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009). Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with numerous aetiologies; it can be defined by chronic hyperglycaemia which will cause an effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This detrimental effect is from the lack of insulin action, insulin secretion or a combination of them both. Diabetes causes long term damage, dysfunction and failure of a range of major organs. The characteristics presented with diabetes are weight loss, polyuria, blurring of vision and thirst; the more severe cases will cause ketoacidosis or a non-ketotic hypersmolar state which will lead onto comas, stupor and left untreated death. As the symptoms are often not severe and go undetected for long periods of time, hyperglycaemia can cause pathological and functional changes before a diagnosis can be made. Diabetes causes a multitude of long term affects which include, but not limited to; the failure of the renal system, a two to four times increased risk of cardiovascular disease and potentia l blindness. There are a number of pathogenetic processes which can be involved in the development of diabetes; these will include the processes which destroy the insulin creating beta cells within the pancreas and the creation of a resistance to insulin action ( Alberti, et al., 2006, Consulation, 1999) A combination of metabolic disorders known as metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the combination of hyperglycaemia, hypertension and gout and other cardiovascular risk factors which predict a high risk of developing diabetes. People who have MetS are of the highest risk of the development of type 2 diabetes as it is present up to five times higher within people with this syndrome; this is due to the fact that glucose dysregulation is already present (Alberti, et al., 2006). Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease can be seen to be of similar ascendants. Inflammation markers have been associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in adults; although this may be part of the autoimmune response they will also reflect the pathogenesis (Schmidt, et al., 1999) Abnormal metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is caused by the deficient insulin action on target tissues due to the insensitivity or lack of insulin. (Consulation, 1999) Through the use of clinical administration missing proteins can be sourced from external sources to reach normal concentrations within the tissular or systemic level. As a number of important studies have all confirmed the importance of the use of strengthened insulin treatment for the reduction and minimisation of long term diabetic complications; with human insulin being the first line of treatment; it is of great importance and pharmaceutical value that human proteins can be sourced, as this is difficult to do from natural sources (Lindholm, 2002) . We are far past the times of animal sourced insulin’s and we are reaching the turning point in the use of recombinant DNA technologies; which were developed during the late 70’s and uses E.coli as a biological framework for the production of pr oteins of interest through relatively inexpensive procedures. Recombinant DNA technology not only offers the ability to create straightforward proteins but also provides the tools to produce protein molecules with alternative and modified features. (Mariusz, 2011) There are several obstacles in the production of proteins through the use of E.coli however, as it lacks the ability to make post-translational modifications (PTMs) present within the majority of eukaryotic proteins (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009). Recombinant DNA insulin’s are, therefore, gradually being replaced by the more highly efficient insulin analogues (Bell, 2007, Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009). Clinically, insulin analogues have been used since the late 1990s, the reason behind insulin modification for subcutaneous injection is to produce absorption properties that better suit the rate of supply from the injection to the physiological need. (Jonassen, et al., 2012) Insulin analogues have the properties of being able to be either rapid acting such as glusine, aspart or lispro or be a long lasting molecule such as glargine and detemir, these can also be used in combination with protamine, these premixed insulin’s provide a more sustained action (Bell, 2007). The combination of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry is a product of an evolution within technology and product innovation; which has become a result in advances within science and business practices. The biotechnology based products are thought of as intelligent pharmaceuticals as they often provide new modes and mechanisms in the action and approach to disease control with improved success rate and better patient care. (Evens Kaitin, 2014) Through the use of biochemical and genetic knowledge the production of insulin has become available and this industrial scale of therapeutic protein production is the first true application of recombinant DNA technology. (Swartz, 2001, Walsh, 2003) Although, as insulin is required in such high volumes the product yields of the vast amount of the currently available secretory systems are not currently sufficient enough to make it fully competitive. The current ideas and strategies being used to help improve the efficiency and producti vity of secretion are numerous. (Schmidt, 2004) Cultivation of insulin can be done conveniently within microbial cells such as bacteria and yeast. During the 80’s the FDA approved the use of human insulin produced from recombinant E.coli for the treatment of diabetes, this was the first recombinant protein pharmaceutical to enter the market. Thanks to the versatility and possibilities created through the use of recombinant protein production a large sector of opportunities for pharmaceutical companies opened up. