Fashion retail concepts of the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Fashion retail concepts of the future - Essay Example The essay "Fashion retail concepts of the future" analyzes Fashion retail. In future fashion retail, there will be considerable use of online systems. A website legitimizes the existence of a business. E-commerce performs a physical role in enabling convenient access of products across distant areas. More fashion stores may face the pressure of opening their online versions to facilitate convenience of shopping among customers. In supply chain management, technology will be crucial in enabling efficiency. RFID technology helps track the movement of clothes in the distribution chain. This is possible though the use of tags that help track products from the manufacturing phase to the purchase stage. Fashion is ushering in an age of interactive shopping. Interactive experience means that a client takes charge of one’s shopping time. This involves the use of sensory simulation in testing products before purchase. For instance, the Burberry store in central London avoids the idea o f direct purchases. The store has simulated the website experience in its physical store on Regent Street. A customer, therefore, makes one’s purchases from the sofa while using a swipe machine. Clothing in the store has chips and identification technology that makes it possible for customer to witness images of clothes in catwalk. Mobile applications will be a key feature in fashion retail. Major brands such as SalesGossip, Burberry, Forever21, Shopstyle, and Tommy Hilfiger are investing in various applications.

Strategic management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Strategic management - Case Study Example Joe’s has been the best option for many people because recent trends indicate people opting to purchase groceries from grocery stores rather than supermarkets. Over the years, Joe’s traders have managed to create a great customer relations who have come to trust the chain store with all their consumer needs. Also, the chain store has specialized in the area that was vacant, and it is feeling the gap. Joe’s store should, therefore, be slow and steady in its growth so as maintain quality at the same time. The company has followed the strategy clock by first offering goods at low prices, being a store selling both drugs and groceries at the same time then introducing new items such Hawaiian shirts. The next step is focused differentiation. The company is highly sustainable since it addresses issues at the market at the same time evading threats. Since the enterprise is the best ranked, it certainly meets the demands of its consumers. The management tactic is certainly feasible since it has only a few adjustments need to be

Dover Beach Evaporating the Sea of Belief (Matthew Arnold) Essay

Dover Beach Evaporating the Sea of Belief (Matthew Arnold) - Essay Example The poem depicts the seashore at night. The night which at first feels very tranquil for the poet, but this tranquility, suddenly transforms into despair and darkness. Mathew Arnold belongs to the era when Britain was under the influence of industrialization. It was a period of rationalism. The new generation was persistent about finding the logical reasons behind religious affair. It was not the age when you believe everything blindly. The old values had been driven away and new values were taking place of the old values. The mind was very confused. It was the period in which the questions had been arisen against religious faith. The faith of Christianity was thus on stake. Arnold was deeply religious person and so he lamented the deterioration of religious faith that he calls â€Å"Evaporation of the sea of Faith.† The central idea of this poem is the shattering of faith on Christianity. Arnold, like most of his contemporaries was so much disturbed by loss of religious faith in the new and modern generation. To denote the idea of disbelief he has used the imagery of â€Å"Sea of Belief.† It is a typical Victorian poem which reflects the contemporary society which has given up the religious norms and which is travelling towards modernism. This modernism is of course, very hard to accept especially for the sensible people like Mathew Arnold. It is because the foundation of his thoughts and principles was built on Christianity. The change is not at all a happy moment for Arnold, so this poem is a melancholy poem. In this poem Mathew Andrew unwillingly accepts the reality and the changing world. He has used the sea images. The entire poem revolves around the seascape. The sea of faith has been evaporated, disappeared. Arnold wants to be with the old morals and faith but the world does not allow him to accept the religious beliefs completely. It is a typical Victor ian predicament of mind. The sea in this poem is associated with the strong belief in Christianity. The tragedy of the Victorian age was that belief was shattering. The poet’s state of mind is not at all different. He wants his religious belief to be intact. But the New Age is not allowing him to do so. He calls the sea as his belief. Like the depth of sea, he also has a deep belief in Christian values. But when he is staring at sea, he feels that the sea of belief is evaporating. The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furl'd. But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world. The