Sexual Abuse Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexual Abuse - Article Example There are many signs that can point towards a child being sexually abused. A common sign is when a child has a difficult time walking. In addition, the child might refuse to socialize or engage in any physical activity. Furthermore, if the child experiences nightmares and experiences a rapid decrease in appetite. All these factors are well indicators that the child is or is continuing to experience traumatic sexual abuse. One of the most shocking aspects of sexual abuse is that they have been a commonality in religious atmosphere. This startling reality can be seen in the Vatican Church, which has been criticized for covering up the issue. Unfortunately, many priests have been not only accused but have engaged in sexual abuse, which is damaging to the Church, society, and alarms parents. The Vatican Church is shocked at this fact and has started an investigation that will hold the priests accountable for their shameful act. Reverend Federico Lombardi, the head spokesman of the Church, firmly states the Church will approach the issue with â€Å"rigor and transparency.† However, these assurances have not been adequate as more victims are getting the courage to speak out against the priests. The Church must hold the priests responsible for these heinous acts, but the rules do not implement any of the â€Å"lip service† that Reverend insisted on. For example, the rules of the Church lack st ature, as they do not make it obligatory for these crimes to be reported to officials even though the local law is clear and concise. Catholics globally are shocked at the fact that women are included in the list of grave acts. In addition, they were intrigued that the church believed pedophiles were the same as those who left the church or were heretics. Yet that was not the case as many priests accused, were still part of the church. This frustration of Catholics can be perfectly illustrated in this statement as Chritian Weisnar, one of the key members states, â€Å"It