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009) Since the approval of insulin in 1982 there are now currently more than 200 biotech products available commercially and research has expanded this to over 900 products being tested within clinical trials. Pharmaceuticals are engaged within the development of these products substantially as well as their commercialisation (Evens Kaitin, 2014). This acknowledges the fact that although the microbial systems lack the post translational modifications they are able to efficiently and conve niently produce functional mammalian recombinant proteins. Specific strains of many microbial species have now been created and adapted towards protein production; and the incorporation of yeasts and eukaryotic systems is now in place for protein production. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009). The use of E.coli expression system is the preferable choice for production of therapeutic proteins, amongst the 151 pharmaceuticals licensed in January 2009 30% where obtained in E.coli, this is due its ability to allow for efficient and economical production of proteins on both a lab scale and within industry (Mariusz, 2011, Swartz, 2001). During insulin production within E.coli the gene is fused with a synthetic fragment encoding for two IgG binding domains which have been derived from staphylococcal protein A. This product is then secreted into the growth medium of E.coli and purified using the IgG affinity. (Moks, et al., 1987) E.coli can be considered as the first microorganism for the production of proteins and is primarily used for genetic modification, cloning and small-scale production for research purposes. Many historical developments within molecular genetics and microbial physiology have been based within this species which has results in a collection of both information and molecular tools. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009) E.coli flourishes at a temperature of 37Â °C but the proteins are in insoluble form. Fusion protein technology has been able to increase the solubility of over expressed proteins, through the modification of selected amino acid residues allowing for the collection of soluble proteins (Zhang, et al., 1998). Due to the lack of the mechanisms to enable PTMs in bacterial cells protein maturation and disulfide bridges can be, to an extent overcome through the use of protein engineering (Mariusz, 2011). PTMs are crucial in protein folding, stability, processing and activity; therefore, proteins lacking the PMTs may be unstable, insoluble or inactive. However it is possible to synthetically bind PTMs to products, and through genetic engineering of DNA, the amino acid sequence of the polysaccharide can be changed to alter its properties this has been observed within insulin. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009) For more sophisticated modifications the genetic fusion of two proteins is required (Mariusz, 2011) An increase number of proteins being produced are engineered and tailored to display altered pharmacokinetic profiles and reduce immunogenicity. (Walsh, 2003) Even with the pharmaceutical market progressively producing more protein drugs from non-microbial systems; cell-free protein synthesis and oxidative cytoplasmic folding offers alternatives to the standard recombinant production techniques, it has not effect or impaired the development and progression of products developed within microbial systems proving the robustness of the microbial systems. (Ferrer-Miralles, et al., 2009, Swartz, 2001) In the future Radio Frequency Identification technology will play an important role; however there are some barriers in place for the pharmaceutical supply chain, as there have been concerns raised concerning the potential detrimental effect on the proteins due to the electromagnetic exposure. Alterations have been detected after the RFID however the effect and damages to the protein remain unknown (Acierno, et al., 2010) Works Cited Acierno, R. et al., 2010. Potential effects of RFID systems on biotechnology insulin preparation: A study using HPLC and NMR spectroscopy. Complex Medical Engineering (CME), pp. 198 203. Alberti, K. G. M. M., Zimmet, P. Shaw, J., 2006. Metabolic syndrome—a new world-wide definition. A Consensus Statement from the International Diabetes Federation. Diabetic Medicine, 23(5), pp. 469-480. Bell, D., 2007. Insulin therapy in diabetes mellitus: how can the currently available injectable insulins be most prudently and efficaciously utilised?. Drugs, 67(13), pp. 1813-1827. Consulation, 1999. Definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus and its complications. W. H. O., Volume 1. Evens, R. Kaitin, K., 2014. The Biotechnology Innovation Machine—A Source of Intelligent Biopharmaceuticals for the Pharma Industry: Mapping Biotechnology’s Success. [Pre press] submitted to: Clinical Pharmacology Therapeutics, Volume Last excessed, 27/03/2014, p. Avalible from: http://www.nature.com/clpt/journal/vaop/naam/abs/clpt201414a.html. Ferrer-Miralles, N. et al., 2009. Microbial factories for recombinant pharmaceuticals. Microbial Cell Factories , 8(7). Jonassen, I. et al., 2012. Design of the Novel Protraction Mechanism of Insulin Degludec, an Ultra-long-Acting Basal Insulin. [Online] Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11095-012-0739-z/fulltext.html [Accessed 2014 March 27]. Lindholm, A., 2002. New insulins in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol, 16(3), pp. 475-92. Mariusz, K., 2011. Engineering of Therapeutic Proteins Production in Escherichia coli. