The California Wine Cluster Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The California Wine Cluster - Assignment Example Technology and innovation played a basic part in bridging the quality gap between European and California vintners (Porter 1998). Conventionally, European vintners had depended intensely on flavor (qualitative) and time-tried practices. Then later on, California winemakers started utilizing quantitative analysis to transform higher, more consistent quality of wines. Innovations rushed quickly right around the state's vintners, particularly in Napa, where the majority of the wineries were found alongside. Besides, U.C. Davis, one of the world leading wine research institute, assisted explore some new technologies i.e. mechanical harvesting, trickle watering system, and field transplanting. All of this upgraded the quality of Californian wines. By the mid 70s, California’s premium wines gained international fame (Porter and Bond 2008). Question 3 France experienced intense over production. The EU, under the Common Agricultural Policy for wine, had taken many steps to diminish wine yield in its member states thru an exhibit of subsidies. New vineyard planting of table wine grapes was precluded and re-planting of existing vineyards was permitted just each eighth year. Most EU underpin headed off to subsidized "bumming-up" of lower quality vineyards, having permanently uprooted over 1.2 million acres from production. Moreover, compulsory and voluntary refining, which changed wine into liquor for human utilization or fuel, uprooted wine from the open business. The labor costs in France also exceeded much. All of these factors stagnated France’s production (Porter and Bond 2008). Question 4 A great part of Australian wine business' success is generally accredited to substantial investment in innovations in viticulture engineering. Rare water assets empowered much of this movement. By the 1990s, Australia had established its elf as a cost competitive manufacturer of high caliber wines, with 3,000 cultivators and 1,000 wineries. Australian government had also furnished subsidizes for exports promotion commonly used for wine tasting in target advertises. Australia had likewise secured Wine Bureaus in numerous nations incorporating the United Kingdom, The United States, and Germany to organize promotional exercises. This has led Australia to be emerged as a leading wine-exporting nation (Porter and Bond 2008). Question 5 Wine clusters of California faced different issues in the 90’s and 00’s decades. These include remarkable variations in the quality and quantity of each year’s grape harvest due to fluctuations in weather and space constraints for new vineyards in the North Coast which along with emerging demand for vineyards raised the average price of undeveloped land in the Central Cost of California. Many premium growers of wine grapes preferred closer spacing to boost grape qualit y which increased the yields; however, these high-density plantings posed threats of increased operating costs up due to increased costs for labor and materials. Then, the supply constraints for high quality grapes impelled premium wine producers to

A Critical Analysis Of A Satirical Piece Essay Example for Free

A Critical Analysis Of A Satirical Piece Essay The piece of satirical work that Ive chosen to analyse is a poem written by Carol Ann Duffy, a very successful female poet. The poem itself is called Poet For Our Times, it was written approximately ten to fifteen years ago, at the time she was working in a comprehensive school running workshops. This poem bore some personal significance to Duffy because her brother was working as the news editor for the Daily Mirror. The poem is written in the first person, told from the point of view of a newspaper headline writer. The poem attempts to satirize the culture of the time and there is an underlying political and social contemporary context. The use of the headlines is satirizing the un-poetic nature of the headlines and therefore the newspapers. Duffy also uses the content of the headlines referring to the conservative government of the time in an attempt to satirize both the governments effectiveness; and the private lives of the more significant figures in the government, such as Cecil Parkinson, CECIL-KEAYS ROW SHOCK TELLS EYETIE WAITER. See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay This headline tells of a row between the politician and his secretary Keays who he allegedly had a love child with. This is satirizing his inability to stick to his marriage vows, so in using this headline she succeeds in exposing the weakness of Cecil Parkinson for another woman, other than his wife. This headline also feature a term which wouldnt be understood in this day, that is, EYETIE This is a racial slang term for Italian, which originated during the Second World War when Italy formed an alliance with Germany. The derogatory term is satirizing the racist nature of many English men during the time the poem was written, I think that this is an attempt to satirize this feature of the late nineteen eighties English man and his folly into racial slur. The narrator thinks very highly of himself and he even goes as far as to say that he thinks he is a, Poet for our times. Whereas in actual fact he isnt and this is what Duffy is satirizing, his high opinion of himself which is unjustified, as in fact he merely writes punchy lines in order to try and sell more papers for the daily paper that he works for. I think that another aspect of the headline writers life that Duffy is satirizing is the pub culture of him and of his working class friends and peers. I think this stands out due to short phrases in each stanza, which are read as pub talk, for example, all-right-squire. I think that this talk could be the narrator talking to either a landlord or lady or his friends. The pub talk continues throughout the poem and I think that this implies that the man doesnt just go to the pub for a swift half, but more like for a heavy drinking session. I think that this is implied because the man says, My shout In the following stanza that implies that it is his turn to pay for a round of drinks. Then two stanzas later another drink is asked for, this is implied when he says, make that a scotch, ta. This implies that he isnt merely in the pub for a quick drink, but that he is a heavy drinker as he is changing his drink to a spirit. I think that this satirization is in order to depict the weakness of the narrator to alcohol and the unhealthy lifestyle. I think that she is trying to make the point that working class men should spend less time in the pub, and possibly more with their family if theyre married or partaking in some kind of recreational activity, such as using a local health club or playing five a side football. In conclusion to the points I have made I think that Duffys poem is very successful in exposing human follies and weaknesses and trying toi change the cultural approach of working class men of the time.

Violence in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

Violence in Literature Mohandas Gandhi once stated these words, "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent." The same can be said about many things in life. However, when thought about, few people may consider the violence brought up in literature. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are many scenes that illustrate the blind, violent nature that most humans tend to share. Mark Twain has used violence throughout his novel to enhance his beliefs on the injustices of slavery and any other form of senseless violence known to mankind. From the beginning with Pap's continuous abuse towards Huck, till the end with Emmiline Grangerfords poetry, is filled with violent sections that magnify the hypocrisy and stupidity of people. Almost immediately we are introduced to the drunken, deranged man who is Huck?s father, Pap. Pap is an alcoholic who roams from place to place buying up booze and sleeping wherever he can. Huck has never viewed him as a real father figure because Pap has almost never been there for Huck, except when he is ?disciplining? him. Pap is uneducated and disapproves of Huck attending school. Pap tells Huck, "you're educated...You think your're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't?" (14) Huck puts up with Pap?s numerous beatings because he does not want to be the cause of any more controversies between himself and Pap. Huck explains, "If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way" (95). Pap?s addiction to alcohol is how Twain views the affect that alcohol can have on a person. He believes that alcohol is a money waster, can affect the sanity of people, and how it can turn even de cent men into complete scoundrels. Subsequently, Huck continues his journey down the river to another town where he suddenly finds himself staying with the Grangerfords. Huck soon befriends a boy named Buck who tells him all about the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. Both have been fighting for over 30 years but neither of them know exactly why they are battling each other. Buck explains, ??but they don?t know now what the row was about in the first place?(180). The tribal ware fare of the families is suppressed with religion.

Pros and Cons of Gene Therapy Essay -- Genetics Science Essays

Pros and Cons of Gene Therapy Gene therapy is thought of by some people as an terrific discovery that could greatly improve the human population and also give people with certain disabilities some glimmer of hope. And on the other side of the coin there is some people that think we have no business playing God. They feel that playing God may possibly cause devastating effects to the human gene pool and may also led to misuse. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines gene therapy as the insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells usually to replace defective genes especially in the treatment of genetic disorders. By using gene therapy, we can go to t he base of the disorder instead of using drugs to alleviate symptoms. Some diseases that have been treated include ADA Deficiency, familial hypercholesterolemia, cystic fibrosis, cancers that include melanoma, Neuroblastoma, brain tumors and AIDS (Nation al Cancer Institute,1993). Technical Aspects There are three methods used to deliver the genetically altered material. The first method includes either retroviruses or retrotransposons. Retroviruses are viruses that can transfer their own genetic information and also genetically alter the huma n gene. These viruses are unable to copy themselves but still pose a problem in altering protein synthesis when these retroviruses splice a patient’s cells. This is were retroviruses come into play. There are parts of DNA from a cell that â€Å" can copy th emselves onto other sites in the cells genome â€Å" (Glausisus,1996). One type of transposon is a yeast transposon called Ty3. This yeast transposon is still under research. The second method involves blasting genes with a pressurized gun filled with helium (Glausi... ...normal or could led to misuse in other forms. For just these reasons we definitely need RAC (Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee), NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Without these committees the p ossibility of misuse will be greatly enhanced. References 1) Glausisuz,J.(1996).The genes of 1995. 1995:The Year in Science 17,36-38. 2) Macer,D.R.J.Public Acceptance of Human Gene Therapy and Perceptions of Human Genetic Manipualtion.Obtained from the WWW 10/28/96:http//www.biol.tsykuba.ac.jp/~macer/Papers/HGT92:html 3) Britannica On Line: gene therapy. Obtained from the WWW 10/23/96:http://www.eb.com 4) National Cancer Institute.Questions and Answers About Gene Therapy. Obtained from the WWW 10/23/96: http://oncolink.upenn.edu/pdq/600718.html 5) Seligman,J.(1996).Hope for genetic healing. Newsweek,April 15,64.