deep sea of faith is disappearing from his mind. The rational mind always suffers a lot as it is not ready to give up his old upbringings but at the same time his logical thinking does not allow him/her to embrace the irr ational religious beliefs. His strong religious foundation again is not ready to accept the modernity undoubtedly as these new ideas are extraterrestrial for him. He is doubtful about his old doctrine and he is reluctant to accept the new ideologies. Almost all Victorian authors, poets have painted the same sketch of this kind of state of mind. In the first stanza Arnold Mathew visualizes the picture of a calm sea. The essence of tranquility and purity is present in the first stanza. sea is calm to-night. The tide is full, the moon lies fair. A note of tranquility and serenity is expressed in the above two line. The poet is very firm with his religious theology. It is the

DAG in Nephron Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DAG in Nephron - Research Paper Example pathway that can be activated by many of the metabolic and hemodynamic factors involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy† (Schrijvers, Vriese & Flyvbjerg, 971).   1) Bertorello, Alejandro M., â€Å"Diacylglycerol activation of protein kinase C results in a dual effect on Na + ,K -ATPase activity from intact renal proximal tubule cells†, Journal of Cell Science, (1992) 101, 343-347, September 4, 2010 from: http://jcs.biologists.org/content/101/2/343.full.pdf 2) Cerbon, Jorge & Rosa del Carmen Lopez-Sanchez, â€Å"Diacylglycerol generated during sphingomyelin synthesis is involved in protein kinase C activation and cell proliferation in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells†, Biochemistry Journal, (2003) 373, 917-924, September 4, 2012 from: http://www.biochemj.org/bj/373/0917/3730917.pdf 4) Jung, Kwang-Mook et al, â€Å"Diacylglycerol Lipase-ÃŽ ± and -ÃŽ ² Control Neurite Outgrowth in Neuro-2a Cells through Distinct Molecular Mechanisms†, Molecular Pharmacology, (2011) 80.1, 60-67, September 4, 2010 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3127538/ 5) Nogaroli, Luciana et al, â€Å"Diacylglycerol kinase activity in puriï ¬ ed basolateral membranes of kidney tubules I. Evidence for coupling with phospholipase C†, The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, (2005) 37, 79-90, September 4, 2010 from: http://artigocientifico.uol.com.br/uploads/artc_1152842008_32.pdf 6) Schrijvers, Bieke F., Vriese, An S. De & Allan Flyvbjerg, From Hyperglycemia to Diabetic Kidney Disease: The Role of Metabolic, Hemodynamic, Intracellular Factors and Growth Factors/Cytokines, The Endocrine Society, (2004) 25.6, 971, September 4, 2012 from:

Research Technique Essay Example for Free

Research Technique Essay Suppose your sociology instructor has asked you to do a study of homelessness. Which research technique (survey, observation, experiment, existing sources) would you find the most useful? How would you use that technique to complete your assignment? If my sociology instructor has asked me to do a study of homelessness, I will choose the observation research technique because I think this method is the most useful to me. In definition, observation means collecting information through direct participation and/or by watching a group or community engaged, which means, this is a technique which researchers observe carefully the behaviors of people involved in their hypothesis. Although there are various types of observational research techniques (naturalistic observation, participant observation†¦), each of them has both strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I believe participant observation is the most suitable method for the study of homelessness. Firstly, this technique allows me to gain information in my own point of view as I’m the observer and participant as well. Secondly, by using this method, the subject behaviors (homeless people) remain natural, therefore, giving the results high validity and reliability. Thirdly, it’s flexible as I can myself test the hypotheses and be able to redefine possible personal conceptions. Fourthly, by directing involving the research, my results will contain highly-detailed, high-quality information about the homelessness’s behaviors. However, this technique also has some disadvantage. First, it’s likely for me to have a close relationship with others which may influence the results. Second, it’s quite difficult for me to be accepted in the group (maybe I’m too different from them). Third, this technique requires a great deal of skill and commitment from the researchers. I must have the ability to fit-in with the people being observed and the ability to communicate naturally to them without letting them know my purposes. Finally, I have to make sure that I have enough money, time, resources, skills and support to go through this research. More details about my study. After having finished 3 important steps (defining the problem, reviewing the literature, formulating the hypothesis), I’ll continue the fourth step: collecting and analyzing data by using the observation technique (participant observation). I’ll join the homeless communities, which usually gather to sleep in the parks, under the bridges or in the verandas of the private or public houses†¦It’d be easier