Importance of Colloidal Dispersion in Pharmacy

Importance of colloidal dispersion in pharmacy Pharmaceutical Applications of colloids: Colloids are extensively used for modifying the properties of pharmaceutical agents. The most common property that is affected is the solubility of a drug . However, colloidal forms of many drugs exhibits substantially different properties when compared with traditional forms of these drugs. Certain medicinals have been found to possess unusual or increased therapeutic properties when formulated in the colloidal state.Another important pharmaceutical application of colloid is their use as drug delivery system. The most often used colloid type drug delivery systems include hydrogels, microspheres, microemulsions, liposomes, micelles, nanoparticles and nanocrystals. Here we mention the main characteristics of each colloidal delivery system. Hydrogels: Hydrogel is a colloidal gel in which water is the dispersion medium. It (also called aquagel) is a network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, som etimes found as a colloidal gel in which water is the dispersion medium.Hydrogels are highly absorbent (they can contain over 99% water) natural or synthetic polymers. Hydrogels also possess a degree of flexibility very similar to natural tissue, due to their significant water content. These hydrogels have the ability to sense changes of pH, temperature, or the concentration of metabolite and release their load as result of such a change Natural and synthetic hydrogels are used for wound healing, as scaffolds in tissue engineering, and as sustained- release delivery systems.When used as scaffolds for tissue engineering, hydrogels may contain human cells to stimulate tissue repair, since they are loaded with pharmaceutical ingredients, hydrogels provide a sustained drug release. Light-sensitive, pressure- responsive, and electro-sensitive hydrogels also have the potential to be used in drug delivery. Environmentally sensitive hydrogels include slow response time, limited biocompatibi lity, and biodegradability. Hydrogel used as sustained-release drug delivery systems. it provide absorption, desloughing and debriding capacities of necrotics and fibrotic tissue. ydrogels that are responsive to specific molecules, such as glucose or antigens can be used as biosensors, as well as in DDS. Also used in disposable diapers where they â€Å"capture† urine, or in sanitary napkins, contact lenses (silicone hydrogels, polyacrylamides). Medical electrodes using hydrogels composed of cross-linked polymers (polyethylene oxide, polyAMPS and polyvinylpyrrolidone). hydrogel used as water gel explosives, rectal drug delivery and diagnosis. Other, less common uses include, breast implants, granules for holding soil moisture in arid areas, dressings for healing of burn or other hard-to-heal wounds.Wound gels are excellent for helping to create or maintain a moist environment, reservoirs in topical drug delivery; particularly ionic drugs, delivered by iontophoresis (see ion ex change resin), Common ingredients are e. g. polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, acrylate polymers and copolymers with an abundance of hydrophilic groups. Natural hydrogel materials are being investigated for tissue engineering; these materials include agarose, methylcellulose, hyaluronan, and other naturally derived polymers. However if the achievements of the past can be extrapolated into the future, it is likely that responsive hydrogels with a wide array of desirable properties will be forthcoming. Microparticles: Microparticles are small loaded microspheres of natural or synthetic polymers. Microparticles was initially developed as carriers for vaccines and anti-cancer drugs. More recently, novel properties of Microparticles have been developed to increase the efficiency of drug delivery and improve release profiles and drug targeting.Several investigations have focused on the development of methods of reducing the uptake of the nanoparticles by the cells of the reticuloendo thelial system and enhance their uptake by the targeted cells. Functional surface coatings of non-biodegradable carboxylated polystyrene or biodegradable poly (D,L- lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres with poly(L-lysine)-g-poly (ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) were investigated in attempts to shield them from nonspecific phagocytosis and to allow ligand- specific interactions via molecular recognisition.It was found that coatings of PLL-g-PEG- ligand conjugates provided for the specific targeting of microspheres to human blood- derived macrophages and dendritic cells while reducing non- specific phagocytosis. Microparticles can also be used to facilitate nontraditional routes of drug administration. It was found that Microparticles can be used to improve immunization using the mucosal route of administration of therapeutics. It was found in this study that mucosal route of administration of therapeutics can translocate to tissues in the systemic compartment of the immune system and prov oke immunological reactions. Micro & Nano-Emulsions:Microemulsions are excellent candidates as potential drug delivery systems because of their improved drug solubilization, long shelf life, and ease of preparation and administration. Three distinct Microemulsions- oil external, water external, and middle phase- can be used for drug delivery, depending upon the type of the dug and the site of action. In contrast to Microparticles, which demonstrate distinct differences between the outer shell and core, microemulsions are usually formed with more or less homogeneous particles. Microemulsions are use for controlled release and targeted delivery of different pharmaceutics agents.For instance, microemulsions were used to deliver oligonucleotides (small fragments of DNA) specifically to ovarian cancer cells. In contrast to microemulsions, Nanoemulsions consist in very fine oil-in-water dispersions, having droplets diameter smaller than 100 nm. Compared to microemulsions, they are in a me ta stable state, and their structure depends on the history of the system. Nanoemulsions are very fragile systems. The nanoemulsions can find applications in skin care due to their good sensorial properties (rapid penetration, merging textures) and their biophysical properties (especially their hydrating power).Liposomes: Liposomes consist of an outer uni – or multilamellar membrane and an inner liquid core. In most cases liposomes are formed with natural or synthetic phospholipids similar to those in cellular plasma membrane, because of this similarity, liposomes are easily utilized by cells. Liposomes can be loaded by pharmaceutical or other ingredients by two principal ways: Lipophilic substances can be associated with liposomal membrane, and hydrophilic substances can be dissolved in the inner liquid core of liposomes.To decrease uptake by the cells of the reticuloendothelial system and/or enhance their uptake by the targeted cells, the membrane of liposomes can be modifi ed by polymeric chains and/or targeting moieties or antibodies specific to the targeted cells, because they are relatively easy to prepare, biodegradable, and non- toxic, liposomes have found numerous applications as drug delivery systems. Liposomes are of colloidal dimensions and are preferentially taken up by the liver and spleen. Hence, principle of colloids is also used in targeted drug delivery system. Liposomes are used for drug delivery due to their unique properties.A liposome encapsulates a region on aqueous solution inside a hydrophobic membrane; dissolved hydrophilic solutes cannot readily pass through the lipids. Hydrophobic chemicals can be dissolved into the membrane, and in this way liposome can carry both hydrophobic molecules and hydrophilic molecules. To deliver the molecules to sites of action, the lipid bilayer can fuse with other bilayers such as the cell membrane, thus delivering the liposome contents. By making liposomes in a solution of DNA or drugs (which wo uld normally be unable to diffuse through the membrane) they can be (indiscriminately) delivered past the lipid bilayer.There are three types of liposomes – MLV (multilamellar vesicles) SUV (Small Unilamellar Vesicles) and LUV (Large Unilamellar Vesicles). These are used to deliver different types of drugs. Liposomes are used as models for artificial cells. Liposomes can also be designed to deliver drugs in other ways. Liposomes that contain low (or high) pH can be constructed such that dissolved aqueous drugs will be charged in solution (i. e. , the pH is outside the drug's pI range). As the pH naturally neutralizes within the liposome (protons can pass through some membranes), the drug will also be neutralized, allowing it to freely pass through a membrane.These liposomes work to deliver drug by diffusion rather than by direct cell fusion. Another strategy for liposome drug delivery is to target endocytosis events. Liposomes can be made in a particular size range that makes them viable targets for natural macrophage phagocytosis. These liposomes may be digested while in the macrophage's phagosome, thus releasing its drug. Liposomes can also be decorated with opsonins and ligands to activate endocytosis in other cell types. The use of liposomes for transformation or transfection of DNA into a host cell is known as lipofection.In addition to gene and drug delivery applications, liposomes can be used as carriers for the delivery of dyes to textiles, pesticides to plants, enzymes and nutritional supplements to foods, and cosmetics to the skin. Another interesting property of liposomes is their natural ability to target cancer. The endothelial wall of all healthy human blood vessels is encapsulated by endothelial cells that are bound together by tight junctions. These tight junctions stop any large particles in the blood from leaking out of the vessel.Tumour vessels do not contain the same level of seal between cells and are diagnostically leaky. This abil ity is known as the Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect. Liposomes of certain sizes, typically less than 200 nm, can rapidly enter tumour sites from the blood, but are kept in the bloodstream by the endothelial wall in healthy tissue vasculature. Anti-cancer drugs such as Doxorubicin (Doxil), Camptothecin and Daunorubicin (Daunoxome) are currently being marketed in liposome delivery systems. Micelles: Micelles are similar to liposomes but they do not have an inner liquid compartment.Therefore they can be used as water- soluble biocompatible micro containers for the delivery of poorly soluble hydrophobic pharmaceuticals. Similar to liposomes their surface can be modified with antibodies (immunomicelles) or other targeting moieties providing the ability of micelles to specifically interact with their antigens. One type of micelles pluronic block copolymers, are recognized as pharmaceutical excipients listed in the U. S and British Pharmacopoeia. They have been extensively used in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations including delivery of low molecular mass drugs, polypeptides, and DNA.Furthermore, Pluronic block copolymers are versatile molecules that can be used as structural elements of polycation- based gene delivery system. Nanoparticles: Nanocapsules are sub-microscopic colloidal carrier systems composed of an oily or an aqueous core surrounded by a thin polymer membrane. Nanoparticles are the colloidal particulate systems with size ranging between 1-1000 nm. Based on the arrangement of drug and polymer matrix, nanoparticles can be classified into two types: nanospheres and nanocapsules . In nanospheres, rugs are either adsorbed or entrapped inside the polymeric matrix. In nanocapsules, drugs are confined to the inner liquid core while the external surface of nanoparticles is covered by the polymeric membrane. polymeric nanoparticles have gained considerable attention as potential drug delivery systems due to its targetability to particular organ /tissue and ability to deliver protein and peptide via oral route. Nanoparticles for drug delivery are generally made up of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers obtained from either natural or synthetic source.Natural polymers include chitosan, albumin, rosin, sodium alginate and gelatin while, synthetic polymers include poly (lactic acid) PLA, poly (D, L-glycolide), poly (lactide-co-glycolide), poly (caprolactones) (PCL) and poly (cyanoacrylates). The kinetics of drug release from nanoparticles depends on the strength of hydrophobic interactions between the polymer and drug and polymer degradation rate. The uptake and distribution of nanoparticles depend on its size. Nanoparticles of size ~10 nm are utilized for extended circulation, while ~100 and ~200 nm particles are utilized for passive targeting and intracellular drug delivery respectively.Though nanoparticles have many advantages over other conventional drug delivery systems certain properties like surface hydrophobicity and surface charge needs to be altered so as to increase the uptake of nanoparticles into cells. This can be done by judiciously manipulating the use of polymers. Coating the nanoparticles with chitosan which is positively charged significantly enhances the uptake and modulates the drug efflux of anticancer agents. Moreover, attachment of poly (ethylene glycol) moieties to the surface of nanoparticles increases the hydrophilicity and hence decreases the uptake by macrophages.Recent studies by Yoncheva et al. concluded that amino-pegylated poly (methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) nanoparticles were able to cross the cell membrane of the absorptive enterocytes in a better way. Nanoparticles are characterized by a variety of techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy (TEM or SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), matrix-assisted laser de sorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), and magnetic resonance (NMR).Two technologies can be used to develop such Nanocapsules: the interfacial polymerization of a monomer or the interfacial nano deposition of a performed polymer. Solid lipid nanoparticles are developed at the beginning of the 1990’s as an alternative carrier system to emulsions, liposomes, and polymeric nanoparticles. They are used in particular in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. A novel nano-particle based drug carrier for photodynamic therapy has been developed.This carrier can provide stable aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic photo-sensitizers; yet preserve the key step of photo generation of singlet oxygen, necessary for photodynamic action. Nanoparticles have also found applications as nonviral gene delivery systems. Advantages of nanoparticles a) Longer shelf-stability b) High carrier capacity c) Ability to incorporate hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug molecules d) Can be administered via different routes e) Longer clearance time f) Ability to sustain the release of drug ) Can be utilized for imaging studies h) Increase the bioavailability of drugs i) Targeted delivery of drugs at cellular and nuclear level j) Development of new medicines which are safer k) Prevent the multi-drug resistance mediated efflux of chemotherapeutic agents l) Product life extension Nanocrystals: Inorganic crystals that interface with biologic systems have recently attracted widespread interest in biology and medicine. To explore the feasibility of in vivo targeting by using semiconductor quantum dots (qdots), which are small (

Oligopoly (Economics) Essay

1) Oligopoly is when a particular market is controlled by a small group of firms. For example supermarkets, there are three (there usually exist three companies) companies which dominate the market, Wong and Metro, Santa Isabel and Plaza Vea, and Tottus. The main assumptions that economists make when talking about a situation of Oligopoly are various; three or four large companies dominate the industry, but small companies do exist (smaller companies in the recent example would be for example â€Å"Arakaki†, a sole trader company); firms are interdependent, al will watch what the competitors do and act accordingly (when Wong created the â€Å"Bonus† card, it did not even passed a week when Santa Isabel created the â€Å"Mà ¡s Mà ¡s† card); the existence of the kinked demand curve (which we will see what it is on question b); there are barriers to entry, this means it is difficult for other firms to enter the industry; non price competition, as companies cannot compete by prices, therefore they have to compete with the service they offer (for example the â€Å"Bonus† and the â€Å"Mà ¡s Mà ¡s† cards); the oligopoly must be collusive (collusion), this means when the companies, which dominate, work together to maintain very high prices at the expense of the consumer (for example Umbro and Adidas, sell football shirts at very high prices, as a Manchester United shirt costs approximately $50), companies which work together to maintain high prices should be fined, as it is illegal. Advertising is also essential to maintain a high profit and market share, and also something very important, which is to develop brand loyalty (for example, once I began to buy â€Å"Sony† electro domestics, I begin to have a brand loyalty, as I never had a single problem with them). 