Wonders of Science

Science has done great service to mankind. Science has ensured life to be safer, surer and much more comfortable than ever before. Science has helped man to make computers, artificial satellites and robots. Science has given the Americans a defense umbrella in space and it has given the Russians a permanent space station. Russia, it is believed, will have an industrial city in space before 2050 A. D. This would be the height of achievement in the field of science and technology. Science has also helped the common man in many ways. It has given him the modern machinery which has helped to increase the production of food grains.The famines which took the lives of millions of people in the past have now become a distant thing, except in some African countries. Man who was travelling in bullock carts until two hundred years ago is now able to travel in supersonic jets which would take him around the world in twenty four hours. Science has also made communication easier with the invention of telegraphy and the telephone. The invention of the printing press has brought education in the form of books and newspapers to the doorsteps of every common man. Science has given man several means of recreation to spend his leisure time.The greatest wonder of modern science is that we can watch several events as they are happening on the other side of the world by sitting comfortably in our drawing rooms in front of the televisions. Satellite links of televisions have made this possible. Science has also given us the computer which can store a million times more of information in its memory than a human brain and bring them out the flicker of a second. The computer can also work out statistical data of all inhabitants of a city and can give details of any singular feature for several years. These wonders of science have certainly made our living easier and lively.

Antebellum Periods and Reforms essays

Antebellum Periods and Reforms essays The Ante-bellum Period and The Reforms The overwhelming number of reforms in the ante-bellum period was a result the rapid change that was occurring around the country. These changes were seen in economics, politics and society. Americans reacted in a nationwide panic which created doubts of the goodness of the changes America was going through. The institution and then rise of the market economy and the Second Great Awakening had the greatest effect on America. The effect of these two things brought on many reforms by many different people in various aspects of America. Market economy had a significant change in all politics, economics, and society. The market economy is "where men and women grew crops and produced goods for sale at home or abroad... The money that individuals received from market transactions.....purchased items from produced by other people."1 This system was a devised so each person following could produce goods for a profit. America's economy was probably the most effected out of the three country functions. Market economy started many improvements in America through industrialization. New interventions in transportation and technology had a major effect on the pace in which America functioned. Transportation flourished with the building of railroads, canals, and a National road. Technology also significantly throve with inventions as the steamboat and the telegraph. There was a definite rise in cities as population rapidly increased. These cities were mostly industrial cities and contained a large immigrant population. Imm igrants created a lot of competition in the economic world because as population grew, it became more and more difficult to get a job, and the immigrants were willing to work for low wages unlike many Americans. Market economy encouraged wage labor which was a form of specialization. Many people were incorporated in this system being paid so much for parts. This resulted in factories...