Strategic Research Project Essay Example for Free

Strategic Research Project Essay This paper is about a strategic overview of Medtronic Inc. Medtronic is a global leader in medical technology- alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for people with chronic conditions around the world. Medtronic conducts business in more than 120 countries developing and manufacturing a variety of products and therapies with emphasis on providing a complete continuum of care to diagnose, prevent and monitor chronic conditions. Mission Statement The mission statement of Medtronic Inc. is to contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. It is evident that Medtronic is meeting their mission statement. Medtronic is providing doctors with new therapy procedures through their research and development. Medtronic is able to design and modify medical devices that assist and meet the needs of physicians around the world. In addition, Medtronic is conducting business in more than 120 countries and focused on preserving the lives of individuals with medical needs and plagued with chronic health conditions. Medtronic’s mission statement is firmly preserved in all of its employees around the world that want to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.† It is apparent that Medtronic has not lost focus as to their purpose by the assistance to nearly 6 million people benefiting from therapies each year. Porter’s analysis of competition for Medtronic Inc. Rivalry among competitors Medtronic Inc. participates in the development, manufacture and marketing of medical devices. There are very few competitors in this field that include Johnson Johnson, Guidant Corp., St Jude and Boston Scientific Group. Medical devices that are developed cost a considerable amount of money and if they have to be recalled these costs have to be absorbed. These recalls are viewed by competitors as an opportunity to move in a particular direction in medical device development. Because of the threats from competitors and their debatable actions dispute resolutions often transfer  to court rooms for litigation to determine rights to patents. This often leads to the delay in product development and an increase in costs associated court determinations. Potential entry of new competitors There are several obstacles that competitors will have to overcome in in the development, manufacture and marketing of medical devices. First, The Food and Drug Administration regulations are very specific and detailed. A competitor attempting FDA approval should expect a lengthy approval process. Once an approval is obtained they are not covered against product recalls that can cost a lot of money. Furthermore, recalls can tarnish the reputation of the company leading to a loss in consumer confidence. Secondly, the design and manufacture of medical products will require a solid understanding of the management of high end technologies. Next, competitors entering the market will spend a lot of money in the Research and Development in an economy where few companies willing to invest. Potential development of substitutes products Medical devices are considered a minimally invasive form of treatment and are considered a substitute for more invasive treatment procedures used in the past. Medtronic has several departments all working on product lines and are susceptible to other companies developing similar devices with the same purpose. This drives certain secureness when new procedures and equipment are developed preventing a competitor from knowledge and profit. Bargaining power of suppliers Just as the electronic industry, medical device makers send their work to a growing industry of contract manufacturers. These manufacturers do not have a lot of bargaining power due to the low customization of their work. The device makers do not rely on one manufacturer and can easily find another. This tactic enables device makers to deal with speed-to-market and the cost associated with closing plants and laying off employees. There is not an estimated increase to the bargaining power of the suppliers because new companies are not likely to develop products overseas due to the trouble in changing contracts to foreign manufactures. Bargaining power of consumers Some hospitals organize and group together to lower costs. These enables more bargaining power over the suppliers due to their collective size. This causes competitors have also to deal with the final payers that are sometimes the insurance company that try to minimize their costs and influence the type of patient care. Even if the buyers are not directly the doctors, the suppliers have to target them since they are advisers providing influence to the decision process. This gives tremendous bargaining power over the suppliers of medical devices enabling better competition and ability to absorb the pressures of the t healthcare system. Intensive Strategy of Medtronic Medtronic has seven main divisions and combines operations into a single operating segment. Market Penetration Medtronic’s market penetration in solidified in the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management division where it is the world’s leading supplier of pacemakers. In addition, Medtronic’s holds over 50% Implantable Cardiac Rhythm Devices (ICD) Market share which contributes to 25% of Medtronic’s overall sales. Market Development Medtronic is continually moving toward innovation through their pursuit to develop markets in areas of healthcare distribution and treatments. They are have collaborative partnerships, product development and are pilots of new business models in several developing countries. Eli Lilly Company have partnered together in the field of Drug Delivery systems. Together they are working to develop treatments for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. They are engineering implantable pumps that allow the delivery of drugs directly to a targeted area of the brain bypassing the blood-brain barrier that restricts drug therapy for these diseases. Medtronic is also collaborating with Ford Motor Company to develop and integrate medical technology with the Sync in-car system. This mobile health monitoring system will monitor chronic heart conditions, diabetes and transmit alerts if a driver health puts them in danger. Medtronic is also leading numerous cities and hospitals in India increasing patient access to cardiac therapy and improve awareness through health promotions. Through these initiatives Medtronic has assisted in the developed a tiered service and financing  program provides affordable health care. Product Development Medtronic has always led the way with many technologies and product lines, as shown with the first pacemaker in 1957. Medtronic has adopted policy that phases out its own products to make way for newer developments. Medtronic has a solid process of innovation improving their own products. This is accomplished by utilizing computer aided design systems that allow for an 80% reduction in the time required model complex designs and a 90% reduction in required production time. Medtronic’s product development reaches into marketing approaches in the areas of technical support, customer education initiatives and product line expansion and bundling. Collectively, this provides the motivation of lowering costs for product and process improvement. SWOT Analysis of Medtronic Inc. Medtronic engaged in engineering a range of medical devices and therapies. They have a large portfolio that is used to enhance its influence and market share. However, current and future health care policy changes may have a negative effect on the company. STRENGTH| WEAKNESSES| Diverse portfolio protecting risks- Strong Focus on RD capabilities- Product Innovation- Global presence with stable revenues| Issues with manufactured products and recalls reduce credibility of company| OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| Global acquisitions prospects- Growth in emerging markets- Future product lines increase revenue and market share- positive demographics’ toward healthcare spending| Intense industrial competition in medical devices that affect share of market- Non-compliance with rules relating to reimbursement and regulation of healthcare services- Changing healthcare policies have negative affect on company| Strengths As a result of having a diverse product portfolio, Medtronic has a diversified stream of revenues and not heavily dependent on one particular business. For instance, during FY2011, the cardiac rhythm disease  management contributed 31.4% of the total revenues of the company, spinal (21.4%), cardiovascular (19.5%), neuromodulator (10.0%), diabetes (8.5%), surgical technologies (6.5%). Weakness In July 2011, Medtronic recalled its SynchroMed II implantable infusion pump because it had reduced battery performance. This recall if not corrected could lead life threatening withdraw symptoms to patients with these pumps. Opportunities Medtronic has a good track record of acquisitions. In January 2011, the company acquired Ardian, a privately-held company engaged in developing catheter-based therapies to treat hypertension and related conditions. This acquisition augmented Medtronics existing interventional therapies. Emerging markets are set to become the chronic disease centers of the world. By 2015, China and India will be the largest cardiac markets, and by 2017, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in India will increase to more than 60 million cases from 28 million cases in 2007. To exploit the growth opportunities in these markets, Medtronic is expanding its presence by building distribution, training, education, and other healthcare infrastructure needed to ensure greater access to its products and therapies. Threats Medtronic is competitive in more than 120 countries around the world and encounters opposition from various product lines and markets that similar products are sold. Major competitors from Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, Johnson Johnson, and Abbott Laboratories add pressure to areas of product reliability, performance, quality, and price. US Department of Health and Human Services along with foreign governments regulate the devices produced and health services provided by Medtronic to ensure the cost and quality. Recent US health care legislation and policy changes re aimed at controlling costs and limit the amount that Medtronic can charge for medical devices and therapies. This is evident when,  President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act imposing new taxes on medical device makers. Conclusion Medtronic is a world leader in medical technology- alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for people with chronic conditions. Medtronic with its relentless pursuit to bring affordable healthcare through therapy and medical devices should continue with current strategies. Over the next five years, it is beneficial for Medtronic to further explore emerging markets bringing innovative ideas to healthcare officials. Continuance in research and development will continue to reform traditional healthcare with micro-sized implant devices. Continued mission focus to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life† will further propel Medtronic as a medical development leader.