2) The causes of price stability (when prices are stable, without any change) existing in a situation of Oligopoly are two. The first reason is due to the shapes of the Demand curve (AR). Putting an example of gasoline stations, if there are three companies in this market (Shell, Texaco and Mobil), and if one company, for example shell, decides to increase its prices, no other company will follow, and its sales will decrease by a lot (there will be no incentive for companies to increase prices as consumers have other companies to buy gasoline from, therefore it is elastic as there has been a small change in price but a big change in demand). A company will also not lower its prices because all other companies in the industry will do the same (as people will go to where prices are lower), and there will be very few benefits, also profits will decrease, as sales increase by only a small amount (there has been a big change in price but a small change in demand, therefore inelastic). Firms will leave the price unchanged, and the firms will have to use other objects to compete with each other, this includes product differentiation through advertising and innovation. The price elasticity of demand looks at the responsiveness of QD to a change in price. It is better for companies to therefore use the same price and find other ways of increasing their sales, for example to use non price competition in order to increase sales. â€Å"The solution concludes that there is a determinant and stable price-quantity equilibrium that varies according to the number of sellers. In effect each firm makes assumptions about its rival’s output. Adjustment or reaction follows reaction until each firm successfully guesses the correct output of its rivals†. The second reason of price stability in Oligopoly is, if a company maximises its profits where MC=MR, therefore the point where this two curves cross will give us the price and the quantity the company should provide. The marginal revenue curve is not continuous, as it has a very big gap in it, this is called the â€Å"Region of Indeterminacy†, and the MC curve can pass through any part of this region, this gap in the MR curve, allows MC to vary without affecting either final price or quantity. For prices to change, costs would need to rise above MC†.

Literature Review of Finite Impulse Response Filters

Literature studychapter 3 LiteratureSurveyPaper 1:Filter Structures For FIR Filters[ 1 ] In this paper Florian Achleitner et Al. had discuss FIR digital i ¬?lters, which can be designed in several different ways and construct with different basic constructions. This papers considers some constructions and their calculation complexness, every bit good as the quantisation effects. Furthermore some designing methods are introduced and the advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. FIR-i ¬?lters can be designed and implemented in many different ways and constructions. Each has it’s advantages and disadvantages refering several points of position. In pattern it will be suited to take the construction and planing method oblique by the country of application and the i ¬?lter specii ¬?cations. If computational cost is the chief standards, we recommend the Direct Form, as it is simple, has low computational cost and no existent disadvantages.Paper 2:Design And Implementation Of An Optimized FIR Filter For If Gps Signal Simulator[ 2 ] This paper presents the design and execution of a forty-order FIR filter for IF GPS signal simulator with three algorithms: multiply and accumulate ( MAC ) , add-and-shift strategy with CSD encoding ( CSD ) , new common sub-expression riddance ( CSE ) . Each strategy is analyzed in item including design and optimisation procedure to happen the best 1 with the least hardware resource and power ingestion. The FIR filter is coded in Verilog HDL, and so implemented utilizing Xilinx Virtex5 FPGA and Design Complier based on SMIC 0.18um engineering. FPGA execution consequence shows that CSE consumes the least entire occupied piece, with 63 % and 20 % decrease compared with MAC and CSD. The execution of CSE in ASIC besides proves 66 % and 13 % decrease in entire bit country, every bit good as 36 % and 6 % dynamic power decrease compared with MAC and CSD severally. Figure 3.1 Converse signifier of FIR filter[ 2 ] Figure 3.2 Implementation construction of FIR filter[ 2 ] This paper design FIR filter utilizing converse signifier as shown in figure below which is more suited for long length coefficients and besides saves figure of registries. Besides this paper designs FIR filter utilizing symmetrical signifier construction of FIR filter by taking advantage of symmetrical coefficients and saves figure of multipliers in the design. 3.3 PAPER 3: Fixed-Point FIR Filter Design And Implementation In The Expand In Sub-Expression Space[ 3 ] In This paper Chia-Yu Yao and Chung-Lin Sha had presented a method of uniting the design and the execution of fixed-point FIR filter coefficients into one design flow. The proposed method designs the fixed-point coefficients in an spread outing sub-expression infinite. During the design procedure, the execution cost is estimated as good and it is fed back to the design modus operandi such that the algorithm can redesign the fixed-point coefficients iteratively. Design examples show that, in many instances, we can obtain better hardware-cost- effectual FIR filters than the consequences reported by other research workers. Figure 3.3 Example of common sub look riddance[ 3 ] In this paper, they suggest an improved fixed-point coefficient design procedure that considers the execution complexness at the first phase of the design stage. The architecture they assume in this paper is the converse signifier symmetrical FIR filter. Compared with the other FIR filter construction, the proposed method can bring forth FIR filters with decreased figure of adders in many instances. On the other manus, since the manner of recognizing the converse signifier FIR filters is determined by the proposed method, in order to salvage brainpower and clip for composing the RTL codification of an FIR filter, we develop a C plan to bring forth a Verilog or a VHDL codification of the FIR filter automatically based on the coefficients produced by the proposed algorithm. A comparing of the codification public presentation between the proposed design flow and MATLAB’s fdatool is besides given in this paper.Paper 4:16-Orders FIR Filter Design Based On MATLAB And Its Quartus Ii Simulation[ 4 ] In this paper SongYu et Al. had presented the rules and construction of the FIR filter to plan the FIR filter. Used the tools of filter design and the signal spectrum analysis in MATLAB to plan and analyze 16-order FIR filter, and determined the filter coefficients, eventually, used Verilog HDL linguistic communication to code, and used its package of Quartus II to imitate. The consequence of the simulation shows that the consequences of the pulsation matching run into the design of demands. With FIR filter direct-type construction as shown in Figure 3.4, the end product can be expressed as: Y ( N ) =†¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ ..3.1 Figure 3.4 Conventional diagram of a direct-type FIR filter[ 4 ] Where, Y ( n ) is the end product of the FIR filter, x ( n ) is the input sequence and H ( I ) represents filter coefficients with filter length ( N+1 ) . This paper uses FDATOOL from MATLAB for coefficients computation. FDATOOL is a really powerful tool chest from MATLAB for speedy system planing and analysis. GUI based tool takes all FIR filter parametric quantities from user and based on selective filtering method, calculate filter coefficients with minimal filter order. After that, paper allows HDL modeling of such filter and takes advantage of coefficients symmetricalness to cut down arithmetic complexness. Simulation is done utilizing Quartus-II for subsequently FPGA usage.Paper 5:An Integrated Cad Tool For ASIC Implementation Of Multiplier-less FIR Filters With Common Sub-Expression Elimination Optimization[ 5 ] In this paper Qiu-zhong Wu had presented an integrated computing machine aided design ( CAD ) tool for the ASIC execution of multiplier-less FIR digital filters with common sub-expression riddance ( CSE ) optimisation. The chief maps in the design flow of FIR filters