Spanish Banks In Latin America The WritePass Journal

Spanish Banks In Latin America Abstract Spanish Banks In Latin America Abstract1.What were the underlying reasons (or motives) behind the internationalization of leading Spanish banks in the 1980s and 1990s?a) What issues should firms consider in selecting international markets to enter? 2.  In light of this, why did the leading Spanish banks target Latin America for their international expansion?ConclusionReferenceRelated Abstract The service sector has in the past few decades seen an increase in the integration of global economies. The expansion of Spanish banks into Latin America is a striking example of the degree of globalization and integration of financial markets that is increasingly taking place across the globe. The leading Spanish banks have augmented their presence in Latin America to become the largest foreign institutions in retail banking In view of the above, this paper sheds a light on the process of internationalization with the aim of seeking answers to these questions: What were the motives behind the expansion? Why did Latin America become the target of this expansion and not other European countries? And lastly, why did the leading Spanish banks mainly enter Latin American market via acquisitions?   Based on the analysis, the paper finds that the expansion was partly due to increasing liberalization and deregulation of financial activities and in part, a result of the integration of Spain into the EU. The paper also finds that the motives or the reasons behind the expansion were to increase client base, attain greater investment diversification and to thrive in the competitive globalized business environment. Latin America not only offered good investment opportunities but also provided a solution to the problem of lack of competitiveness that most Spanish banks faced. 1.What were the underlying reasons (or motives) behind the internationalization of leading Spanish banks in the 1980s and 1990s? The service sector has in the past few decades seen an increase in the integration of global economies. The internationalization of banks is a striking example of the degree of globalization and integration of financial markets that has taken place across the globe (Cardone-Riportella Cazorla-Papis 2001). The massive presence of globalized financial institutions, especially the leading Spanish banks has changed the picture of banking, insurance and pension fund in Latin America (Calderon 2000). Whilst the presence of foreign banks in Latin America is not a new phenomenon, the second half of the 1990s saw the internationalization of leading Spanish banks on an unprecedented scale (Slager 2005). Whereas the expansion process occurred in both periods of the 1980s and 1990s, it was in the 1990s that the degree of internationalization grew significantly (Bejar 2007). Santander first entered Chile in 1978. By 1982, it had already acquired Banco Espanol Chile (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). In 1995 Santander was ranked at position 6 in commercial banking. A further acquisition of Banco Osorno y La Union in 1996 further pushed it to the second position. Its success in the Chilean market is attributed to its superhipoteca, a new mortgage product with aggressive pricing, which allowed the bank to gain 20% of new mortgages (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). Similarly, in Argentina where Citibank and BankBoston had dominated for many years, the two leading Spanish banks, Santander and BBV, acquired some of the most profitable banks. In 1997, Santander acquired Banco Rio de la Plata. On the other hand, BBV acquired Banco de Credito Argentino and Banco Frances (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). But while BBVs acquisition of Banco Frances was okay, the acquisition of Banco de Credito Argentino was accompanied by many integration problems (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). In Mexico, Citibank was the only foreign bank that was allowed to operate. But with Mexico joining NAFTA in1994, it agreed to permit the operations of North American bank and extended the opening to all member states of the OECD (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). BBV became the first Spanish bank to enter Mexico through the invitation of Probursa. By the late 1990s, it had already established its presence in Mexico with over 335 branches (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). BCH became the second to enter by acquiring Banco Atlantico and Bital. Santander came third in 1997, acquiring 61% of InverMexico and Banco Mexicano (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). Just as it did in Argentina and Chile, these leading Spanish banks also introduced new innovative ideas in Mexico, building a strong depositor base but pursuing different strategies. For example, while BBV introduced ‘libreton’ in 1996, Santander mimicked it by introducing its ‘supercuenta’ (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). BBV had within a few months created more than 460,000 new accounts whereas ‘Santander’ boasted of 240,000 accounts (Guillen Tschoegl 2000). This internationalization is a result of the growing financial liberalization and deregulation. Initially, the banking system in Spain was one of the most regulated in the world with restrictive rules that prevented entry of foreign banks. But in the mid-1970s, there was a significant transformation of Spain from being a politically and economically inward looking country to one that was more open and dynamic (Guillen 2005). The process of financial liberalization and deregulation began. This process of change was speeded up by Spain’s accession to the EU in 1986 (Guillen 2005). Among the chief underlying reasons for expansion into Latin America was the need to increase client base, attain greater investment diversification in the high growth potential areas and the need to thrive in the competitive landscape (Sebastian Hernansanz 2000). The deregulation of the 1980s and Spain’s accession to the EU increased competition in retail banking. Spains accession to the European Community in 1986 initiated the process of liberalization and deregulation of the banking sector (Bejar 2007). The deregulation included complete liberalization of interest rates and commissions, new legislations covering pension funds and reforms to the stock market (Parada et al 2009). The process of liberalisation and deregulation was further accelerated with the approval of the Single European Act and Economic Monetary Union which prepared the ground for adoption of the euro within the EU (Bejar 2007). These legislative initiatives had major effects on Spanish banks approach and strategy. The leading spanish banks were obliged to transcend their territorial or rather national boundaries in order to increase their competitiveness, diversify their investments and to protect themselves from acquisitions and takeovers by other foreign firms (Bejar 2007). Thus, given the competitive landscape and the need to diversify investments, the leading Spanish banks had to introduce new strategies to retail banking. During that time, the continent of Latin America displayed good investment opportunities. The leading Spanish banks saw a unique opportunity to attain dimensions in Latin America that would provide them with an edge in the demanding international financial markets (Calderon Casilda 2000). Thus the advantages of localization, the low level of banking services in the region and the growing liberalization led to the expansion of Spanish banks into Latin America (Cardone-Riportella Cazorla-Papis 2001). It follows that the decision to expand into Latin America was driven by the need to exploit the favourable financial system environment in the region and to attain greater investment diversification in Latin America. This would enable the Spanish banks to thrive in the competitive globalized business environment a) What issues should firms consider in selecting international markets to enter? The factors affecting the decision to internationalize activities may vary with a banks chosen entry mode. Whilst determinants such as economic growth and high net interest margin may promote one entry mode, others such as the high concentration in the sector and tax relieves can impact positively on the other structures (Hryckiewicz Kowalewski 2008). Nonetheless, there are certain issues that must be consider when selecting international markets to enter. These can be illustrated clearly with the help of theoretical models. According to the theory of internationalization, companies internationalize value-generating operations based on the advantages derived from such process of internationalization (Slager 2009). The internationalization process materializes through FDI and contributes to value creation if the benefits of using intangible assets across country borders overrun the cost of operating in the foreign market (Rugman 1976). Another model that can explain the decision to expand operations into a foreign market is the Transaction cost theory. Based on the transaction cost theory, the decision to enter a foreign market is determined by acquisition of costs including the cost of managing uncertainty (Williamson 1985). The lack of trust and the presence of uncertainty inform the decisions on whether or not to form alliances, mergers and acquisitions (Bergen et al 1992). Finally, there is the Uppsala model that is often used. According to this model, the focus of internationalization efforts will essentially be on the closer markets due to gradual accumulation of experiential knowledge in these markets which reduces the uncertainty effect (Curci Cardoza 2009). The expansion of these leading Spanish banks into Latin America confirms the predictions of the Uppsala model which views internalization as an incremental commitment based on the accumulation of experiential knowledge in foreign markets. In the 1980s, the re-dimensioning process of the European market had not started yet (Mathieson 2005). Due to increased uncertainty in the Latin American market at the time, banks entered timidly with minimal investments. These Spanish banks thus committed low resources during this period due to the risk involved and given their lack of experiential knowledge in the region. But in the 1990s, the re-dimensioning was already underway and in view of the lesser risk and uncertainty; the Spanish banks began investing in the region by acquiring some of the most profitable banks (Mathieson 2005). Amongst these Spanish banks, the most assertive was Santander primarily due to its strong capital base and previous experience in the region (Guillen Tschoegl 1999). BBV, on the other hand, was at first cautious in investing in the region due to the lack of exposure in the region (Guillen Tschoegl 1999). But later, it increased its investments in the region acquiring a number of profitable banks. This clearly illustrates the benefits of low commitment entry modes and taking time to understand the foreign market before increasing investments. 2.  In light of this, why did the leading Spanish banks target Latin America for their international expansion? The international expansion of Spanish banks into Latin America was speeded up by Spain’s accession to the EU (Curci Cardoza 2009). At the time, competition had grown intensely and it had become increasingly difficult to grow business in the saturated domestic markets. With Spain joining the EU in 1986, it generated a new threat as operation in the Spanish market meant head-to-head competition with the well established European firms (Curci Cardoza 2009). The Spanish banks were thus faced with the dilemma of either competing within the domestic markets or expanding and competing in the international markets. But due to the need for investment diversification and the need to thrive in the competitive landscape, the Spanish banks opted to pursue business internationally (Curci Cardoza 2009). However, owing to the lack of substantial capital, it was perceived not viable to expand into other European countries. Thus, as predicted by the Uppsala model, Latin America became the target of this international expansion since it was psychologically a closer market (Cardoza et al 2007). With this strategy, the Spanish banks protected themselves from acquisitions and possible takeovers by other European companies (Cardoza et al 2007). On its part, Latin America had instituted neo-liberal reforms that included deregulation, liberalization and economic opening (Curci Cardoza 2009). Retail banking in Latin America was during that time in the process of being regulated and given the low level of penetration of foreign firms and the potentially high margins in the region, it offered great investment opportunities (Curci Cardoza 2009). At the time, potential margins were high and the standards of regulating and supervision were rapidly improving (Bejar 2007). Also, Latin America lacke d enough capital resources and demand for banking services was rapidly rising. In view of these, the leading Spanish banks moved to augment their presence in the region and in less than a decade, these banks had grown from being Spain-only operators to becoming major international players in retail banking. Within a short period of time, these Spanish banks had already achieved the status of multinationals and most importantly, they were accorded the status of key world players in the banking industry (Bejar 2007). Their status was moved from being banks confined within the territories of Spain to becoming major international operators whose initiatives were scrutinized around the entire globe (Bejar 2007). Owing to the success of this internationalization process, these Spanish banks now enjoy a sound reputation and are often regarded as a plus factor in countries that they currently operate in. The expansion of these Spanish banks to Latin America was indeed a stepping stone towards their global growth (Bejar 2007).   It is clear from the above as to why the leading Spanish banks targeted Latin America for their expansion. Latin America did not only offer good investment opportunities but the region also provided a solution to the problem of lack of competitiveness that most Spanish banks faced. Why did Spanish banks mainly enter Latin American markets via acquisitions? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach compared to other possible market entry modes? There are two main modes of market entry into a foreign market: equity and Non equity modes. The non-equity modes include: the export strategy mode that involves direct and indirect exports; and contractual agreement modes which include research and development contracts, co-marketing strategy, and licensing/franchising among others (Peng 2008). The equity modes include joint ventures and partially owned subsidiaries (WOS). A Joint venture entails some form of FDI in which the foreign firm is allowed a certain degree of control of the entity. The advantages of joint ventures include cost and risk sharing (Peng 2008). Another advantage is the access to knowledge about the host country. Joint ventures are also considered more politically acceptable. There are however certain disadvantages to this mode of entry. First, since it involves partners from different background and with different goals, conflicts are inevitable. Secondly, it may be difficult to achieve effective equity and operational control since everything must be negotiated. Finally, the nature of a joint venture does not give the multinational effective control over foreign subsidiary which may be necessary for global coordination (Peng 2008). On the other side, wholly owned subsidiaries can be achieved in two primary ways: establishing Greenfield operations or through acquisition which is probably the most important in terms of amount of capital involved (Mullineux Murinde 2003). As we have seen in the present case, the mode of entry used by the Spanish banks to enter Latin America is through acquisitions. The two leading Spanish banks, Santander and Bilbao Vizeaya, had in less than a decade augmented their presence in Latin America through some 20 acquisitions (Cardone-Riportella Cazorla-Papis 2001). The advantages of acquisitions as a mode of entry are that it gives the multinational complete control which leads to better protection of proprietary technology (Mullineux Murinde 2003). Also, acquisitions allows for central coordination of global actions. As pointed out by Tschoegl (2003), foreign firms in the long run end up having no comparative advantage in retail banking. For such reasons, acquisition of domestic banks presents the only noble solution. Through acquisitions, these Spanish banks were able to gain greater comparative advantage in Latin America. On the flip side, however, the risks involved both financially and politically are high. The conspicuous foreignness embodied in this mode of entry may become a target for national sentiments (Peng 2008). Additionally, this mode of entry may be affected by post-acquisition integration problems. Nonetheless, the Spanish banks opted to use acquisitions as a mode of entry as this would give them complete control and allow them to gain share rapidly in the Latin American market. Conclusion The expansion of Spanish banks into Latin America reflects the ongoing globalization and integration of financial markets that is increasingly taking place across the globe. The internationalization of the leading Spanish banks can partly be explained by the growing financial liberalization and deregulation and partly due to Spain’s accession to the EU in 1986. Among the chief underlying reasons for expansion into Latin America was the need to increase client base, attain greater investment diversification in the high growth potential areas and to thrive in the competitive landscape. At the time of the expansion, retail banking in Latin America was in the process of being regulated and the low level of penetration of foreign firms and the potentially high margins in the region offered great investment opportunities. Furthermore, Latin America lacked enough capital resources and demand for banking services was rapidly rising. As such, Latin America not only offered good investment opportunities but also provided a solution to the problem of lack of competitiveness that most Spanish banks faced. This expansion confirms the predictions of the Uppsala model which views internalization as an incremental commitment based on the accumulation of experiential knowledge in foreign markets. (2,558 words) Reference Bejar, R.C., 2007. Internationalization in Latin America: stepping stone to global expansion, BBVA case study. Bergen, M., Dutta, S., and Walker, O., 1992. ‘Agency relationships in marketing, A Curci and Cardoza 45 review of the implications of agency and related theories’. Journal of Marketing, 56: 1–24. Calderon, A., 2000. The Spanish banks strategies in Latin America. CEPAL review 70 Cardone-Riportella, C.C and Cazorla-Papis, L., 2001. The internationalization process of Spanish banks: a tale of two times. Cambridge Cardoza, G., Diaz, J., and Angel, A. 2007. ‘Institutional determinants of the Argentinean crisis: A systemic approach’. Latin American Business Review, 7(1): 1−32. Curci, R. and Cardoza, G., 2009. ‘Spanish Foreign Direct Investments in Latin America: Intenaitonalization strategies and financial management practices’. Journal of Comparative International Management, vol. 12 (1), pp.29-46 Guillà ©n, M. 2005. The Rise of Spanish Multinationals: European Business in the Global Economy. Cambridge University Press. Guillen, M.F. and Tschoegl, A.E., 2000. Integrative Case3.2: Spanish banks in Latin America. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Guillen, M.F. and Tschoegl, A.E., 1999. At last the internationalization of retail banking? The case of the Spanish banks in Latin America. The Wharton School. University of Pennsylvania Heinkel R.L., and Maurice D. L. 1992. ‘The structure of international banking’. Journal of International Money and Finance 16: 251-72. Hryckiewicz, A. and Kowalewski, O., 2008. Economic determinants and entry modes of foreign banks into Central Europe, Goethe University Frankfurt. Mathieson, D.J., 2000. International capital markets: developments, prospects, and key policy issues. International Monetary Fund. mergers and acquisitions in the European financial services market. Mullineux, A.W. and V. Murinde, 2003. ‘Globalization and convergence of banking systems’, in Mullineux, A.W. and V. Murinde, (eds.), Handbook of International Banking. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Parada, P., Alemany, L. and Planellas, M., 2009. The internationalization of retail banking: Banco Santanders journey towards globalization. Elsevier Peng, M.W., 2008. Global strategy. South Western Educational Publishing Rugman, A.M., 1976. ‘Risk reduction by international diversification’. Journal of International Business Studies, 18 (2): 67–88. Sebastian, M. and Hernansanz, C., 2000. The Spanish banks strategy in Latin America. BBVA Economics Research Department Slager, A., 2005. Internationalization of banks: strategic patterns and performance. SUERF, Vienna Slager, A.M.H., Banking across borders: internationalization of the worlds largest banks between 1980 and 2000. Erasmus Research Institute of Management Tschoegl, A.E., 1987. ‘International retail banking as a strategy: an assessment’, Journal of International Business Studies, 7(2): 75–80. Williamson, O. 1985. The Economic Institutions of Capitalism. New York, Free Press.