for me to participate if I can show them for sure that I’m a real homeless person (little money, no mobile phone, have acceptable reason to become homeless, dirty clothes†¦). The length of my stays are going to be about 6 months to 1 year as this time is long enough for me to have a generally view about this problem (however, it mainly depend on the time which the instructor allows me to so that I can limit/expand the areas researched). During the time I’m homeless, I’ll try to gain the acceptance in the group studied in order to collect the information needed without raising close relations or letting them know who I am, which will affect the conclusion of my study. Then, I’ll listen to their stories about the reason why they become homeless (of course I must have a reason for myself), observe their feeling, their behaving in life as well as their attitudes about their present conditions. Besides, I also have to try fulfill my study by finding the answers for these following questions: 1. How did they become homeless? (different people will have different answers) 2. Do they feel like the government is helping them to reduce homelessness? 3. How has being homeless affected them? (difficulties in all aspects) 4. What are the main causes of people becoming homeless? 5. What should the government do to help the homeless people? 6. The link between being homeless and having social diseases (HIV, syphilis†¦) 7. Where do the homelessness rates have the highest/lowest percentage? What are the differences in these areas? These 5 questions are the basic information that I have to find the answers by asking directly through normal conversations, by observing, by listening†¦ Besides, I think I can conclude some other useful results so as to have a general overview to support for my study thank to the time I’m being homeless. My conclusion will include these data: 1. Trends in homelessness recently. 2. Characteristics of persons experiencing homelessness 3. Causes of homelessness 4. Effect of homelessness. 5. Homeless policy initiatives 6. How different places have different rate of homelessness. Reasons? Solutions (If I can) 7. Outlook for the future (solutions) Finally, I’ll finish the final step: developing the conclusion base on the data I have to support or redefine the hypothesis.

John Donne Essay Example for Free

John Donne Essay A text is essentially a product of its context, as its prevailing values are inherently derived by the author from society. However, the emergence of post-modern theories allows for audience interpretation, thus it must be recognised that meaning in texts can be shaped and reshaped. Significantly, this may occur as connections between texts are explored. These notions are reflected in the compostion of Edson’s W;t and Donne’s poetry as their relationship is established through intertextual references, corresponding values and ideas and the use of language features. Edson particularly portrays key values surrounding the notions of the importance of loved based relationships, and death and resurrection: central themes of Donne’s Holy Sonnets and Divine Poems. The purpose of these authors distinctly correlate as each has attempted to provide fresh insight into the human condition by challenging prevalent ideals. Thus, Edson incorporates Donne’s work to illuminate both explicit and implicit themes, creating an undeniable condition. Prior to John Donnes Judeo Christian conversion he believed that life was only fulfilling if shared with another individual. He conveyed in his pre-conversion poems and stressed the power and importance of love to a persons well being and existence. Donne contrives the idea that love must not be a Dull Sublunary lovers love, rather a relationship where two souls are one, a love, he explores his conceit, so strong it can stretch like gold to aery thinness. His geometrical conceit explains that relationships Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is, these walls, thy sphere. During the 17th century everything revolved around the sun, saying that lovers went against it was seen as going against the, thus showing how vital relationships are to human existence. The medium of a play allows us to a different view on how important love is one lifes, and what is to be lost with its absence Donnes values according to lifes meaning and relationships are reworked by Margaret Edson within W;t. Vivian Bearing is constructed to reflect the secular view point, preferring research to humanity, the motif Edson creates in Bearing as she misses the point Donne makes about relationships, seeking instead to be making a significant contribution to knowledge. Bearing does not mind the lack of relationship she has, correcting Susie she has none, to be precise, distinctively juxtaposing Donnes views on relationships and their importance. Bearing reflect the individualism of the estern culture when she is distinguishing the [herself] in illness facing the world alone. However Bearing reflects how after many years with being uncomfortable with kindness she wishes her doctor would take more interest in personal contact. The implicit connections Edison portrays between an orange two stick Popsicle shared between Bearing and Susie, and Donnes twin compass displays Bearings recognition of the importance relationships should play in life. Edison challenges secular