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 12(2), pp. 268-274. Moks, T. et al., 1987. Large–Scale Affinity Purification of Human Insulin–Like Growth Factor I from Culture Medium of Escherichia Coli. Nature Biotechnology, Volume 5, pp. 379-382. Schmidt, F., 2004. Recombinant expression systems in the pharmaceutical industry. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 65(4), pp. 363-372. Schmidt, M. et al., 1999. Markers of inflammation and prediction of diabetes mellitus in adults (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study): a cohort study. The Lancet, 353(9165), p. 1649–1652. Swartz, J., 2001. Advances in Escherichia coli production of therapeutic proteins. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 12(2), pp. 195-201. Walsh, G., 2003. Pharmaceutical biotechnology products approved within the European Union. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 55(1), pp. 3-10. Zhang, Y. et al., 1998. Expression of Eukaryotic Proteins in Soluble Form in Escherichia coli. Protein Expression and Purification, 12(2), pp. 159-165.

Low Cost Model For Long Haul Airlines

Low Cost Model For Long Haul Airlines As most industries reach a stage of maturation, the changing nature of the airline industry is evolving to integrate novel strategies and business models needed to comply with consumer needs. The low-cost airline sector is a model that generated large financial gains but saturation is observed, leading companies to discover new opportunities in the long-haul low-cost market. The article explains the principles behind the idea, justifying the failure of previous attempts and proposing a novel business model that can be adjusted to todays economy. 1. Introduction The airline industry is characterized by instability and unpredictability making it one of the most risky to invest in, succeeded only by the hospitality industry. Due to significant exposure to external factors, the airlines are subject to financial losses and damages, with the most recent being the terrorist attack on the US on September 11th in 2001. The global airline industry suffered greatly and any financial stability plummeted reports show losses of $10 billion only by US airlines in 2002 (Wensveen et al., 2007) In order to adapt with the continuously changing environment, airlines employed a cost-reduction policy by reducing capacity, in-flight amenities and management expenditure. The effectiveness of this method urged many companies to reconstruct their strategy to comply with consumer demand and lifestyle (Taneja, 2005). As a result, passengers were starting to prefer the more cost-effective approach of Low-cost carriers (LCCs) than conventional methods. A form of low-cost travelling had already emerged in the 1970s by Southwest Airlines, who kept low-unit costs by reducing aircraft turn-around time at the gate which inspired current companies follow its business strategy (Bamber, 2009). Today modern development of the strategy lead to a low-cost revolution with LCCs controlling 30 and 40% of the market capacity in the US and UK respectively since 2005 (Taneja, 2005). Due to the success of the model and the inevitable future saturation of the short-haul LCCs, companies focused their interest in converting the same business model for long-haul flights and turning it into a profitable business plan. However the concept of a low-cost long-haul airline is not new but previous attempts have not been successful. The earliest example is Freddie Lakers Skytrain which offered no frills transatlantic flights from London Gatwick to New York with single class tickets costing only  £59 one-way. The competitive pricing from established airlines that ensured after the relaxation of transatlantic market fare regulations, lead to debt accumulation of  £270 million and the company ultimately failed in 1982 (Calder, 2006). This review will examine the issues raised by the entrance of low-cost airlines to the long-haul route market and assess the factors that lead that prevented growth and establishment of such companies. By assessing how the elements of low-cost travelling are transferable to long-haul operations and the sustainability of such projects, solutions to building a successful business model could be found. 2. Other LCCs and proposals Shortly after the demise of Lakers venture, a US based low cost airline named People Express commenced flights from New York to London Gatwick in 1983 and later added Brussels. By providing connecting flights at its Newark hub and charging $3 for checked baggage, the company proceeded to expand from a successful low-cost carrier to offering economical long-haul flights. However, due to over-expansion and management problems the company was terminated in 1987. Recent attempts to adopt the Skytrain model of low-budget travelling include Oasis and Zoom Airlines. Oasis, based in Hong Kong, offered non-stop service between Hong Kong and London Gatwick in 2007, generating huge success due to the low cost of  £75 for one-way flights. Due to growing competition by leading airlines which landed in the more centrally located Heathrow and rapid accumulation of losses due to the unsustainable fares, the company failed just after 18 months. On the other hand, Zoom Airlines which operated between Toronto and several UK airports since 2006, had a longer lifespan but was forced to shut down after outstanding debts and bankruptcy were reported. A variety of ideas and proposals for long-haul travelling were suggested but were unable to raise the necessary finance. One of the most controversial cases is Civair, which was scheduled to start up a low cost flight between Cape Town and London Stansted in March 2004. However in December of that year, 7,400 passengers were left stranded when the company did not have an aircraft for the flight and no alternatives could be funded leading to closure. 