The History of the Common Bean

The domestication history of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is vital to understanding the origins of farming.  Beans are one of the three sisters of traditional agricultural cropping methods reported by European colonists in North America: Native Americans wisely intercropped maize, squash, and beans, providing a healthful and environmentally sound way of capitalizing on their various characteristics.   Beans are one of the most important domestic legumes in the world, because of their high concentrations of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. P. vulgaris is by far the most economically important domesticated species of the genus Phaseolus. Domesticate Properties P. vulgaris beans come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, from pinto to pink to black to white. Despite this diversity, wild and domestic beans belong to the same species, as do all of the colorful varieties (landraces) of beans, which are believed to be the result of a mixture of population bottlenecks and purposeful selection. The main difference between wild and cultivated beans is, well, domestic beans are less exciting. There is a significant increase in seed weight, and the seed pods are less likely to shatter than wild forms: but the primary change is a decrease in the  variability of grain size, seed coat thickness and water intake during cooking. Domestic plants are also annuals rather than perennials, a selected trait for reliability. Despite their colorful variety, the domestic bean is much more predictable. Centers Of Domestication Scholarly research indicates that beans were domesticated in two places: the Andes mountains of Peru, and the Lerma-Santiago basin of Mexico. The wild common bean grows today in the Andes and Guatemala: two separate large gene pools of the wild types have been identified, based on the variation in the type of phaseolin (seed protein) in the seed, DNA marker diversity, mitochondrial DNA variation and amplified fragment length polymorphism, and short sequence repeats marker data. The Middle American gene pool extends from Mexico through Central America and into Venezuela; the Andean gene pool is found from southern Peru to northwestern Argentina. The two gene pools diverged some 11,000 years ago. In general, Mesoamerican seeds are small (under 25 grams per 100 seeds) or medium (25-40 gm/100 seeds), with one type of phaseolin, the major seed storage protein of the common bean. The Andean form has much larger seeds (greater than 40 gm/100 seed weight), with a different type phaseolin. Recognized landraces in Mesoamerica include Jalisco in coastal Mexico near Jalisco state; Durango in the central Mexican highlands, which includes pinto, great northern, small red and pink beans; and Mesoamerican, in lowland tropical Central American, which includes black, navy and small white. Andean cultivars include Peruvian, in the Andean highlands of Peru; Chilean in northern Chile and Argentina; and Nueva Granada in Colombia. Andean beans include the commercial forms of dark and light red kidney, white kidney, and cranberry beans. Origins in Mesoamerica In 2012, work by a group of geneticists led by Roberto Papa was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Bitocchi et al. 2012), making an argument for a Mesoamerican origin of all beans. Papa and colleagues examined the nucleotide diversity for five different genes found in all forms—wild and domesticated, and including examples from the Andes, Mesoamerica and an intermediary location between Peru and Ecuador—and looked at the geographic distribution of the genes. This study suggests that the wild form spread from Mesoamerica, into Ecuador and Columbia and then into the Andes, where a severe bottleneck reduced the gene diversity, at some time before domestication. Domestication later took place in the Andes and in Mesoamerica, independently. The importance of the original location of beans is due to the wild adaptability of the original plant, which allowed it to move into a wide variety of climatic regimes, from the lowland tropics of Mesoamerica into the Andean highlands. Dating the Domestication While the exact date of domestication for beans has not yet been determined, wild landraces have been discovered in archaeological sites dated to 10,000 years ago in Argentina and 7,000 years ago in Mexico. In Mesoamerica, the earliest cultivation of domestic common beans occurred before ~2500 in the Tehuacan valley (at Coxcatlan), 1300 BP in Tamaulipas (at (Romeros and Valenzuelas Caves near Ocampo), 2100 BP in the Oaxaca valley (at Guila Naquitz). Starch grains from Phaseolus were recovered from human teeth from Las Pircas phase sites in Andean Peru dated between ~6970-8210 RCYBP (about 7800-9600 calendar years before the present). Sources Angioi, SA. Beans in Europe: origin and structure of the European landraces of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Rau D, Attene G, et al., National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, September 2010. Bitocchi E, Nanni L, Bellucci E, Rossi M, Giardini A, Spagnoletti Zeuli P, Logozzo G, Stougaard J, McClean P, Attene