The Ol Olde Gets Old

The Ol Olde Gets Old The Ol Olde Gets Old The Ol Olde Gets Old By Mark Nichol Writers’ efforts to evoke a folksy or quaint sensibility by using a variation on the word old often fail because they use the wrong form. This post discusses the proper use of the variations. When the intent is to simulate a drawl, the correct version of old is ol’, which follows the common pattern of dropping a word’s final consonant to relax pronunciation, as in, for example, rollin’ in place of rolling. This is the use seen in phrases such as â€Å"good ol’ boy† and in the song title â€Å"Ol’ Man River,† which alludes to the personification of the Mississippi River as an entity oblivious to the cares of the people who travel on it. â€Å"Good ol’ boy† has positive and negative connotations in the American South and other areas; the positive sense is of a humble but well-bred man, though the pejorative sense of an ignorant and intolerant man is dominant. (In one region of England, however, the connotation is simply of a likeable man.) â€Å"Good ol’ boys’ club† or â€Å"good ol’ boys’ network alludes to an excessively insular group of men who discriminate against or ostracize others who are different or not associated with them. (The phrases were inspired by the British English notion of the â€Å"old boy network,† describing men linked by virtue of being alumni of certain prestigious public schools, with a similar but somewhat more elitist subtext.) Ol’ is preferable to ole (not to be confused with olà ©, a Spanish exclamation synonymous with bravo! and, like that word, always punctuated with an exclamation point, which is nevertheless enshrined in the name of the Grand Ole Opry and in Ole Miss, the nickname for the University of Mississippi, as well as in the song title â€Å"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.† When establishing a reference to a real or imagined medieval sensibility, the archaism olde often appears in such designations as â€Å"Ye Olde Shoppe.† Olde dates back to a time when spelling was more flexible (and may reflect pronunciation during that era) and was revived starting in the mid-nineteenth century to suggest an air of antiquity. Olde is valid, if a bit precious, but the word that often precedes it is misunderstood. Note that ye is not used here as an archaic form of you; it includes a variant of the obsolete English letter thorn, which resembles a mash-up of b and p and represents the soft th sound in the (as opposed to the hard sound in thorn). Therefore, it is correctly pronounced as the. Olden is a variant of the adjective old, unnecessary except to lend a flavor of antiquity (as in the phrase â€Å"in olden times†). Auld, from an earlier pronunciation for old, was preserved in northern England and in Scotland; it’s best known as the first word in the song title â€Å"Auld Lang Syne† (in Scots, literally â€Å"old long since,† meaning â€Å"long ago† or â€Å"old times†). Old itself is often part of a nickname bestowed out of respect; among the recipients of such an epithet are President Andrew â€Å"Old Hickory† Jackson, two naval vessels dubbed Old Ironsides because of their sturdy hulls, and the nursery rhyme character Old Mother Hubbard. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcCannot or Can Not?90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

Current Diverse Environmental Events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Diverse Environmental Events - Essay Example According to Davis (1), a ban must exist on activities that emit CO2. This article implies that there can be maintenance of climate change using appropriate technology. Such technologies include the introduction of wedges. Throughout this article, there are suggestions that current technologies are insufficient in the reduction of carbon emissions. The creation of new ways to manage dangerous emissions is extremely necessary. This article recommends that there needs to be establishment of policies that would reduce these emissions. For example, the article implies that policies need to conduct advanced research that will probably discover safe ways of creating energy. There also needs to be additional efforts that will reduce all these emissions that keep affecting the environment. Another article by the US Department of Energy reports the benefits of proper carbon dioxide storage. Hakun (1) depicts that it is possible for permanent arrest of diverse green house gases. The article al so states that the available storage spaces in the US can arrest these gases from their respective sources. An example of CO2 storage facility is the atlas 4 that has current updates on the emissions. This article explains the details of the atlas that include the following. The first is the ability of the atlas to detect all the locations of potential carbon dioxide deposits. The final article by Eisenberg suggests that people need to check the emissions of CO2 in the air. This is because there is an extremely rapid growth in the levels of C02 emissions across the globe. In this article, she reports the relevance of carbon engineering to the environment. The article further explains that it is possible for industries to store these gases and later sell them. She highlights diverse ways of harvesting CO2 and proves that the entire process is advantageous. In the article, one notices that direct air capture of CO2.

Global Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Challenges - Essay Example he last two decades or so and one can see roads being built, businesses getting their offshore hubs within the South Asian country and new organizations opening their offices every now and then, which at the end of the day has really boosted the economic developments within India. Piracy of intellectual property has remained a problem as far as the economic and political ranks are concerned and when the same is compared with the US regimes, one understands that the US authorities have taken giant and firm strides to counter the threat that poses them in the related regards. Considering the case of another nation, Pakistan for instance, the same might not be true when it comes to proper planning and implementation of policies which would plug the gaps as far as piracy of intellectual property is linked. There would be inadequate working methodologies in place and no such genuine force to combat the force that comes from the pirate institutions that are on rampage whilst coming up with their respective products on a day to day basis, thus ruining the economic and political domains present within the country. The seriousness of this issue could be gauged from the fact that US is taking all the corrective measures in order to fill the gap which has been left with the other nations all over the world while the remaining countries have a lot of catching up to do as far as this notion is concerned. Indian economy has not only benefited from the outsourcing regimes but also the US, Japan and European economies with the passage of time. The availability of cheap labor and the required resources within the Indian nation make it a viable option for the US business entrepreneurs and thus they invest heavily within this nation. It means that the manufacturing and economic developments within India are direct proportional with the US developments and thus the returns are manifolds and are shared across a number of different countries, regions and areas for that matter. The

Introduction to Shipping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Shipping - Essay Example This paper aims at explaining the design process and factors to be considered with the building of a commercial ship and describing the scope and scale of the international shipping industry. A ship design process refers to a process in which the ship owner description and requirements are set into specifications, drawing, and technical information needed for the actual building of the ship. This process is always led by a naval architect but highly contributed to by designers, engineers and many other relevant professionals. The ship designing process is subdivided into various phases. During each phase, the design is improved by increasing the level of details. The owners specification about the ship to be designed must contain detailed about fuel endurance, cargo capacity in terms of volume and weight, and speed (Okumoto 2009, p. 64). The building and operation cost are determined by the owner. The ship design process mainly consists of four stages. These stages are: identification of needs; definition of requirements; selection of the design criteria and development of solution framework. The process can also be phased into three phases namely: initial design, basic design, and the detailed design. This nature of the process can be referred to as a design spiral methodology and strategy. Given that the design requirements is not always similar for all ship owners, it is always important to make use of the relevant tools and experience in incorporating different and conflicting expectations and requirements in design missions (Barrass 2004, p. 101). At the initial design stage, the design team has the task of determining the parameters that are supposed to be the basis for the optimal ship dimensions. The team should also hull form development and also propulsion auxiliary systems and system selection in accordance to the requirements of the owner. This stage of design is mainly characterized by analysis

Southwest airline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Southwest airline - Essay Example In general terms, cost leadership can be described as operating at the lowest cost in an industry. Cost leadership has been an effective generic strategy for the Southwest Airlines over the last two decades. The company is able to produce services at comparatively low cost  to  that of its competitors. As a result, the firm generates high profits since it produces at low cost and sells at the established market prices. In this regard, the firm has been able to diversify its services to various location through the aid of modern technology and experienced workforce. In essence, the many years of existences facilitates production at low cost and selling at a considerable high profit. Moreover, the diversity of services and the experience of being in the industry for many years offers the company a platform for differentiation (Witcher & Chau, 2010). For instance, the company has established structures that facilitates efficient service delivery to customers of varied financial levels. In essence, the approach employed to handle customers ensures that everyone enjoy the value of money spent. An analysis of the company’s financial base and the total market share shows that the company has sufficient resources for differentiation. In addition, the resources that the company has so far can maintain an effective differentiation strategy. The experienced workforce, high technology equipment, and huge capital reserves depict that the company can be able to maintain its differentiation strategy for long. The firm should introduce another generic strategy to reinforce its efforts for generating sufficient profits and diversifying the market share. In this regard, the company can employee  the  focus  generic  strategy in marketing its services. Benoliel & Cashdan (2006) argue that the focus strategy enhances that the needs of a particular market segment are comprehensively covered. In this regard,