2.1 Long-haul vs. short-haul flying Low-cost carriers have inherent differences in various factors when distinguishing between short-haul and long-haul flights. These include crew and security requirements, turn-around times, airport facilities, route authorities and route density. The competitive advantage acquired in short-haul LCCS cannot be transferred to long-haul, low-cost carriers because the only means of being profitable is optimizing aircraft capacity. Theories that could possibly create revenue by using the low-cost, long-haul model fall in two categories: either using a long haul airbus, charging higher baggage fees, buy-in food and beverages and fly to secondary airports or acquiring many cheap long-haul aircrafts with two-class service and secondary airport bases which will conduct multiple flights per week(Wensveen and Leick, 2009). The former theory would only be viable in practice if high volume city pairs could fill all the seats in the aircraft while the latter relies solely on getting cheap aircraft . However before developing hypotheses and specifications, attention should be given on the business side of airline operation. Judging from previous attempts, despite the original promising profits, most companies failed due to improper business planning. 3. Airline business planning and airline failure Every attempt of an airline entering the low-cost, long-haul flight market lead in failure, despite all the positive indications in the beginning. While there are hundreds of reasons leading in an airline failure, several common errors in business planning are shared between all of the cases. 3.1. Inability to maintain competitive advantage A company should be able to establish a sustainable, competitive advantage by analyzing and targeting the correct market while having the ability to compete with other carriers in the long-term. In the case of Skytrain, where Laker Airways entered the market of LCLH market without any competitors, it generated significant gains which were quickly diminished after the introduction of other airlines in the market. Uniqueness of an airlines business concept is important as it sets it apart from the competition otherwise will fail to raise necessary funds. 3.2. Inadequate income growth and profitability In most cases, many airlines business often dont demonstrate income growth and profitability. By displaying unrealistic financial projections in order to sell the business concept, the airline will fail. Bottom line growth is vital for the financial establishment of a company and that growth should be based on valid financial assumptions which can be backed up by quality measurements. 3.3 Incompetent leadership While the importance of a capable management team is underestimated, its one of the most imperative factors I gaining the interest of potential investors, as its believed that an average idea can be made profitable by the correct mindset. In most airlines the management team is overlooked in the business plan and this discourages investors from investing money. On the contrary, a good team is able to highlight any risks involved in the strategic objectives of the company and create a business plan that will ensure growth. A prime example is the introduction of Gordon Bethune as a new Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines the company had already filed for bankruptcy but Mr. Bethunes actions reinstated the fading airline into the most thriving carriers(Bethune et al., 1998). 3.4 Limited initial funding Most airlines require large funding throughout their development which cannot be obtained easily and combined with poor business plans lead to untimely failing. Airlines such as Oasis and Zoom were closed due to inadequate funding while competition by other companies was rising (Bradsher, 2008) . Correct estimations of the funding required and also taking into account the money lost during setup and initial operations, will lure investors for money investment as the potential for profitability will be significantly displayed. 3.5. Overexpansion and lacking flexibility Airlines often tend to expand their destination and aircraft base, with the impression that it will increase income revenue. In most of the cases, it was the limiting-step towards failure. Moderate growth and balanced route frequency can prevent overexpansion and sustain optimal gains. Additionally, the ability to compromise and adjust to the changing economical and social environment can subsequently increase the popularity of an airline among passengers. Continuous operation will lead to dependence on financial support from loans or subsidies and eventually bankruptcy. 4. Can the long-haul, low-cost model work? Studies have examined the possibility of the low-cost model integrating in long-haul flight business and clear advantages and disadvantages have been noted. At first, due to the absence of direct substitute for long-haul flights as well as the already competitive prices, there isnt adequate evidences that lower fares can increase demand in the same manner as in short-haul flights. Moreover, secondary airports cannot be used for the landing of large-aircrafts due to size and time limitations and also cost-effectiveness (Maertens, 2010). However, a cost advantage of 20 to 25% is possible if a carrier can offer online booking to reduce distribution costs and only point-to-point services where connective flights to the desired destination can be arranged by the individual passenger. Today, companies such as AirAsia X and Jet Star have managed to find a balance between price and service in order to provide low-cost flight opportunities. 