Cellular Processes Essay Example for Free

Cellular Processes Essay When molecules move from a high to low concentration it is called moving DOWN the concentration gradient. †¨When molecules move from a low to high concentration it is called moving AGAINST the concentration gradient. †¨When the concentration of a solute is the same throughout a system, the system is at EQUILIBRIUM.†¨What kind of transport DOES NOT require energy? PASSIVEWhat kind of transport requires energy? ACTIVE†¨Which CELL PART provides the energy for active transport? MITOCHONDRIA†¨Which MOLECULE is produced by mitochondria and provides energy for transport? ATP †¨Movement of molecules FROM a region of HIGH concentration TO a region of LOW concentration = DIFFUSION †¨The movement of molecules FROM a region of HIGH concentration TO a region of LOW concentration with the HELP of carrier proteins or channels = FACILITATED DIFFUSION Membrane proteins that move molecules across membranes by attaching, changing shape, and flipping to the other side like a revolving door = CARRIER PROTEINS Membrane proteins that help molecules across membranes by providing a tunnel = PROTEIN CHANNELS†¨The movement of WATER molecules from HIGH concentration to LOW concentration across a cell membrane = OSMOSIS Stage 3 Stages 1 2Which kinds of transport use VESICLES to help molecules across membranes? ENDOCYTOSIS (PHAGOCYTOSIS PINOCYTOSIS EXOCYTOSIS Photosynthesis Chemical Reaction for photosynthesis: Water + Carbon dioxide à   Glucose + Oxygen 6H2O + 6CO2 ïÆ'   C6H12O6 + 6O2 Process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches Chloroplast- site of photosynthesis Cellular Respiration- process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen; Aerobic means with oxygen (O2); Anaerobic means without oxygen (O2) -Glycolysis- Means the splitting of glucose; Occurs in the cytoplasm of all cells in every organism; It does NOT require oxygen; A net of 2 ATP is made during glycolysis. -Fermentation – Anaerobic Pathway-There are 2 types of fermentation: Alcoholic Fermentation-Occurs in yeasts and bacteria, CO2 and ethyl alcohol are produced (bread dough rising); Lactic Acid Fermentation-Occurs during strenuous exercise (burning fatigue in muscles) -Cellular Respiration Totals: Energy produced per glucose molecule; -Glycolysis = Net of 2 ATP; Kreb’s Cycle = 2 ATP; Electron Transport Chain (ETC) = 32 ATP; Total = 36 ATP per glucose molecule Mitochondria â€Å"powerhouse†- site of cellular respiration= MAKING ENERGY! Manages the process by which energy stored in food molecules is transformed into usable energy for the cell. Other cell organelles: Vacuole- stores water, waster, enzymes and other materials (like a water tower) Golgi body- sorts and packages proteins (think of UPS) Nucleus- brain/control center of the cell; instructions for making proteins Lysosome- digests worn out organelles, food particles, and engulfed bacteria viruses (like a janitor/clean up crew) Ribosome- site of protein synthesis (think of meat-has protein in it) Cell membrane- controls what enter and leaves the cell, â€Å"semi or selectively permeable† (like a bouncer) Mitosis: produces 2 genetically identical, diploid body (somatic) cellsDiploid: full set of chromosomes Meiosis: produces 4 genetically different, haploid sex (gametes) cellsHaploid: chromosome # is half Practice Questions: Cell organelles carry out specific metabolic processes. 1. Study the statement above. Which cell organelle manages the process by which proteins are sorted and packaged to be sent where they are needed? a. ribosomesb. lysosomesc. Golgi bodiesd. vacuoles 2. Study the statement above. Which cell organelle is responsible for storing  enzymes and other materials needed by the cell? a. ribosomesb. vacuolesc. mitochondriad. lysosomes 3. Study the statement above. Which cell organelle manages the process by which proteins are assembled based on DNA instructions? a. mitochondriab. lysosomesc. ribosomesd. vacuoles 4. Study the statement above. Which cell organelle manages the process by which energy stored in food molecules is transformed into usable energy for the cell? a. lysosomesb. golgi bodiesc. mitochondriad. ribosomes 5. Study the statement above. Which cell organelle manages the process by which worn out organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria are digested? a. ribosomesb. lysosomesc. vacuolesd. golgi bodies 6. Which of these is not an advantage gained by organisms which reproduce sexually? a. Genetic recombination created genetic diversity within a species. b. Some percentage of organisms within a species will be likely to survive and reproduce despite harsh environmental conditions. c. Genetic diversity reduces the risk of species extinction caused by hard environmental conditions. d. Genetic diversity weakens a species’ overall ability to survive harsh environmental conditions. 7. A fertilized egg created through sexual reproduction- a. has a combination of genetic material that is unique in the species b. is genetically identical to other eggs of the same parents c. is genetically identical to the parents d. contains genetic material from only one parent 8. Organisms reproduce asexually in a variety of ways. A bacterium reproduces by making a copy of its chromosome, growing larger, then dividing into two separate, genetically identical cells. This process is called- a. regenerationb. binary fissionc. vegetative reproductiond. budding 9. Which of the following statements about sexual reproduction is false? a. Organisms that reproduce sexually produce sex cells called gametes. b. Fertilization is part of the sexual reproduction process. c. In sexual reproduction, a single parent produces identical offspring. d. A zygote is produced through sexual reproduction. 10. Study the chemical reactions below. Photosynthesis: Cellular respiration: Plants produce more oxygen during photosynthesis than they use in cellular respiration. What happens to the excess oxygen produced during photosynthesis? a. It is used as an energy source by plant cells. b. It is released into the air and is used by other organisms for respiration. c. It is converted into heat energy. d. It is a waste product which is never reused. 