Background Of Company: Telekom

Background Of Company: Telekom Introduction In economic field, there are many types of market structure. The common market structures that we all knew are perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic and also oligopoly. In this assignment, we will put priority on monopoly and perfect competition. As we all knew that, monopoly is a situation where there is one seller which the firm is the industry and many buyers in the market whereas monopolistic is a type of market structure where a large number of firms produce close but not perfect substitute product. In this assignment, our group has chosen Telekom Malaysia as the example of company that practices monopoly structure. Throughout this group assignment, we managed to found a lot of information about Telekom Malaysia. The information are shown below : Background of Company (Telekom) Telekom Malaysia BHD (TM) is the first telecommunication monopoly company in the country that still remains top telecom group and a fast-growing international player in the Asian region. The company continues to control the fixed-line telecom market with more than 4.6 million access lines. In addition to the fixed-line business, TM is one Malaysias leading cellular telephone provider and leading Internet provider, TMNet, which is also the sole broadband provider in the country. In addition to their operation in Malaysia, TM has developed a network subsidiaries and investments internationally with the focus on Asian region. In 2005, the company is listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. Characteristic In monopoly, there are many characteristic. One of the characteristic is that there are no competition between the companies as it is only seller in the market. Telekom Malaysia is the largest telecommunication company in Malaysia. It has a monopoly on the fixed line network. Besides that, there are many buyers in the market. Since Telekom Malaysia was build, many citizens in Malaysia started to use their services. It also has a considerable market share of the mobile communications market after acquisition of Celcom and TM Touch. Not only have that, Telekom Malaysia right now also offered narrowband and broadband connectivity which is now the DSL broadband provider in the industry. Thirdly, the characteristic of monopoly is that the firm enjoys abnormal profits. Because there are no other competitors, the firm has the power to monopolies the price of their goods and services. In this matter, the consumer have no other choice, so they will either choose or leave the product. The last characteristic of monopoly is barriers to entry which the firm will reduce the ability of new firms to enter the market and compete. Advantages and Disadvantages between Monopoly and Perfect Competition There are some advantages and disadvantages of monopoly. Firstly, the advantage is monopoly has only one firm and the market is the price maker. Hence, the price of the goods and services will be stable. Secondly, due to the absence of the competition, monopoly firm can receive the maximum profits from their sales. On the other hand, the first disadvantage is a high price of a low quality good and service may be charged on the consumer. Secondly, because of no competition may lead to low quality and outdated good and service. There are also some advantages and disadvantages of perfect competition. The first advantage is due to the presence of the competition, consumers can get a lower price of the goods and services. This is because all the firms produce identical products and the firms are price taker. Secondly, in the perfect competition, the firms must compete to each other to increase their sales. Because of this situation, it will encourage each firms efficiency and it will also encourage faster economic growth. However, perfect competition has disadvantages too. Firstly, unequally of the distribution of the goods and services because of the allocation of resources is determined by the distribution of income. Secondly, externalities are ignored. For example, when there are external benefits, too little goods are produced and when there are external costs, too much goods are produced. Comparison between Monopoly and Perfect Competition In the perfect competition, there are a large number of buyers and sellers in the market competing with each other. The price fixed by the industry is accepted by all the firms operating in the market. While in the monopoly, there is only one single seller but a large number of buyers. Hence, the firms are price maker and they all decide the prices. Besides that, a perfectly competitive firm makes only normal profit in the long run. This is because there is freedom of entry and exit. But under monopoly, the firm continues earning profits even in the long run since there are strong barriers to the entry of new firms in the monopolistic industry. Conclusion In a nutshell, throughout this assignment, we are able to learn more about monopoly and monopolistic market structure. Apart from that, our group members and I also learnt that we have to work together effectively and efficiently to make sure our task get done well. Although we faced some challenges and difficulties when doing this assignment, but we still make through it with everyones collaboration. Besides that, we have also learnt about the specialty of monopoly and monopolistic market structure in economics view. Therefore, we can apply it during class as we have already learnt deeper on them. Lastly, economics is important because it can be used in our daily life no matter for the present or in the future.