4.1 Jetstar The Australian airline has managed to become one of the most successful start-ups in the recent years. While being a fully owned subsidiary of a legacy carrier, Quantas, is managed and operated separately. After commencing flights in the domestic Australian market in 2004, Jetstar operated its first international flight to from Melbourne to Singapore on December 2010, marking a new era for economical long-haul flights. Their low fares are based on the notion of offering point-to-point routes between Australia, Asia and the Pacific, in order to complement Quantas main international flight schedule. The company also offers choice between two ticket types, economy and premium economy, which various in-flight meals and snacks can be purchased or complimentary, respectively. 4.2 AirAsia X The Malaysian AirAsia which was the pioneer of low-cost carrier operations across Asia introduced the long-haul service AirAsia X in 2007 to provide more options and greater affordability to a wider marketing spectrum. Based in Kuala Lumpur, the worlds biggest low-cost hub, it has covered many destinations in Australia, Europe and Asia. A key principle in order to keep costs low is high frequency of flights and providing point-to-point medium or long haul services. As a true no-frills service it includes lots of seats and passengers purchasing in-flight meals and entertainment. It also offers a premium class which is similar to economy fare of legacy carriers while in June 2010, a US$10 million refurbishment was introduced introducing flat beds in the premium area with a small rise in the ticket fare (Anonymous, 2010). 5. Building an efficient low-cost long haul airline By evaluating the facts and figures of the previously mentioned airlines, Jetstar and AirAsia X, its evident that that reasonably priced long-haul travel can become a reality by utilizing specific cost-effective methods and business strategies. While this increase in long-haul travelling maybe attributed to the expanding economy in Asia (Hooper, 2005) and the rapidly increasing competition among emerging low-cost airlines in the continent, it has been shown that intercontinental travel as demonstrated by AirAsia can be profitable while maintaining low fares. These techniques can also be employed for any up-and-coming LCLH airline in Europe or US, to ensure their development. 5.1. Ensure faster turnaround of aircraft Short-hauls are considered to have more cost-advantage than long-hauls due to landing at secondary and less congested airports which allows higher crew and aircraft utilisation. Long-haul flights usually require more time refuelling and servicing, therefore less rotations can be performed compared to short-hauls. However, by landing at a specifically designated low-cost hub, such as Kuala Lumpur, can minimize refuelling times and costs of servicing while providing adequate support for larger aircrafts. 5.2. No frills services All-economy seating and in-flight food and beverage which can be purchased can aid in the revenue of sales while pre-booked in-flight entertainment such as hand-held devices could be useful in long-haul flights. 5.3. Point-to-point travelling only This method employed in short-haul flights ensures short turnaround times and prevention of time-consuming services which would affect timetables. Modern long-haul airlines could seek interline partners to expand their flight capabilities, similar to the co-operation of the Australian company Jetstar with its partner company Quantas (Jetstar, 2007). 5.4 High density cabins and lower input prices Gains from the long-haul flights will be possible if high seat densities exist which could make up for the low ticket fare, as more passengers equal to increased revenue. Also by importing dual-seating system with premium seats which can be charged at higher prices and have extra amenities, a market for passengers requiring conditions similar to business flights can be created resulting in more profit. New entries in the airline industry are benefited from very low unit aircraft prices in large orders as well as hiring younger and cheaper pilots. Moreover, costs of advertisings and website/call centres can be avoided to cut down expenses, since the low price is a sufficient reason for passengers to choose those companies. 6. Novel business models Because of the limited solutions and benefits on directly developing a low-cost, long-haul airline, new business models have been developed for potential exploitation into a low-cost model. 6.1. Network specialists These companies cater mainly to business passengers and are specifically operated as a corporate shuttle for routes with high-yield. A prime example is PrivatAir, a Geneva-based airline which has survived through contracts with major corporations to transport their employees between locations (Wensveen and Leick, 2009). It offers business class seating on trans-Atlantic flights using several Airbus and Boeing planes. It can also operate as an operator for existing airlines such as Lufthansa and KLM which utilize the company for their business class services in Germany. 