11. Which of these is inhaled by animals, then used in respiration? a. carbonb. oxygenc. nitrogend. water 12. One of the products of photosynthesis is glucose (C6H12O6). Which of the following statements about the production and use of this molecule is false? a. Plants use the energy from glucose to convert nutrients to body tissues and grow larger. b. Glucose that is not immediately used by the plant is stored for later use. c. Plants use the energy from glucose to manufacture a variety of plant products. d. Glucose that is not immediately used by the plant is lost as waste material. 13. Tigers, goldfish, peacocks, and humans all reproduce sexually. Which statement is true about sexual reproduction? a. It is not a factor scientists use to define different species. b. It involves the joining of an egg and sperm into one cell. c. The offspring are genetically the same as their parents. d. Sexual reproduction can only take place by internal fertilization. 14. Jackson is growing a bean plant in a pot. One day Jackson notices that the plant is wilting. He waters the bean plant and within a few minutes the plant begins to perk up. This is because the plant has taken up water by osmosis. At what structural level does osmosis occur? a. organs b. tissues c. cells d. organ systems Organisms as different as bacteria, mushrooms, algae, oak trees, and human beings are all made of cells. 15. Read the information above. Which statement is true for all cells? a. All cells have the same shape. b. All cells need energy to survive. c. All cells are surrounded by a rigid wall. d. All cells belong to organ systems. Michelle is looking through a microscope at a cell from an onion root. She sees a cell that is in the process of dividing to make a new cell. This is what Michelle sees: 16. Study the diagram and the description above. If Michelle were able to find an onion cell that had completed division, what products of cell division would she see? a. four different cellsb. only one cellc. two identical cellsd. four identical cells 17. Study the diagram and the statement above. Michelle is observing cell division in an onion cell, but this type of cell division also occurs in the human body. Which statement is not true about this type of cell division in humans? a. This type of cell division is humans produces sex cells as well as body cells. b. This type of cell division in humans occurs while bones are forming during development. c. This type of cell division in humans can be affected by viruses. d. This type of cell division in humans is necessary to heal cuts and wounds 18. Study the diagram and the description above. What is the name for the process Michelle is observing? a. mutationb. meiosisc. mitosisd. metamorphosis 19. Study the diagram and the information above. Which of these statements about cell division is true? a. A newly formed daughter cell has less DNA than its parent cell. b. Cells divide at random times. c. New cells formed by cell division can replace dying cells in an organism. d. The phases of cell division can occur in any order. 20. A special type of cell division, called meiosis, is used to form sex cells or gametes. Which statement is true above this type of cell division? a. The products of meiosis are two identical cells. b. DNA is not copied at all during meiosis. c. The new cells have half the DNA of the parent cell. d. Meiosis is complete after only one round of cell division. 21. A person with swollen gums rinses his mouth with warm salt water, and the swelling decreases. Which has occurred? a. The swollen gums have absorbed the saltwater solution. b. The saltwater solution lowers the temperature of the water in the gums. c. The salt in the solution has moved against the concentration gradient. d. The water in the gums has moved from a high to a low concentration of water. 22. What advantage do sexually reproducing organisms have over asexually reproducing organisms? a. genetic variationb. genetic stabilityc. increased fertilization rated. increased reproductive rate 23. What is the most likely function of a group of cells that contain a high number of chloroplasts? a. respirationb. transpirationc. fermentationd. photosynthesis 24. In humans, glucose is kept in balance in the bloodstream by insulin. Which concept does this best illustrate? a. adaptationb. homeostasisc. metabolismd. organization 25. In which way are photosynthesis and cellular respiration different? a. Cellular respiration stores ATP, while photosynthesis releases ATP. b. Cellular respiration produces oxygen, while photosynthesis uses oxygen. c. Photosynthesis releases energy, while cellular respiration stores energy. d. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, while cellular respiration produces carbon dioxide. 26. Which statement best distinguishes aerobic from anaerobic respiration? a. Only aerobic respiration involves fermentation. b. Only anaerobic respiration occurs in the mitochondria. c. Only aerobic respiration requires oxygen. d. Only anaerobic respiration produces carbon dioxide. 27. Which most accurately describes the difference in ATP production between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration? a. Aerobic respiration produces more ATP than anaerobic respiration. b. Anaerobic respiration produces more ATP than aerobic respiration. c. Only anaerobic respiration produces measurable amounts of ATP. d. Anaerobic and aerobic respiration produce the same amount of ATP. 28. A human skin cell contains 46 chromosomes. How many chromosomes are present in a human sperm cell? a. 23b. 46c. 92d. 138 29. What is homeostasis? a. the ability of an organism to maintain a relatively stable internal environment b. the production of a hormone by an endocrine gland that works on another endocrine gland c. a series of events that monitor how hormones work in the body d. a process in which a change in the environment causes a response that returns conditions to their original status 30. If the body stopped producing new Beta cells, what would the expected outcome be? The pancreas would no longer release glucagon High blood glucose levels would continue to become normal Insulin would no longer be released Alpha cells would become beta cells 31. You just ran a marathon (26.2 miles) and your body is trying to reach homeostasis. Which of the following statements is true? Your blood vessels will constrict to conserve heat Your blood vessels will dilate to release body heat Your body’s control center will shut down Your brain will tell your body not to sweat