for specified applications, including coefficient computation and quantisation, common sub-expression optimisation and hardware description linguistic communication ( HDL ) codification auto-generation, are combined in this tool. They proposed an applied intermedial representation ( IR ) , which is the key for the integrating of CSE optimisation and HDL codification auto-generation, to denote the circuit construction resulted from the application of CSE technique. The application of this tool in the ASIC execution of multiplierless FIR filters can recognize the design mechanization and shorten the clip for design significantly ; what is more, experiment consequences show that the coveted FIR filters will be optimized expeditiously in several facets such as country, power dissipation and velocity. Figure 3.5 design flow of FIR filter[ 5 ] In this paper, an efficient integrated CAD tool for the ASIC execution of multiplier less FIR filters with common sub-expressions riddance optimisation is presented. The chief maps in FIR_DK, including the common sub-expressions riddance optimisation and the auto-generation of Verilog-HDL codification are illuminated in this paper. The application of this tool in the ASIC execution of multiplierless FIR filters can recognize the design mechanization and shorten the clip for design significantly ; what is more, experiment consequences show that desired FIR filters will be optimized expeditiously in several facets such as country, power dissipation and velocity.

Analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the uk.

In line with the above, this paper provides an analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the UK. It provides a comprehensive overview of the sector structure including an analysis of the value/supply chain, business models, some of the leading newspapers and an analysis of the market structure. The paper also examines key demographics, user preferences and the changing patterns of consumption. Finally, the paper conducts a critical analysis of the current issues and trends including examining the impact of technologies, market and business forces. Overview of sector structure The newspaper publishing industry in the UK has a unique structure in terms of geographical coverage of publications. With reference to the geographical coverage, there are two main categories: the national publications and regional publications (Anon 2013). The national newspapers comprise of 10 dailies and 12 Sundays (Anon 2013). Within these two categories are the tabloid newspapers; middle-market tabloid newspapers and broadsheet newspapers (Anon 2013). Most of the newspapers in the UK are however under the ‘tabloid’ subcategory. Examples of tabloid newspapers are The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, The People and The Morning Star amongst others (Anon 2013). Whilst the broadsheet examples include The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Observer among others. The ‘Middle-market’ tabloid newspapers include Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Daily Express and The Mail on Sunday (Anon 2013). Regional newspapers in the UK are more than 1500 but for the purpose of this analysis, we shall highlight the top 10 regional groups. The parent companies of the top 10 regional newspapers include: Archant which was formerly referred to as Eastern Counties Newspaper Group (Anon 2013). Associated Newspapers Ltd Guardian Media Group plc Mirror Group Regional Newspapers which is currently known as Trinity (Anon 2013). Newsquest Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers (Anon 2013). Northcliffe Newspapers Group Trinity Mirror plc Scotsman Publications Ltd and D C Thompson Having defined the structure of newspapers, it is worthwhile examining the value/supply chains and the traditional business model. Supply chains In the UK, Newspaper supply chains are publisher-led. In other words, publishers have a strong degree of influence over the supply chains (OFT 2008). They exercise a stronger degree of influence over the volumes of products received by retailers through setting parameters used by wholesalers to allocate copies to the retailers (OFT 2008). The publisher also exerts influence on pricing at all stages of the supply chain by printing a price and setting margins for both the retailers and wholesalers (OFT 2008). They also set performance standards that define the nature of service provided to the retailers. These standards influence the terms and conditions on which retailers are supplied by the wholesalers (OFT 2008). The publisher’s main role in the newspaper publishing industry is thus to intermediate between journalists, information users, advertisers and other attention-seekers (OECD 2010). Journalists, on the other hand, have the task of creating content. This process of content creation and manufacturing requires in-depth research and investigation. Newspaper organizations also rely on news agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press for news stories (OECD 2010). With the draft created, a diligent work flow follows that include a number of activities such as editing, copy-editing and graphical work (OECD 2010). Finally, a fully digital version is created ready for printing (OECD 2010). Characteristics of the newspaper publishing industry A key characteristic to note in the newspaper publishing industry is the two-sided markets: advertizing revenues and sale of editorial content (Berte De Bens 2008). Newspapers provide for both advertising and editorial content and as such generate revenues from both the advertisers and readers (Berte De Bens 2008). Another key newspaper characteristic is perishability. Newspapers are perishable in that their value is only for a short period. Demand is thus concentrated in a short time window which is often in the morning (OFT 2008). As such, there is pressure in the supply chain to reduce the time taken to deliver newspapers to retail outlets (OFT 2008). Newspapers in the UK are printed at print centres which are spread throughout the country. Once printed, they are distributed to wholesale depots in the UK (Berte De Bens 2008). These are then packed and delivered by the wholesalers to retailers (Berte De Bens 2008). In addition, some newspapers are supplied directly to consumers through subscription. However, magazines account for most of the subscription sales. Some examples of newspapers that offer subscription service in the UK include the Financial Times and The Times (OFT 2008). In the recent years, there has been a push towards supplying newspapers directly to the retailers. Publishers have become more involved in supplying newspapers outside the normal distribution process including supplying to high-street retailers (OFT 2008). As such a new supply chain, a direct-to-retail (DTR) distribution system is currently underway. Consumer behaviour The circulation and readership of newspapers cut across every age group, sector and social strata (Hamel Prahalad 1994). However, some age groups are more prone to reading newspapers than others. Adults are particularly more loyal to their newspapers than the younger teenagers. According to keynote survey on the consumption patterns of newspapers in the UK, it was found that majority of newspaper readers comprised mainly of the elderly. According to the survey, 48.9% of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 would buy a local or regional newspaper at least once a week (Keynote 2010). But beyond the age of 20, the buying falls and continues to decline up to the age of 44 before rising again, reaching a peak of 61.3% among those aged above 65 (Keynote 2010). Nonetheless, it is safe to assume that the UK industry offers a vibrant market for publishers as both the older consumers and younger teenagers have a quest for information. But just like with other social trends, evolution is inevitable and the rise of the internet leads to changing user preferences and changing patterns of consumption (Currah 2009). More recently there has been a decline in consumption of newspapers even among the adults which is largely attributable to the proliferation of online alternatives. In a comparative survey carried out by Keynote between 2008 and 2009, it was found that 36.5% of adults bought national newspapers on a daily basis, down from 42.4% in 2008 (Keynote 2010). The old newspaper business model which has for a long time been a success is coming under pressure due to the ongoing digitization. Reader markets and advertizing are in fact declining in many parts of the world