The Battle to be Top Dog PetSmart vs. Petco Essay

The Battle to be Top Dog PetSmart vs. Petco - Essay Example This created the popularity of the company and improved the customers trust in the benefit of the company. Handling competition is not an easy job and it needs committed resources of manual labor, system, and financial plan. Any trail off from a company would lead in decline of market share and profit. This made the Petsmart advance, widens its market thus included services such as, adoption, training, veterinary, grooming, day care, and more so pet hotel. . The article illustrates how Petsmart has vastly managed to strike equilibrium between being wholly alert on availability and pricing, which is highly vital in competing with strong merchandisers and looking into value added- services. The previous year the company groomed 7.5 million dogs, a 16% increase over the year before. It provided 378,000 training classes, another 16% increase. Overall, services are to generate $450 million sales this year, about 10% of the companys $4.5 billion total, but representing 26% annual growth since the initiation of the strategy in 2000. The structure of the company itself is a competitive strategy since it pleases the sight of the customer and the pet. For example, the inner dà ©cor was in blue color, decorated with brick and sliding to be attractive to the public. Petco uses a highly different approach compared to Petsmart. It Diversifies its market products Moreso for other animals not necessarily pets products. It recently introduced a â€Å"reptile rendezvous†. This Includes, the demonstration of products, and the photo contest. This strategy has improved its income since the effectiveness of the program pleases customers. Although petco has not embraced the services aggressively like Petsmart, it features grooming services and more so providing doggie day care at various locations. These Strategies have made it succeed thus withstanding the stiff competition from the Petsmart. Other sources say

Southwest airline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Southwest airline - Essay Example In general terms, cost leadership can be described as operating at the lowest cost in an industry. Cost leadership has been an effective generic strategy for the Southwest Airlines over the last two decades. The company is able to produce services at comparatively low cost  to  that of its competitors. As a result, the firm generates high profits since it produces at low cost and sells at the established market prices. In this regard, the firm has been able to diversify its services to various location through the aid of modern technology and experienced workforce. In essence, the many years of existences facilitates production at low cost and selling at a considerable high profit. Moreover, the diversity of services and the experience of being in the industry for many years offers the company a platform for differentiation (Witcher & Chau, 2010). For instance, the company has established structures that facilitates efficient service delivery to customers of varied financial levels. In essence, the approach employed to handle customers ensures that everyone enjoy the value of money spent. An analysis of the company’s financial base and the total market share shows that the company has sufficient resources for differentiation. In addition, the resources that the company has so far can maintain an effective differentiation strategy. The experienced workforce, high technology equipment, and huge capital reserves depict that the company can be able to maintain its differentiation strategy for long. The firm should introduce another generic strategy to reinforce its efforts for generating sufficient profits and diversifying the market share. In this regard, the company can employee  the  focus  generic  strategy in marketing its services. Benoliel & Cashdan (2006) argue that the focus strategy enhances that the needs of a particular market segment are comprehensively covered. In this regard,

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Paper - Essay Example The gendered roles of men and women institutionalized the supremacy of men which was further reinforced by the fact that being the bread-earners, they were naturally the heads of their families. This kind of male dominance prevailed since centuries, until the mid-twentieth century, when women’s rights activists initiated historical movements. Up till then, women did not have many chances of getting high education as compared with men. However, with the passage of time, they became aware of their political and social rights and sought to fight for them. In many countries of the world, women were deprived of their inheritance, and so much was to be done to earn their birth rights. For instance, the right to express themselves; the right to have a voice or opinion; the right to earn or work; the right to marry the person of their choice; the right to have or not to have children; the right to vote; the right to divorce; the right to adopt a religion; or simply the right to live t heir own lives, rather than being dictated by the norms of society or the patriarchal system. Prior to this awareness, they had no rights over their own bodies or sexuality. Having right over your own body means having the power to decide for yourself. Self determination was denied to women since ancient times; but the dynamics of the twentieth century changed the mindset of all and sundry, once various movements in different parts of the world gained momentum. Perhaps the first step was to step out of the domestic domains and enter the work force with men. As their roles changed, there developed a natural urge to change their social and political status. After a long journey, women today can claim to enjoy equal benefits at workplace, access to therapeutic abortion, maternity leave, etc. The health exception drew additional legitimacy from Britain’s passage of a therapeutic law in 1967. In the late 1960s, reformers succeeded in securing laws for therapeutic abortion in a num ber of states, which set up complicated processes heavily supervised by medical committees that allowed women to end pregnancies in â€Å"hardship cases† involving rape, incest, the probability of a deformed child, or the threat of death. (Stansell, 315) The Abortion Law is yet a controversial topic in many parts of the world. However, women’s rights’ activists that were in favour of this law hailed the decision of the government in this regard. The official law prevented women from aborting themselves at home that posed severe health risks for them. However, abortion by choice is yet not a simple task in many states and is only performed where necessary. If the reasons of abortion are primarily for the health or honour of women, or in case of a deformed child, then women are granted this right. Conservative societies, like Japan were reluctant to change their attitude towards women, as demanded by the women’s rights’ activists. Regarding the abort ion rights in Japan, during the 70’s and 80’s, a massive change was witnessed among women who fought for women’s rights. This movement spread awareness among women about their rights whether to have a baby or not. â€Å"...women in the reproductive health movement diligently prevented the revision of the national law that would have limited access to abortion. The revision would have legally nullified women’

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay Example for Free

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay An ideal renaissance man or woman in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, a time when people aspired to be skilled in numerous areas and humanistic education was customary, meant you would have to stand out from the rest. Pico della Mirandola theories in Oration on the Dignity of Man sum up the ideal Renaissance man. He proclaimed that individuals face no limits to their development except those that are self-imposed (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). In theory only one can hinder their own success. The ideal renaissance man had a broad base in knowledge or was highly skilled in the arts, music or literature. Some lived up to being ideal just because they were bold or unique. The ideal renaissance man was respected by his peers and his knowledge and abilities were often required by the patrons of this era. Ingeniously, some individuals happened to be masters of art, engineering, and even anatomy all at the same time. Mostly men, renaissance contributors did not normally encourage women to participate during this time. Women were encouraged to fit the profile of wives and mothers and their political rights at this point were still kind of limited. Nevertheless, there were many that fit the description of an ideal renaissance women. One unique women of this time was Laura Cereta. A writer who struggled with heavy criticism from her cohorts because of her scholarly pursuits. In response to both the men and women who were judgmental of her, Laura wrote two letters â€Å"that were penned to answer both critics: a defense of learning aimed at male humanists and a defense of her vocation directed toward her female critics† (Cunningham 289). Laura’s heated verbiage in these letters won her great recognition and respect. In describing an ideal renaissance man Leonardo Davinchi owned up to that title for his many achievements. He donated to us many chemical theories, the air balloon, the telescope, and trigonometry. He was a plethora of knowledge. He was also recognized for his many works of art known all around the world today, The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper for example. He was diverse in his thinking and saw many of his ideas through. He was a living example and true to Leon Alberti’s (1404–72) quote: that â€Å"men can do all things if they will. † The Renaissance is understood as a historical era of cultural movements. Its contributors are termed â€Å"Ideal Renaissance Men and Women† for making it possible. Even so, they continued to pursue more knowledge and abilities. For this, they were ideal renaissance people of their time.