Construction Developments in High Rise Buildings

Construction Developments in High Rise Buildings This paper has provided a broad overview of different historic developments for concrete high-rise buildings. The evolution of concrete skyscrapers from the first reinforced concrete high-rise, the Ingalls Building, which was 15 stories high to modern skyscrapers PETRONAS Towers is discussed. How new innovations in construction technology such as the advances, techniques that are used to improve quality have all contributed to the ease of working with concrete in high-rise construction is also briefly discussed in the paper. Supertall buildings are a relatively recent addition to the history of the cities around the world. Technology of the nineteenth century made their development possible. Steel, concrete and masonry materials have existed for a long time in the history of civilization but not in such a configuration. Masonry is the oldest material. Concrete in its present form is the youngest of these three basic structural materials of construction. Concrete, unlike any other structural building material, allows the architects and engineers to choose not only its mode of production, but its material properties as well. Much of the technological change in concrete construction was in the first half of the 20th century. Advances in formwork, mixing of concrete, techniques for pumping, and types of admixtures to improve quality have all contributed to the ease of working with concrete in high-rise construction. There were main four periods in the development of skyscraper which began around 1808 and ended in 1960s where structures were usually vertical and dominant. During 1970s the international modernism in construction started to rise and this introduced a renewed interest in silhouettes and symbolic potential. The most efficient construction coordination plan for a tall building is one that allows formwork to be reused multiple times. Traditionally, formwork was made of wood but as technology has advanced, the forms have become a combination of wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglass and plastic, to name only a few materials. Each set may be self-supporting with trusses attached to the exterior or may need additional shoring to support it in appropriate locations. New additions to the family of forms include flying-forms, slip forms, and jump forms. The PETRONAS towers are a good example of this latest period. The techniques improved continually till now when pumping of concrete is considered even for small jobs. In recent years, concrete pumping has reached new heights. The builders for the Jin Mao Building in Shanghai, China, boast of pumping high strength concrete as high as 1200 ft (366 m). For such great heights, a high-pressure unit is needed. Great thought must be given to the properties of concrete and how it will react when pressure is applied in a pipe. All these factors demanded innovations in concrete technology. Already a well-argued case between Architects and Engineers is to build a environment with minimal impact on natural environment and to integrate the built environment with ecological systems of the locality. This proposition of the skyscraper as an ecologically- responsive building might well appear to be a conundrum for some.Afterall; Skyscraper is the citys most intensive building-type of enormous size. The council on tall Buildings and Urban habitat in USA defines the skyscraper as a tall building whose built form that by virtue of its height requires its own special engineering systems. Designed by Argentine architects Cà ©sar Pelli and Djay Cerico under the consultancy of Julius Gold, the PETRONAS Towers were completed in 1998 after a seven year build and became the tallest buildings in the world on the date of completion. They were built on the site of Kuala Lumpurs race Because of the depth of the bedrock; the buildings were built on the worlds deepest foundations. The 120-meter foundations were built within 12 months by Bachy Soletanche and required massive amounts of concrete. Its engineering designs on structural framework were contributed by Haitian engineer Domo Obiasse and collegues Aris Battista and Princess D Battista. From this floor rose a 21-metre high retaining wall, with a perimeter length of over 1 kilometer. This concrete shell and the basement area it enclosed required two years of up to 40 workers on site all day and night. The final product is the basement car park offering a total of 5,400 parking bays on five levels beneath the podium wrapping the towers. As an added consideration, two different contractors were chosen for each tower to allow cross-monitoring of construction values and techniques with one coming to the aid of the other should problems arise. The construction of the superstructure commenced in April 1994, after rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design. Due to the nature of the project, being the first super tall structure of its kind in Malaysia and very limited experience with the use of high strength concrete, the contractors were required to demonstrate that the requirements of the project could be successfully achieved prior to actual construction of structural elements. The contractor Samsung-Kukdong-Jasatera joint ventures were to do it. The major engineering and structural design teams were a collection of eminent international companies and consultants including such notables as Cà ©sar Pelli Associates, Hazama Corporation, Adamson Associates Architects, Solà ©tanche Bachy, RSP Architects Planners Engineers, Samsung Engineering Construction, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Syarikat Jasatera Sdn Bhd., and several dozen other major international firms. Legions of support engineers and designers in an array of specific disciplines contributed over the course of the years. The site for PETRONAS Towers is the Golden Triangle. Around it radiates the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias capital. The jewel of this 100-acre site are the towers. Working within mixed-used development plan by U.S firm of Klages, Carter, Vail and Partners. The design drawings show a complex of buildings growing from an intimate relationship with the site, generating from its core. The concert halls provide an important gathering space. The number of designers, engineers, and building contractor management personnel that took part in the design process is about the same as the number of workers that actually built the towers. About 7,000 construction workers took place in the actual building of the towers, as there was a great concern for the congestion that would occur in the busy Kuala Lumpur city center. 