owing to the growth of new digital media. The internet has grown to become nearly a standard publishing channel and is posing a major threat to the contemporary business model (Darmstadt 2006). The changing consumer preference has been a key driving factor behind this contraction as advertizing and print media have lost out to online alternatives that offer information and advertizing services via the social media (Smith 2013). In fact, in between 2007 and 2012, there was a 25% drop in the circulation of the daily newspapers in the UK (Smith 2013). Although the rise of the internet has to some extent benefited newspaper publishers through the revenues generated from advertizing on their online publications, the loss suffered by print advertizing has been far greater than the benefits derived from online publications such that it has resulted in an overall negative growth for most of the newspapers (Boczkowski 2005). Also, the value chain of news production, distribution and consumption has been fundamentally affected by the growth of the internet and the ongoing digitization (Leurdijk et al 2012). Whilst most newspapers have launched their own websites and offered blogs and apps for mobile devices, they still have to bear the costs which are significantly high (Leurdijk et al 2012). Moreover, the huge quantity of information available online has made it increasingly difficult for people to pay for online services. Pay models which have proven to be successful are scarce. The pay-wall model was initially experimented by some of the newspaper publishers but failed as the subscription revenues could not offset the vast loss of advertising revenues that resulted from decline in readership (Leurdijk et al 2012). However, there have been new attempts lately to re-introduce pay-walls for premium content by some of the publishers such as the New York Times, the Hamburger Abendblatt and The Berliner Morgenpost among others (Leurdijk et al 2012). But still, only a few companies have managed to succeed in developing viable online business models (Miyamoto Whittaker 2005). Perhaps we can say that the newspaper publishing industry is under turmoil due to the penetration of broadband and the rise of new devices for delivering digital content. Consumers are quickly embracing technology and switching to digital media. However, this transition from traditional print media to digital media varies with age (Fenez et al 2010). The younger generation is particularly the most affected. But as noted by Keynote, the impact has also been felt among the older consumers. Of course these changes will tend to benefit the consumers. Such newer forms of decentralized news will liberate readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry (Currah 2009). Consumers will also benefit from increase in the availability of ‘free’ news and news consumption that can be tailored to fit own preference (Currah 2009). But at the same time there is a concern regarding the quality of output, in particular, whether the desired output can be sustained by market. It should be noted that, unlike the traditional news organizations, many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news (OECD 2010). In this regard, will vulnerable news genres such as reporting on local government, investigative journalism and reporting on areas not of immediate economic or political interest, survive (Leurdijk et al 2010)This is an issue that requires further documentation. Current issues and what the future holds Following the recent recession that led to declining business profit, the advertiser’s budget has today shrunk (Smith 2013). The impact of the recession has been a decline in readership due to high prices of newspapers. Also, the recent phone hacking scandal that implicated tabloid newspapers has undermined trust in journalists and led to a declining demand in major papers (Smith 2013). More recently, the introduction a new generation of eReaders such the iPad, tablet computers and kindles has provided an alternative for accessing information online (Sabagh 2011). With influx of such portable technology, the decline print newspaper is likely to accelerate, adding pressure to the traditional models that have supported many titles (Sabbagh 2011). The impact of these changes has already been felt by a number of local newspapers with 31 titles closing in 2010 (Sabbagh 2011). However, there are those that seem to handle the transition well such as the Financial Times which has seen a growth in digital subscription (Sabbagh 2011). For instance, in 2011, the average print circulation of Financial Times (FT) was 297,227 whereas that of the digital circulation was around 301,471, indicating a 31% increase in digital subscribers (Greenslade 2012). During the same year, the average global audience grew to 2.1m whereas that of the print stayed flat (Greenslade 2012). But while FT has made a successful digital transition, majority of the newspapers have not succeed in developing viable online business models. Given the declining demand, pressure has mounted on newspapers to adopt defence mechanism in order to protect their bottom line (Smith 2011). Publishers have been forced to optimize online advertizing platforms and some others have had to adopt paywalls (Smith 2011). Also, there are those that are opting to expand internationally in efforts to capture a new market in an information-centric society (Smith 2011). The structural challenges facing the newspaper publishing industry have no doubt resulted in a decline in circulation volume and a shift of advertizing to online channels. The growth in information technology is already having an impact on consumption behaviours as reading is losing against listening and watching of news via the Televisions, radios and the internet (ATKearney 2005). The trend is also forecast to continue in the coming future. As pointed out by ATKearney (2005), circulation of newspapers is likely to decline by over 25% in the forthcoming 20 years due to a decline in readership and the growth of digital generation. With newspaper revenue declining, there is a higher possibility of heavy consolidation to occur through company ‘attrition’ and Merger and acquisition activities (ATKearney 2005). The impact of the recent phone hacking scandal is likely to be minimal as popular titles still remain in fair commercial health. Tabloid newspapers such as ‘The People’, ‘The Daily’ and ‘Sunday Mirror’, and ‘Record titles’ in Scotland are still in fair commercial health. However, whilst the Leveson inquiry is expected to have minimal effects on the industry performance, a concern has been raised that the resulting regulation will be unbalanced between print news and that published online (Smith 2011). Conclusion Indeed we have seen that a number of factors have contributed to a decline in newspaper circulation such as recession, new technology (e-readers and smartphones), new internet intermediaries, new business models, and social factors such as increased participation in creation of digital content. These changes have had mixed effects in the industry. On the one extreme, consumers have benefited from availability of free information and consumption of news content which can be tailored to suit their own preferences. Also such newer forms of decentralized news have liberated readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry. On the other extreme, the traditional print media has been declining and this demise puts at risk an important foundation of democratic societies. Also, there is a concern that the desired quality output may not be sustainable as many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news. Reference Anon, 2013. UK regional newspapers. Magforum ATKearney, 2005. Newspaper endgame: evolution scenarios for the European Newspaper Publishing industry. London Berte, K. and De Bens, E., 2008. ‘Newspapers go for advertising! Challenges and opportunities in a changing media environment’. Journalism Studies, 9(5), 692-703. Boczkowski, P. J., 2005. Digitizing the news: innovation in online newspapers. Cambirdge, Currah, A., 2009. What’s happening to our news: an investigation into the likely impact of the digital revolution on the economics of news publishing in the UK. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Elvestad, E. and Blekesaune, A., 2008. ‘Newspaper readers in Europe: a multilevel study of individual and national differences’. European Journal of Communication, 23(4), 425-447. Fenez, M., Middelweerd, J., Van der Donk, M., 2010. Moving into multiple business models. Pricewaterhousecoopers, Greenslade, R., 2012. How the Financial Times successfully made the digital transition. The Guardian. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K., 1994, Competing for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press. Keynote, 2010. Publishing industry: who still reads newspapers{viewed on 24th April 2013} availablefrom https://www.keynote.co.uk/media-centre/in-the-news/display/publishing-industry%3A-who-still-reads-newspapers%3F/?articleId=426 Leurdijk,A., Slot, M., Niewenhuis, O., 2012. Statistical, ecosystems and competitiveness analysis of the media and content industries: The newspaper publishing industry. Joint Research Centre Massachusetts: MIT Press. Miyamoto, D. and Whittaker, D., 2005. The book publishing industry in Japan and the UK: corporate philosophy/objectives, behaviour and market structure. Working paper No.309, ESRC Centre for Business Research OECD 2010, The evolution of news and the internet. DSTI/ICCP/IE(2009)14/FINAL Office of Fair Trading (OFT), 2008, Newspaper and magazine distribution in the United Kingdom, Crown Publishers Sabbagh, D., 2011. iPads and Kindles force newspapers further away from print. The Guardian Smith, G., 2013. Newspaper publishing in the UK industry market research report now updated by IBISWorld. IBISWorld {viewed on 24th April 2013} available from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10407604.htm Analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the uk. In line with the above, this paper provides an analytical overview of the newspaper publishing industry in the UK. It provides a comprehensive overview of the sector structure including an analysis of the value/supply chain, business models, some of the leading newspapers and an analysis of the market structure. The paper also examines key demographics, user preferences and the changing patterns of consumption. Finally, the paper conducts a critical analysis of the current issues and trends including examining the impact of technologies, market and business forces. Overview of sector structure The newspaper publishing industry in the UK has a unique structure in terms of geographical coverage of publications. With reference to the geographical coverage, there are two main categories: the national publications and regional publications (Anon 2013). The national newspapers comprise of 10 dailies and 12 Sundays (Anon 2013). Within these two categories are the tabloid newspapers; middle-market tabloid newspapers and broadsheet newspapers (Anon 2013). Most of the newspapers in the UK are however under the ‘tabloid’ subcategory. Examples of tabloid newspapers are The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, The People and The Morning Star amongst others (Anon 2013). Whilst the broadsheet examples include The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Observer among others. The ‘Middle-market’ tabloid newspapers include Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Daily Express and The Mail on Sunday (Anon 2013). Regional newspapers in the UK are more than 1500 but for the purpose of this analysis, we shall highlight the top 10 regional groups. The parent companies of the top 10 regional newspapers include: Archant which was formerly referred to as Eastern Counties Newspaper Group (Anon 2013). Associated Newspapers Ltd Guardian Media Group plc Mirror Group Regional Newspapers which is currently known as Trinity (Anon 2013). Newsquest Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers (Anon 2013). Northcliffe Newspapers Group Trinity Mirror plc Scotsman Publications Ltd and D C Thompson Having defined the structure of newspapers, it is worthwhile examining the value/supply chains and the traditional business model. Supply chains In the UK, Newspaper supply chains are publisher-led. In other words, publishers have a strong degree of influence over the supply chains (OFT 2008). They exercise a stronger degree of influence over the volumes of products received by retailers through setting parameters used by wholesalers to allocate copies to the retailers (OFT 2008). The publisher also exerts influence on pricing at all stages of the supply chain by printing a price and setting margins for both the retailers and wholesalers (OFT 2008). They also set performance standards that define the nature of service provided to the retailers. These standards influence the terms and conditions on which retailers are supplied by the wholesalers (OFT 2008). The publisher’s main role in the newspaper publishing industry is thus to intermediate between journalists, information users, advertisers and other attention-seekers (OECD 2010). Journalists, on the other hand, have the task of creating content. This process of content creation and manufacturing requires in-depth research and investigation. Newspaper organizations also rely on news agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press for news stories (OECD 2010). With the draft created, a diligent work flow follows that include a number of activities such as editing, copy-editing and graphical work (OECD 2010). Finally, a fully digital version is created ready for printing (OECD 2010). Characteristics of the newspaper publishing industry A key characteristic to note in the newspaper publishing industry is the two-sided markets: advertizing revenues and sale of editorial content (Berte De Bens 2008). Newspapers provide for both advertising and editorial content and as such generate revenues from both the advertisers and readers (Berte De Bens 2008). Another key newspaper characteristic is perishability. Newspapers are perishable in that their value is only for a short period. Demand is thus concentrated in a short time window which is often in the morning (OFT 2008). As such, there is pressure in the supply chain to reduce the time taken to deliver newspapers to retail outlets (OFT 2008). Newspapers in the UK are printed at print centres which are spread throughout the country. Once printed, they are distributed to wholesale depots in the UK (Berte De Bens 2008). These are then packed and delivered by the wholesalers to retailers (Berte De Bens 2008). In addition, some newspapers are supplied directly to consumers through subscription. However, magazines account for most of the subscription sales. Some examples of newspapers that offer subscription service in the UK include the Financial Times and The Times (OFT 2008). In the recent years, there has been a push towards supplying newspapers directly to the retailers. Publishers have become more involved in supplying newspapers outside the normal distribution process including supplying to high-street retailers (OFT 2008). As such a new supply chain, a direct-to-retail (DTR) distribution system is currently underway. Consumer behaviour The circulation and readership of newspapers cut across every age group, sector and social strata (Hamel Prahalad 1994). However, some age groups are more prone to reading newspapers than others. Adults are particularly more loyal to their newspapers than the younger teenagers. According to keynote survey on the consumption patterns of newspapers in the UK, it was found that majority of newspaper readers comprised mainly of the elderly. According to the survey, 48.9% of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 would buy a local or regional newspaper at least once a week (Keynote 2010). But beyond the age of 20, the buying falls and continues to decline up to the age of 44 before rising again, reaching a peak of 61.3% among those aged above 65 (Keynote 2010). Nonetheless, it is safe to assume that the UK industry offers a vibrant market for publishers as both the older consumers and younger teenagers have a quest for information. But just like with other social trends, evolution is inevitable and the rise of the internet leads to changing user preferences and changing patterns of consumption (Currah 2009). More recently there has been a decline in consumption of newspapers even among the adults which is largely attributable to the proliferation of online alternatives. In a comparative survey carried out by Keynote between 2008 and 2009, it was found that 36.5% of adults bought national newspapers on a daily basis, down from 42.4% in 2008 (Keynote 2010). The old newspaper business model which has for a long time been a success is coming under pressure due to the ongoing digitization. Reader markets and advertizing are in fact declining in many parts of the world owing to the growth of new digital media. The internet has grown to become nearly a standard publishing