G et al. 2012. Mesoamerican origin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is revealed by sequence data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition. Brown CH, Clement CR, Epps P, Luedeling E, and Wichmann S. 2014. The Paleobiolinguistics of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Ethnobiology Letters 5(12):104-115. Kwak, M. Structure of genetic diversity in the two major gene pools of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae). Gepts P, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, March 2009. Kwak M, Kami JA, and Gepts P. 2009. The Putative Mesoamerican Domestication Center is Located in the Lerma-Santiago Basin of Mexico. Crop Science 49(2):554-563. Mamidi S, Rossi M, Annam D, Moghaddam S, Lee R, Papa R, and McClean P. 2011. Investigation of the domestication of common bean ( Functional Plant Biology 38(12):953-967.Phaseolus vulgaris) using multilocus sequence data. Mensack M, Fitzgerald V, Ryan E, Lewis M, Thompson H, and Brick M. 2010. Evaluation of diversity among common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from two centers of domestication using omics technologies. BMC Genomics 11(1):686. Nanni, L. Nucleotide diversity of a genomic sequence similar to SHATTERPROOF (PvSHP1) in domesticated and wild common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Bitocchi E, Bellucci E, et al., National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, December 2011, Bethesda, MD. Peà ±a-Valdivia CB, Garcà ­a-Nava JR, Aguirre R JR, Ybarra-Moncada MC, and Là ³pez H M. 2011. Variation in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Grain along a Domestication Gradient. Chemistry Biodiversity 8(12):2211-2225. Piperno DR, and Dillehay TD. 2008. Starch grains on human teeth reveal early broad crop diet in northern Peru. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(50):19622-19627. Scarry, C. Margaret. Crop Husbandry Practices in North America’s Eastern Woodlands. Case Studies in Environmental Archaeology, SpringerLink, 2008. J, Schmutz. A reference genome for common bean and genome-wide analysis of dual domestications. McClean PE2, Mamidi S, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2014, Bethesda, MD. Tuberosa (Editor). Genomics of Plant Genetic Resources. Roberto, Graner, et al., Volume 1, SpringerLink, 2014.

Lowering Health Care Costs Essay - 1027 Words

Health care expenditures is an increasing proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries as its share in GDP increased by an average of nearly 2 percent annually in last 40 years. Health care expenditures in the US increased 6.2 on average annually between 1991 and 2011. Health care spending consisted 17.9 percent of GDP in the US in 2011. There are many elements affecting increases in health care costs. The proportion of old people in the US population increases and aging population can raise health care expenditures. Because, compared to younger people, older people use more health care services as they are more likely to have non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable†¦show more content†¦It takes a long time to increase the supply of health care professionals. Health care costs were soon rising rapidly. As a result, health care expenditures as a percent of GDP increased from 5 percent to 16 percent (Finkelstein, 2005) There are many policies discussed in the literature for reducing health care costs. I argue that preventive health care is the most efficient way to decrease health care costs. Preventive health care can be defined as services to prevent people from diseases, or before they become more expensive to treat or cure. Health promotion efforts and personal self-care constitutes primary level of preventive health care. Treatment services are curative and rehabilitative care services for curing or slowing down a health problem which has already started. Preventive health care is an effective way of lowering health care costs. Health promotion and disease prevention provides a healthy population with reduced health risks, and helps businesses to save money by participating in these programs (Goetzel, 2009). Preventive health care involves a wide range of interventions which help for maintaining good health habits, reducing the incidence of disease and disability, and slowing the progress of illnesses. These interventions can include providing childhood immunizations, raising taxes on cigarettes,Show MoreRelatedPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Ppaca)1014 Words   |  5 Pagesand Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and to discuss its potential impact on healthcare access, costs and quality, and insurance companies. . II. Healthcare Reform Timeline The PPACA includes comprehensive reforms that will take place over the next four years. It is intended to hold insurance companies more accountable, protect consumers, lower health care costs, increase the quality of care and provide more health care choices and improvedRead MoreUnderstanding The Value Of Health Economics811 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding the value of health economics is very important during this