Becoa Report On Investing Currencies In The Far East :: essays research papers

BECOA Report on Investing Currencies in the Far East Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the world today, the possibilities are endless for people who want to make money. These opportunities may exist in the form of a bond, currency, stock, or business venture, but the common tie between them is that it is possible to make money if you research the market and impose the proper strategic plans. In this report, the issue of investing money in the currency markets of the Far East will be my main area of interest. The Far East offers great potential for a currency trader who wishes to make money. I also have the option of investing in the European currency market as well, but I feel that the European market is somewhat too volatile for any significant gains to be made by pursuing any countries within. As is evident from classroom work in this course, the Far East has the greatest potential of any area in the world to be the next big area, in terms of economic expansion. With the many countries available to select for currency trade, it is very difficult for a student with limitedresources to accurately and to the best of his or her's ability to make any significant amount of money on the currency market. However, I believe that by my researching the countries trends in areas such as: Inflation, Capital Investments, Unemployment, Exports, Budget balances, and Real Growth rates, that this is the key to making money through currency exchange. In this report my selections for currency exchange will justified by using the above areas as well as currency trends and volatilities, that prove Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan were all good strategic investments. Japan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first country that I chose to buy currency in was Japan. Japan, as many people know is a country that has proven itself as having one of the world's most powerful and stable economies. When we examine the Real Growth Rate in Japan (Fig. 1, pg: 7), we can see that the Japanese economy is growing every year over the charts history. In the late 80's and early nineties the Japanese economy was peaking and still continues to grow, with recent reports that the Japanese economy could rise once again as seen in the chart with 1995's increase. The second factor for Japan that I took into affect was their low levels of inflation. In (Fig. 2, pg: 7), we can see that the inflation level in Japan is very low, which means that the cost of goods in Japan does not widely

Edwards’ sermon Study Essay

1. To whom is the sermon addressed? The sermon is addressed to the congregation. 2. According to Edwards, why is God wrathful? People are wicked sinners, and God’s wrath is infinite and arbitrary. 3. Reread the sixth paragraph. What people, according to Edwards, are not in the hands of this angry God? How is this state achieved? Reading the sermon he claims that, â€Å"Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God,† therefore I infer that the individual whom have passed a great change by heart by, and was born and again and made into new creatures, are not in the hands of this angry god. I believe he conjectures this by isolating it and remaining on the topic of the individuals who are in the hands of the angry God. 4. Figurative language is language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to produce a certain effect. Edwards makes effective use of figurative language as he speaks of God’s wrath. Find three examples of his use of figurative language and explain why they are effective. To convey his sense of tone and attitude, he uses rhetorical techniques, imagery, repetition and metaphors to display his piercing tone. In his sermon he repeats the term â€Å"wrath†, which means intense fury, over and over again creating it vibrant how angry god is with his congregation/people. Edwards is essentially proposing that they are atrocious individuals and deserve to burn in hell. Edwards’ piercing tone is also elated by the metaphors he uses in his sermon. He associates several things to implement his tone. Edwards says â€Å"The wraths of God are great waters that are dammed for the present†¦Ã¢â‚¬  also he states â€Å" The bow of God’s wrath is bent and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In his metaphors he does not use optimistic undertones, making them harsh and to the concept. In using these metaphors, Edwards is enabling the reader(s) to understand the tone by putting it in a situation and context, which is more easily correlated. Subsequently, he uses imagery in the opening paragraph stating  that when men are on Gods’ hands and they could descend to hell. Natural men are held in the hands of God, over the pit of hell knowing that you might descend into the abyss at any moment should scare you. God chose to save you until he wants to let you slope into an eternity of sweltering flames. 5. Using the list of Tone Words as a guide, make a list of 20 words in this selection that produce tone or attitude. Paragraph 1: dreadful, misery Paragraph 2: avail Paragraph 3: wickedness, prudence, contrivance, corruption, sovereign Paragraph 4: inconceivable, omnipotent, wrath, hitherto, fury, threshing, vengeance, stoutest, treasuring Paragraph 5: obligation Paragraph 6: everlasting Paragraph 7: Paragraph 8: abhors, ascribed, solemn, loathsome Paragraph 9: asunder, provoked 6. How does Edwards’ sermon reflect the ideals of this time period? It reflects on the Puritans’’ ideals and beliefs. Such as, they believed in salvation and that the fate of individual soul was predetermined by God. Also, that salvation was a private choice among God and the ‘Elect’. Elects or Saints were the ones who were saved and the ones who weren’t were ‘wicked’. 7. Explain how his sermon connects to a concept or theme in â€Å"The Crucible.† They both have a common theme of good vs. evil. Meaning, they mutually belief system into how they should act/live. Edwards leads his message to the Puritan people claiming that they are corrupt and must change their ways, he does this threatening method to attempt to scare them by the description of hell. Similarly, the characters in The Crucible convict each other of committing deeds against God and are very hostile about it, much like Edwards.