Excessive Oral Parafuctional Movement Habit Reversal

Excessive Oral Parafuctional Movement Habit Reversal Yeseul KIM Self-Reporting of Excessive Oral Parafuctional Movement with  Proposal of Future Intervention Oral parafunctional activities refer to excessive uses of mouth, tongue and jaw, including continuous chewing, biting objects, leaning on the hand, teeth grinding and jaw clenching (Winocur, Litter, Adams Gavish, 2006). Their prevalence and association with signs and physiological and psychological symptoms of dysfunction have been reported, such as facial muscle pain, headache, and feeling stress (Lobbezoo, Van Der Glas, Van Der Bilt, Buchner Bosman, 1996; Rodrà ­guez, Miralles, Gutià ©rrez, Santander, Fuentes, Fresno Valenzuela, 2011; Winocur et al., 2006). Previous research has been demonstrated the maintenance of oral parafunctional habits are resulted from temporomandibular disorders (TMD), occurred by several reasons like joint disturbances (noises, catching, and joint tension), muscular discomfort, possibly eating disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trauma (Gramling, Neblett, Grayson Townsend, 1996; Winocur et al., 2006). However, some researchers have pointed out these factors are poorly proven as the numerous number of people has the TMD problem even though they do not have other oral habits (Cairns, 2010; Fotek, 2014). Although not many studies has been done to find out the reasons of maintaining those habits in terms of operant conditioning (e.g. rewards or punishment), but it is assumed to happen due to stressful lifestyle, frustration, or personality traits such as being aggressive or competitive while a subject is awake (Glaros Burton, 2003; Lobbezoo, Van Der Zaag Naeije, 2006). Researchers focused on treatments targeting parafunctional habits to decrease TMD pain which indicates their significant relationship with TMD (Glaros, Owais Lausten, 2007). In other words, there is possibility of reducing the psychological stress which is the positive outcomes of maintaining oral habits, however, they are more likely to produce negative outcomes such as higher pain and symptoms of TMD by clenching and grinding teeth (Glaros et al., 2007; Peterson, Dixon, Talcott Kelleher, 1993). Treatment for oral habits revolves around repairing the damage to teeth and jaw, thus dental treatment such as occlusal splint or mandibular advancement device could be in use. In addition to this, given the strong association between diurnal oral parafunctional activities like bruxism and psychological factors, habit reversal treatment has been suggested to increase a patient’s awareness of unwanted behaviours, develop an alternative to the habits, for example, relaxation of the masticatory muscles and succeed in reducing TMD pain (Glaros et al., 2007). Research results suggests that group of patients using either habit reversal techniques or splints both experienced a great deal of relief from pain. In fact, habit reversal treatment is the one of the effective techniques in treating several motor disorder (Azrin Nunn, 1973; Peterson et al, 1993). According to Glaros, Hanson and Ryen (2014), 6-week-period habit reversal treatment was administered to reduce tooth contact and muscle tension in terms of headache by DTMT, dropping their jaws slightly (D), separating their teeth slightly (T), relaxing the muscles in the jaw and face area (M), and performing a deep breathing activity (D). Thirty-seven participants with TMD were selected between ages of 18 to 65 and completed the questionnaire to diagnose headache and TMD in the first phase. For the next phase, only 23 participants those who had headache from the phase 1 enrolled the treatment. They were given information about headache, facial pain, the role of oral behaviours in headache, and effect of tooth contact during the treatment session, then practiced DTMD treatment every two hours with a pager signal, and whenever they detected the tooth contact or facial muscle tensions. Although results from application of treatment in the phase 2 interpreted participants reported less pain and disability but the headache symptom did not change for 6 week trials. However, they showed a significant reduction of intensity of parafuctional habits after the treatment, but the period should be longer to reveal more powerful effects as they did not find a strong relationship between oral habits and headache. Habit reversal treatment was delivered to eliminate the motor behaviours, and negative though reversal method was given as the instructions to remove stress factors (Gramling et al., 1996). 17 qualified participants were recruited through the local newspaper advertisement, who reported TMD, with a symptoms such as mandibular joint sound, locked jaw and tenderness in the jaw. However, only the data collected from nine patients were analysed as they attended at least five sessions to be completers the whole therapy process. Before the treatment, treatment expectations and satisfaction from participants were measured to find out the relationship with outcomes such as decrease in frequency or intensity of oral behaviours. To get those descriptive information, participants filled out the facial pain diary four times in a day. Also, they answered to the questionnaires about the eleven different oral behaviours with ten-point scale, from â€Å"never† performed to â€Å"almost always†, and about the psychological distress with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Treatment conducted over a 24-week period, and three treatment groups of 5 to 6 people met weekly for seven consecutive weeks in 90-minute sessions. During the sessions, participants kept record an oral habit self-monitoring form to increase awareness of their own oral habits, thereby making habit reversal possible. They also continued and recorded practices for deep breathing and facial exercises practice throughout the whole sessions, which interrupt and reverse their oral behaviours. As the result of this study, Gramling et al. (1996) pointed out that habit reversal treatment strategy may be an effective intervention for many persons suffering from facial pain as participants shown significant decrease of rating pain by the end of treatment, which is consistent with diary data, however, the frequency and intensity of oral habit did not illustrate notable decrease. Peterson et al. (1993) investigated only 3 patients with variety of ages and gender traits who carried habit reversal treatment for 6 week, 1 hour sessions per week. This case study showed different results by individuals, but generally concluded the habit reversal could help reducing pain and increasing maximum opening for some TMD patients, and possibly more helpful for muscle-related problem than joint-related problem. Also, those who have been remaining oral habits for long time, it is more difficult to change such behaviours. The aim of current research project, self-reporting from one subject, is to understand the oral behaviours and reduce the frequency and possibility of TMD. By analysing the potential cause and background history of behaviours, subject could understand the significance of reducing parafunctions in terms of physical and mental health. Method Participant Y is a 25 year old female international student at University of Queensland, currently working in a travel agency who recently found out her excessive oral parafunctional activities with 14-month duration and feel anxiety of temporomandibular disorders. Operational Definition Oral parafunctional activities referred to making excessive movement of mouth and jaw including clenching jaw or grinding teeth while awake, and possibly combined with biting lips and presence of joint sounds. These behaviours were scored when (a) repeatedly occurred in a daytime, (b) whether subject is alone or not, (c) presented one or multiple behaviours at the same time. For example, grinding teeth while sleeping and making a single movement in lower jaw were not scored, while clenching teeth for 5 seconds and biting lips after jaw clicking are scored. In addition to this, simply opening mouth while talking and eating, or touching the temporomandibular joint could not be scored. Behavioural Recording Technique Self-monitoring method was chosen for this research, because subject was able to collect data when she was alone, or with other people. Also, such behaviours are often not easily to be observed by someone else. For the records, whenever subject noticed the oral parafunctional activities, she made notes on mobile device or paper with specific description of occasion, for the 14 consecutive days. However, accuracy of recording could be contaminated as it is very likely make errors while counting if behaviours occurred unconsciously. Also, Peterson et al. (1993) noted self-monitoring could affects the frequency of habits, by reducing teeth clenching and grinding. Results The general pattern from results of current project are shown in the Figure 1. Over the 14 days of monitoring period, the mean of frequency of oral habits occurred in a day is 12.29. The highest number reported during the period is 45, which is from the Day 13 while the lowest point is from Day 8. The possible reasons for these consequences have a strong relationship with the performance generated anxiety related to subject’s academic works on the reported dates. The Day 13 was the due date for the assignment graded higher percentage, it is assumed that the participant had a great level of anxiety. Also, she was awake for long time to complete the assignment, therefore, an excessive repetition appeared because a number of oral parafunctional activities was counted while subject awake. However, on the 8th day, none of oral habits was presented as the participant enjoyed the relaxation from the assignment and took a resting at home with the presence of intimate person. The reduction of anxiety was likely to stabilise her mental status, in contrast to other days of monitoring. According to the similarity in frequency between Day 6 to Day 11, subject maintained everyday routines such as going to university and working. The circumstances that she presented those habits were generally on the bus for commuting and doing task without interaction to others. It could possibly mean the absence of attachment to relatives made her isolated and generated slightly stressful situation. On the other hands, when the participants concentrated on non-stressed activity such as mobile game, she did not show many parafunctional habits. This participant who has an oral habits with excessive movement of teeth and jaw, illustrated that those behaviours has been stimulated by different reasons. Awareness of her asymmetric jaw became the trigger of habits when she was young. In addition to this, Changes in her circumstances in work place or university and being alone are significant factors as they generate stress, and currently the level of anxiety of failing academic achievement accelerated the frequency of behaviours. Consequences of behaviours can be short term and long term, such as immediate feeling fear or pain, reduction of stress, and significant health disorder related to temporomandibular joint and tooth. These consequences are reinforcers or punishers which increase or decrease the behaviours. Discussion Current research project were developed to understand the oral behaviours and reduce them which could cause unwanted consequences. The general findings from this study are when the participant has a higher degree of negative emotional states such as anxiety of academic achievement, receiving work related complaints, or being alone feeling lonesome. These results of current research partially supported the previous research in terms of the relationship between oral parafunctional behaviours and stressful routines (Glaros Burton, 2003; Lobbezoo, Van Der Zaag Naeije, 2006). In fact, SORCK analysis found out significant positive reinforcers of behaviours in this study are related to structures of jaw. In other words, the misbelief that moving mandibular joint can balance the asymmetric jaw leads the repetition of behaviour in pursuit of better physical appearance. Subject has mentioned the prominent jaw was her physical complex once, and when she heard the joint making sound after movement, she started the excessive movement habits. As discussed previously, habit reversal treatment has been proved as the effective method of reducing the parafuntional activities by many reserchers (Glaros et al., 2007; Gramling et al., 1996; Peterson et al., 1993). However, it is actually difficult to change the shape of jaw with the behavioural therapy that administered by previous researchers. To change her excessive behavioural patterns, the most important aspect of treatment should consider the belief of positive reinforcers. Therefore, habit reversal treatment can be adapted in slightly different way for future intervention. Among the habit reversal treatment, participant need to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to find out the psychological distress which is the main factor of oral habits. About the obsession of physical attractiveness, Self-Esteem Scale (SES) required to be answered to indicate participant’s feeling towards self-descriptive statements, as well as the scale of pain around mandibular area. During the 2 week treatment period, participant will carry out the practice of 60-minutes DTMD treatment, dropping their jaws slightly (D), separating their teeth slightly (T), relaxing the muscles in the jaw and face area (M), and performing a deep breathing activity (D), while watching the mirror image of self. After the practice, participant gives verbal compliment to self, with written demonstration of how she proud of herself. The purpose of this intervention is to dismiss the misbelief of jaw movement, and develop new positive reinforcers with new oral habits. Earning self-esteem with attendance of treatment sessions will be a great positive reinforcer to the habit reversal activities (DTMD) which take the place of the oral parafunctional habits. Participant will record the frequencies of oral parafunctional habits every day during the treatment, and rate the pain from 0 to 10, and self-esteem scale after the whole process was completed. It is expected to participant would decrease the frequency of oral habits and show correlation with more points for self-esteem and less level of anxiety if this intervention is successful. Compliment to self will be the negative reinforcer in relation to the oral parafuntional habits, which will be declined, thus the rating of pain is assumed to be dropped in the later stage. However, it is uncertain the behavioural therapy related to self-esteem has the actual impact on its development. Also, one of the drawbacks for this intervention is designed for one person, thus it can be more effective if another patient engage during the treatment sessions, and give compliment to one another. Similarly, the results from the current self-monitoring has a limited aspect in terms of duration. Participant could suffer some health issues such as flu and extending the duration of monitoring will help to observe more reliable data. Also, the method of self-reporting has the definite limitation that reporting could be underestimated when participant delivers the behaviour unconsciously, and when the subject is too aware of monitoring â€Å"self† before she commits the behaviours, like Day 8 shown in current research results. These limitation needs to be covered to get more reliable data and better performance of further treatment.