humanists through her textual construction of dialogue and motifs to question the importance relationships play in order for a meaningful life to be attained. The existential question of what lies after death is one that writes have pondered for years. Donne explicitly demonstrates his battle with this concept and his beliefs about theology, death and afterlife after he is converted to his Judeo Christian faith. Death was not easy to ignore in the 17th century as executions and daily mortuary carts attributed to the fear and awareness of death. His compliant tone throughout his poetry clearly indicates that he feels that he feels some degree of confidence that God will accept his soul into heaven, evident when he apostrophises death to be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, that death should not be feared as it is a rest and sleep till the forgiven wake eternally. A possible passage through the American continent to the indies was earnestly being explored just as the poets body was probably being probed and prodded to seek enlightenment or a successful path. This analogy is made clear by the clever extended pun on straits as both a trade route and a personal dilemma. They are itemised so that the link is not missed for the Western Sea, to which all the straits led, also represents death and entry into the next life: So death doth touch the Resurrection Likewise to John Donne, Edison engages with the concept of death and what, if anything comes after it. While Bearing does not openly ponder what comes after death in the play, she is tangibly struggling with the fear of death. Her own feelings are mirrored by Donnes If poisnous minerals is shown through her analysis. In her analysis she says, Donne finds Gods forgiveness hard to believe, so he crawls under a rock to hide. Rather than trust Gods mercy I want to hide. I just want to curl up into a little ball. Donnes poem If Poisonous Minerals has a direction relationship to the The Runaway Bunny read by Bearing in her childhood. It provides for her an allegory for Gods mercy allowing her to find solace, No matter where it hides, God will find it. Where Donne presents this same allegory in a complex manner, the book is simple. Bearing is redeemed and able to die peacefully with this understanding of compassion. It is in the final scene that Edson reshapes Donnes ideas on eternity and resurrection of the play with bearings humanistic post-modern sight. Donne, in his Judeo Christian context, prepares himself for God to take his soul into heaven, whereas the humanistic post-modern understanding of the resurre ction that Bearing obtains brings an end to her suffering an pain when the lights out.

The Emotional Impact of Infertility and Assisted Reproduction

The Emotional Impact of Infertility and Assisted Reproduction 1. Introduction It is assumed by the majority of young people that they will conceive later in life and have their own family. Unfortunately, a significant proportion will have difficulty in reproducing and will need to seek help. Infertility is the inability to conceive after regular unprotected intercourse for a minimum of 12 months (NICE guidelines) and affects approximately 80 million people worldwide (WHO 2002). It is estimated in the UK that one in seven couples will have difficulty conceiving (HFEA). The inability to conceive can be a very stressful situation, and can bare huge strain on individuals and their relationships. Infertility is not solely a physiological condition but also a psychological and social condition; of which is often overlooked. Having difficulty conceiving can have vast psychological consequences on the individual which may affect social relationships and cause a feeling of isolation and stress. It can have a negative influence on relationships provoking marital issues sometimes resulting in divorce. Many patients who are undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART) find it difficult to fit into social situation and struggle with the personal management of infertility. This report aims to review the literature available to discuss the emotional impact of infertility and ART by examining the social and cultural impact of infertility, including gender and marital issues, and stress and depression. It also aims to briefly assess the effects of stress on ART outcome. 2. Sociology Infertility affects all parts of an individuals life; it is a social situation. The value of fertility is often misunderstood and the role of parenting is natural and assumed. An integral part of adult development is the ability to reproduce (Leiblum and Greenfield 1997). Individuals who have fertility problems often find themselves challenging their identity and self-worth (Greil 1991). They may feel that their body has failed its natural function. Female patients, in particular, undergo severe emotional suffering and find they feel a loss of control. They may feel confused and angry and often isolated from the fertile world. It is common for women to blame themselves for the infertility the couple experience, particularly if caused by a female factor. They may feel guilt from previous relationships, indiscretions or abortions (Domar and Seibel 1997). Patients have reported a lack of empathy from friends and family who are unable to relate to their situation. A vast proportion of ART patients are anxious that