7,000 design workers talking constantly among themselves for five or six years designed the building. It was certainly an impressive conversation. Although much of this talk took place directly between individuals, this project probably would not have been possible before the development of the Internet or sophisticated project and communication management software. Every phase of the process, from the drawings and engineering research down to the daily work orders was accomplished with cutting edge software that was in many cases as technologically innovative as other parts of the project. The high quality of the PETRONAS Towers is the result of the quality of the design team. Although Cà ©sar Pelli was the titular designer and he served as the lead visionary, the design contributors included Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir, businessman T. Ananda Krishnan, senior managers of the PETRONAS company, the Kuala Lumpur City Center planning manager Arlida Ariff, and many high ranking national and local politicians.. The design process itself was as much a marvel as are the physical towers visible today. When construction began the design did not call for the tallest buildings in the world and the entire foundation was moved after excavations had already begun. The parking garage was located up inside the towers in Cà ©sar Pellis first drawings and the powerful Skybridge was absent from the original 1990 Klages Carter Vail Partners plans for the Kuala Lumpur City Center development that first called for two towers. These and many more features of the project changed as the design for the project evolved continuously over the life of the project and the final result is a testament to the efficiency of the whole multi-year design process. The towers feature askybridgebetween the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world.It is not directly bolted to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking during high winds.The bridge is 170m (558ft) above the ground and 58m (190ft) long, weighing 750 tons.The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors desiring to go to higher levels have to change elevators here. The lifts contain a number of safety features. It is possible to evacuatepeople from a lift stuck between floors by manually driving one of the adjacent lifts next to it and opening a panel in the wall..During an evacuation of the buildings, only the shuttle lift is allowed to be used, as there are only doors at levels G/1 and levels 41/42; therefore should there be a fire in the lower half of the building, this enclosed shaft would remain unaffected. Firefighter lifts are also provided in case of emergency The PETRONAS Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until Taipei 101 was completed in 2004, as measured to the top of their structural components .Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The research and knowledge in concrete gained in the first half of the twentieth century benefit technologies today. This paper has provided a broad overview of different historic developments for concrete high-rise buildings. To summarize, the first users of concrete date before 1200 BC and include societies like the Phoenicians, Minoans, and Egyptians, to name only a few. The late 1700s and early 1800s found a renewed discovery of and interest in reinforced concrete as a building structure. Americans and Europeans used it in large warehouses, factory buildings, apartment buildings and homes. New delivery systems, changes in formwork, high-strength concrete and other admixtures were invented which improved concretes strength and workability. Structural systems which go beyond the traditional post-and-beam construction of the Ingalls Building and the introduction of high-strength concrete mixes have together allowed reinforced concrete skyscrapers to grow to heights of the PETRONAS. Little more than a century ago, reinforced concrete was invented. In that short period of time, reinforced concrete has gone from being a very limited material to one of the most versatile building materials available today. The first reinforced concrete buildings were heavy and massive. Valuable floor space was taken up by the massive concrete structural systems. Today, due to our increased knowledge and improved technology, reinforced concrete buildings can be tall, graceful and elegant. Due, in part, to the use of shear walls, innovative structural systems and ultimate strength design, very little usable floor space is occupied by the structure. HSC and lightweight structural concrete allow us to use smaller member sizes and less steel reinforcement. Because of the rapid developments of concrete construction and technology, with every passing year the use of concrete for tall buildings is becoming a constant reality. The mold ability of concrete is a major factor in creating exciting building forms with elegant aesthetic expression. Compared to steel, concrete tall buildings have larger masses and damping ratios that help in minimizing motion perception. A heavier concrete structure also provides better stability against overturning caused by lateral loads. New structural systems including the composite ones that are popular now have allowed concrete high-rises to reach new heights during the last four decades. Although steel will continue to be the structural material of choice for many tall buildings for its strength and ductility, we may expect to see more and more concrete and composite high-rise structures shaping the skylines of major cities of the world in the forthcoming years.