Salem Witch Trials :: essays research papers

Dearest James, It has been a long time since we have talked. I hope you and your family are well in Jamestown, give your parents my best wishes, and tell your sister hello for me. I am writing to you in hopes that this will not be my last letter; for everything has gone to pieces in Salem. It all started when Faith and I decided one night to meet out in the field and play games in the moonlight. We meant no harm by it; we only thought it might be a bit fun to do something different. We never thought anyone would see us. Flashback Mary laughed heartily. â€Å"Stop it Faith, hush. You are being too noisy, some one may hear us, and then what would we do?† Faith giggled as she spun around. â€Å"It’s gorgeous tonight, don’t you agree? The moon is at it’s fullest, the stars are as bright as the sun itself, and we have it all to ourselves.† She turned to wait for a response, but Mary just shook her head. â€Å"Oh come on Mary, you know you want to just get up and dance. Come on now!† Faith took Mary’s hands and pulled her up to her feet. â€Å"Faith, I really don’t feel like dancing. What if we were to get caught? Then what would people think? They’d think we were crazy as drunkards, that’s what. None of this, let’s go now.† â€Å"Come on! Just this once, and then we’ll leave. Promise.† Mary rolled her eyes but joined in as Faith began to hum and dance around. After a few minutes Faith caught a glimpse of some one walking down the road. She slowly stopped dancing and tapped Mary on the shoulder. â€Å"Now who do you think that could be?† As Mary turned to look the man began jogging towards them. â€Å"Now look Faith, I told you we’d get caught. Come on now, we had better explain ourselves.† Mary took Faith’s hand and led her out onto the road. â€Å"Mr. Bradford!† she exclaimed. â€Å"What are you doing out at this hour?† His tired eye grew wide in surprise. â€Å"I†¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began to stutter. â€Å"I have to go ladies†¦ good night,† and he scurried off. Faith furrowed her brow in confusion. â€Å"What do you suppose that was about?† â€Å"I don’t know.† Mary shook her head. â€Å"But I don’t like it, let’s get out of here.† Flash forward James, we had no idea anything would come of it.

Review of Douglas E. Winter’s Thrilling Novel, Run Essay -- Run

Review of Douglas E. Winter’s Thrilling Novel, Run If you’re in the market for a good thriller, the kind that you don’t put down, the kind that releases its grip on you once it’s through, look no further. Run grabbed my attention with its opening sentence and I found myself slipping into that helpless, blissful state of complete submission to the book, confident I was in the hands of a master storyteller. I chose to review this book primarily because none of my friends had heard of it, despite its New York Times-bestseller status and cover, which is decorated with blurbs from literary illuminati as they gasp for superlatives in attempts to describe the story’s pace, which is breathless, to be sure. This is Winter’s debut novel (having previously collaborated with Clive Barker), and we are in the presence of an exciting new talent. The novel is told from the first-person perspective of Burdon Lane, an arms dealer of the less-than-legal variety, who finds himself in a classic noir predicament where the only person he can trust is himself, and only then ...

Currency Crisis & Inflation in Argentina

Inflation is the increase in the prices of goods and services. Simply, inflation means continuously fall in the value of money due to too much supply of money in the market. Inflation affects a nation’s domestic (internal) market by repelling consumers to buy goods and services therefore this effects businesses as they are not getting money so they close down. This leads to unemployment. Inflation affects a nation’s exchange rate as it usually will depreciate their currency in relation to the currencies of their trading partners. 2.The Argentinean government adopted the Keynesian approach as their economic policy in the 1880-1886 period. This is clear because the Keynesian approach adopts an active government influence on the economy which is similar to the Argentinean approach. It says â€Å"funds were used to construct railroads and public works†, this shows the Keynesian approach the Argentinean’s were implementing. 3. The political stability affects th e economic activity in a country. Political stability means a government that can be relied on by the people from now until next year. A fraudulent election† signals that political parties were in strong conflict with each other in the election of Roca’s brother-in-law. This would mean that there would be conflict when it would come to decision making and policy changes. This damaged the economy as it could not implement the best policies which would have helped recover their economy. 4. Firstly, fiscal policy is the way in which a government adjusts its levels of spending in order to monitor and influence a nation's economy.It is linked with monetary policy where a central bank influences a nation's money supply. These combined are very important in achieving an economy’s goals. 5. When a country’s debt crisis spreads to other countries the other countries governments have to come up with a rescue package that will rescue their financial institutions. Thi s is seen when the British central bank had to step in with a bailout fund for the House of Baring which protected not only Britain but the European markets. 6.The pros of defaulting are that the country won’t have to go into a deeper hole of debt by getting other countries or the ECB to bail them out with their funds which will help the country get back on track. For investors, this is good news. They get to purchase property at bargain prices. The cons of defaulting are that the country’s credit rating is destroyed. Lenders have to raise their interest rates and become less generous to new borrowers in order to make up for the fact that they are losing money. This means that a default rate affects anyone who wants to get a loan by making it more expensive or even impossible.