they will not receive the support they require (Miall 1986). Interestingly, different people suffer more at different points in their treatment, for example some exhibit the highest levels of anxiety and stress whilst trying to conceive and others during or after treatment (Cousineau and Domar 2006). Confronting infertility can, in some people, be the most difficult part. Studies have shown that discussing infertility can reduce stress levels in men and women (Schmidt et al 2005), and that women are more likely to discuss their situation with friends, colleagues and professionals (Abbey et al 1991). The infertility becomes a focal point of life, disorganising their world. This focus can result in eliminating or postponing other important aspects such as careers, aspirations and social connections (McLaney et al 1995). The balance between managing infertility and its treatment and maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends and work is extremely difficult. Firstly, the patients must rearrange their lifestyle and schedule to undergo vigorous medication and examinations which will have a significant impact on their body and mind (Mahlstedt 1985). Secondly, patients have reported that social settings become increasingly difficult due to feelings of upset and anger towards people who are pregnant or those who have children (Domar and Seibel 1997). In addition, some women may chose to bury their distress, through feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness, further increasing the difficulty in social situations. The psychological impact of infertility is certainly under -estimated. 2.1 Culture In many cultures procreation is encouraged and the importance of biological parenting is vast. For example, for Islamic women there is huge emphasis on fecundability, and marriage is highly associated with a subsequent family (Fido and Zahid 2004). Women are expected to continue the family name and reproduce as assurance that elderly relatives can be cared for. The majority of cultures are accepting of ART, however, in some religions some aspects are forbidden. For example in the Islamic community the donation of eggs or sperm is prohibited as it is classified as adultery (Serour and Dickens 2000). Irrespective of whether cause of infertility is a male or female factor, in many cultures, for example some Arab and Asian communities, the females are usually blamed (Fido and Zahid 2004). In these communities infertility is associated with an enormous amount of shame. By Western norms infertility has become very accepted, in particularly for the male to take responsibility for the cause of infertility in a significant proportion of couples. Unfortunately this is not the case with all cultures, in extreme situations women can be blamed and subsequently subjected to violence and exile, irrespective of whether they are the cause of the couples infertility as their status is now diminished (Rustein and Shah 2004). 2.1. Gender In the past infertility has always been associated with the female. However, over half of couples undergoing treatment are due to both male and female infertility (Johansson et al 2011) and half of these are solely male factor infertility (NICE guidelines 2004). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has further increased the acceptance of male infertility and in many cases enabled the couple to overcome it. As previously discussed many cultures have not come to terms with male factor infertility and woman can be severely victimised against, suffering dramatic consequences (Rustein and Shah 2004). The literature demonstrates that women feel significantly more pressure on them to reproduce, they find infertility treatment considerably more stressful and they suffer more emotionally than their male partner (Jordan and Revenson 1999). Despite this, the psychological well-being of the male partner should not be ignored. Men are severely affected by infertility (Wright et al 1991, Carmeli And Birbaum-Carmelli 1994), however there is much less exposure of this. The males feelings are often overshadowed by the females and they may hide their emotions in order to support their partners. Male patients are reported to use different coping mechanisms (Peterson et al 2006) such as engaging in extra work and other activities (Jordan and Revenson 1999), which may give the impression they are less affected emotionally than the female. Men can feel a severe loss of masculinity, particularly if there is male factor infertility, and can become extremely embarrassed resulting in low self-esteem. Men may feel inadequate in fulfilling their role in the relationship being unable to provide their partner with a child. Additionally the stress of being unable to conceive and the subsequent treatment can lead to impotency and sexual dysfunction (Saleh et al 2003). Although the patients are treated as a couple, the female is normally the identified patient, irrespective of the cause of infertility. The emphasis on the psychological well-being of the female is understandable considering the female will undergo the immense and invasive treatment necessary for IVF/ICSI. It is the female that must inject herself daily and rearrange her schedule to have blood tests and scans for weeks before her eggs are even collected. Despite this, it is important to be aware that both the male and female will be under enormous amounts of psychological and emotional strain and neither should be ignored. 