Nazi Labour Camps and Capitalism Essay -- Comparative, Borowski

Throughout the communist era in Central and Eastern Europe, but especially in the first half of that era, capitalism was seen as immoral and inhumane. Capitalism, as discussed by Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto, was the cause of many social ills in society and needed to be overthrown (Marx 221-222). In â€Å"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen,† Tadeusz Borowski uses imagery and characters to compare and contrast the Nazi labor camp to capitalism. Although the ideology of capitalism is not as cruel as the Nazi labor camps, when put in practice it does have some similarities to these camps. Of course, Borowski wrote this story while he was a member of the communist party, which suggests that his opinion of capitalism may be skewed. Nevertheless, in the discussion that follows, I will argue that Borowski’s use of imagery in â€Å"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen† was intended to portray the structure, motivations, and social interactions within the camp as similar to those of capitalist society. In order to compare the Nazi labor camps to capitalism, Borowski begins to discuss the structure of the camp. Borowski stresses that the Nazi’s have the camp well organized and designed for efficiency. â€Å"The crews are being divided into those who will open and unload†¦and those who will be posted by the wooden steps. They receive instructions on how to proceed most efficiently† (Borowski 15). However, not only are the camp laborers divided into different positions among themselves, but the type of jobs performed by the Schutzstaffel (S.S. officers) and camp laborers are different. This is a portrayal of capitalist society because it was Henry Ford who developed the assembly line in 1913, which began the practice of the ... ...after the war. This is mainly because he was pro-communist when he wrote this story. Due to this fact, it is unlikely that Borowski would compare communism to the labor camp, but highly likely that he would believe that capitalism and the labor camps are similar. However, Borowski portrays the similarities between the labor camps and capitalist society in a negative light, which is most likely done because he may have wanted to promote communist ideas. Borowski compares capitalist society to labor camps through the interactions and imagery presented in the story. Much of the interactions that take place and the imagery described relates to the way society is organized, which is one of the main complaints in The Communist Manifesto. Although there is no proof that Borowski read The Communist Manifesto, much of the story is relatable to what is presented in it. Nazi Labour Camps and Capitalism Essay -- Comparative, Borowski Throughout the communist era in Central and Eastern Europe, but especially in the first half of that era, capitalism was seen as immoral and inhumane. Capitalism, as discussed by Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto, was the cause of many social ills in society and needed to be overthrown (Marx 221-222). In â€Å"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen,† Tadeusz Borowski uses imagery and characters to compare and contrast the Nazi labor camp to capitalism. Although the ideology of capitalism is not as cruel as the Nazi labor camps, when put in practice it does have some similarities to these camps. Of course, Borowski wrote this story while he was a member of the communist party, which suggests that his opinion of capitalism may be skewed. Nevertheless, in the discussion that follows, I will argue that Borowski’s use of imagery in â€Å"This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen† was intended to portray the structure, motivations, and social interactions within the camp as similar to those of capitalist society. In order to compare the Nazi labor camps to capitalism, Borowski begins to discuss the structure of the camp. Borowski stresses that the Nazi’s have the camp well organized and designed for efficiency. â€Å"The crews are being divided into those who will open and unload†¦and those who will be posted by the wooden steps. They receive instructions on how to proceed most efficiently† (Borowski 15). However, not only are the camp laborers divided into different positions among themselves, but the type of jobs performed by the Schutzstaffel (S.S. officers) and camp laborers are different. This is a portrayal of capitalist society because it was Henry Ford who developed the assembly line in 1913, which began the practice of the ... ...after the war. This is mainly because he was pro-communist when he wrote this story. Due to this fact, it is unlikely that Borowski would compare communism to the labor camp, but highly likely that he would believe that capitalism and the labor camps are similar. However, Borowski portrays the similarities between the labor camps and capitalist society in a negative light, which is most likely done because he may have wanted to promote communist ideas. Borowski compares capitalist society to labor camps through the interactions and imagery presented in the story. Much of the interactions that take place and the imagery described relates to the way society is organized, which is one of the main complaints in The Communist Manifesto. Although there is no proof that Borowski read The Communist Manifesto, much of the story is relatable to what is presented in it.