Free Essays on Rosencratz & Guildenstern Are Dead

â€Å"There's a divinity that shapes our ends,† is a theme that echoes through most of the Shakespearean play Hamlet and the new contemporary piece of work by Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Free will, as a concept, is discussed very existentially in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead since the whole play takes place in the midst of Hamlet itself, and thus Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unable to actually break free of the destiny assigned to them by Shakespeare. Hamlet, himself a character in a play, enjoys a more free range of choices and decisions with which to shape his destiny, and these choices pre-dermine the path of other characters in the play. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, themselves actors, are able to discuss their options, and possible scenarios which they could take, but since they are bound by what Shakespeare wrote and pre-dermined for them, they have to follow that exact path. Ros: How very intriguing! I fee like a spectator-an appalling business. The only thing that makes it bearable is the irrational belief that somebody interesting will come in a minute. (pg. 40) While discussing passerby’s, Rosencrantz hits upon the very same dilemma that overhangs them throughout the whole play. They are nothing more then spectators to the fact that their existence is passing them by without any input from them, and the only relief to this dilemma would be for someone interesting to come and redirect them. This someone could perhaps be the divine entity or Hamlet. Guil: What a fine persecution-to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened. (pg. 40) In Hamlet they enjoy a much more liberal sense of free will, while at the same time still being confined to the story brought to the by the choices that Hamlet makes. They are always given meaning by someone else, either through their friendship with Hamlet, or through the good will of the king, who gives them a task to complete, thus giving them d... Free Essays on Rosencratz & Guildenstern Are Dead Free Essays on Rosencratz & Guildenstern Are Dead â€Å"There's a divinity that shapes our ends,† is a theme that echoes through most of the Shakespearean play Hamlet and the new contemporary piece of work by Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Free will, as a concept, is discussed very existentially in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead since the whole play takes place in the midst of Hamlet itself, and thus Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unable to actually break free of the destiny assigned to them by Shakespeare. Hamlet, himself a character in a play, enjoys a more free range of choices and decisions with which to shape his destiny, and these choices pre-dermine the path of other characters in the play. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, themselves actors, are able to discuss their options, and possible scenarios which they could take, but since they are bound by what Shakespeare wrote and pre-dermined for them, they have to follow that exact path. Ros: How very intriguing! I fee like a spectator-an appalling business. The only thing that makes it bearable is the irrational belief that somebody interesting will come in a minute. (pg. 40) While discussing passerby’s, Rosencrantz hits upon the very same dilemma that overhangs them throughout the whole play. They are nothing more then spectators to the fact that their existence is passing them by without any input from them, and the only relief to this dilemma would be for someone interesting to come and redirect them. This someone could perhaps be the divine entity or Hamlet. Guil: What a fine persecution-to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened. (pg. 40) In Hamlet they enjoy a much more liberal sense of free will, while at the same time still being confined to the story brought to the by the choices that Hamlet makes. They are always given meaning by someone else, either through their friendship with Hamlet, or through the good will of the king, who gives them a task to complete, thus giving them d...