2.1. Marital There is varying information about the effect of infertility on relationships and marital status. Interview studies have shown that going through infertility and assisted reproduction can bring relationships closer together and often strengthen marriage in approximately one-third of couples seeking treatment (Schmidt 2009). Other studies have demonstrated marital problems as a result of their infertility, in particularly suffering from a lack of effective communication and often using active-avoid coping mechanisms. Evidence suggests there is increased marital stress between couples when they do not conceive in the first year compared to those couples who do (Benazon et al 1992). Additionally, couples have reported their physical relationship suffers whilst trying to conceive and whilst undergoing infertility treatment (Benazon et al 1992). Although not always recommended, many couples have intercourse at specific times in the females cycle, which can diminish intimacy and sexual fun ction, further enhancing relationship stress. 3. Stress and depression Stress is defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the stimulus which produces mental tensionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Cousineau and Domar 2006). The inability to conceive is undoubtedly a very stressful situation. It is extremely difficult to measure psychological stress as it can be subjective. Despite this, it is clear that mild to moderate stress and depressive symptoms are present in the majority of people undergoing ART treatment (Demyttenaere et al 1998). Studies demonstrate that depression and anxiety levels in women who are experiencing fertility problems are dramatically increased and are significantly higher than in fertile women (Domar et al 1992). These levels of depression and anxiety have been reported to be comparable to patients undergoing cancer treatment, myocardial infarction and HIV-positive patients (Domar et al 1993). Unsuccessful IVF attempts can result in severe depressive symptoms and it has been shown that over 10% of women experience passive suicidal ideations (Baram et al 1988). This highlights the importance of monitoring patients emotional state before, throughout and after treatment. 3.1. Affect on ART outcome There is conflicting evidence that suggests stress factors may influence IVF outcome. A prospective study carried out by Klonoff-Cohen et al (2001) demonstrated that baseline stress levels were significantly related to biological end-points. This included oocyte number, fertilisation rates, and pregnancy and live birth rate. These findings emphasise the importance of emotional and psychological support early on in treatment. In contrast, a recent meta-analysis, by Boivin et al 2011, collated 14 studies with a total of 3583 women and assessed the effect of emotional distress in infertile women undergoing fertility treatment on the outcome of their treatment. The conclusions were confident that stress does not compromise their ART outcome. Although the jury is still out with regards to stress affecting ART outcome, stress has an impact during pregnancy. High emotional stress levels can increase glucocorticoid levels which negatively affect foetal development and birth outcomes (Bolten et al 2011, Schulz et al 2011). Therefore patients stress levels should be monitored during assisted reproduction treatment, and importantly also after treatment, whether successful or not. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, this report has demonstrated that infertility patients undergo significant emotional distress. Infertility and its treatment can bare huge strains on all aspects of their lives particularly social interactions with friends and partners. Patients feel a loss of control and their infertility becomes the focus of their life often resulting in the neglect of other aspects. They may feel upset, anger and a lack of self-worth. This is heightened in some cultures which do not accept infertility and bare huge pressures on reproduction. In these cultures women, in particular, can be subjected to very severe treatment such as exile. Women appear to suffer more emotionally than their male counterpart; however this may be due to the male hiding his feelings to support his female partner. Males can experience a severe loss of masculinity and feel inadequate in fulfilling their role. Both members of the couple will be experiencing substantial distress and this can have positive and negative impacts on their relationship. Some marriages benefit from treatment by becoming emotionally closer, others do not. It is clear from this report that there is significant stress associated with infertility which can result in depression and anxiety. This can be particularly serious in those patients who have unsuccessful attempts at IVF. There is varying evidence to whether this stress and anxiety affects ART outcome. Whether or not it affects outcome it is fundamental that the psychological aspects of infertility and ART are not ignored. Counselling and emotional management should be offered to all patients before, during and after treatment. Stress and depression levels should also be monitored a various time points as the welfare of the patient is paramount.