channel and is posing a major threat to the contemporary business model (Darmstadt 2006). The changing consumer preference has been a key driving factor behind this contraction as advertizing and print media have lost out to online alternatives that offer information and advertizing services via the social media (Smith 2013). In fact, in between 2007 and 2012, there was a 25% drop in the circulation of the daily newspapers in the UK (Smith 2013). Although the rise of the internet has to some extent benefited newspaper publishers through the revenues generated from advertizing on their online publications, the loss suffered by print advertizing has been far greater than the benefits derived from online publications such that it has resulted in an overall negative growth for most of the newspapers (Boczkowski 2005). Also, the value chain of news production, distribution and consumption has been fundamentally affected by the growth of the internet and the ongoing digitization (Leurdijk et al 2012). Whilst most newspapers have launched their own websites and offered blogs and apps for mobile devices, they still have to bear the costs which are significantly high (Leurdijk et al 2012). Moreover, the huge quantity of information available online has made it increasingly difficult for people to pay for online services. Pay models which have proven to be successful are scarce. The pay-wall model was initially experimented by some of the newspaper publishers but failed as the subscription revenues could not offset the vast loss of advertising revenues that resulted from decline in readership (Leurdijk et al 2012). However, there have been new attempts lately to re-introduce pay-walls for premium content by some of the publishers such as the New York Times, the Hamburger Abendblatt and The Berliner Morgenpost among others (Leurdijk et al 2012). But still, only a few companies have managed to succeed in developing viable online business models (Miyamoto Whittaker 2005). Perhaps we can say that the newspaper publishing industry is under turmoil due to the penetration of broadband and the rise of new devices for delivering digital content. Consumers are quickly embracing technology and switching to digital media. However, this transition from traditional print media to digital media varies with age (Fenez et al 2010). The younger generation is particularly the most affected. But as noted by Keynote, the impact has also been felt among the older consumers. Of course these changes will tend to benefit the consumers. Such newer forms of decentralized news will liberate readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry (Currah 2009). Consumers will also benefit from increase in the availability of ‘free’ news and news consumption that can be tailored to fit own preference (Currah 2009). But at the same time there is a concern regarding the quality of output, in particular, whether the desired output can be sustained by market. It should be noted that, unlike the traditional news organizations, many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news (OECD 2010). In this regard, will vulnerable news genres such as reporting on local government, investigative journalism and reporting on areas not of immediate economic or political interest, survive (Leurdijk et al 2010)This is an issue that requires further documentation. Current issues and what the future holds Following the recent recession that led to declining business profit, the advertiser’s budget has today shrunk (Smith 2013). The impact of the recession has been a decline in readership due to high prices of newspapers. Also, the recent phone hacking scandal that implicated tabloid newspapers has undermined trust in journalists and led to a declining demand in major papers (Smith 2013). More recently, the introduction a new generation of eReaders such the iPad, tablet computers and kindles has provided an alternative for accessing information online (Sabagh 2011). With influx of such portable technology, the decline print newspaper is likely to accelerate, adding pressure to the traditional models that have supported many titles (Sabbagh 2011). The impact of these changes has already been felt by a number of local newspapers with 31 titles closing in 2010 (Sabbagh 2011). However, there are those that seem to handle the transition well such as the Financial Times which has seen a growth in digital subscription (Sabbagh 2011). For instance, in 2011, the average print circulation of Financial Times (FT) was 297,227 whereas that of the digital circulation was around 301,471, indicating a 31% increase in digital subscribers (Greenslade 2012). During the same year, the average global audience grew to 2.1m whereas that of the print stayed flat (Greenslade 2012). But while FT has made a successful digital transition, majority of the newspapers have not succeed in developing viable online business models. Given the declining demand, pressure has mounted on newspapers to adopt defence mechanism in order to protect their bottom line (Smith 2011). Publishers have been forced to optimize online advertizing platforms and some others have had to adopt paywalls (Smith 2011). Also, there are those that are opting to expand internationally in efforts to capture a new market in an information-centric society (Smith 2011). The structural challenges facing the newspaper publishing industry have no doubt resulted in a decline in circulation volume and a shift of advertizing to online channels. The growth in information technology is already having an impact on consumption behaviours as reading is losing against listening and watching of news via the Televisions, radios and the internet (ATKearney 2005). The trend is also forecast to continue in the coming future. As pointed out by ATKearney (2005), circulation of newspapers is likely to decline by over 25% in the forthcoming 20 years due to a decline in readership and the growth of digital generation. With newspaper revenue declining, there is a higher possibility of heavy consolidation to occur through company ‘attrition’ and Merger and acquisition activities (ATKearney 2005). The impact of the recent phone hacking scandal is likely to be minimal as popular titles still remain in fair commercial health. Tabloid newspapers such as ‘The People’, ‘The Daily’ and ‘Sunday Mirror’, and ‘Record titles’ in Scotland are still in fair commercial health. However, whilst the Leveson inquiry is expected to have minimal effects on the industry performance, a concern has been raised that the resulting regulation will be unbalanced between print news and that published online (Smith 2011). Conclusion Indeed we have seen that a number of factors have contributed to a decline in newspaper circulation such as recession, new technology (e-readers and smartphones), new internet intermediaries, new business models, and social factors such as increased participation in creation of digital content. These changes have had mixed effects in the industry. On the one extreme, consumers have benefited from availability of free information and consumption of news content which can be tailored to suit their own preferences. Also such newer forms of decentralized news have liberated readers from partisan news monopolies which have dominated the industry. On the other extreme, the traditional print media has been declining and this demise puts at risk an important foundation of democratic societies. Also, there is a concern that the desired quality output may not be sustainable as many actors involved in the online content lack the large fixed cost base needed to provide in-depth and varied reporting of news. Reference Anon, 2013. UK regional newspapers. Magforum ATKearney, 2005. Newspaper endgame: evolution scenarios for the European Newspaper Publishing industry. London Berte, K. and De Bens, E., 2008. ‘Newspapers go for advertising! Challenges and opportunities in a changing media environment’. Journalism Studies, 9(5), 692-703. Boczkowski, P. J., 2005. Digitizing the news: innovation in online newspapers. Cambirdge, Currah, A., 2009. What’s happening to our news: an investigation into the likely impact of the digital revolution on the economics of news publishing in the UK. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Elvestad, E. and Blekesaune, A., 2008. ‘Newspaper readers in Europe: a multilevel study of individual and national differences’. European Journal of Communication, 23(4), 425-447. Fenez, M., Middelweerd, J., Van der Donk, M., 2010. Moving into multiple business models. Pricewaterhousecoopers, Greenslade, R., 2012. How the Financial Times successfully made the digital transition. The Guardian. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K., 1994, Competing for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press. Keynote, 2010. Publishing industry: who still reads newspapers{viewed on 24th April 2013} availablefrom https://www.keynote.co.uk/media-centre/in-the-news/display/publishing-industry%3A-who-still-reads-newspapers%3F/?articleId=426 Leurdijk,A., Slot, M., Niewenhuis, O., 2012. Statistical, ecosystems and competitiveness analysis of the media and content industries: The newspaper publishing industry. Joint Research Centre Massachusetts: MIT Press. Miyamoto, D. and Whittaker, D., 2005. The book publishing industry in Japan and the UK: corporate philosophy/objectives, behaviour and market structure. Working paper No.309, ESRC Centre for Business Research OECD 2010, The evolution of news and the internet. DSTI/ICCP/IE(2009)14/FINAL Office of Fair Trading (OFT), 2008, Newspaper and magazine distribution in the United Kingdom, Crown Publishers Sabbagh, D., 2011. iPads and Kindles force newspapers further away from print. The Guardian Smith, G., 2013. Newspaper publishing in the UK industry market research report now updated by IBISWorld. IBISWorld {viewed on 24th April 2013} available from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10407604.htm

Picassos Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Picassos Work - Essay Example In having such notable skills at such a tender age, Picasso decided to drop out of school and follow a career in art and painting. In having a natural talent and gift in art, Picasso managed to experiment and come up with unimaginable work of arts at that time. He and his friend Georges Braque founded the well known abstract movement known also as the cubism. As an artist, his style became diverse with his ideologies, explicable and experimental techniques and through his different theories. Picasso was a man full of imagination and possibilities as displayed from his art work. Apart from being an artist, he was also a thinker likened to people like Albert Einstein. Living in a culture that obeyed tradition, he managed to disobey it and followed his wishes. He defied the formal rules of art to explore and master realistic painting at a tender age. This made so unpredictable with his art and designs. When young, Picasso’s painting majorly revolved around cubism and sex. In fact , there are a lot of nude art work of which he demonstrates how the body of a woman could display a lot. Through his mindset, he did a brilliant sculpture work and graphic art forms in stage design, ceramics and mosaics. To this present day, his art and work are in museums and in personal collections all around the universe. As a teenager, he did his first painting in cubism known as the ladies of Avignon. Picasso loved displaying some of his art through painting entailing the nature of a woman’s body.

Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Principles - Essay Example Businesses are the driving force behind an economy. In the United States there are nearly 29 million businesses operating. These businesses create nearly 120 million jobs. Business organizations are imperative towards the well being of a society. Not only do businesses provide jobs for people, but they also produce products and services that consumers desire. For instance Apple Computers is the top producer of smartphones in the world with its famous iPhone series. The business world has evolved in the 21st century with the arrival of e-commerce. There are millions of websites that offer products and services. The two largest online retail establishments are Amazon and EBay. The success of a business enterprise depends on the abilities of its managerial staff. The manager of an organization is responsible for the performance of the company as well as the performance of its employees. A good manager is able to motivate his staff to achieve higher levels of performance. There are different levels of management. Management is divided into three levels which are: upper level, middle management, and lower level. The lower level management positions are typically referred to as supervisors. An example of a middle level manager is the manager of a division of the company. In a publicly traded company the upper level management is the executive management team. The executive management team is led by the chief executive officer (CEO). The CEO of a firm is the most powerful and influential person within the company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act made the CEO responsible for the content of the financial statements of a company. If fraud is detected in these statements the CEO could face jail time. CEOs have to establish both yearly operational plans as we ll as strategic plans for the long term. Some important skills and abilities that managers must possess are analytical abilities, leadership, superb verbal and

International Insecurity and the Use of Force Research Paper

International Insecurity and the Use of Force - Research Paper Example The formation of the United Nations is the most notable as it was formed soon after the end of Second World War with the main objective of promoting international peace and security. Moghaddam (2010) notes that whereas all actors acknowledge the essence of international security and the importance of avoiding international insecurity, they have not agreed fully on how to achieve this noble endeavour. There is a section of international actors that argue that force should not be used at all in the pursuit of international security, or addressing international insecurity for that matter. On the other hand, there are those who argue that use of force is necessary in addressing international security. This paper focuses on international insecurity and the use of force in an attempt to understand how these two aspects are conceptualized. Influence Decisions and actions in the international arena do not occur in a vacuum; instead, they are influenced by transnational actors, public opinion s, the media, and the interest groups. This is evidenced by how these actors have influenced the use of force (or lack of its use) in addressing international insecurity, for example in the case of the United States’ invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan (Chakravorty and Neti, 2009). Events such as the Hezbollah’s attacks targeting the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, the September 11, 2001 attacks targeting symbolic locations in the United States, and the series of crises in recent times in Syria and Libya bear all the features of international insecurity. What is of more interest in this paper is how they should be responded to: should force be used or alternatives to use of force are used? Transnational actors have greatly influenced the use of force in addressing international insecurity. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the most notable transnational actor which has influenced the use of force in tackling the international insecurity (Yost, 2007). It was part of the United States invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently played a key role in ousting the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. However, other transnational actors such the UN Security Council have discouraged the use of force and have been advocating for the use of diplomacy (Yost, 2007). Most of the interest groups have also been against the use of force in addressing the international insecurity; for example, the American Conservative Union and Human Rights Watch have been against the use of force and argue that such use of force often lead to death of innocent people especially women and children. There has been divided public opinions regarding the use of force as a means of addressing international insecurity; there are those who are totally against it while others (especially the victims of international insecurity) consider use of force as the best strategy to tackle international insecurity (Ersen and O?zen, 2010). Just like is the case with the public opinion, med ia is divided on whether force should be used as a means of solving the problem of international security. Expected Utility Theory It is no doubt that the question of whether force should be used in addressing international insecurity is a â€Å"hot† one with opinions divided in the centre with those against it on one side and those for it on the other. Expected utility theory can be very critical in helping