6.2. Product specialists Airlines which focus on business and affluent leisure travel and are all-business class, all first class or both. These types of airlines are on par with legacy airline yields and offer premium cabins for long-haul flights. Companies in this market include Eos Airlines, MAXjet Airways, Silverjet and LAvion. While the first three carriers had gone bankrupt, LAvion which seemed promising and was recently acquired by British Airways did not make any profit as well (Lagrorce, 2008). Eos and Maxjet airways both operated between London Stansted and New York JFK using Boeing 757-200 while Silverjet operated between London Luton and Newark as well as Dubai. All three airlines ceased operations in 2008. LAvion operated between Paris Orly and Newark and is currently a subsidiary of British Airways OpenSkies unit. While the original offer of low fares and premium facilities seemed promising, all four companies filed for bankruptcy, citing rising fuel and oil prizes, limited funding resources an d newly formed competition on the specific routes by legacy carriers. While this business problem does not seem to be problematic, adjustments should be made in order to give motives to increase passenger preference. 6.3. Price specialists These airlines mainly adopt lower-costing strategies to compete with existing companies solely on price. This includes the low-cost, long haul flight plan which has been employed by various airlines such as Oasis Hong Kong, Zoom, Jetstar, Viva Macau and AirAsia X. In order to compete with legacy companies, larger aircrafts with high-seating configuration should be used to make profit. With the exception of Oasis and Zoom, which were bankrupt, the rest of the companies flourished with expanding their flight schedule beyond Asia and Australia. The problems leading to failure in the two named companies mainly involve insufficient business planning as discussed in a previous section. However long-term effects of the plan remain to be seen as sustaining low prices can be proven difficult with the current economy. 6.4. Long-haul charter carriers While unit costs for charter carriers is 10-20% more expensive than LCCs (Teckentrup, 2007), their increasing use for long-haul travelling made them an attractive alternative to network airlines, usually for summer destinations. Many European charter companies now target specifically long-haul destinations, such as Corsair which operates an all-economy Boeing 747-400 between Paris and Overseas French territories in the Caribbean; such high density planes are not used on other long-haul international travel by the company. Due to competition and projects bearing no success such as Britannia Airways, which discontinued flights from UK to Australia, charter airline long-haul flights have been restricted to limited time frames and leisure destinations. However, charter flights represent a large percentage of long-haul market and could potentially be exploited beneficially. 7. Sustainability of the low-cost model and future projects As the long-haul market becomes successfully grown and becomes profitable for major carriers again, it is likely that other carriers will be interested to obtain a share of the market. Due to the over-saturation of the low-cost short-haul airline industry in Europe, established LCCs such as Easyjet may utilize point-to-point flights by co-operating with long-haul flight companies to lower prices for distant travelling. Employing new aircraft types such as Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 can fly longer distances offer denser seating that would be possible to fit 800 seats flying between main hubs such as London-New York. Deregulation can also create a potential increase in new services, as many markets are limited to one or two national carriers. As this breaks down, the introduction of new entrants, such as Virgin Atlantic in the India-UK and India-USA markets can spur new competition and lower prices in international travel (Phadnis, 2012). For now, the low-cost, long-haul market appears to be decreasing as one of the pioneers of this sector AirAsia X pulled its European services citing the damaged economy of European countries and exorbitant government taxes affecting its ability to offer low-cost fares (Thomas, 2012). Even Ryanair, which declared that will commence transatlantic flights in 2007, has recently confirmed that long-haul flights are not happening for some years (Olorenshaw and Sturke, 2007). 8. Conclusions The substantial success of certain LCCs has certainly led to the perception of an attractive business model and its implementation is being utilised by various long-haul operators. Established LCCs are reluctant to join the long-haul market due to the dangers present but that is rapidly changing. Experience and expertise gained by short-haul markets can be transcribed successfully in the long-haul operating scheme, which will greatly compensate to the losses that will occur as the markets become saturated with myriads of low-cost carriers. On the other had, traditional airlines are equipped with an array of qualities such as established clientele, reducing economy seat fares to attract new passenger and experience in international flights puts the beginner low-cost carrier in a disadvantageous position. By employing a long haul point-to-point model to promote cross-selling and service integration with more established, traditional companies allow passengers to fly from smaller markets in other regions via LCCs. As with any new business model, achieving cost advantages is not enough to deem it successful. Theres a long history of competitors which offered subsidised low fares to combat new entrants in the long-haul market, leading them to financial difficulties and bankruptcy. Continuous innovation is needed in the evolving air transport market and adjusting to emerging carrier types could be beneficial. Combining a solid business plan which is flexible, manageable and competitive with a long term vision will guarantee a successful transition to the long-haul business.