Rite Aid Stock Analysis :: essays research papers

I chose to analyze the third largest retail drugstore chain in the United States, Rite Aid Corporation. I chose to analyze Rite Aid Corp. because our family owns approximately 1200 shares and we have taken quite a loss on our investment. We are in the process of deciding whether or not we should sell our stock. Additionally, my Mother has been a pharmacist at Rite Aid Corp for 11 years and she often pays close attention to the financial stability of the company. We both feel that when you are employed by a corporation, that the corporation should be financially stable. A financially secure employer is one who generally offers better compensation and advancement to its employees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rite Aid Corp. has its corporate headquarters located at 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17001, and their telephone number is (717) 761-2633. Rite Aid’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Stock Exchange under the trading symbol â€Å"RAD† The board of directors consists of 11 members. Robert G. Miller is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board. The board is mainly male in gender with only 2 female directors. One of these females is Mary F. Sammons, president of the Rite Aid Corp. She is not only the President of the company, but also fulfils the role as Chief Operating Officer. The majority of the members are over the age of 55 years, with the youngest member being 43 years old and the oldest being 72 years old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rite Aid Corp. sells â€Å"prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise that they call ‘front-end products,’ including over-the-counter medications, health and beauty aids and personal care items, cosmetics, greeting cards, household items, convenience foods, photo processing services, and seasonal merchandise.† They are distinguished â€Å"from other national chain drugstores, in part, through their private label brands, their ‘stores-within-Rite Aid stores’ program with GNC and by their Internet presence. The sale of prescription drugs alone represents 59.5% of their total sales. Over-the-counter drugs and personal care items (10.9%), health and beauty aids (5.8%), and general merchandise (23.8%) account for the remaining 40.5% of their total 2001 fiscal year sales. Rite Aid Corp. operates in the highly competitive retail drugstore industry. â€Å"In the sale of prescription drugs, they compete with, among others, retail drugstore chains, independently owned drugstores, mass merchandisers, supermarkets, discount stores, and mail order pharmacies.

The Days of the Bomb :: Essays Papers

The Days of the Bomb The main goal of the Pacific War was to stop the Japanese from getting out of control. The U.S. government needed to send a message that Japan cannot be allowed to carry out their military imperialism. By 1945, the War in the Pacific was turning quickly to the United States’ favor. The United States Army was island hopping, taking each island and moving on to the next, toward the Japanese mainland. However, the Japanese refused surrender. They withstood each attack and refused to run until fully defeated. Although, the United States Army was relentlessly and inevitably moving towards the Japanese mainland, the Army was still losing troops and equipment. Army officials estimated it would take until the fall of the following year to reach the main island of Japan. In that time, several hundred thousand lives would be lost on both sides. The Japanese were showing absolutely no sign of surrender. The United States had to do something drastic to end the war. They had just one optio n: the atomic bomb. An experiment had been conducted in New Mexico involving the harnessing of the power of the atom. This device would be used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the United States’ chance to end World War II quickly. The decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima came directly from then President Harry S Truman. Additional American lives were lost each day. However, Truman knew about the successful testing of the atomic bomb. On the advice of his cabinet, he decided that the bomb was to be used as soon as humanly possible. The whole idea of the atomic bomb was to use it solely as a military weapon, just as any gun or grenade. Truman knew that unleashing the power of atomic energy in the form of a weapon would have serious consequences on the entire world. However, looking at the outcome of war, there was no doubt that World War II was already having that affect on the globe. The bomb was just part of the whole war. Truman, in his memoirs, even said, "I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used."1 Any effects of the bomb would just be casualties of war. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, also saw the bomb as the only way to end the war.