rapidly changing environment. Health economics is the study of how transactions or connections between health and the resources needed are made and of the bottom line results (Getzen, 2013). Resources include money but also people, materials and time that could have been used in other ways. Our healthcare needs may be unlimited but the resources we have to satisfy them are not. We must make careful choices about which needsRead MoreThe Health Costs Of Healthcare950 Words   |  4 Pagesworld. Even in terms of health expenditure, it has the highest healthcare expend iture. However, the US lies among the most developed nations that do not provide healthcare for all people. It is known that healthy people cause less costs to the economy when compared to sick people. The issue of the healthcare costs is one of the significant challenges that are facing the US healthcare system. However, there are a lot of efforts that are being made, in a bid to cut the costs of healthcare in the USRead MoreA Brief Note On The Effect On Big Businesses1660 Words   |  7 Pagesembrace the PPACA? What are the benefits for a large organization? From an objective standpoint, a healthier workforce means a more productive workforce. This is true regardless of your company size, industry, or product. Providing affordable health care to your employees eventually trickles down to increased sales and having your workers present means less money going out for paid-time-off (PTO) due to illness and more productive time in your facilities. There are tremendous savings when consideringRead MoreHenry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Future Directives On Healthcare859 Words   |  4 PagesHealthcare The trend for health care and hospitals is a movement towards a larger outpatient system of care while lowering the number of inpatient admissions. The health care system has made small changes towards this type of service for about a decade. Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital should continue these efforts and implement the use of the Patient-centered medical home model. This model concentrates on patient care with a comprehensive, total patient care strategy, while lowering the incidence of emergencyRead MoreEconomic Issues Simulation Paper1348 Words   |  6 PagesSimulation Paper Christi L. Baker HCS 440 March 5, 2012 Steven Miracle Abstract Castor Collins Health Plans, a regional health maintenance organization (HMO), in the state of Pantome provides HMO health insurance and health care services to enrollees through its statewide network of physicians and hospitals. E-Editors, a company with 1600 employees has asked Castor Collins to find an employee health insurance plan that accepts preexisting conditions at a maximum premium of $4,500 per person. CasterRead MorePmh Model In Quality Care830 Words   |  4 Pagesfor the delivery of healthcare through the Accountable Care Organizations and the Patient Centered Medical Home by putting measures in place that will provide cost effective delivery which will help to approve the patient outcome along with greater satisfaction with the care they have received. The Accountable Care Organization and Patient Centered Medical Home in these case studies did best by assuring patient satisfaction through quality care that is affordable. In the article Improving Our Nation’sRead MoreThe Insurance Impacts Of The Affordable Care Act859 Words   |  4 Pagesinsurance impacts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there has been a smaller amount discussed of the law’s changes to provider reimbursement policy, reforms to the delivery system, and investments in programs to improve the quality of care and constrain long-run growth in health care costs. And yet, the elements included in the ACA directed at cost and quality is possible to affect the practice of care for nearly every provider across the country. Although cost containment policies and initiativesRead MoreThe Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act804 Words   |  4 PagesSince the enactment of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), health care has been faced with complex issues. Health Care providers are challenged with extreme cost pressures making it difficult to maintain their financial viability. It is important they uphold high ethical standards when making financial decisions (Zelman, McCue, Glick and Thomas, 2014). The United States has spent more on healthcare than any other country. In the first quarter of 2014 healthcare spendingRead MoreEssay on Fixing the Health Care System in America1134 Words   |  5 Pageshave worked in the healthcare industry. One of the biggest issues plaguing our nation today has been the ever rising cost of health care. If we dont get costs under control, we risk losing the entire system, as well as potentially crippling our economy. For the sake of our future, we must find a way to lower the cost of health care in this nation. Last year the average cost of an insurance policy for a family of four was $20,728.00 according to the Milliman Medical Index (2012 Milliman Medical

Changes Continuities in Sub Saharan Africa free essay sample