Unlocking the Power of the Teacher-Made Test

Classroom assessment ranks among a teacher’s most essential educational tools.  Well-constructed teacher-made tests can: †¢ provide teachers with the means to gather evidence about what their students know and can do †¢ help instructors identify students’ strengths and weaknesses †¢ keep tabs on student learning and progress †¢ help teachers plan and conduct future instruction †¢ motivate and shape learning and instruction †¢ guide students toward improving their own performances †¢ gauge whether students are mastering district, state, and national education standards †¢ determine if students are prepared for the high-stakes state or district tests By unlocking the power of effective classroom assessment, teachers can accomplish all of the above and more.In the era of accountability and highstakes decision making, teacher-made tests can no longer be viewed as simply a means to gather grades for the end of the marking period repo rt cards. process, providing the evidence teachers need to determine whether or not their students have achieved the educational goals set out for them. Capturing the Evidence Classroom assessments can be thought of as evidence capturing devices or tools. The evidence the teacher seeks to gather is used to show or prove the students’ knowledge and ability. Just like a good detective, the classroom teacher must consider several things in selecting the tools used to gather the evidence: †¢ What do I think my students should know?What are my expectations for their knowledge base? This could be based on lesson goals and objectives, curriculum or course content goals, district or state standards, etc. †¢ How would I describe my students after they experience these teaching episodes; how would I capture this description? †¢ Of all the things I’ve taught, what are the most important concepts and what should be assessed? †¢ What is the best tool for capturi ng this evidence? †¢ How will I use this evidence in the future? Is it simply to â€Å"keep score† or will it cause me to reflect on my teaching and my future planning? †¢ How will I report this evidence and to whom? Formative vs. Summative AssessmentIn general, all tests can fall under one of two major subheadings: formative assessments or summative assessments. Formative assessments are those tools teachers use to monitor student performance on an ongoing basis. These can range from something as simple as the daily judgments teachers make about a student’s oral response to questions that arise in classroom discussions to more formal paper and pencil tests. Summative assessments, on the other hand, gather evidence about cumulative student learning at the end of an activity, unit, marking period or school year. These types of assessments would include, among others, the final exam or the chapter test.Whether they use formative or summative methods, effective teachers constantly monitor and revise instructional plans based on their students’ educational progress and needs. Assessment, whether formal or informal, plays a vital part in this ongoing page 1 Elements of an Effective Teacher-Made Test In reflecting on these questions, teachers begin to realize the power of classroom assessment, and that this tool can be as important in the teaching and learning process as class discussions, small group activities, or any other teaching strategy. To unleash this power, and to ensure that classroom instructional time devoted to the assessment is used wisely, teachers must carefully plan and design the test.A poorly chosen or designed assessment will fail to provide the evidence of student learning, or worse, will provide misleading information. It is imperative that the teacher employs a systematic process for developing and using the assessment tool. That process should begin with the instructor asking a few basic but essential questions : †¢ What am I trying to find out about my students’ learning? (That is, what student/standards/goals/ outcomes am I measuring? ) Log On. Let’s Talk. www. ets. org/letstalk †¢ What kind of evidence do I need to show that my students have achieved the goals that I’m trying to measure? †¢ What kind of assessment will give me that evidence?To respond to these questions, the teacher must consider these elements of the test design process: †¢ appropriateness †¢ relevancy †¢ expectations for learning †¢ multiple evidence †¢ planning †¢ fairness †¢ assessing the assessment Is it Relevant? An assessment task should make sense in terms of the assessment situation as well as the type of knowledge or skill that’s being assessed. It should also provide relevant information based on what students should have learned in class. For example, it would be inappropriate to ask ninth-grade, French-class students to carry on a conversation in French about the income tax system, if it has nothing to do with what they had learned in French class, and since it probably has no relevance in their lives. But asking them to carry on a discussion in French about a class trip would be very appropriate.Ideally, an assessment should also reflect real-world applications of knowledge and understanding. Although developing such assessments is not always practical, assessments based on situations relevant to students’ own world experiences can motivate them to put forth their best performances. If they don’t understand why they may need to know something, they won’t be as likely to do so. Is it Appropriate? If you were to visit your doctor and he or she used a thermometer to determine your blood pressure you might have cause for concern. Like the classroom test, the medical thermometer is an evidence-gathering device (to determine one’s body temperature).Both the physician and the classroom teacher must select the best device based upon the type of evidence it was meant to provide, and not one that provides evidence of something else. What would happen if a teacher decides to use word problems, rather than number problems, to determine whether third-graders know their multiplication facts? One outcome that we might imagine is that the teacher could not be certain if the test was measuring math ability or reading skill. Having to read and understand the questions could get in the way of a student being able to demonstrate that he or she can, for instance, multiply 8 x 6 and come up with 48. Of course, if the teacher wants to know whether students can apply their multiplication skills to realistic situations, the word problem task would be appropriate and fair.At the same time, the assessment must measure the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities the teacher feels are important and do this in an appropriate way. If the goal is to test for retention of facts, then a cut-and -dried factual test (e. g. , multiple-choice or fillin-the-blank) may be the best assessment choice. On the other hand, measuring students’ conceptual understanding, ability to analyze data, ability to perform tasks, or their collaborative skills would probably require more complex forms of assessment. What are the Expectations for Learning?Before administering an assessment designed to measure what students have learned in class, teachers need to ask themselves: â€Å"Based on what I’ve taught in class, can my students be expected to answer this? If correctly completing the assessment requires knowledge or skills that have not been emphasized in class, or that the students are unlikely to have mastered, the assessment will not provide an accurate or fair evaluation of whether the students have learned the material. Of course, if the goal is to find out what students already know or understand before a unit of instruction, then a well-thought-out assessment can provid e useful information for planning future lessons. Of course, informing future lesson planning should be one of the key uses of any assessment. One Test or Multiple Sources of Evidence? While a single clue at a crime scene might allow a detective to make some assumptions, the judge and jury will probably need a lot more evidence before making a decision about guilt or innocence.As a result, experienced and competent investigators will employ many tools to gather multiple types of evidence from sources such as fingerprints, DNA samples, other physical clues, as well as actual interviews of witnesses and suspects. Similarly, teachers page 2 Log On. Let’s Talk. www. ets. org/letstalk should rely on all sorts of options available to help them gather evidence of their students’ learning. These range from the informal, day-to-day ways teachers size up their students’ progress, such as observation and questioning strategies, to traditional paper-and-pencil tests (multip le-choice and shortanswer ones, for example), to more elaborate forms of assessment, such as essays or problem solving activities.Just as a detective must gather many sources of evidence to build a convincing case, so must a teacher use many sources of evidence to accurately interpret what each student really knows and can do. Limiting themselves to using only one or two assessment methods, no matter how reliable or valuable, limits teachers’ ability to fully understand the range of their students’ knowledge and skills. Conversely, providing students with different kinds of opportunities to show what they know gives teachers a broader, better understanding of each student’s talents and abilities. The questions should challenge students to do more than memorize and recall facts. Focus on assessing the most important and meaningful information, rather than small, irrelevant facts.For example, rather than asking, â€Å"How many vitamins are essential for humans? A . 7 B. 13 C. 15 D. 23,† consider asking â€Å"Name at least seven vitamins that are essential for humans and explain why they are essential. † †¢ Never use questions or inconsequential details just to trick students. †¢ Create a test blueprint that will clearly describe the important content areas to be tested, the number and type of items that will get at each content area, the scoring value for the items, the length of time for the test administration, and other critical test components. Is it Fair? To be valid, classroom assessments need to be fair.In assessment terms, that means all students must be given an equal chance to show what they know and can do. An assessment is not fair if it: †¢ measures things unrelated to its objectives is biased Tests should be designed so that they are focused on the instruction that preceded the assessment, and that ensure that testing, teaching and curriculum are all tightly aligned. â€Å"Bias† is said to exi st if the assessment includes content that offends or unfairly penalizes test takers because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, or sexual orientation. Assessment bias affects validity because it may negatively influence students’ attitudes toward, and performance on, the assessment.For example, an assessment that includes language or content that offends a specific group of students may hurt the performance of those students by causing them to focus more on the offensive language than on performing at their best. Test takers may also be disadvantaged if the assessment includes content that, although not offensive, assumes prior knowledge likely to be unfamiliar to one particular group of test takers but familiar to another. An obvious example is the need to know something that can only be gained by visiting an art museum, if some groups of students have no personal experience of ever visiting a museum with family or friends . Planning the Assessments Teachers should use the following guidelines when planning any assessment:†¢ Have the purpose of the test clearly in mind. Determine what type of assessment will be most appropriate for the situation, based on the nature of what you are teaching, the purpose of the instruction, and what you want to find out. †¢ If the purpose of the assessment is to determine how well students have mastered a particular unit of study, make sure the test parallels the work covered in class. And, to be able to discriminate among levels of learning, avoid making the assessment overly difficult or easy. †¢ If the assessment is a selected-response or fill-in-the-blank test that will be used to diagnose basic skills, it should contain at least 10 questions — preferably more — for each skill area.The questions pertaining to each skill area should be considered a subtest, and these subtests should yield separate scores on the various elements needed fo r mastery of the skill. †¢ If the major purpose of the test is to rank a selected group of students in order of their achievement, the questions should cover critical points of learning. Questions on critical points often require understanding implications, applying information, and reorganizing data. page 3 Log On. Let’s Talk. www. ets. org/letstalk Tests should be designed to afford students multiple opportunities to tell what they know about a particular subject, not to present them with difficult, if not impossible, tasks.One way to let students shine is to include a bonus question at the end of the test that asks something like, â€Å"Take this opportunity to tell me something about this topic that was not included on the test. † †¢ Other things to consider when poor results are obtained are external, test administration issues [e. g. , uncomfortable room temperature, administration right after a long weekend, external noise distractions, unsettling scho ol or community news]. One of the most effective ways to improve a classroom assessment is to review it before administering it. If possible, wait at least one day after the assessment was written before performing the review. Then ask a colleague to review the assessment.As part of this review process, have someone who did not write the task (a colleague or even a family member) solve the task. Assess the Assessment In assessment, wording is critical. Unclear directions can confuse test takers and negatively affect their responses, which can lead to inaccurate, and therefore useless, information about what the students actually know and can do. Wording in multiple-choice type items is especially important. Being precise in the question and in the options or choices prevents misunderstanding and provides more reliable evidence of what students know. After an assessment has been administered, teachers can ask students how they interpreted the questions, particularly if the questions elicited unexpected results.When assessments give unexpected results — for example, the entire class bombs an assessment, or the students’ responses are not consistent with the type of work the teacher was looking for — it’s important to take a good hard look at both the assessment and the way it was administered to determine whether it was flawed in some way. †¢ Did students who are more able, based on other evidence, do well on the assessment? If not, something might be wrong with it. You might consider analyzing the questions or tasks to make sure each is accurate, valid, fair, and reliable. On the other hand, if the assessment presents a type of task that your students might not be familiar with (e. g. a complex, nonroutine type of problem), students who performed poorly may simply have had difficulty with that particular type of assessment.†¢ Did students answer the assessment appropriately but not give the answers you were looking for? The n check to see if the task was well-defined and clearly written. Students can’t be expected to give adequate responses if they aren’t sure what kind of response is expected of them. †¢ If the entire class failed the test, it might indicate that the material wasn’t taught adequately, or the assessment was so poorly written that the students were unable to apply their knowledge appropriately. During the review, check to see that: directions are clear †¢ content is accurate †¢ questions or tasks are representative of the topics or skills emphasized during instruction; knowledge or skills that were not covered in class are not being unintentionally evaluated†¢ the type of assessment used is compatible with the method of instruction used in the classroom and the standard being measured †¢ the assessment will contribute to the instructor’s understanding of what the students know and can do †¢ the assessment can be completed in the allotted time †¢ the assessment is fair; all instances of offensive language, elitism, and bias have been eliminated When teachers begin to analyze assessment results, they should look for two things: 1. Does the question or task provide accurate information?Did all the students do poorly on the same question or set of questions? Maybe certain questions are confusing or misleading, or perhaps the concept is simply not yet well understood by the students and should be retaught. Having students explain why they answered a question in a certain way can be very enlightening to the teacher about whether the problem is in the question (or task), or in students’ understanding of the concept being assessed. Log On. Let’s Talk. www. ets. org/letstalk page 4 2. Each student’s strengths and weaknesses: are they based on his or her patterns or performance? This information can help teachers tailor the next round of instruction to either remedy problems or build on stre ngth.For example, if a particular group of students has difficulty with one set of items that measures a similar set of skills, these students might need extra instruction or a different kind of instruction. Or, if everybody in the class had difficulty with a particular issue that the teacher thought was emphasized in class, then the teacher needs to determine if there was a problem with the instruction and/or material. By taking the time to create fair, focused, and well-thought-out assessments, teachers can have confidence in the evidence gathered and make meaningful judgments about student performance and future instructional plans and decisions. This article was based on the ETS Focus publication Letting Students Shine: Assessment to Promote Student Learning. Written by Amada McBride, 1999.