Agribusiness – Essay

The word agriculture indicate plowing a field, planting seed, harvesting a crop, milking cows, or feeding livestock. Until recently, this was a fairly accurate picture. But to days’ agriculture is radically different. Agriculture has evolved in to agribusiness and has become a vast and complex system that reaches for beyond the farm to include all those who are involved in bringing food and fiber to consumers. Agribusiness include not only those that farm the land but also the people and firms that provide the inputs (for ex. Seed, chemicals, credit etc. ), process the output (for ex. Milk, grain, meat etc. , manufacture the food products (for ex. icc cream, bread, breakfast cereals etc. ), and transport and sell the food products to consumers (for ex. restaurants, supermarkets). Agribusiness system has undergone a rapid transformation as new industries have evolve and traditional farming operations have grown larger and more specialized. The transformation did not happen over night, but came slowly as a response to a variety of forces. Knowing something about how agribusiness came about makes it easier to understand how this system operates today and how it is likely to change in the future. Initially agriculture being the major venture it was easy to become a farmer, but productivity was low. Average farmer produced enough food to feed just four people. As a consequence most farmers were nearly totally self-sufficient. They produced most of the inputs they needed for production, such as seed, draft animals, feed and simple farm equipment. Farm families processed the commodities they grew to make their own food and clothing. They consumed or used just about everything they produced. The small amount of output not consumed on the farm was sold for cash. These items were used to feed and cloth the minor portion of the country’s population that lived in villages and cities. A few agricultural products made their way into the export market and were sold to buyers is other countries. Farmers found it increasingly profitable to concentrate on production and began to purchase inputs they formerly made themselves. This trend enabled others to build business that focused on meeting the need for inputs used in production agriculture such as seed, fencing, machinery and so on. These farms involved into the industries that make up the â€Å"agricultural inputs sector†. Input farms are major part of agribusiness and produce variety of technologically based products that account for approximately 75 per cent of all the inputs used in production agriculture. At the same time the agriculture input sector was evolving, a similar evaluation was taking place a commodity processing and food manufacturing moved off the farm. The form of most commodities (wheat, rice, milk, livestock and so on) must be changed to make them more useful and convenient for consumers. For ex. consumers would rather buy flour than grind the wheat themselves before backing a cake. They are willing to pay extra for the convenience of buying the processed commodity (flour) instead of the raw agriculture commodity (wheat). During the same period technological advance were being made in food preservation method. Up until this time the perishable nature of most agriculture commodities meant that they were available only at harvest. Advance in food processing have made it possible to get those commodities all throughout the year. Today even most farm families use purchased food and fiber products rather than doing the processing themselves. The farms that meet the consumers demand for greater processing and convenience also constitute a major part of agribusiness and are referred to as the processing manufacturing sector. It is apparent that the definition of agriculture had to be expanded to include more than production. Farmers rely on the input industries to provide the products and service they need to produce agricultural commodities. They also rely on commodity processors, food manufactures, and ultimately food distributors and retailers to purchase their raw agricultural commodities and to process and deliver them to the consumer for final sale. The result is the food and fiber system. The food and fiber system is increasingly being referred to as â€Å"agribusiness†. The term agribusiness was first introduced by Davis and Goldberg in 1957. it represents three part system made up of (1) the agricultural input sector (2) the production sector and (3) the processing-manufacturing sector. The capture the full meaning of the term â€Å"agribusiness† it is important to visualizes these there sectors as interrelated parts of a system in which the success of each part depends heavily on the proper functioning of the other two.

Managing Diversity in Global Companies

When a firm starts to function internationally, an understanding of culture and its impact on behavior, particularly management behavior and practices, becomes essential. Very often, people experience difficulties when they have to work in another culture because peoples’ world views and mental programs are different in different cultures. Culture has been called â€Å"the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one human group from another† (Hofstede, 1980). Thus, the objectives of managing diversity in organizations emphasize the appreciation of differences in creating a setting where everyone feels valued and accepted. These objectives are: 1.) To monitor an organization's success or progress in managing diversity by organizational surveys of attitudes and perceptions, among other means. 2.) To create and shape the firm’s common set of values that will strengthen ties with customers, enhance recruitment, and the like 3.) To resist the fear of change in the organization itself and resist the discomfort of differences among the individuals in the organization. Even though there may be real economic benefits to expanding the world view of executives and corporations, developing recognition of the existence and benefits of diversity in global management does not come easily to US managers, who often have less exposure to multicultural realities in their workplace compared to their European or Asian counterparts. At present, most companies remain largely indifferent to changing corporate America's predominantly white status quo. But gradually, it is reassuring to know that some 300 or so companies that are aggressively pursuing diversity initiatives. They include companies such as General Motors and Starwood Hotels that have excelled at seeking out and doing business with black suppliers, many of which are represented on the Black Enterprise Best Companies for Diversity list of the nation's largest black-owned companies. To