CHART #2: Thematic Organization COMPARISON THEMES (SCRIPTED):1. Politics 2. Social Structure 3. Economics/Interactions TIME PERIODS: 1. 400-600 CE 2. 600-1000 CE 3. 1000-1450 CE THESIS As the political and social structures of Sub-Saharan Africa developed during the years 400 1450 C. E. , hierarchy structures based on kinship were maintained, however self-contained city-states grew into large empires. BEGINNING TIME PERIOD INTERIM TIME PERIOD END TIME PERIOD GLOBAL CONTEXT 1st THEME’S TOPIC SENTENCE Politics During much of the post-classical period, political structures evolved and diversified throughout sub saharan Africa. Describe the theme at the beginning of the period People along the Niger River created a distinctive city-based civilization. They were not encompassed in a larger imperial system. Nor were they like the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia, in which each city had its own centralized political structures, embodied in a monarch and his accompanying bureaucracy. They were â€Å"cities without citadels,† complex urban centers that operated without the coercive authority of a state. Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous period The Bantu speaking peoples began to create distinct societies.They organized themselves without any formal political specialists at all. They made decisions, resolved conflicts, and maintained order by using kinship structures or lineage principles supplemented by age grades, which joined men of a particular generation together across various lineages. Elsewhere, lineage heads who acquired a measure of personal wealth or who proved skillful at meditating between the local spirits and the people might evolve into chiefs with a modest political authority. By 700s, a farming group of people called the Soninke built an empire called Ghana.It gained its wealth by taxing the goods that traders brought through. Ghana’s king had control over the gold supply and kept its prices high. The empire thrived due to the king’s impressive army. Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous period By the 1400s, Africa was a virtual museum of political and cultural diversity, encompassing large empires, such as Songhay; smaller kingdoms, such as Kongo; city-states among the Yoruba, Hausa, and Swahili peoples; village-based societies without states at all, as among the Igbo; and nomadic pastoral peoples, such as the Fulbe.Pastoral peoples stayed independent of established empires several centuries longer than the nomads of Inne r Asia, for not until the late nineteenth century were they incorporated into European colonial states. The experience of the Fulbe, West Africa’s largest pastoral society, provides a useful example of an African herding people with a highly significant role in the fifteenth century and beyond. From their homeland in the western fringe of the Sahara along the upper Senegal River, the Fulbe migrated gradually eastward in the centuries after 1000 CE.They generally lived in small communities among agricultural peoples and paid various grazing fees and taxes for the privilege of pasturing their cattle. Mali, during the 11th century, took over Ghana and built an ever bigger empire that gained its wealth from trade. Make a statement about this topic in another region of the world. In China, political structures transformed in the Sui, Tang, and Mongol dynasties. Analyze the reasons for change or continuity Analyze the reasons for change or continuityFar more numerous than hunters and gatherers were those many people who, though fully agricultural, had avoided incorporation into large empires or civilization and had not developed their own city- or state-based societies. They created societies largely without the oppressive political authority, class inequalities, and seclusion of women that were so common in civilizations. 2nd THEME’S TOPIC SENTENCE Social Structure Despite harsh years of slavery, sub saharan Africa maintained a social hierarchy that was developed through kinship. Describe the theme at the beginning of the periodVillages of cotton weavers, potters, leather workers, and griots grew up around the central towns. Gradually these urban artisan communities became occupational castes, whose members passed their jobs and skills to their children and could only marry within their own group. In other villages, specialization occurred in farming as various ethnic groups focused on fishing, rice cultivation, or some other agricultural pursuit. Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous period Slavery found a way into Africa. Most slaves began as women, working as domestic servants and concubines. Later, male slaves were put to work as slave officials, porters, craftsmen, miners harvesting salt from desert deposits, and especially agricultural laborers producing for the royal granaries on large estates or plantations. Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous period People usually lived in small village-based communities organized by kinship relations. Dealing with the Fulbes- Relations with their farming hosts often were tense because the Fulbe resented their subordination to agricultural peoples, whose way of life they despised.That sense of cultural superiority became even more pronounced as the Fulbe, in the course of their eastward movement, slowly adopted Islam. Some of them in fact dropped out of a pastoral life and settled in towns, where they became highly respected religious leaders. Make a statement about this topic in another region of the world. Analyze the reasons for change or continuity Slavery developed as work in fields grew more laborious. Social hierarchy based on kinship was maintained through these years. Analyze the reasons for change or continuity 3rd THEME’S TOPIC SENTENCE Economics/Interactions Describe the theme at the beginning of the period Several cities emerged as clusters of economically specialized settlements surrounding a larger central town. Accompanying this unique urbanization, and no doubt stimulating it, was a growing network of indigenous West African commerce. The middle Niger flood-plain supported a rich agriculture and had a clay for pottery, but it lacked stone, iron ore, salt, and fuel. This scarcity of resources was the basis for long-distance commerce, which operated by boat along the Niger River and overland by donkey to the north and south.By the 500s C. E. , there is evidence of an even wider commerce and at least indirect contact, from Mauritania in the west to present-day Mali and Burkina-Faso in the east. The introduction of the camel in 300 to 400 C. E. initiated more long-distance trade. Long-distance trade across the Sahara provided both incentive and resources for the construction of new and larger political structures. Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous period Key Changes and/or Continuities in theme from previous periodEuropean and Chinese maritime expeditions touched on Africa during the 15th century, even as Islam continued to find acceptance in northern half of the continent. Europeans sought the wealth of Africa gold, spices, silk, and more. Along the East African coast after 1000 C. E. , dozens of rival city-states linked the African interior with the commerce of the Indian Ocean basin. The kind of society that developed in any particular area depended on a host of local factors, including population density, trading opportunities, and interaction among culturally different peoples.The Swahili city-states were a key aspect to long-distance trade along the east coast of Africa (the Sea Roads). Make a statement about this topic in another region of the world. East Africa contributed raw materials and agricultural products globally. Swahili’s interaction along the Sea Roads connected Africa to Indian Ocean world. Analyze the reasons for change or continuity A series of distinct and specialized economic groups shared authority and voluntarily used the services of one another, while maintaining their own identities through physical separation. Analyze the reasons for change or continuity CONCLUSION

Buddhism Details Essays - Indian Religions, Buddhism, Religion

Buddhism Details The most devoted followers of the Buddha were organized into a sangha. Its members were identified by their shaved heads and robes made of un-sewn orange cloth. The early Buddhist monks, or bhikkus, wandered from place to place, settling down in communities only during the rainy season when travel was difficult. Theravadan monks and nuns were humble and obtained their food in the form of offering on a daily round of the homes of ?Lay' devotees. Among the traditional functions of the Buddhist monks are the performance of funerals and memorial services in honor of the dead. Major elements of such services include the chanting of scripture and transfer of merit for the benefit of the deceased. (1, 3) Lay worship in Buddhism is primarily done individual rather than congregational. Although technically the Buddha is not worshipped through Theravada, worship is done through the stupa. A stupa is a dome-like structure containing a relic. Devotees walk around the dome in a clockwise direction, carrying flowers and incense as a sign of respect. The relic is the Buddha's tooth in Sri Lanka. It is the focus of a popular festival on the Buddha's birthday. The Buddha's birthday is celebrated in every Buddhist country. In Theravada this celebration is known as Vaisakha, the month after the Buddha was born. Popular in Theravada cultures is a ceremony known as pirit, or protection, in which readings from a collection of protective charms from the Pali canon are conducted to exorcise evil spirits, cure illness, bless new buildings, and achieve other benefits. This was a popular practice that practitioners of Buddhism, monks, did to help them reach Nirvana. (1, 3, 4, 5) In Mahayana cultures, ritual is more important than in Theravada cultures. Images of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas on temple altars and in the homes of devotees serve as a focus for worship. Prayer and chanting are common acts of devotion, as are offerings of fruit, flowers, and incense. One of the most popular festivals in China and Japan is the Ullambana Festival, in which offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to ghosts. It is said that during this celebration the gates to the