make the BE Best Companies for Diversity list, a company must demonstrate significant representation of African Americans and other ethnic minorities in four key areas: corporate procurement, corporate boards, senior management, and the total workforce. Others, such as Xerox Corp. and FedEx Express, are among the very best at bringing talented people of color into the senior management ranks of their companies, while PG&E and Marriott International are among those that have excelled at African American board representation. And when it comes to fostering diversity, corporations such as McDonald's Corp. and Verizon are old hands (Black Enterprise, July 2005). However, when companies decide to venture in the global arena, it is significant that the manager is reminded that the first imperative for effectively managing cultural diversity is cultural sensitivity. In fact, according to Clark (1987), one of the most recognized global brands, Coca-Cola, attribute their success to the ability of their people to hold and to understand the following perspectives simultaneously: Their corporate culture. The culture of their brand. The culture of the people to whom they market the brand. When global firms, small as well as large, service as well as manufacturing, have workforces that are distributed broadly across continents, and increasingly in emerging markets of the world. They include people from many countries and cultures, speaking many languages and educated in very different systems. The challenge for diversity for them would be twice as difficult. Thus, to manage diversity, domestically or globally, Laurent (1986) recommended espousing modern human resource strategy that requires these minimal orientations: An explicit recognition by headquarters that its own way of managing reflects the home culture values and assumptions. An explicit recognition by headquarters that foreign subsidiaries may have different ways of managing people, which may be more effective. A willingness to acknowledge cultural differences, and to take steps to make them discussible and, thus, usable. A commitment to the belief that more creative and effective ways of managing people can be developed as a result of cross-cultural learning. As companies continue to expand worldwide, human resource leaders are finding that a one-size-fits-all global solution to promote diversity that does not exist. According to Kurt Fischer, Vice President Business HR. and Diversity Officer of Corning Incorporated, HR managers often find that basic HR functions–compensations. benefits, staffing – no longer support their company’s business strategy. Leaders today are faced with the challenge of rethinking and restructuring how they will deliver HR services – and on a global basis. He suggested transforming HR globally through Centre of Excellence Approach (Stopper, 2003). According to Fischer, the Centre of Excellence approach provides content experts within the HR organization who focus on meeting strategic business needs. For example, a company's HR functions may be aligned with its businesses on paper but not in practice. This disconnect can be addressed through a Centre of Excellence approach, which provides content experts within the HR organization who focus on meeting strategic business needs. These experts serve as consultants to corporate business divisions and develop customised HR products and services to support business issues. For the Centre of Excellence approach to be effective, it should map to three levels of HR transformation: strategic, operational, and foundational. On the strategic level, HR leaders must work to define key HR objectives and a new value proposition with their client business divisions–in effect, changing HR’s positioning in the organization. A non-threatening way to accomplish this task is to participate with business divisions in developing their annual business strategy, and then craft an HR strategy to help each division meet its business goals. HR leaders must transform the organization's HR foundation, addressing core â€Å"people† elements of its change. Flexible networks of HR staff should be established to work cooperatively toward shared workforce management goals. A formalized HR reporting and organizational relationship system should be developed, and key HR performance requirements, accountabilities, and competencies defined. This right mixture of diversity is said to provide a wide-array of solutions to various problems and situations. On the other hand, it is also a venue for introducing conflict and disagreement. As the intense global competition zooms in largely on knowledge, creativity, and human talent, multinational firms are finding it more important to make full use of their entire workforce, tapping the creative energy and talents of all their employees. Their task is to find ways of succeeding not in spite of a diverse workforce, but because of it. At the same time, consistency is more important than ever. The integration of activities calls for close communication and reliable interaction, whereas the presence of global customers requires a single integrated approach to product delivery.   In view of this, Beamish et al. (2003) deemed that striving for consistency and fostering diversity is a continual process. There is no final resting point where a firm attains high consistency and high diversity once and for all. When managers cannot grasp consistency and diversity in a single step; they have to continually improve both. Thus, the actual challenge for global firms lies in their thrust for consistency and then their emphasis for diversity; this is also in consideration of their commonalities and deriving the full benefits from their differences. Works Cited Beamish, Paul W., Morrison, Allen J., Inkpen, Andrew & Rosenzweig, Philip M.   International Management: Text and Cases, (5th ed.), New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2003. Black Enterprise. The 30 Best Companies for Diversity: When it Comes to Minority Representation, These Corporations Mean Business. Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc. 35.12 (July 2005): 112. Clarke, Jr., Harold F. â€Å"Consumer and Corporate Values: Yet Another View on Global Marketing,† International Journal of Advertising 6, (1987): 29–42. Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1980. Hunt, James G., Schermerhorn, J. R. Jr., and Osborn, R. N. Organizational Behavior, 8th edition, New York:   John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2003. Laurent, Andre. â€Å"The Cross-Cultural Puzzle of International Human Resource Management,† Human Resource Management, 25.1, (Spring 1986): 91–102. Stopper, W. G. Current Practices. Human Resource Planning, 26.2 (2003): 5.