other world are open so that departed spirits can return to earth for a brief time. (1, 3, 4, 5) In the Christian faith, people may practice several methods to bring them closer to God or ?Heaven. One way has been around for many centuries, called baptisms. Baptism is an initiation into the religion. Jesus was among the first to be baptized. He was baptized by John at the beginning of his public ministry (Mark 1:9-11). Another practice that is used among the Christian religion would be prayer. A Prayer may be individual or done as a group, formal or spontaneous, silent or spoken. Christian prayer normally includes gospel, praise, thanksgiving, confession, and an appeal for forgiveness. Another ritual that is very similar to ?Lay Worship' would be Christmas. People often celebrate this holiday as Jesus Christ's birth-date, even though it was not because of many biblical references, but despite that, People celebrate this with carols. The carols could be the equivalent of chanting holy scripts in Buddhism. (1, 2, 4) The Christian religion is not that similar to Buddhism for many reasons. One reason is that Buddhism does not have a God. In Buddhism, people do not worship anybody, since that divine being was also just human. The goal is to achieve Nirvana, like the Buddha did. Christianity has a God and Jesus as his son. We worship God and Jesus. People strive to be noble and good. In Christianity, there is pursuit of happiness and morality, but not through greed. Although the goal is not Nirvana, one goal is through prayer is to be truthful with yourself and God. Achieving Nirvana is very similar to achieving Heaven. In Christianity, there is one god, and in Buddhism there is no God. (1, 3, 4) To me, Christianity is more appealing to me, just because I have lived as a Christian, my whole life. If I had not, I believe I still would find Christianity more appealing, since there is a God to worship. There is also a story of how the much of the world began. Also it is more comforting, since in Buddhism, one should sacrifice them self, like everything else is more important than you. Logically Christianity is better to me since people can about their daily lives with out having to chant everyday. In Christianity, it is more logical

Business English Writing Resources

Business English Writing Resources Written communication is especially important at work. Business writing often follows specific expectations. There are a wide range of standard phrases that are expected in business English that are generally not used in everyday English. Examples Please find attached ...We regret to inform you that ...It has come to our attention that ... Another challenge is that business writing follows very specific formulas in structure. Take the resume, ​for instance, the writing style you use, the points you highlight about your career or education, and the overall look and feel can play a very important role in deciding whether you are offered a job or not. There are also a number of documents that are common to business writing. These include office memos, e-mails, and reports. These business writing documents also take on different styles depending on the audience of those who receive the documents. This guide to business writing points you in the direction of the wide variety of resources available on the site. Basic Business Letters These two articles provide an overall framework for writing business letters. They outline specific issues of salutation, structure, letter layout and language use. Finally, there is also a Business Letter Writing Basics - Business Letter Writing Basics for English learners. Guide to basic style questions and standard phrases used in business English letters. How to Write a Business Letter - This how to provides a quick step by step guide to writing a basic business letter. Specific Business Letters Building on basic business letters, these business letters provide specific examples of letters written for common business writing tasks such as making an inquiry, sales letters, placing an order, etc. They include key phrases commonly found in each of business letter types, as well as an example letter on which to model your own English business correspondence. Letters of AcknowledgementMaking a Sale - Sales LetterPlacing an OrderMaking a ClaimAdjusting a ClaimMaking an inquiryReplying to an inquiryNew Account Terms and ConditionsBasic Business LettersWriting a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job Specific Business Documents There are a number of standard business documents that are used on a daily basis at the office. These documents follow standard outlines. This example provides important structural details, an introduction and example document on which to model your own reports. How to Write a Business Report Job Applications It is extremely important that these key business documents are in order when applying for a job. The cover letter and the resume are key to successfully winning a job offer during the interviewing process. Finding a Job - Writing a Cover LetterExample Cover Letter 1Writing Your Resume

Judicial Process Article Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judicial Process Article Review - Research Paper Example Some states in the US define the juvenile-adult transition at seventeenth birthday, and some few states define the line of transition at sixteen years of age. Generally, states have laid down transfer procedure laws that govern or call for criminal prosecution of young offenders, even if they are considered juveniles under the jurisdictional definition. The laws are intended to reduce or deter further criminal activities. Research has not established any inherent fact that they are effective, questioning their efficiency. Are the laws efficient in deterring crime? Research on effects of the law on deterring crime has produced totally inconsistent results. Prompting the question of their effectiveness. Many studies have not realized a drop in juvenile crime rate that can be associated with the transfer laws. Nonetheless, much evidence demonstrates that transfer laws governing the states have a diminutive or no effect in deterring crime by the juveniles. Possible reasoning attributes it to general ignorance, tendency to ignore risks involved in decision making and low impulse control. A research comparing youths prosecuted criminally and youth processed under the juvenile system demonstrated a counter effect of transfer laws on criminal deterrence. Youths prosecuted criminally were also found to recidivate frequently and sooner into criminal activities. These negative results can be attributed to various causes, which include indirect and direct effects of conviction criminally, absence of rehabilitative means in the criminal correctional facilities, and the risk of association with criminal mentors in the adult correctional system. Studies showing the counter-productive nature of transfer system do not all agree that the effect is true in all types of offences, creating a possible assumption that criminal conviction may be effective on some juvenile offenders and non-effective on some offenders. A research conducted by

Market Analysis of Starbucks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market Analysis of Starbucks - Research Paper Example Its expansion has been based on foreign direct investment and also acquisitions of rival coffee houses. Starbucks’ success from the late 1990s onward has been to its dedication in providing consumers with a gourmet coffee experience, a means of differentiating the company and also establishing pricing that was higher than industry norms per cup of its products. This high pricing model is supported by advertising and the comparable, tangible quality of its products that continue to satisfy consumers that are willing to pay this extra price for the Starbucks experience. Description of International and Domestic Markets Starbucks does not target specific market groups, rather it has adopted a mass market advertising strategy positioned always on quality compared to competing coffee houses. However, the domestic market consists generally of high income consumers, professionals, and those with above-average household and discretionary income. There are also psychographic elements o f Starbucks’ positioning strategies, appealing to those who find ostentatious consumption to be important as it relates to their social reputation. â€Å"Beyond signaling of quality, there is some status symbol effect to what coffee you are drinking† (Aronin, Fetterman, Liu & Peng, 2004, p. 3). ... These two markets make up approximately 10-15% of the American population and are usually associated with white collar career-minded individuals. The international market is scattered and does not fit any specific personality, lifestyle, or income profile. Starbucks operates in collectivist cultures where tradition and family are valued and also individualist countries that promote social self-expression, finding favor in both in terms of profitability and consumer following. In China, marketers for Starbucks stand outside of Starbucks facilities, using a handheld clicker each time they achieve new traffic (Boone & Kurtz). Market research identifies that it is the younger, more fashionable cultures that frequent the organization. In Austria and Canada, it is generally the teens, tourists and young adults that favor Starbucks coffee (Boone & Kurtz). SWOT Analysis of Starbucks To understand the market potential of the company it is necessary to understand where Starbucks excels and whe re the business is lacking in key areas. Strengths Considerable cash capital that provides opportunities for expansion and a high credit worthiness for lending purposes or foreign investment. Backed by years of quality positioning and quality-focused advertising that has established a well-recognized brand and considerable consumer following. High pricing model that contributes to higher capital growth. In-store innovations such as its Coffee Master program that teaches customers about the subtleties of coffee, referred to as the â€Å"cupping ceremony,† similar to wine-tasting seminars (Helm, 2007). Partnerships with foreign coffee producers that express its commitment to corporate social responsibility that gains market attention and loyalty and also